Make a Pact to Kayak the Manchac
Here’s the thing: when you’re a staff member at ExperienceNewOrleans.com, you’ve been on a tour or two. Why? Because we never promote anything we can’t vouch for ourselves.
That means we’ve been on steamboats, traditional swamp boats, airboats, and now we can add New Orleans Kayak Swamp Tours to our list.
While all the tours have their advantages, there’s nothing like kayaking through the swamp with a camera stuffed in your lifejacket, ready to be pulled out in an instant in case someone spies a gator, an owl, or a snake. As it turns out, we saw all three and learned a whole lot as well.
Ryan, our friendly guide, picked us up in the French Quarter directly across from the Armstrong Park arch. About a half hour later, we arrived at Manchac Swamp which doesn’t have an arch, but a lineup of brightly colored kayaks told us we were in the right place.
Ryan (pictured above) was deeply knowledgeable about the swamp and the creatures who call it home and shared some fun trivia as well. His love for kayaking and his job was evident.
After a short lesson on how to man a kayak, we were on our way. Dipping and floating, occasionally getting stuck in the swamp hyacinths, but having a blast every inch of the way.
Our fellow adventurers included a family of six from Michigan and two separate groups from Germany. By the end of the two-hour tour, we were all friends. Our arms were just a little sore, but our hearts were full.
We highly recommend this tour to travelers of all ages — experienced kayakers and not. It was a lot of fun not just being an observer but getting to man our own boats. What better way to work off beignets for breakfast and fried seafood for lunch, right?