My tour of Jefferson Parish in the New Orleans area found me boarding an airboat to tour the swamps of the area on an after airboat swamp tour. Louisiana Tour Company (Alert Transportation) offers many different tours in the New Orleans area. Plantation tours, restaurant tours, city tours, ghost tours and more! The airboat swamp tour was literally some of the most fun I have had in a long time. We had a great captain who was native to the area and his knowledge of the areas we visited was fabulous. He was entertaining too! There were times during the high speed ride that it appeared as if he would drive us right into the trees but his expert driving the boat kept us safe.
The airboat swamp tour was a half day trip. You can take a small airboat (that holds 6 people) or a larger group airboat ride that holds 18 or 20 people. We rode one of the smaller airboats which made for a really unique and individualized experience. Your family couldn’t ask for a better afternoon together.
Part high speed high speed adventure and part tour ~ I’ll admit I was a bit apprehensive going in but once we got going I felt truly emerged into the swamps and the entire experience. This is without a doubt a great family or group activity. We traveled at high speeds in the airboat part of the time and then slowed down to stop for pictures. Along the way, we received a personal tour by our local captain. The airboats have stadium seating, so that the person in front of you does not obstruct your view.
Alligators, beautiful birds and wildlife – oh my! Alligators do hibernate in the cooler months, but captain knew where to look for them! Our captain had such a vast amount of knowledge to share, we could have stayed all day listening to his stories about the swamps. The scenery is beautiful too!
The airboats are driven by a 454 Chevy Engine that will produce speeds of up to 35 miles an hour. They are propelled by a huge fan that will blow air from the back of the boat in excess of 200 miles an hour. These tours are truly a blast! They ride in inches of water and go where traditional boats cannot go! The boats were designed to take you to inaccessible areas of the swamp, places that you cannot reach by foot or car. It is truly one of the most unique experiences I have ever had.
You can’t ask for a better way to spend an afternoon with the family!
My tour was provided by the Jefferson Convention and Visitors Bureau for the purposes of this review. All opinions are my own.
