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After reading other reviews, we were kind of hesitant to go, but after going we were very pleased. This place is no disney land clean and orginized, but thats what makes the experience well worth the $35/person. The staff was very freindly and was able to answer ever question & the aligator handler/boat captain took his time answering all question and was very knowledgeable about his animals/reptiles. We never felt rushed and were able to handle multiple size gators and snakes. On the boat going up the bayou there were many sighting of gators/turtles/egress birds. Some people in there reviews have complained about the lack of sighting going down the bayou, but then again this is no Disneyland were everthing is fake. The over all experience/location is were the people live for real and they have invited us into the their "Home" so enjoy the experience. Because I bet you dont have a pet aligator in your back yard.
We always bring family to Zam's or send our friends when we can't go! It's about an hour from New Orleans, but well worth the drive to see some beautiful parts of Louisiana! I love ZZ and his whole family. Each is extremely personable and very knowledgeable on the animals and flora and fauna of the area. You can bring snacks or a cooler on the tour, which is a HUGE PLUS! And they always stay as long as you need to answer questions you have about, well anything! Call ahead to make sure you are arriving in time and to give them a heads ups. We love to go in the off season and have a boat to ourselves ;)
Another great trip to Zams, ZZ is the best and always puts on a good show. It poured rain but ZZ still made sure we finished the tour and boat ride.
Absolutely a must see. The most real authentic Louisiana boat tour out there. There was so much to see and everyone was friendly and funny. We will definitely be back
Zams is the best tour! Very accommodating and educational! Big gator on site to see and little ones to show!
The Swamp Tour was totally worth every penny. Zam and his partner were awesome guides. This was one of my high points from visiting Louisiana from California. My kids loved being up close with the gators and other animals. The boat ride was also fun. Zam and his partner were also very knowledgeable. Highly recommended, thank you Zam!
Zam's swamp tour isn't near the tourist hotspot of New Orleans so it's not as well known as some of the other swamp tours.. I doubt there's a bus or shuttle that comes all the way out there so you need to have a car. Our tour started with Zam's backyard where he has a turtle, chickens, and adult and baby gators. Then we went on a boat and toured the swamp for about an hour. We saw a gator and many egrets and Zam gave us a detailed history of the Bayou. I asked him pretty difficult questions about the geography, culture, oil pipelines, and navigation and Zam answered them all with in-depth insights and humor. The price is probably a little higher than that of other tours but I think the personal attention and uniqueness of Zam's tour makes it worth it. Give it a try if you can get ourself out there. You won't be disappointed.
I've been to Zam's 3 times, once 12 years ago, once 8 years ago, and then again this month. This isn't one of the tours that you can sign up for in the FQ when you're visiting NOLA, and that's probably part of what makes it so great. Its a family run operation and each time I've gone there was a small group of passengers (one time it was my mother, my daughter, and me) and you are made to feel like part of the family while you're there. When you drive up and go in, you enter a gift shop that has all sorts of interesting things to ogle, including the requisite gator heads. You pay for the tour here. Oh, if you pay cash you get a discount. In back there's a restaurant, its only open weekends though. =( I would be willing to bet the food is spectacular, unfortunately I've never been out there on a weekend! The tour is approx 2 hours, starting with the backyard where a couple of ginormous gators live! They also have young ones they're raising. The kids can hold them if they want, mine thought that was great fun! The biggest snapping turtle you've ever seen is penned up back there too. After the yard, you load up on a pontoon boat and set sail into the bayou. A lift bridge goes up for you to pass under and then you're seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Its quite relaxing. The tour guide will give you the history of the area and answer any questions you might have. Depending on the guide, you may also get to hear tales of witches and swamp-lore. Its really a wonderful place. This is a down-home, keep it real kind of operation. Its not flashy, there's no neon, and no crazy-loud airboats. The owners have lived here for generations and they love it. They don't do the tour business to make a load of cash, they do it because they love Louisiana and they want to show it to you, so you can love it too.
