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Taking a Bayou Boat Ride with Cajun Encounters: A Top New Orleans, LA Attraction
- Alyssa
- Feb 17
- 5 min read
If you are looking for something a little off the beaten path while visiting New Orleans, and want to get away from the Mardi Gras madness consider a trip to Honey Island Swamp! Only a short 30-minute drive from the heart of New Orleans is a marshland bustling with wildlife, alive with the sounds of birds and bugs.
We ventured into the swamp with Cajun Encounters and paid $64.99 per person. This included roundtrip transportation to the swamp from the French Quarter, and the guided boat ride through the swamp. A cheaper ticket ($34.99 per person) is available if you take your transportation method to the swamp! We saw so much wildlife on this tour, multiple alligators, raccoons, and dozens of different birds. We even passed by a small village on the bank of the river that is only accessible by boat.
Exploring the Bayou: A Must-See New Orleans, LA Attraction:
Seeing the swamps is one of the most popular attractions New Orleans has to offer. Since we were staying near the French Quarter in New Orleans and did not rent a car during our trip we opted to get picked up by the tour company. We were given a meeting point via email the day before and were instructed to get there a little before the pickup time. The meeting point was outside of a small hotel, and unfortunately, there was very little shade to try and escape from the sun! Although we did not wait long for the tour bus to pick us up, the heat began to get to us all! If you plan on visiting during the summer make sure to wear light breathable clothes to help with the heat and humidity.
The tour bus is hard to miss! The company's name is printed large on the side of the bus and has an image of an alligator on it. It would be hard to mix it up with a city bus, that is for sure! The bus ride is about thirty to forty-five minutes from the French Quarter, and our guide entertained us during the ride. He told us stories about growing up in the area, went over some history, and taught us to never slam on our breaks if there is an alligator on the highway!
When we arrived at the Honey Island Swamp our bus pulled up in front of a small gift shop, and we had a few minutes to kill shopping around in the AC before being split into groups for the tour. Inside the gift shop, they had all sorts of weird jerky (even alligator), souvenirs, and packaged snack food and drinks.
Outside the gift shop was a small outdoor sitting area with picnic tables, and a small wooden walkway that went out into a marshy area. We went out on the walkway and saw a few ducks in the water, and dragonflies fluttering about. Soon a staff member announced we were splitting into groups for the tour. Each group was about 15-20 people and would make up one boat. We were given a colored wristband to make it easy to remember our group color, which also served as a souvenir!
After a brief safety announcement, we boarded the Cajun Encounters tour boat. It is a large pontoon-style boat with an awning over the top for shade. When we initially boarded the boat it was very spacious, and everyone had a little elbow room to move around. However, a group of guests missed their boat, and we had to turn around and pick them up. With the addition of a few more people, the boat quickly got packed full. Elijah and I ended up sharing a small seat that was not meant for two near the back of the boat. Both of us were smushed in and a little uncomfortable, but this did not seem to be the norm for the tour.
As you make your way down the river you will pass by a small village one the river bank that you can only see from the water! Our guide even lived in one of the houses we rode past. You could not ask for a better guide to take you on the river than someone who lives on it! Our guide told us about his house, how it was affected during the recent storms, and how many of the people who once lived on the river were affected by Hurricane Katrina.
As we passed the houses along the river we stopped for our first alligator, Elvis. Our guide called out to him by name, and the alligator seemed to know that was his queue to make an appearance. He came right up to the boat, and of course, got a treat from the guide. Before we saw any of the alligators I was uneasy, I had never seen one in the wild, let alone up close, but after seeing how Elvis reacted to the boat and free food, I was able to relax! Our guide explained to us that they feed the animals special protein pellets made specifically for alligators, and from what we saw they love them!
From the main river, we made our way into a small bayou and began to explore deeper into the swamp. We saw so much wildlife once we were off the main river! There were dozens of baby alligators in the shallow waters, and we got to see them up close as we passed. We also saw a group of raccoons who curiously approached the boat. As we slowly cruised through the bayou we stopped near a tree, our guide explained that it was the tree that Mama Odie's Tree from Princess and the Frog was based on.
After we left the bayou we made our way back to the main river and saw a huge alligator swimming in the distance. Our guide told us he thought it was at least 12-13 feet long! He got us as close as he could safely and it was cool to see such a huge alligator up close!
As the tour came to an end we made our way back to the dock. Once docked we made our way back towards the gift shop, and our bus was out front waiting for us. The bus waited a few minutes for guests to use the restroom and check out the gift shop, before heading back towards the French Quarter.
What to bring:
Sunscreen
Hat / Sunglasses
Camera
Light/breathable clothes (it gets hot and humid)
Allergy medication (there was a lot of pollen!!)
Summary:
The Honey Island Swamp is a fun day trip just outside of New Orleans! We went on a boat tour of the swamp with Cajun Encounters and paid $64.99 per person with roundtrip transportation from the French Quarter. We experienced an abundance of wildlife up close and saw what life is like along the river. Our boat was a little cramped since a few guests missed their boat and had to get on ours, but that did not hinder our experience. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip through the bayou, and getting up close with all the creatures of the swamp.
Do you think a tour through the bayou with Cajun Encounters is worth your wallet? Let us know below!
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