atchafalaya basin landing & marina- swamp tours

As a long-time hunter and fisher in the river bottoms, I was very pleased at how our guy was a regular guy instead of a cornball--he was an old-pro, local resident and he KNOWS the place, the swamp, the alligators and the rest of the wildlife. Calm, safe, respectful.Easy on, easy off I-10 made this one of the best value-experiences of time/money in my travel lifetime.The people were so nice and the place so interesting that I want to go back and spend the night in their cabins.

The folks at Basin Lading are warm friendly and down to earth. They also know their area really well. We booked in advance for a morning AirBoat tour and it was one of the highlights of our trip to New Orleans. We had Captain Tucker who took us out for both a thrilling and informative ride through the Atchafalaya Swamp. We learned the difference between a swamp and a bayou, why the cypress were a protected tree, and how the different the swap is between low and high water. We speed along the trusses of Interstate 10 with the wind in our faces and our ears protected by headphones from the roar of the engine. Earplugs were optional. Many people take a tour to see Alligators, like some people go to San Diego to see Whales. Neither are a guarantee , but don't miss the beauty that surrounds you. The trip through the swamp was terrific and got hundreds of photos. Tucker does have a way with Alligators as he speaks French to them. Even though it was late in the season and they tend to shy away in the cold, we saw at least 50 gators. They ranges from 12 weeks, to 1 year, to 2 years, and then really big. We caught sight of a big 10 footer on the shore line and watched it move slowly into the water. Tucker even coaxed the mother of the babies to within 2 feet of our boat. Great pictures, Great time. Highly recommend taking the extra time to drive out to Lafayette. Better than the rides we have taken outside of New Orleans or in Florida.

You will not be disappointed on this airboat tour! Our guide was Tucker and you could tell he cared a lot about the swamp or as he called it "My living room". He shared his knowledge of the area and showed us an amazing time. He was able to take us to where some alligators were and explained about their habits in the wild. The airboat is loud but they offer hearing protection for those who want it. Everyone in our group talked about this trip the rest of the day. When I called they emailed directions to their place and they were spot on. Tucker even told us about another event going on down the road when we were leaving. Looking forward to taking my family there sometime down the road!!!

We took a swamp tour on Monday, 10/13/2014. This was the BESTpart of our vacation to Louisiana. All 4 of us enjoyed the ride, andTucker made the tour a blast! We recommend getting a tour of the swamp with this company.They were friendly, professional, knowledgeable, and made our trip fun.Thank you for an amazing day!

We initially called them a few weeks in advance of our trip to book a tour for 2 people but, at that time, no one had booked for the date we would be there and we were worried about having to pay the full cost of the airboat so we decided to wait. Fast forward to the day before we would be there, we called and were added to an existing tour no problem, what luck!The Atchafalaya Basin is beautiful and every visitor to Louisiana should experience the swamp land. The air boat goes deep into the swamp, down alleys and over mud chutes (they give you a tarp for when it gets a little dirty) and stop a few times to give you information about the ecology of the swamp. They then take you out into an area call 'Alligator Alley' and as soon as we stopped there, several large alligators came right up to the boat for food. They feed them fish, unlike other tours that give them marshmallows (which can't be good, right?). I thought we would be lucky to see one or two from afar but this was more than we expected. They were coming right up to the boat, snarling, jumping, thrashing. Whew! Then our guide pulled out a baby alligator from a grocery bag and said we were going to return it to its mother. We we a bit farther into the swamp and found the mama and other babies and our guide threw the baby back.Seriously amazing day. The basin is so beautiful, full of birds I'd never seen in the wild before, big alligators, baby alligators and a million other things. Worth every penny of the $45! If trip advisor allows links, here's a link to the video we took of feeding the alligators on the tour! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1s9KGyY_EA&feature=youtu.be

had a wonderful time. A great tour and very informative. Tucker was a great airboat Caotain. We saw alligators and other wildlife up close.

We just got off the boat, professional, newer boat, fantastic guide, very informative and lots of alligators!!!! Great trip for the family, very reasonably priced and professional!

Four of us went on this tour and had an amazing time! The captain made you feel at home "in his living room" as he called it =) He was very informative about the local vegetation, birds, and of course alligators =) Would highly recommend this tour for adults & kids alike =)

Our group of 8 really enjoyed this tour and at 1.5hrs for $45 it gave really good value. The accuracy with which Captain Kirk steered his craft would have amazed the Klingons! Things could not have been easier from reception to finish and they even have a little Turtle Bar for a cold beer afterwards.

My sister and I decided to bring our 6 kids on a day trip and I'm SO glad we did! Even though we are from this area, we had never rode in an air boat and had never been into some of the beautiful places in the basin. Captain Kirk was absolutely amazing! Not only did he take his time to give us the history of the basin and all it's surroundings, he also took ample time to answer questions and interact with the kids. Captain Kirk went up and beyond to make our trip enjoyable;) I recommend this tour to everyone! Well worth the money spent.

My husband has always wanted to ride on an Air Boat. He sat in the Co-Pilot chair and smiled the whole time. Tucker was the GREATEST!! We laughed, but enjoyed all of the information Tucker gave us; not only on history of the Basin, but on his history there as well. Watching him with MAX was probably the Highlight. We will tell anyone looking for something to do to put this on their #1 list. We will Absolutely Be Back!!The Harrisons

As well as taking the airboat tour we stayed 2 nights on the Green Queen - a moored houseboat at Basin Landing. The boat was bijou, with just enough space for 2 adults and 2 kids, a bedroom, sofabed, kitchen and bathroom and aircon.Kids loved fishing off the back porch and we really enjoyed the air boat tour, an hour and a half of zipping through spectacular scenery and spotting wildlife. No kids allowed in the bar, internet available up at the main shop and bar. Quirky and enjoyable, don't expect 5 star accommodation though.

Go for it! We had a geat 3-hours airboat ride in the beautifull Atchafalya swamps. Remenber you are in the wild nature, so don't be disappointed if you only see a few alligators. We were lucky to see three and they all came close to the boat. However, the swamp itself is amazing and gives you a spectacular view as well.

An awesome experience with our guide, Tucker, Airboating through the swamp. It was amazing to watch him call up the gators! Not to mention how knowledgable he is about his culture as a Cajun on the bayou. Don't miss this!!

A group of about 20 of us decided to take off for the weekend with our Harley's. We rented houseboats at the marina, hung out at Turtles Bar. We took the swamp tour with Tucker. This was an experience to remember. Tucker is very knowledgeable of the swamp and swamp life and has much respect for protecting it. I would recommend staying here and taking the swamp tour.