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    Swamp & River Tours

    5.0 (38 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Swamp & River Tours Photos

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    Amanda C.

    Our Virginia grandkids had the best time learning about the area's history and nature. Could not stop talking on the way back to lake Charles.

    This tour was awesome! Captain Eli was very friendly and provided excellent service! He's very knowledgeable and gave a lot information about the swamp, river, alligators, etc. I would recommend this tour.

    Captain Eli and his newest crew.
    Sarah W.

    Awesome tour! Eli was knowledgeable and entertaining-- like a real life Jungle Cruise in Texas! We saw several large alligators, blue heron, jumping mullet, super cool!

    Gator swimming
    Melissa H.

    Fabulous tour. Grateful that Captain Eli was willing to take us out in the late afternoon. Appreciate him accommodating my family. We chartered the tour, but worth every penny. I think I will let my wonderful 16 year old share her thoughts. Here she goes: This experience was very informative but not in the typical classroom way; the adventure was filled with jokes but also history and geography facts. I truly enjoyed and can't wait to go back in the summer when everything is in full bloom. There you have it. Bring friends, come and enjoy!!

    Alligator
    Andy C.

    It was an amazing day and the guide was phenomenal in explaining the history. This is the third time I have been on one of his tours! A+

    Gator resting
    Hazel B.

    Captain Eli is a gem! He is very knowledgeable about the eco system in the bayou along with the history if the area. He is a hoot too! If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend touring the Sabine river. It was devastating to see how the hurricanes destroyed the area. But God's creations are resilient and you can see nature rebuild.

    Kelly S.

    Absolutely fantastic tour. Highly recommended. We got to see nesting gators, osprey, eagles and eagle nests, several water birds, and learned a lot of history. Just a great tour. We plan to do it again. I think they sometimes do night tours at Halloween! It's a bargain for a 1.5 hour tour.

    Beavers and babies. 3 adults and 2 babies.
    Kaitlin L.

    This was our second tour! This time we brought our kids. I felt safe and secure with captain Eli and the life jackets provided. We saw otters, beavers, fish, alligators, eagle, numerous birds-several kinds. Captain Eli identified many animals and plants and described everything to a T. It was a ton of fun! Can't wait to be back!

    Give them a call!
    Brittany N.

    What a great trip! Eli & his wife are super friendly and helped answer any question I had about the trip. They don't offer airboat tours anymore but I highly recommend their boat tour instead anyway because 1) the boat is covered so it provides some much needed shade. 2) the boat is quieter so it won't scare of wildlife as easy and 3) it's faster so you can feel that wonderful SETx wind in your hair!! The tour itself is 90mins long and it takes you through the swamp to go gator & wildlife hunting. Their main office (where you initially meet) is on the I-10 feeder road in East of 16th street and before the Horseman Store. You sign in, pay and then you drive your car down to the boat launch point off of Simmons by the Blue Bird Fish Camp. Captain Eli Tate is very personable, funny and knowledge. He engages well with your group and encourages any questions you may have. He gives you detailed history of the swamp area and the shipyards. We got to see lots of eagles and several gators....even the impressive 13.5 foot alligator Sampson!!! Captain Tate also offers nighttime critter tours and Haunted River Tours too. I would definitely come back to bring my niece & nephew. Price was $31.50 (tax included) for one adult ticket. They sell soft drinks & bottled water in their office too just in case you forgot yours at home. Thanks for the great experience!

    I thought i saw a gator!
    Dominick Z.

    Great tour! Eli is very informative and an awesome captain. We didn't see many gators but saw some other cool stuff. We thought we even saw a dolphin! We all had a great time and enjoyed seeing the wildlife. We will be back in the warmer season to see more gators for sure. Give this place a shot..you wont be disappointed.

    Andrea R.

    Loved this tour! Don't waste your money on AIR BOAT RIDES. THIS is waaaaaaay Better! You get more out of it! The speed and the slower time to take in al of the wildlife. We didn't scare the animals with an air boat engine and we were still able to hear each other talk. Best $30 (per person) we have spent in a while!! My fiancé and I went on this 90 minute swamp tour. Maria is in the office; she is so sweet. Eli, her husband does the tours. He was great! Funny, very knowledgeable, on the swamp, the trees, wildlife, the history of the area, etc. Eli called out different guest's name during the tour. Very impressed that he remembered so many names. We saw an alligator, a snake , an owl , some nutrias, some turtles , three eaglesand even two active eagles' nests! Great for a date, great for a family outing! We will definitely go back.

    Eli at Swamp & River Tours was able to accommodate us on short notice for a fantastic swamp tour! We appreciated his vast knowledge and love for the swamps. He had such an energy out on the water. We were lucky enough to see countless alligators and nutria, as well as beautiful shades of green just starting to take color for the spring. Highly recommend a tour with Mr. Eli.

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    1 year ago

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    5 years ago

    I went with my husband and friends. We had a great tour with Captain Eli. He is very knowledgeable.

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    6 years ago

    Very knowledgeable tour guide. Super friendly staff. Definitely recommend this tour! The boat was well maintained also. Felt safe.

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    Ask the Community - Swamp & River Tours

    My husband uses a walker. Will he be able to go on this tour?

