Underwater Waterfall by Helicopter Tour review
Who it’s for
Anyone whose main reason for flying is the illusion. The route is drawn around it, and the rest of the loop is the good stuff I used to point out from the apron: the crater lake, the forest, the coloured earths. It also suits people staying in the south or east, or flying in or out on the same day, because you are already at the airport. Two people can book it as two seats without a minimum-numbers worry that I have seen stated for it.
It is the wrong flight if you are staying at Le Morne or Flic en Flac and do not want a taxi to the airport and back, which is 60 to 75 minutes each way from the south-west. The scenic flight collects you. It is also not for pregnant women, anyone with a back problem, or anyone who is sick in cars, and if that is you the worth-it page has an honest section.
The day in order
You meet at Gate 3 of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, thirty minutes before the flight, with your passport. That last part is not optional; the helipad is airside and I have watched people sent back to the hotel for a passport left in a safe. Weights are asked for at booking because seats are allocated for balance, so give honest ones. Then the briefing, headsets, and out to the aircraft.
- Lift from the helipad and climb west over the cane towards the central plateau.
- Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao), the crater lake at about 550 m, with the 33 m Shiva statue at its entrance. On a clear morning you see the whole rim.
- The Kanaka crater, forested and extinct, a few minutes on.
- Black River Gorges National Park, about 6,574 ha of native forest, and the first sight of the west coast beyond it.
- Flic en Flac beaches and the Black River coast, heading south.
- The underwater waterfall off Le Morne. The pilot banks so both sides of the cabin see it. One or two orbits, a minute or two each. This is the part you came for.
- Chamarel: the Seven Coloured Earth dunes and the waterfall of about 100 m.
- Along the south coast and back down onto the helipad. Forty minutes from lift to skids.
The thing to understand before you book is that most of the forty minutes is the crossing. The pass itself is short because it has to be: the aircraft has to get from the south-east to the south-west and back. Nobody who has read this paragraph should be surprised. If it is cloudy over the gorges when you wake up, and it is your only morning, phone and move the date; the operator reschedules or refunds rather than flying in cloud.
What works
- The route is built around the sandfall rather than passing it on the way somewhere else
- Five seats at most, so nobody is three rows from a window
- You take off from the airport, which is the only place with a fixed helipad and no hotel-landing weather variable
- Grand Bassin, the gorges and Chamarel from above are worth the crossing on their own
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours; weather cancellations are moved or refunded
Worth knowing
- No transfer. From Le Morne that is 60–75 minutes by taxi each way
- Passport at the gate or you do not fly
- Only five ratings so far, so the perfect score is a small sample
- The Le Morne pass is a minute or two per orbit; the rest is the crossing
- Not for pregnant women, back problems or anyone prone to motion sickness
Ask for a morning slot between about 10:00 and 13:00. The sun is high enough to light the shelf and the sand, and the afternoon cloud has not yet built over the gorges. Wear dark plain clothes so your shirt does not reflect in the window; the rest of the packing list is on what to bring.
What the reviews say
Five ratings, all five stars, from Germany, the UAE, Japan and Canada. Only Lorena from Germany wrote words: “Very nice tour. The pilot was great. Recommended.” That is not a lot to go on, and I will not pretend it is. What I can add is that this is the standard airport loop I briefed for six seasons, and the loop does not change with the logo on the door.
Is it worth the money?
Per seat it sits between the scenic flight and the private charter, and you get five more minutes in the air than the scenic flight without the transfer. If you can get yourself to the airport cheaply, it is the best minutes-over-Le-Morne for the money on this site. If a taxi from the west coast would cost you two hours of your day, the arithmetic changes, and the cost page lays out how to compare the three helicopter products like with like. The live price is in the widget below.
Check dates
Flights run year-round; May to November is the calm season on the lee coast and the clearest water. January to March is cyclone season and the months with the most weather holds, as set out on best time to see it.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the underwater waterfall helicopter tour?
Forty minutes in the air, from lift-off at the airport helipad to landing back on it. Allow another thirty minutes beforehand for the passport check and briefing at Gate 3. The pass over Le Morne is one or two orbits within that; the loop minute by minute is on how to see the underwater waterfall.
Does the tour include hotel pickup?
No. You make your own way to Gate 3 at SSR airport in Plaine Magnien. From Le Morne that is 45–50 km and about an hour to an hour and a quarter by taxi; the routes are on how to get to Le Morne. If you want to be collected, the scenic flight with transfers or the private charter both include it.
Do I need my passport for a helicopter flight?
Yes. The helipad is inside the airport perimeter and the operator checks passports before anyone walks airside. Bring the original, not a photo on your phone. What else to carry is on what to bring on a helicopter tour.
What happens if the weather is bad?
The operator does not fly in cloud or strong wind; the flight is rescheduled to another slot or refunded. Cancellations bunch in January to March. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before departure on your side too, so if the forecast turns, move the date rather than hope.