Well this was something that I have wanted to do since watching the Loupe family in Wife Swap...I lived on the west bank and coming from L.A....I was fascinated with the exchange between Diana and a lady from San Diego. After hurricane Katrina I moved into the bayou and saw the Zam's signage from highway 90. Now after all these years I finally complete a line from my bucket list with the help of my youngest son. I accompanied my second grade son and classmates on a Zam's Swamp tour. I had no idea that the town of Kraemer even existed and the drive back into where Zam's is located is a winding small road surrounded by a zillion shades of green. Just after you cross the bayou bridge there is a small road on the right that leads you to Zam's. When we arrived Diana and the gang were there holding snakes and such for everyone to touch as you made your way to the boat....I didn't recognize the captain of the boat , but he was full of fun-filled information and tales of celebrity sightings. The day was beautiful and this is a swamp tour so there were LOTS of bugs. I would suggest wearing long pants and close toe shoes. While many of the guests had on shorts and flip flops, the bugs along the way were plenty. The captain stopped at each spot where gators were hiding and the kids brought marshmallows to toss into water. I would have still enjoyed the boat ride with an alligator one. The scenery was breath taking and lasted about an hour. This time as we pulled up to the dock Diana and Diego were both waiting for us. across the street from the restaurant and gift shop is their home and in the yard they have set up picnic tables under the oak trees. The class took it's lunch break there under the cool limbs of the large trees and many of the kids ran around and enjoyed the cages of ducks and animals that were close to the picnic area. I thought that was it, they would load the kids on the bus and then make our way back to the school...but OH NO!!!! here comes the Loupe's and they are gathering the kids together in their private driveway to pet and hold baby alligators, rabbits, chicks and pet baby goats in the yard. Next we all followed Diego tot he back of the house (past his six white corvettes...yes six and a myriad of Harley's) to a large penned area home to a VERY large alligator. Diana was great about getting the kids close to the fence so that they could see as Diego played (I use that word loosely) with his pet. Along the same area was yet another large pet and the yard is open so that the large group was able to move around to see everything. Diego then went into a cement pit area and wrestled with a large turtle thing that looked as if it was straight from the dinosaur era. There were more cages filled with chickens and ducks and rabbits and the kids loved it....The last stop was back in the front yard where Diego carried a regular backpack on his shoulder. After setting it on the ground he pulled a large Boa snake that was the color of banana laffy Taffy. The kids all took turns holding it and also many of adults (me included!) I had a chance to chat with Diana about her stint with reality TV. She was so pleasant and engaging, just like the woman that I had seen on TV so many years before (7 years)...she invited me back on the weekend to come and hangout, which I will definitely do in the future. I was so happy to have finally had the chance to experience Zam's and it was better than I ever could have expected.. The restaurant is open on the weekends only and looks pretty authentic to a rustic on the bayou Cajun place. They also had a gift shop , but I was in and out and really didn't get a chance to look around though it was chock full of goodies.... I'm so happy this place is so close to my house only 20 minutes away....I'll return soon and I'll be bringing anyone I can think of......and then some....
This place was the highlight of our trip! Lloyd was such an awesome guide! Very knowledgeable about the animals and the bayou. He had lots of great jokes and spoke perfect French. He let us bring a cooler on the boat and brought us some cups for our bubbly. This place was definitely the perfect way to see the gators and other wildlife. I highly recommend this place to anyone that is looking for a quality boat tour of the bayou. This was even better than the airboat rides!
you know that feeling you get in your stomach when you walk through like a haunted house or maybe a sketchy back alleyway? you're excited by the mystery but also rapidly devising a plan for how to get out in the case a serial killer charges at you? but then nothing happens and you get to live in that sweet spot of safe adrenaline? that's how you'll feel the entire time you're at Zam's. Upon entering, I was convinced I was going to get murdered. The entrance has really low ceilings and all the tables are filled with weird trinkets you would find in the back of a 7/11. There was an old lady in a rocking chair who was maybe speaking English? I was unsure. After you pay, you wait for your guide in a room that used to be a restaurant. Alligator skin hangs from the ceiling. I looked at my family and started to figure out who was going to get straight up murdered first and how I was going to save them. Our tour guide arrived and he was a genuine (pronounced gen-you-wine) bayou boy. He had a ponytail and a giant eagle tattoo. He started us off by showing us a bunch of baby alligators he kept in tupperware. I saw the snake that could feasibly snap my neck and the only thought I had was "I have a lighter in my pocket that he doesn't know about. I have an advantage." He showed us to a rickety river boat and we took off. I studied how he drove the boat incase I needed to hijack the boat and drive my family to safety. I was prepared. I refused to let the swamp claim me. not today, not ever. It took about 5 minutes for me to realize, all my anxious final girl thoughts were for nothing. The swamp was truly the most amazing thing I've ever seen. The breeze, the trees, the birds, all of it. Our guide, Lloyd, ended up being the sweetest man. He reminded me so much of Ray from Princess and the Frog. My family is from LA so he had a lot of question about "the big white sign in the mountains." We spent an hour out on the river but honestly it felt like ten minutes. Upon returning to land, Lloyd offered to take us to the back to show us his gator (since we didn't see any on our tour). He said it was behind the house. My instinct kicked in again. He told me about the groups of kids that used to come here and play with the gator and that's when it hit me. Zam's is a place that time forgot. Some time, a long time ago, this place had to be everything. I looked at the unkept garden and rickety abandoned snow cone stand and felt the cheerful spirit that once filled this establishment. It was sad, but kinda sweet. I skipped meeting the gator but I had lots of time to play with the goats! and we met a couple raccoons! This place is wonderful, as long as you can get past the creepy vibes you're greeted with. If you arrive and feel like swan diving back in your car and driving as far away as you can just remember, Beyoncé trusts Zam's and so can you.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! By far the BEST tour around. Pay the money to see the yard!! All the animals are awesome. Our tour guy ZZ might have been my favorite part of the tour though. He was so funny and full of great information!
