Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Plaisance to Istanbul. The left side wins overall. The Mauritius departure offers genuinely spectacular low-altitude views of the lagoon and reef system that are among the most photogenic island departures in the Indian Ocean. Over the flight path, left side also catches the Red Sea coastline and parts of the Nile Delta region. The Istanbul arrival right-side advantage is real but shorter in duration, and the departure views from Mauritius are more unique and harder to replicate.

During takeoff from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International (MRU), sit on the Left side for the best views. SSR International's primary departure runway is 14, heading southeast, then aircraft turn north. A left-side seat gives you the lagoon, reef, and southwest coast of Mauritius as you climb out over the Indian Ocean. The turquoise lagoon contrast against the reef line is sharp and clear at low altitude. Notable sights include: Mahebourg lagoon and its barrier reef, the Morne Brabant peninsula to the southwest, the central plateau highlands, and the southeast coastline with its fringing reef.

When landing at Ataturk (IST), sit on the Right side for the best views. Aircraft approaching Istanbul from the south typically use runway 06 at Ataturk, tracking northeast over the Sea of Marmara. Right-side seats get the Bosphorus strait, the historic peninsula of Sultanahmet, and the Asian shore of Istanbul clearly visible on final approach. Left side faces the open Marmara. Notable sights include: The Bosphorus strait, the historic Sultanahmet peninsula with the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia silhouettes, the Princes Islands in the Sea of Marmara, and the Asian shore of Istanbul (Kadikoy district).

The flight from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International (MRU) to Ataturk (IST) takes Approximately 10 to 11 hours.

The route tracks north-northwest over the Indian Ocean, crossing the coast of Tanzania or Mozambique, then over the African interior or East African coast, crossing the Horn of Africa region, over the Arabian Peninsula or Red Sea, across Saudi Arabia and the Hejaz, then over Egypt with potential views of the Nile Delta, the Sinai Peninsula, the eastern Mediterranean, and finally the Aegean Sea before Istanbul