Honey Island Swamp Tours has been around forever and has an excellent reputation. We took one of their tours ages ago, and it was definitely not cheesy or a "party boat".

Thanks, NewbE. We're going to be in LO this winter and it seems HIST's reputation is solid: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g40435-d1166085-Reviews-Dr_Wagner_s_Honey_Island_Swamp_Tour-Slidell_Louisiana.html

HTTY

happytrailstoyou: Something you need to remember is that no matter which tour you take, these are southern critters and definitely aren't active in colder weather. Don't be surprised if there's not much of anything to see. Save a swamp tour for your next trip!

Ooops, sorry, I didn't mean to address this to happytrailstoyou - it should have gone to the OP!!

Thanks. Looks good.

My son is also interested in an air boat ride going through the swampy area. Doesn't look as though this is the same type of tour. Anyone have ideas on that? We are going in a couple of weeks so I'm assuming, barring any hurricanes, the weather should be good for travel and seeing wildlife.

Don't be surprised if there's not much of anything to see. Save a swamp tour for your next trip!

Is viewing wildlife the only reason to take the tour? Isn't there a scenic or habitat component?

HTTY

We have done swamp tours at different times of the year. It is a very different experience without seeing the alligators, especially for kids/teens. It is somewhat boring and disappointing not to see the gators. It is scenic once you get "inside" of the swamp but personally, I would not go in the colder months. It is not worth it. Also, if you call and ask, they may not be completely honest about what you will see. The last time we went on the Honey Island tour, it was mid Nov. They told us we should see gators. We barely saw the top of one gator's head sticking out of the water. We felt misled. It is a long tour without seeing any wildlife. For kids, it is better to do the air boat in the colder months because at least the ride is part of the fun and is much less boring.

We are going next week. We just want to know if someone out there knows of all the airboats advertised which is considered the best. It seems some of the companies have more than one name or share offices. Very confusing