3 months ago
I wish I could give Zams six stars. My girlfriend and I had such a great time learning about life in the Bayou from a third generation guide who was quick to share funny stories as well as information about the swamp ecology. ZZ was so much fun and what a nice guy. He took 6 of us on covered boat ride so we didn't have to worry about rain or sun and we quickly got to meet his swamp friends. Don't forget to check out the massive gator seen in the video below who lives in ZZ's backyard. If you're in NOLA and are looking for an authentic swamp tour less than 90 minutes from the Quarter, this is the one for you. read more
2 months ago
1 year ago
It was amazing and felt like a real swamp tour not corporate at all. This is the real deal. It is family owned for 3 generations I believe. read more
4 years ago
After reading other reviews, we were kind of hesitant to go, but after going we were very pleased. This place is no disney land clean and orginized, but thats what makes the experience well worth the $35/person. The staff was very freindly and was able to answer ever question & the aligator handler/boat captain took his time answering all question and was very knowledgeable about his animals/reptiles. We never felt rushed and were able to handle multiple size gators and snakes. On the boat going up the bayou there were many sighting of gators/turtles/egress birds. Some people in there reviews have complained about the lack of sighting going down the bayou, but then again this is no Disneyland were everthing is fake. The over all experience/location is were the people live for real and they have invited us into the their "Home" so enjoy the experience. Because I bet you dont have a pet aligator in your back yard. read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
4 years ago
5 years ago
We always bring family to Zam's or send our friends when we can't go! It's about an hour from New Orleans, but well worth the drive to see some beautiful parts of Louisiana! I love ZZ and his whole family. Each is extremely personable and very knowledgeable on the animals and flora and fauna of the area. You can bring snacks or a cooler on the tour, which is a HUGE PLUS! And they always stay as long as you need to answer questions you have about, well anything! Call ahead to make sure you are arriving in time and to give them a heads ups. We love to go in the off season and have a boat to ourselves ;) read more
5 years ago
Another great trip to Zams, ZZ is the best and always puts on a good show. It poured rain but ZZ still made sure we finished the tour and boat ride. read more
5 years ago
Absolutely a must see. The most real authentic Louisiana boat tour out there. There was so much to see and everyone was friendly and funny. We will definitely be back read more
6 years ago
Zams is the best tour! Very accommodating and educational! Big gator on site to see and little ones to show! read more
4 years ago
Came to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans and found this GEM!! GUARANTEED to see and hold Alligators here (in or out of s. ZZ is so hilarious and made this tour awesome! Boat ride was cool, but his stories had us intrigued the whole time. read more
4 years ago
The Swamp Tour was totally worth every penny. Zam and his partner were awesome guides. This was one of my high points from visiting Louisiana from California. My kids loved being up close with the gators and other animals. The boat ride was also fun. Zam and his partner were also very knowledgeable. Highly recommended, thank you Zam! read more
10 years ago
Zam's swamp tour isn't near the tourist hotspot of New Orleans so it's not as well known as some of the other swamp tours.. I doubt there's a bus or shuttle that comes all the way out there so you need to have a car. Our tour started with Zam's backyard where he has a turtle, chickens, and adult and baby gators. Then we went on a boat and toured the swamp for about an hour. We saw a gator and many egrets and Zam gave us a detailed history of the Bayou. I asked him pretty difficult questions about the geography, culture, oil pipelines, and navigation and Zam answered them all with in-depth insights and humor. The price is probably a little higher than that of other tours but I think the personal attention and uniqueness of Zam's tour makes it worth it. Give it a try if you can get ourself out there. You won't be disappointed. read more
14 years ago
I've been to Zam's 3 times, once 12 years ago, once 8 years ago, and then again this month. This isn't one of the tours that you can sign up for in the FQ when you're visiting NOLA, and that's probably part of what makes it so great. Its a family run operation and each time I've gone there was a small group of passengers (one time it was my mother, my daughter, and me) and you are made to feel like part of the family while you're there. When you drive up and go in, you enter a gift shop that has all sorts of interesting things to ogle, including the requisite gator heads. You pay for the tour here. Oh, if you pay cash you get a discount. In back there's a restaurant, its only open weekends though. =( I would be willing to bet the food is spectacular, unfortunately I've never been out there on a weekend! The tour is approx 2 hours, starting with the backyard where a couple of ginormous gators live! They also have young ones they're raising. The