Cajun Encounters Tour Company

I took a Pearl River kayak tour today, and while I was initially nervous about the wildlife, the experience was mostly positive.

The accommodations exceeded my expectations. The pickup vehicle was a very comfortable coach bus, and the driver was fun, informative, and played great music. I was also pleasantly surprised to find plenty of clean, comfortable bathrooms at the location, which is a huge improvement over the porta-potties I typically find at kayaking tours.

One thing to note is that the website stated that the tandem kayaks had a 550lb weight limit, but the waiver we signed on-site listed a 300lb limit. I don’t know many adult pairs who would stay under that weight, but the lady at check-in said we’d be fine as long as we didn’t intentionally try to tip the boat.

The dock was sturdy, making it easy to get in and out of the kayaks, and the river had barely any current, so paddling was a breeze. We saw plenty of alligators right from the start, which was both exciting and a little nerve-wracking! At one point, a larger alligator came uncomfortably close to us because a nearby tour boat driver from the same company threw food into the water right in front of us, which felt unsafe.

The only downside was our guide, who didn’t engage much during the tour. I enjoy when guides share interesting facts or stories, but he was pretty quiet unless directly asked a question - his responses seemed educated though. I'm not even sure he ever provided us with his name. Overall, it was a good experience, but more interaction from the guide would have made it even better.