Helicopter or seaplane in Mauritius?
Side by side
| Mauritius: Scenic Helicopter Flight with Hotel Transfers | Sees the waterfallMauritius: Underwater Waterfall by Helicopter Tour | Private Seaplane Tour with Scenic Views of Mauritius | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Departure point | Hotel pickup, then helipad | Gate 3, SSR airport | Seaplane hangar, LUX* Grand Gaube (NE) |
| Flight time | 35 min (in a 3-h day) | 40 min | 15–30 min, engine start to stop |
| Seats | 4- or 6-seat aircraft; max 6 per booking | Max 5 | Your party only |
| Sees the waterfall | Yes | Yes | No — NE lagoon route |
| Min age | Under-2s free, under-12s supervised | Not stated | 7 |
| Weight | Seated by weight; weights at booking | Seated by weight; weights at booking | 105 kg limit; under 200 cm |
| Take-off feel | Vertical lift, then cruise | Vertical lift, then cruise | Water taxi and run, then climb |
| Weather | Cloud on the gorges holds it | Cloud on the gorges holds it | Sea state and wind on the lagoon |
| Transfers | Included | Not included | Included |
| Rating | 4.6 (98) | 5.0 (5) | 4.5 (121) |
| View → | Book this → | View → |
Where they fly from, and why it matters
The helicopters lift from the helipad at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam airport, on the south-east coast at Plaine Magnien. Le Morne is on the opposite corner of the island, so a 40-minute flight is mostly the crossing: up over Grand Bassin and Kanaka crater, across the Black River Gorges, down to the west coast, the pass, then Chamarel and the south coast home. That crossing is not dead time; it is the flight. The seaplane hangar sits beside the car park of the LUX* Grand Gaube hotel on the far north-east coast, roughly 80 km and an hour and three-quarters by road from Le Morne, and it flies the lagoon in front of it: Île aux Cerfs, the Grand Port area, reefs, sea life. Leroy from France “even got to see two turtles”. It is a good flight over the wrong coast for this site’s subject.
Seaplanes do fly from the Le Morne lagoon with other operators, and one of those does pass over the sandfall. It is not bookable here. If you find one locally, the same rules about light and swell apply, and a water take-off inside the reef at Le Morne is a very good way to start a morning. See the seaplane page for the honest version.
Minutes, and how they are counted
Helicopter time is airborne time. Seaplane time is engine start to engine stop, which includes taxiing on the water, the take-off run and the landing. On a 15-minute booking that is a real fraction. On the 30-minute one it matters less. Compare a 30-minute seaplane with a 35-minute helicopter and you are close to like for like; compare 15 with 40 and you are not.
Who can fly
The seaplane takes nobody under 7, nobody over 105 kg (230 lb), nobody over 200 cm, and excludes pregnancy, back and heart problems and vertigo. The helicopters have no published weight ceiling but seat by weight for balance, so weights are asked for at booking and a party may be split across two aircraft; they exclude pregnancy, back problems and motion sickness. Both give a briefing, headsets and English or French commentary. Both keep the doors on.
Weather
Different weather. The helicopter loop crosses the plateau and the gorges, so cloud sitting on the mountains holds it, which is why I push people to morning slots. The seaplane cares about the sea state and wind on its lagoon; it needs a flat enough surface to run on. Both reschedule or refund rather than fly in bad conditions, and both are free to cancel to 24 hours before.
So which one
If the underwater waterfall is the reason you are reading this, helicopter, and it is not close. If you want to take off from water, see a lagoon from low level and spend less per person, seaplane, and enjoy it for what it is; Finn from Germany “felt safe the entire time” and Hansjoerg called it a “completely new feeling to take off and land on water”. If you have the days and the budget, do both, on different coasts, and stop asking which is better. What each helicopter product includes is on helicopter tours; the cost logic is on what a flight costs.
If someone in your party is under 7 or over 105 kg, the choice is made for you: helicopter. If someone is prone to motion sickness, neither.
Sees the waterfall40 min · 5 seatsMauritius: Underwater Waterfall by Helicopter Tour
Most reviewed flightTransfers includedMauritius: Scenic Helicopter Flight with Hotel Transfers
SeaplaneNorth-east routePrivate Seaplane Tour with Scenic Views of Mauritius
Check dates
The airport helicopter first, the north-east seaplane second.
Frequently asked questions
Does the seaplane in Mauritius fly over the underwater waterfall?
The one on GetYourGuide does not. It flies from Grand Gaube on the north-east coast over Île aux Cerfs and the Grand Port lagoon. Seaplanes from the Le Morne lagoon do overfly it, with operators not bookable here. See the seaplane review.
Which is safer, helicopter or seaplane?
Both are flown by licensed pilots with briefings, and both hold for weather. Neither is a risk you should be weighing against the other; pick on route and who can fly. The aviation basics are on is it safe.
Which is cheaper, helicopter or seaplane?
The seaplane, per person, usually. Its minutes are counted engine start to stop and it flies the other coast, so it is a cheaper flight rather than a cheaper way to see the waterfall. Live rates are in the widgets above.
Can children go on the seaplane?
From age 7. Under that, the helicopter is the option: infants under 2 fly free on the scenic flight, children 2 and over at full rate, under-12s supervised.
Is there a weight limit for the helicopter?
No published ceiling, but seats are allocated by weight for balance and the operator asks for weights at booking. Declare them honestly; a party may be split across two aircraft. The seaplane has a hard 105 kg limit.