kids can hold them if they want, mine thought that was great fun! The biggest snapping turtle you've ever seen is penned up back there too. After the yard, you load up on a pontoon boat and set sail into the bayou. A lift bridge goes up for you to pass under and then you're seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Its quite relaxing. The tour guide will give you the history of the area and answer any questions you might have. Depending on the guide, you may also get to hear tales of witches and swamp-lore. Its really a wonderful place. This is a down-home, keep it real kind of operation. Its not flashy, there's no neon, and no crazy-loud airboats. The owners have lived here for generations and they love it. They don't do the tour business to make a load of cash, they do it because they love Louisiana and they want to show it to you, so you can love it too. read more
Well this was something that I have wanted to do since watching the Loupe family in Wife Swap...I lived on the west bank and coming from L.A....I was fascinated with the exchange between Diana and a lady from San Diego. After hurricane Katrina I moved into the bayou and saw the Zam's signage from highway 90. Now after all these years I finally complete a line from my bucket list with the help of my youngest son. I accompanied my second grade son and classmates on a Zam's Swamp tour. I had no idea that the town of Kraemer even existed and the drive back into where Zam's is located is a winding small road surrounded by a zillion shades of green. Just after you cross the bayou bridge there is a small road on the right that leads you to Zam's. When we arrived Diana and the gang were there holding snakes and such for everyone to touch as you made your way to the boat....I didn't recognize the captain of the boat , but he was full of fun-filled information and tales of celebrity sightings. The day was beautiful and this is a swamp tour so there were LOTS of bugs. I would suggest wearing long pants and close toe shoes. While many of the guests had on shorts and flip flops, the bugs along the way were plenty. The captain stopped at each spot where gators were hiding and the kids brought marshmallows to toss into water. I would have still enjoyed the boat ride with an alligator one. The scenery was breath taking and lasted about an hour. This time as we pulled up to the dock Diana and Diego were both waiting for us. across the street from the restaurant and gift shop is their home and in the yard they have set up picnic tables under the oak trees. The class took it's lunch break there under the cool limbs of the large trees and many of the kids ran around and enjoyed the cages of ducks and animals that were close to the picnic area. I thought that was it, they would load the kids on the bus and then make our way back to the school...but OH NO!!!! here comes the Loupe's and they are gathering the kids together in their private driveway to pet and hold baby alligators, rabbits, chicks and pet baby goats in the yard. Next we all followed Diego tot he back of the house (past his six white corvettes...yes six and a myriad of Harley's) to a large penned area home to a VERY large alligator. Diana was great about getting the kids close to the fence so that they could see as Diego played (I use that word loosely) with his pet. Along the same area was yet another large pet and the yard is open so that the large group was able to move around to see everything. Diego then went into a cement pit area and wrestled with a large turtle thing that looked as if it was straight from the dinosaur era. There were more cages filled with chickens and ducks and rabbits and the kids loved it....The last stop was back in the front yard where Diego carried a regular backpack on his shoulder. After setting it on the ground he pulled a large Boa snake that was the color of banana laffy Taffy. The kids all took turns holding it and also many of adults (me included!) I had a chance to chat with Diana about her stint with reality TV. She was so pleasant and engaging, just like the woman that I had seen on TV so many years before (7 years)...she invited me back on the weekend to come and hangout, which I will definitely do in the future. I was so happy to have finally had the chance to experience Zam's and it was better than I ever could have expected.. The restaurant is open on the weekends only and looks pretty authentic to a rustic on the bayou Cajun place. They also had a gift shop , but I was in and out and really didn't get a chance to look around though it was chock full of goodies.... I'm so happy this place is so close to my house only 20 minutes away....I'll return soon and I'll be bringing anyone I can think of......and then some.... read more
3 years ago
5 years ago
This place was the highlight of our trip! Lloyd was such an awesome guide! Very knowledgeable about the animals and the bayou. He had lots of great jokes and spoke perfect French. He let us bring a cooler on the boat and brought us some cups for our bubbly. This place was definitely the perfect way to see the gators and other wildlife. I highly recommend this place to anyone that is looking for a quality boat tour of the bayou. This was even better than the airboat rides! read more
8 years ago
