I was wide awake before the alarm went off. I was THAT excited, knowing what was in store for me that day. I’d been booked on a helicopter tour of Mauritius and I couldn’t wait to get started! I arrived on this stunning tropical island in the Indian Ocean just the day before and I was spellbound in no time. Mauritius was just too beautiful for words! The light, the colours of the ocean, the imposing mountains, the way the palms sway in the breeze and the smiling faces all around; this island was simply bewitching, and I couldn’t wait to see it from above.
I made my way to the airport and met the Air Mauritius staff at the Arrivals area for the start of my tour. After a quick security check, I hopped into a van and my guide drove me to the helipad at the southern corner of the airport. The helicopter was waiting!
Mauritius helicopter tour
The rotor blades roared above me as I made my way to the helicopter. I nodded at the pilot with a big smile whilst my guide helped me buckle-up and gave me a set of headphones. As soon as I had the headphones on, I heard the pilot’s friendly voice: “Good morning! Welcome to paradise!”
“I’m SOOOOO EXCITED!!!”. The pilot smiled at me – he must hear this many times a day on these helicopter tours! “Are you ready for your Mauritius tour?”, he asked. I nodded excitedly and next thing I knew, we lifted off the ground like a feather. The island’s magnificent coastline unfolded before me in an instant. I gasped!
Along the southern coast
The first thing we saw was Blue Bay – no need to guess why it’s called that! From here, we flew past the coast in an easterly direction. The pilot pointed out various bays and lagoons, as well as resorts and villages. His commentary about the topography of the island and bits of its colourful history was lost on me. I was too awestruck to listen. We flew over turquoise lagoons and green islets, sparkling white beaches and coral reefs, fishermen in their boats, people snorkelling … it was mesmerising!
The mountainous interior
When we reached the town of Bel Air, we left the coast and headed into the mountains. We were surrounded by forested slopes and craggy peaks in an instant!
The pilot tilted the helicopter upwards as we crossed the mountain ridge and we felt the thermals lift us higher. We flew along the steep slopes of the mountains, criss-crossing the ridge and dipping into verdant valleys. It was an exhilarating experience!
We soon left the mountains and continued in a southerly direction towards the towns of Vieux Grand Port (Mauritius’ old capital) and Mahebourg, before heading back to the airport.
Mahebourg
This helicopter flight lasted 20 minutes but it was the most spectacular 20-minute tour I’ve ever experienced! The jaw-dropping panoramas and the amazing colours were simply unforgettable. Seeing Mauritius from the air, be it from a helicopter, microlight aircraft or seaplane, is one of the best things to do in Mauritius and can easily be included in a Mauritius itinerary. No question about it.
Check out this 45-minute helicopter tour (which also includes the famous ‘underwater waterfall’ on the southwest coast. You can also opt for a scenic seaplane flight (which is relatively cheaper).
Read about my recommended hotels in Mauritius. Learn how to get great views of Mauritius from a plane window.
Note: This content is the result of the #MyMauritius blog trip that was created and managed by iambassador and AHRIM in association with the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority and Air Mauritius. Velvet Escape maintains full editorial control of the content published on this site.
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Hi Ethan,
You went on it? Stunning isn’t it? A true highlight of my trip to Mauritius!
Cheers,
Keith
It was amazing!
[…] boat. It takes just a split second to realise why it’s called Blue Bay! I saw this bay from a helicopter tour during my first trip to Mauritius and it was absolutely breathtaking. Seeing it from the ground was […]
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[…] Velvet Escape: A Helicopter Tour of Mauritius. Keith Jenkins of Velvet Escape, based in Amsterdam, has a contagious excitement about travel. It was accelerated for his helicopter trip over Mauritius, which emanates from his descriptions. The photos are gorgeous, his commentary is spot on and he makes us want to take a flight over our island, too. (Thanks, Keith) […]
Wauw those views are simply amazing. I cannot believe how blue that water is! Would LOVE to go snorkeling there!
Amazing pics! I HAVE to go there. 🙂
I am not sure the term breathtaking even does it justice. Stunning. What I love most is how “unspoiled” Mauritius seems.
Fantastic photos and I hope I get the chance to do this in the future! So glad you had a fantastic time!
Hi Paul,
It was amazing! I’ve been in a heli several times now but this is one ride I won’t forget.
Cheers,
Keith
Looks great, Keith… not long ago, we had a helicopter ride over Trakai in Lithuania and it was a fantastic experience. I’m sure it would be equally amazing, if not more so, in Mauritius.
I sure did! Thanks for your comment Andy! 🙂
Wow mate, that is absolutely beautiful! Looks like you had a blast while getting some great views.
Thanks Rob! If you love golf, you’ll love playing in Mauritius! 🙂
Cheers,
Keith
wow! I can almost feel the excitement.. it is truly stunning, thanks for sharing Keith. and the Golf Course would be an excellent reason to return..
Blue, blue and more blue. And some green :-). Love it! Mauritius looks fabulous…
Nice shots! this a spectacular country, we just did a feature about Mauritius on http://www.gonomad.com/1363
AWESOME…….is the only way i can describe it. Paradise….
wow it looks like a stunning experience getting to see the place from above really gives things a whole new perspective. The water looks so beautiful the whole island looks great, seems a very worthwhile tour to take!
Thank you! 🙂
These photos from the air are a great portray of Mauritius. I love the photo of the Touessrok Golf Course, surrounded by water, very beautiful.