Cajun Encounters – VIP Swamp Tour

Explore the Honey Island Swamp on this small-group excursion. The flat-bottomed boats, which can accommodate up to 10 passengers and can navigate tight spaces, allow visitors to get up close and personal with the swamp's alligators, bears, river otters, and various birds, including great horned owls and bald eagles. The boat guides' knowledge and humor are always appreciated by tourists, who also appreciate the variety of observable plant and animal life.

The two-hour tour tickets are about $90 per person. Three daily tours are offered at 9:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., and 2:45 p.m., with a fourth seasonal trip at 5 p.m. On the West Pearl River in Slidell, Cajun Encounters provides free pickup from a number of sites throughout New Orleans. Added tour using a boat that can accommodate more passengers is also available, along with a sunset swamp tour and packages that combine a swamp tour with a city bus tour or a visit to area plantations.