    Due to the deep steps in and out of the boat, we are not able to accommodate someone using a walker at this time. Thank you for your question.

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    Review Highlights - Swamp & River Tours

    Captain Eli was great at having us get close enough for great photos of alligators and eagles nest.

    Mentioned in 10 reviews

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    Memory Makers Travel Agency

    Memory Makers Travel Agency

    5.0(1 review)
    24.2 mi

    Always a great experience booking my travel plans. Office is very nice and comfortable.read more

    From the owner: We specialize in All-Inclusive Vacation Packages that will provide you with an ultimate vacation…read moreexperience for one up-front price. All of your meals, drinks (yes... even alcohol), tips, and non-motorized water sports are included in the price that you pay before you arrive. Memory Makers Travel offers a large array of all-inclusive resort options throughout Mexico and the Caribbean. We also offer city packages to many of the worlds hottest locations. New York City, San Francisco, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Las Vegas are just a few of the many locations our agency specializes in. A Traditional Vacation Package can include airfare, lodging, a rental car, as well as theme park and show tickets. If your next vacation includes hitting the slopes in a beautiful winter wonderland... we do that too! We offer Ski Packages that include lift tickets, ski or snowboard rentals as well as ski lessons if needed. If you want to experience the vacation of a lifetime on the high seas, you will enjoy the excitement of a cruise to a destination of your choosing. Explore fascinating ports, relax in luxurious accommodations, and let loose with all the fun-filled activities on board the ocean liner of your choice... or, you can see the world in luxury and comfort with a river cruise in Europe, Asia, Africa or South America on four of the finest river cruise lines in the world.

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    Memory Makers Travel Agency
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    Universal Travel

    Universal Travel

    2.8(4 reviews)
    25.8 mi

    Unpleasant experience with travel agent apparently lacking claimed expertise:…read more When I called Kristie England at Universal Travel, I asked whether she was taking new clients and requested her fee structure if so. She responded yes and provided me with a fee schedule that reflected fixed fees for trips of certain lengths that specified "Planning Fees include one detailed proposal and one revision." I responded that all looked great and explained that I was looking for help finding hotels, and, if we could find hotels, would like her recommendations on experiences, restaurants and logistics. She said that's great, shared a few thoughts about hotel locations in 2 of the three places we needed hotels and mentioned a truffle excursion and a private boat tour, both of which I said sounded great. She sent me an email offering me hotel choices for two of the three locations we needed hotels. I responded promptly with our choice of hotels for those two locations from the list she proposed. She then came back and told me the rooms she indicated were available were not available and offered a reshuffling of the itinerary and different rooms, which were not as nice as originally stated but I approved without debate or complaint. Several days later, she sent restaurant recommendations from the concierge. I said the restaurants looked great, asked four questions and told her she could secure reservations in whatever order she wanted. After not hearing from her for a week, I wrote to check in. She replied to two of the four questions, provided a link to the truffle experience she had mentioned and said she was "awaiting a reply regarding restaurant reservation confirmations." When I asked if I could call her as I was confused about some of the information in her email, Kristie told me that I should talk to the concierge. I asked her to clarify what her role would be going forward - was she still going to get us hotel recommendations for our third location? Was she still going to recommend a boat tour? She did not respond to my emails. Given that we had very limited time to plan our trip, I went ahead and researched the truffle experience on my own and found the one negative review out of the total of six reviews was from someone who took the tour in June, which was when we were going, where the reviewer complained truffles were not in season and so she felt cheated by the operator who did not disclose truffles were out of season. I asked Kristi about it. She did not respond. I figured out from internet research and an Italian friend that truffles in that forest were not in season until the fall, so I wrote Kristi that we were not interested in going on a truffle hunt since truffles were not in season when we would be there. She did not respond. After nearly a week of no response, I called Kristi to ask what was going on. Kristi was terribly rude, explaining she needed to be paid for her time and she did not want to do any further work. I told her that it was misleading for her to not have explained that the fee she charged was just for booking two hotels when we had discussed getting recommendations for restaurants, logistics and excursions. She was abrupt and rude and said that she couldn't make any money when I turned down her suggestions like the truffle excursion. This was really incredible because, after we parted ways, I learned about from others and booked multiple excursions in the area that Kristi never mentioned even though I expressly said I was interested in experiences/excursions. In any event, if Kristi/Universal Travel wants to be paid by the hour, she should advertise an hourly rate not a fixed fee. I certainly did not get a "detailed proposal and one revision" as the fixed fee advertised. She later wrote that she was not charging me a fee because I was a friend of another existing client who had referred me. This was ridiculous, because she knew she had not done the work stated in the fee schedule that would have justified charging the fixed fee. The entire experience was unpleasant, unexpected, and unreasonable. Her lack of knowledge of excursions in the area and encouraging a truffle hunt when truffles are out of season suggests to me a lack of expertise with Northern Italy. I would not recommend this travel agent or travel agency as a result.

    Booked my Italy trip through Universal. Kristie did a fantastic job. From the tours to the hotels…read moreand flights, there was no worries! Will use Universal again for our next vacation :) *Note: I called Kristie, may have been a pest but as with any working person, you are not the only customer. Keep calling your agent.

    Swamp & River Tours - boattours - Updated May 2026

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