The dark waters of south Louisiana’s swamps have captured the imaginations of visitors for centuries. No trip to Cajun country is complete without stepping aboard a boat to experience this wild and beautiful territory first-hand. With alligators lurking around every corner, ghostly moss swaying from cypress limbs, and egrets and herons standing sentry over their fishing grounds, the swamp beckons travelers to venture deep into South Louisiana’s iconic, wildlife-teeming habitat.
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The swamp view with Zams
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Gator Spotting with Zams
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Snapping Turtle at Zam's Ecological Park in Thibodaux
Start with a visit to Zam’s Swamp Tours in Thibodaux, where you can get acquainted with alligators, snapping turtles, and nutrias before stepping aboard a covered boat to spot these creatures and others in their natural habitat. With a TikTok legend and seasoned Cajun guide driving your boat and sharing stories, tricks, and tips about Cajun life on the bayou, this is one boat tour you won’t soon forget.
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A gator, spotted swimming, during a 2 Da Swamp tour on Bayou Des Allemands
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Scenery along Bayou Des Allemands
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View along the bayou from onboard a 2 Da Swamp Tour boat
The rhythms of traditional Cajun music ring out for those who tour Bayou Des Allemands on a leisurely boat ride with 2 Da Swamp. Learn about the Cajuns who settled here and view ancient cypress trees, dugout pirogues, and other artifacts of Cajun life. You can even catch live crabs when in season, or book a sunset cruise to see how life along the bayou shifts and stirs against the colors of the setting sun.
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Sunset airboat tour with Arthur Matherne
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Gator sighting during an Arthur Matherne airboat tour
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See quintessential swamp landscapes like these during an Arthur Matherne airboat tour.
In the mood for a little more speed? In Des Allemands you can also hop aboard an airboat tour with Arthur Matherne, now reopened after COVID closure. Airboat Tours by Arthur offers wild rides for groups of up to 15, in boats capable of reaching speeds of 60 mph on open water, and of riding over marsh and deep into the cypress swamp where other boats cannot go. An airboat tour is a quintessential South Louisiana experience, so come spend a fall afternoon with the wind in your hair, immersed in the thrill of flying across the bayou, then slow to an idle to absorb the beauty of this ethereal landscape.
Visit Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou to plan and book your South Louisiana swamp tour today.