you know that feeling you get in your stomach when you walk through like a haunted house or maybe a sketchy back alleyway? you're excited by the mystery but also rapidly devising a plan for how to get out in the case a serial killer charges at you? but then nothing happens and you get to live in that sweet spot of safe adrenaline? that's how you'll feel the entire time you're at Zam's. Upon entering, I was convinced I was going to get murdered. The entrance has really low ceilings and all the tables are filled with weird trinkets you would find in the back of a 7/11. There was an old lady in a rocking chair who was maybe speaking English? I was unsure. After you pay, you wait for your guide in a room that used to be a restaurant. Alligator skin hangs from the ceiling. I looked at my family and started to figure out who was going to get straight up murdered first and how I was going to save them. Our tour guide arrived and he was a genuine (pronounced gen-you-wine) bayou boy. He had a ponytail and a giant eagle tattoo. He started us off by showing us a bunch of baby alligators he kept in tupperware. I saw the snake that could feasibly snap my neck and the only thought I had was "I have a lighter in my pocket that he doesn't know about. I have an advantage." He showed us to a rickety river boat and we took off. I studied how he drove the boat incase I needed to hijack the boat and drive my family to safety. I was prepared. I refused to let the swamp claim me. not today, not ever. It took about 5 minutes for me to realize, all my anxious final girl thoughts were for nothing. The swamp was truly the most amazing thing I've ever seen. The breeze, the trees, the birds, all of it. Our guide, Lloyd, ended up being the sweetest man. He reminded me so much of Ray from Princess and the Frog. My family is from LA so he had a lot of question about "the big white sign in the mountains." We spent an hour out on the river but honestly it felt like ten minutes. Upon returning to land, Lloyd offered to take us to the back to show us his gator (since we didn't see any on our tour). He said it was behind the house. My instinct kicked in again. He told me about the groups of kids that used to come here and play with the gator and that's when it hit me. Zam's is a place that time forgot. Some time, a long time ago, this place had to be everything. I looked at the unkept garden and rickety abandoned snow cone stand and felt the cheerful spirit that once filled this establishment. It was sad, but kinda sweet. I skipped meeting the gator but I had lots of time to play with the goats! and we met a couple raccoons! This place is wonderful, as long as you can get past the creepy vibes you're greeted with. If you arrive and feel like swan diving back in your car and driving as far away as you can just remember, Beyoncé trusts Zam's and so can you. read more
8 years ago
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! By far the BEST tour around. Pay the money to see the yard!! All the animals are awesome. Our tour guy ZZ might have been my favorite part of the tour though. He was so funny and full of great information! read more
7 years ago
Took a swamp tour on mothers day and it was a great time! ZZ was our tour guide (fun fact he's also a WWE wrestler) and he knew almost everything about the bayous & cooking. We got to hold baby alligators as well as see the HUGE gators he and his father/grandfather have caught! The boat ride was smooth and we saw tons of alligators on the ride. Awesome experience. read more
10 years ago
8 years ago
10 years ago
Best $25 we have ever spent! What's so great about this tour is the family and their love for the area. The backyard was cool - learned a lot about alligators and enjoyed stories about their personalities. We lucked out and ZZ was home for the weekend and did our tour. This kid grew up on the water and getting to see it through his eyes was fun. While we didn't learn much about the ecosystem, we did learn about what to do if bit by an alligator, saw pictures of the amazing sunsets and sunrises on his iPhone, and a tour participant who just happened to be an Elvis impersonator drove the boat most of the trip while ZZ talked to guests and shared stories of growing up on the swamp. The other family members were just as delightfully colorful and treat their guests like family. If you are looking for a true taste if the swamp - this tour will not disappoint! read more
10 years ago
Our tour guide ZZ. was great we had a blast today. Will definitely be back. Everyone there was friendly and welcoming. read more
9 years ago
ZZ was an awesome tour guide. We started with a tour of his 'backyard' which consisted of chickens, goats, turtles, rabbits, raccoons and of course alligators from little babies to a giant papa. This was as authentic as you can get. ZZ was full of information and very charismatic. We highly recommend choosing Zam's Swamp Tour. read more
10 years ago
I highly recommend Zam's! I went here with my bachelorette party and we had a blast! ZZ was really fun and very interactive! We got to hold the baby alligators and snake. They do a great job making it a real Cajun experience. We will be back! Thank you for the wonderful memories! read more
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More info about Zam's Swamp Tour
141 Kraemer Bayou Rd
Thibodaux, LA 70301
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(985) 633-7881
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