Celebrity Guest Sightings at Cajun Encounters

Cajun Encounters offers an unparalleled opportunity for visitors from around the globe to dive deep into the enchanting beauty and mystique of Louisiana's Honey Island Swamp. Our New Orleans swamp tours are more than just a ride through the bayou—they are an immersive experience that blends entertainment, eco-consciousness, and education. It's no wonder that our tours have captured the attention of celebrities like Mario Lopez, Kelly Ripa, Tommy Lee, and New Orleans' own renowned chef John Besh, among others. With a reputation for providing unforgettable adventures, Cajun Encounters continues to be a must-visit destination, even for the stars. After all, celebrity sightings in New Orleans are just another part of the magic!

Kelly Ripa

Kelly Ripa is the host of the TV show Live with Regis and Kelly. You may also have seen her on All My Children, and Hope & Faith. During the past few years, she visited us not once, but twice! She even brought along her family to see the Honey Island Swamp and chow down on some delicious crawfish. They even featured us on the show!

American Idol

The folks at American Idol paid us a visit in late 2010, and we couldn’t be more excited. It was an honor to show them an authentic view of a Louisiana swamp, along with a few alligators, baby wild hogs, and lush vegetation. Check out the clip above to see our crew giving the cast a big welcome!

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

Known for both their blockbuster films as well as their humanitarian work, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are known the world over. It should come as no surprise, then, that we were a bit star-struck during their visit in Spring 2011. They were as nice as can be, and even brought their kids along to see some gators! The Jolie-Pitts in the Honey Island Swamp. So amazing.

Usher

We were lucky enough to have Essence Fest headliner Usher pay us a visit! The reigning King of R&B took time out of his busy schedule to see some gators. He was as nice as can be, and was even interested in our local Cajun food! Here’s a pic of the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper with Cajun Encounters' own Jeff and Mary Anna Rogers.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

In July of 2014, we ran into Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was in town filming “Terminator 5.” Famous for being the former Governor of California as well as a worldwide action movie star for films like “The Terminator” series, “Predator,” and “Conan the Barbarian,” we think it's fair to say that he's a legend. Arnold was kind enough to take this picture with us after taking our Honey Island Swamp Tour.

John Fogerty

We LOVE Creedence Clearwater Revival, or CCR, as we like to call it. To have Mr. John Fogerty himself join us for a tour in April had us over the moon! In this video, he feeds an alligator from one of our tour boats. His crew even filmed it and posted it themselves! After the tour, the group enjoyed a crawfish boil on-premises.

Tommy Lee

Tommy Lee, from the internationally famous bands Motley Crue and Methods of Mayhem, came by during one of his visits to New Orleans. He toured with us one early morning, along with some friends. He was very gracious and seemed to love the swamp!

John Besh

John Besh is famous in the Crescent City and beyond for his amazing food. He is the power behind Restaurant August (featured twice in Gourmet Magazine), as well as top dining spots La Provence, The American Sector, Luke, and Besh Steak. Mr. Besh paid us a visit a few months ago, along with some of his family.

Ty Simpkins

In Spring of 2015, we were honored by a visit from Ty Simpkins. After seeing him on the big screen in films like “Jurassic World,” “Insidious,” and “War of the Worlds,” we were already big fans. From the looks of his photos, it seems like the alligators were fans too!

Jeff Schroeder

You might know Jeff from the popular TV show Big Brother, but he came to visit us for his solo project, Around the World For Free. Jeff stopped by a few months ago to experience the beauty of the Honey Island Swamp. We don’t know about you, but it looks to us like he loved it!

The Disney Channel

Not long ago, we were graced with the honor of having a part of Disney's Imagine Your Planet filmed here. The segment featured the Honey Island Swamp and was targeted towards kids. It was amazing to be part of a show that was so informational and fun.

Jason Lee

Jason Lee visited the camp not too long ago, and we have to say that we were a bit star-struck. Everyone here is a big fan of his TV show, My Name is Earl, and our kids love him in all of the Alvin and the Chipmunks films! Mr. Lee was very gracious in taking a picture with us. We hope he visits us again soon!

Stone Temple Pilots

We met the Stone Temple Pilots in late February, 2011, when they and their family came out for a private tour. They were such a fun bunch, and they were great to the entire staff. They even signed autographs for us all! It's not every day that rockstars come out to the swamp, but we're glad they chose Honey Island!

Dirk Strangely

We met Dirk Strangely, who is the author of the books “Graveyard Girl” & “Agnes and the Flies,” as well as a renowned fantasy and horror artist, at New Orleans Comic Con. One of the first things he said was that he wanted to go on a swamp tour. Luckily for us, we had just the thing! He and his family visited us in late January 2011. What an honor.

Tim Matheson

In August, 2011, we had the honor of taking Tim Matheson on a tour. The actor is famous for a ton of roles, including Animal House, Jonny Quest, Van Wilder, Burn Notice, and Fletch, to name a few. Matheson visited the Honey Island Swamp while in town for a project, and yes, we were a bit starstruck!

Catherine Giudici

Here at Cajun Encounters, we look forward to new episodes of ”The Bachelor“, so imagine our excitement to have Catherine Giudici and Sean Lowe from Season 17 come out on a Honey Island Swamp tour! What a wonderful way to celebrate Summer of 2015. Love their photos.

Peter Andre

The UK's Peter Andre paid us a visit in October 2013. The celebrity singer-songwriter, businessman, and TV personality spent time with us on a Honey Island Swamp tour, along with his two children and girlfriend Emily. Lucky for us, they came to New Orleans to film his ITV reality series “Peter Andre: My Life” and made sure to include a visit with wildlife on the agenda. How fitting!

Audrina Patridge

Audrina Patridge, star of “The Hills” and “Dancing with the Stars,” came out to the Honey Island Swamp in Fall 2013. She and her team were getting footage for a new NBC travel show called “1st Look.” They were a joy to be around, and we had fun showing them the cypress trees, alligators, and everything native to our beautiful area.

Forest Whitaker

We’ve been fans of Forest Whitaker for years, so imagine our surprise when the Academy Award, Golden Globe, and BAFTA award winner booked a tour of the Honey Island Swamp! On August 13, 2011, the “Criminal Minds” star came with his family to take a swamp tour, and they couldn’t have been better guests. We got so caught up in the sights and sounds that the August heat came in secondary! A big thanks to them for coming out. It was a blast.

Big Rich Texas

In August 2012, we had the cast from the Style Network’s hit show “Big Rich Texas” pay us a visit. They were such a fun group and were true Southern Belles. They seemed as excited to tour the swamp as we were to have them here!