12 Hours in Cajun Country

About Your 12 Hours in Cajun Country

This day tour is your gateway to Cajun Country, the famed area of Louisiana where the French-speaking Acadians settled, in the mid-1700’s, after being exiled by the British from what is now Canada. Their descendants, the Cajuns, passionately champion their culture—effectively a country within this country—with a unique language, cuisine, music and millions of acres of wetlands that forged who they are today. Count on an eco swamp tour (we never feed or bait the wildlife), incredible food and a one of a kind live music experience that can include hanging out with a zydeco legend in his studio or learning the history of Cajun music and how accordions are made!

 

About Lake Martin

Deep in Cajun Country lies approximately 9,500 acres of bottomland hardwood forest and cypress and tupelo swamp protected by both the Nature Conservancy and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries. For good reason. This wetland gem of intricate watery pathways winding between Spanish moss laden bald cypress trees and wide-open waters is home to one of Louisiana’s largest rookeries of water birds. Species include the great blue heron, great egret, snowy egret, white ibis and roseate spoonbill. But these stunning and exotic birds are only a part of this complex ecosystem. This is also home to the American alligator and numerous species of snakes, frogs, turtles, lizards, native and invasive plants and mammals from nutria to wild hogs.

Why Choose our Swamp Ecotour?

On our swamp boat tours, we ally with only reputable partners that offer exceptional experiences and who never bait or feed the wildlife. We are a 100% carbon neutral ecotour company. We believe in respecting the environment and trying to mitigate the threats that face this valuable region of wetlands. 

Small, fuel-efficient motors are used, contributing to a quiet exploration of our famous waterways that doesn’t scare off wildlife, as airboats do. Glide around wide river bends at 30 mph with the wind blowing through your hair, and look for gators and other creatures while the boat slowly creeps through narrow passageways surrounded by bald cypress and tupelo trees.

Our small group size ensures that you can properly relax, avoid the crowds, and ask all the questions of your driver-guide and boat captain that you want. We provide an authentic, educational tour that leaves you with a deeper understanding of what makes the culture and ecosystems here so unique.

 

 

 

 

 

Breakfast

Get ready for your dose of Cajun kitsch! We will be eating breakfast at the Cajun Village, equal parts history, restaurant and one-of-a-kind lagniappe shopping experience.

From omelets to beignets, the eats at the Village’s Coffee House are a delicious and easy introduction to the local cuisine.

**If the Cajun Village Coffee House is unavailable for breakfast, we will dine at an alternate location.**

Lunch

Our options for lunch this deep into Cajun Country are so numerous and delicious that we revel in choosing among them on each of our adventures. You just can’t go wrong. Cajun cuisine is down-home, hearty and made for flavor!

Think rice, pork, chicken, seafood: fried or in sauces or gumbos. Smothered greens and okra. Catfish and gator. Not exotic enough for you? Then turn it up, if ’tis the season or available: frogs legs, alligator gar, rabbit, crawfish.

Dig in to that classic Louisiana sandwich, the po’boy or maybe try some boudin, that wonderfully savory Cajun sausage that is a defining element of their cuisine.

You’re in Cajun Country, y’all, and that means food!

About Cajun and Zydeco Music

Cajun music originates with the Acadians, who brought their traditions of storytelling, singing and dancing with them in exile. These Acadian folk music traditions are still true to their origins and very much alive in what is known as Cajun music today.

Zydeco music, on the other hand, is popularly believed to be Cajun in origin, but it’s actually the music of South Louisiana’s Creoles. This misconception is often made because Zydeco borrows many of its defining elements from Cajun music. And vice versa. Creoles and Cajuns have lived and worked beside each other for generations.

Zydeco music first appeared nationally after World War II. Originally, in addition to its Cajun influences, it drew heavily from the blues and gospel, but now counts soul, disco, rap, and even reggae as influences, as well.

Elements that the two genres share are the accordion and the French language. Cajun music, however, runs traditionally acoustic with guitars, the fiddle and triangle, while Zydeco features electric guitar and bass, drums, a corrugated metal rubboard—called a “frottior”, from the French verb, “to scrub”—and sometimes brass instruments, as well.