Cajun Prairie: Swamp tours
Swamp tours are available from many landings in the Atchafalaya Basin ; you'll pass numerous signs pinned to the old cypress trees along the roadside. The basin is an eerie place: almost all its cypresses were harvested last century, and now just the twisted silhouettes of their stumps poke out of the sluggish waters. In some places cars cut right across on the enormous concrete I-10 above, and old houseboats lie abandoned, or get used simply for weekend retreats. The best tours take you further out, to the backwoods; wherever you go you'll see scores of fishing boats and plenty of wildlife, including sunbathing alligators. Tours are conducted by Cajuns who see the basin as more than just a tourist attraction and provide fascinating personal commentaries.Angelle's Atchafalaya Basin Swamp Tours Whiskey River Landing, 1365 Henderson Levee Rd, Henderson (tel 337/228-8567, ). Twenty-five minutes from Lafayette, along I-10 to exit 115, then highways 347 and 332, this quiet landing is also host to a great fais do-do Sun 4-8pm. Swamp tours daily 10am, 1pm & 3pm; 90min; no reservations required; $12.
The Atchafalaya Experience 338 N Sterling St, Lafayette tel 337/233-7816. The father-son team that runs these lengthy swamp tours includes a geologist; both guides are lifelong explorers of the swamp. Daily 9am & 4pm; 3hr; reservations required; $40.
McGee's Swamp Tours McGee's Landing, 1337 Henderson Levee Rd, Henderson (tel 337/228-2384, ). Leisurely tours run from Henderson Swamp, a top fishing spot. Daily 8am, 10am, 1pm & 3pm; no tours in Jan; 90min; reservations recommended; $12.
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