Scenic Helicopter Flight with Hotel Transfers review
Who it’s for
Guests at hotels on the west and south-west coasts who would rather be driven than drive, families with children (under-2s go free, over-2s pay full rate, under-12s must be supervised), and anyone who wants the loop but not the airport. The route is different from the airport flight: it runs the coast rather than the plateau, so you get Tamarin’s dolphin bay and Île aux Bénitiers instead of Grand Bassin and the Kanaka crater, and it finishes over Le Pouce (812 m) and Pieter Both (820 m, the one with the boulder on top).
It is the wrong flight if you count the drive as dead time. Thirty-five minutes in the air and about two and a half hours in a car and on the ground is the honest ratio, and it explains most of the reviews that wanted more. It is also a shared flight with a minimum of four to operate, so a couple booking alone can be moved to another slot if nobody else does. The private charter removes both problems for a party of four or five.
The day in order
Weights are asked for at booking because helicopters here seat four or six and the pilot balances the aircraft; a party of six may be split across two machines. Passport in your pocket, not in the room safe.
- A driver collects you at the hotel. Several reviewers name Vikash and say the ride was worth listening to.
- Briefing at the helipad, headsets on, weights confirmed, seats allocated.
- Tamarin and its bay, where the dolphins rest most mornings.
- Île aux Bénitiers in the lagoon south of La Gaulette.
- Le Morne Brabant and the underwater waterfall off its south-west tip. The pilot banks for both sides.
- Chamarel: the seven coloured earths and the waterfall.
- Le Pouce and Pieter Both, then back to the helipad.
- The driver takes you back to the hotel. Three hours from door to door.
Flight length varies with weather. On a day with wind on the mountains the pilot may shorten a leg, and on a day with cloud sitting on the plateau the flight does not go at all. The operator moves you to another slot or refunds.
What works
- Hotel pickup and drop-off included, which is a real saving from Le Morne or Flic en Flac
- The route passes both Tamarin and Le Morne, so you see the dolphin bay and the sandfall in the same 35 minutes
- Nearly a hundred ratings, so the score means something
- Children welcome, under-2s free
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours
Worth knowing
- Thirty-five minutes in the air inside a three-hour window; a few reviewers wanted more flying and less driving
- Minimum of four passengers to operate, so a booking of two can be moved
- Seating is by weight, not by request; ask for a window at the briefing and take what the balance allows
- Passport required, same as every helipad flight
- No Grand Bassin or Kanaka crater on this route
If the driver offers a choice of pickup time, take the earlier one. Cloud builds over the Black River Gorges and Chamarel through the early afternoon in the wet season, and a mid-morning slot with the sun high is when the sand shows against the deep water. Read best time to see it before you pick a date.
What the reviews say
Ninety-eight ratings and a 4.6. The waterfall is what people remember: Conchita from the Netherlands wrote that “the optical illusion of the waterfall near Le Morne Brabant was the highlight.” Thomas from Germany: “The flight was absolutely amazing. I can absolutely recommend such a flight.” Philipp from Austria: “The flight itself was fantastic. The pilot was super professional and friendly.” Douillard from France liked seeing “the sites we visited on the ground from the air”, and Milena from Poland called it “worth the price” with “very good communication”.
The driver gets his own reviews. Richard from the Netherlands: “Vikash was our driver… he can tell you a lot about the island.” Rudiari from Russia said the “trip, flight and excursion were wonderfully organised”, and Pavel from Russia called it “a very interesting flying trip with a lot of new emotions.” The gap between this and a perfect score is the ratio of car to air, and nobody who has read this far will be caught out by it.
Is it worth the money?
Per seat it is the cheapest of the three helicopter products, and it is the only shared one with the transfer built in. Against the airport flight you trade five minutes of air and the plateau leg for a car at your door. For a couple staying at Le Morne who would otherwise pay a taxi both ways, that is usually the better deal; for someone already at the airport it is not. The three helicopters are compared properly on helicopter tours.
Check dates
Frequently asked questions
How long is the actual flight?
About 35 minutes in the air, within a three-hour window that includes the hotel pickup, the briefing and the drive back. Flight length can vary a little with weather. If air time is what you are buying, the airport flight gives you 40 minutes and the private charter 45.
Does the scenic flight see the underwater waterfall?
Yes. Le Morne and the sandfall off its tip sit in the middle of the route, between Île aux Bénitiers and Chamarel. It is a pass of a minute or two; what you are looking at, and why it only works from the air, is on is the underwater waterfall real.
Can two people book on their own?
You can book with two, but the flight needs four to operate. If nobody else books your slot the operator moves you to one that fills. Parties of four or five who want certainty should look at the private helicopter instead.
Which hotels does the pickup cover?
Hotel pickup and drop-off are included and you give the hotel at booking; the driver confirms the time. West and south-west coast hotels are the natural catchment. The seating is by weight so the operator asks for weights at booking too, which is normal here — see helicopter tours for the apron rules.