Beyond the Bayou Tours — Attraction in New Orleans

We had a truly life enhancing experience with Beyond the Bayou Tours. We booked the 12 hour private tour. The tour included an opportunity to hear a Grammy award nominated Zydeco musician in his home studio. It also included a boat tour in the ecosystem of Lake Martin to observe wildlife and better understand the terrain. Both portions of this tour are exceptional and unmatched in authenticity. And did I mention it included delicious breakfast and lunch with local food in local restaurants?

It started with a 7 am pickup at our hotel. John Stewart was our fantastic guide for the day. On the drive out to Lafayette he talked with us about the history, critical components of the unique and fragile ecosystem, and cultural richness of this southern part of the state. And he is NOT boring! He is very personable, engaging, and extremely informative. We chose this tour company because it is NOT a jet boat tour loaded with lots of folks. They observe natural wildlife and do not bait gators. They don’t promise you alligator sightings but we saw PLENTY of them in their habitat. They talk about the challenges and beauty of the land and water you are seeing. Sean, our boat guide maneuvered the small boat through the swamp in tiny channels and pointed out so many birds, gators, turtles, and flowers. It was magical. Equally compelling was the musical component of this tour. Nathan Williams invited us into his home studio which is very professional. He was so cordial and understated. And can he play! He shared with us his story and played us his music with his son, Naylan, on percussion. He played songs from Zydeco to Cajun to Blues and helped us hear the differences. He thoroughly captured us with his music and stories.

When my husband first suggested this tour I just laughed and said, “why would I spend an entire 12 hour day outside of New Orleans when my time is limited?” Well, it truly was the highlight of our trip and we gained a deeper understanding of this entire region. Highly...

We were in New Orleans for a family trip and wanted to do an ecofriendly swamp tour. It was an exceptionally cold day, due to an artic storm moving through the gulf. Two days prior to our departure, Albert reached out to ensure we dress warm and layer up. We arrived at the meeting spot and Albert was there to greet us. He made sure we all had the chance to use the restroom before we set off. Albert’s attention to customer service was clear from the minute we met. He brought the boat to a safe place allowing the older members of our party to board safely. He was extremely knowledgeable, personable, and friendly. His narration of what we were seeing was so informative. His eagle eyes were on point, spotting various birds in the distance and letting us know what was coming up. Sadly, it was far to cold to see any alligators, but Albert filled in the gab very nicely with information about alligators and what they do doing the colder months. We were a party of 5 and the unique swivel chairs on the boat made it so easy to see everything unobstructed. He took us deep into the swamp, navigating the shallows like the professional he is. As we cruised down the swamp inlets it was like a Disney ride, the views were magical with all the Spanish moss covering the trees. Albert pulled over to show us the apple snails and let us feel the Spanish moss. He was very eager to ensure that all the members of our party were engaged on our two-hour adventure. When we returned to the doc, he took extra time to offer suggestions for lunch in town. The swamp tour was a highlight of our NOLA adventure. ...

There were no promises on alligator sightings. Our tour was mid-Dec 9:30am, we saw: a blue heron, a few turtles, a few turkey vultures. It was probably a little too cold for alligators.

We were on the river for nearly 3 hours and learned a great amount about the local ecosystem! The river was quite high - 8 feet above normal. Beautiful views of the trees with moss along with unique floating "houses". Great weather - blue skies with fluffy and slightly gray clouds!

Boat has cushioned seats for 6 passengers. Good views from any seat. Two soft Sherpa blankets in case anyone gets too cold from the winds.

Very enjoyable. No marshmallows or any animal feedings.

Would recommend if you like learning about the river ecosystem and trees.

Note: If you are driving, at the exit (straight-ahead) is a truck stop (gas station with hot food & drinks - Sunny Time) with a bar (Honey Island Fish House). Park in front of the bar and walk in on the left side for a boat ramp to the river. Beyond the Bayou swamp tour boards there, there is no building for checking in! Hopefully someone will be there to greet you about 10-15 min before the tour!

Cute and very friendly gray cat lives at the bar. There are also some less friendly and loud chickens at the...