We very much enjoyed the Everglades day safari. Our guide, Anne, was a wealth of knowledge and drove us comfortably and safely throughout.
The day with a talk about the history of the Everglades while driving to the Mangrove Wilderness boat cruise, followed by the cruise itself.
During the 30 minute ride we saw a variety of wildlife including ospreys and dolphins, several of which swam close to the boat.
We had neglected to bring jackets or pullovers for our 5 and 8 year old children, having not appreciated that it could feel cold out on the boat due to the wind. However, they were quite comfortable with life jackets to keep them a little warmer.
After this there was an excellent walk on the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk, during which we saw bald eagles, water snakes, a black racer and an alligator.
After a hearty lunch we toured a remote area where plenty of alligators were in evidence.
And the final part of the day was a wonderful trip on an airboat, during which we must have seen more than 50 alligators and numerous birds including colossal great blue herons. It was a truly incredible experience racing through the water along channels between the vegetation - something I had always wanted to do and which didn’t disappoint.
I’d recommend the day to anyone - in theory you could organise the individual elements yourself but I doubt you’d make a saving and you wouldn’t have the group experience and informed narrative of the guide throughout the day.
Our children enjoyed it thoroughly and fortunately they were well behaved throughout. Any wildlife loving kids should have a great time, but if you’re going to bring little ones make sure they can cope with the heat and long periods on the move.