My biggest surprise on a flight to see Mauritius' 'underwater waterfall': I flew the plane
The idyllic island of Mauritius is a lure for travelers seeking pristine beaches and upscale resorts. However, you'll also find a stunning natural phenomenon – an "underwater waterfall."
You can only view this remarkable illusion from the air, so when I learned of the underwater waterfall seaplane tours, I had to sign up.
I expected a scenic ride. Little did I know that I was in for the flight of my life taking the controls of the Czech-built TL Ultralight TL-3000 Sirius while flying barefoot.
About the flight
I stayed at the JW Marriott Mauritius Resort in the lush Riviere Noire District. It was only a five-minute drive — on the left-hand side of the road — to La Prairie Beach where scenic seaplane flights operated by LagoonFlight depart.
You can choose from 15-, 25-, 40- and 60-minute flights. The real highlight of the trip is the underwater waterfall, which you see on all of the flights. So I went for the 15-minute flight for 120 euros (about $125).
LagoonFlight operates two planes with just two seats, both of which are identical. Being ultralightweight, the planes only weigh about 650 pounds when empty. My plane only had 100 horsepower, which was adequate, but takeoff was no sprint. To my surprise, these planes only have a 34-gallon gas tank, and as you might expect, it takes the same unleaded fuel you put in your car. They have a range of 870 miles, so in ideal conditions, they get about 25 miles per gallon.
Related: How I’m spending over 5 million Marriott Bonvoy points
Preparing for flight
I parked the rental car (something you should have in Mauritius if you're comfortable driving on the other side of the road) in a dirt lot just adjacent to the beach, then walked over to the stall where I was offered a cup of coffee. After filling out a short waiver, I received a life jacket.
At first, I thought that I was given the life jacket to swim out to the plane since there was quite clearly no dock to board from. It gave the ground staff a good laugh.
As it turns out, life jackets are required to be worn "just in case."
The plane came right up to the beach and it was refueled. Then, I walked out in knee-deep water to the plane and stepped up onto the pontoon.
They gave me a headset to communicate with the pilot, then belted me in over the lifejacket.
On this flight, I had a very special pilot, Capt. Flo.
Capt. Flo, who is half South African and half Mauritian, is a year older than me. Her dream is to become a pilot for Air Mauritius, where she'll fly Airbus A330s and A350s. By flying the seaplane, she's able to gain the flight hours she needs to advance her career in aviation.
Throughout the flight, Capt. Flo and I had a nice conversation thanks to the headsets. I told her a bit about my experience with aviation working for The Points Guy, but more on that later.
After setting the throttle for takeoff thrust, Capt. Flo pulled back on the control column as we reached a rotational velocity of 50 knots. We were up and away!
Related: Why Mauritius should be at the top of your travel to-do list right now
Seeing the waterfall
After about five minutes in the air, we were cruising at an altitude of 1,500 feet. And there it was — the underwater waterfall.
Now, in all honesty, there's no water falling into an abyss. However, Mauritius is situated on an island shelf above sea level. Off Le Morne, there's a gradual incline followed by a sudden 13,000-foot plunge. Since the sand is in constant movement in the ocean, from the sky it looks like an underwater waterfall through the pristine turquoise ocean.
Taking the controls
At this point in the flight, I was thoroughly content with what I had just seen and assumed that we'd be on the ground soon. Little did I know another highlight was still ahead.
Capt. Flo took us farther out over the ocean and seemed interested in my experience with aviation. I told her that I love traveling and flying, but then, of course, Capt. Flo wanted to know if I could fly. I let her know that I grew up on Microsoft Flight Simulator and X-Plane.
Then, out of blue said to me, "Right, Kyle, you have the controls!" I believe my mouth dropped.
She told me to take the control column and follow the horizon and asked me for my phone.
As I was flying, Capt. Flo snapped lots of great pictures. Then, while I had the controls, we hit a pocket of turbulence. Once we cleared the turbulence, we came out with the nose at a 10-degree downward position. I quickly pulled back on the column to prevent us from losing more altitude.
After that, which felt to me like a near-death experience, I requested that Capt. Flo take over the flying.
Landing
Descending to just 100 feet, we flew right over some waves crashing toward the beach.
Capt. Flo then began the landing procedures by radioing the base and initially setting the flaps for 15 degrees.
She let me know that landing the plane would take lots of concentration, so we paused our conversation. I watched over the controls – altitude: 30 feet, airspeed: 50 knots, flags: 40 degrees.
And then, splash! Her landing was so smooth I had hardly realized that we had touched the ocean. Once we really made contact with the water, the plane came to a barreling halt. I was glad was wearing my seat belt harness. With the physics of a plane landing on water, the ground staff told me that's normal.
Bottom line
My seaplane flight was not only the highlight of the day; it was the highlight of my Africa trip. I found that 120 euros were very reasonable for such a memorable experience. Capt. Flo was a lovely individual and superb pilot. Who knows? By the time I get back to Mauritius, maybe she'll be the pilot on my international flight over there.
If you find yourself in Mauritius and prepared for an adventure that you likely wouldn't be able to have in the United States, I would definitely recommend LagoonFlight.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.