Istanbul to Plaisance flight path: IST to MRU

Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Istanbul to Plaisance. The left side wins on the strength of Istanbul's iconic Bosphorus takeoff and a cruise track that runs closer to the Red Sea and Arabian coastline, giving it slightly more visual variety than the right side, which is dominated by open ocean for most of the roughly nine-hour flight aside from the strong Mauritius landing.

During takeoff from İstanbul Airport (IST), sit on the Left side for the best views. Departing IST on a southbound runway, the climb-out passes directly over the Bosphorus and Istanbul's historic peninsula, giving a brief but spectacular view of a city straddling two continents before the Sea of Marmara opens up ahead. Notable sights include: Bosphorus Strait, Historic Peninsula (Sultanahmet skyline), Golden Horn, Sea of Marmara with the Princes' Islands.

When landing at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International (MRU), sit on the Right side for the best views. On the more common runway 14 approach, the aircraft tracks in over Mauritius's south coast, putting the turquoise lagoons, fringing reef, and the dramatic peak of Le Morne Brabant on the right side of the cabin during the final descent. Notable sights include: Le Morne Brabant, coral reef and lagoon along the south coast, Black River Gorges highlands, green sugarcane fields near Plaisance.

The flight from İstanbul Airport (IST) to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International (MRU) takes about 8 hours 55 minutes. The shortest flight path between them is 4,650 miles (7,483 km); winds and air traffic control usually add a few percent.

The route crosses the Red Sea near the Sudan-Eritrea coast, passes over the Horn of Africa near Ethiopia and Somalia, then spends several hours over the open Indian Ocean east of the East African coast before reaching Mauritius.