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.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 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. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
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 $8,000 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.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.