New Orleans.. Recommendations please...

LadyLoulou

Hi Guys

Myself and two of my friends are heading to New Orleans for 3 nights in August as part of a trip. Just wondering if anyone can recommend some good tours/sights/must sees etc! We're all in our early 30's (2 gals 1 guy).

Thanks

InTheTrees

I LOVE New Orleans. Its unlike any other american city. By quite a long way. The people are so friendly, it seemed to me a lot of the racial tension you feel elsewhere wasnt present there. And the music and the food are incredible. Its a place to hang out and eat. Slowly. (And I'm not a foodie by any means!)

They have a kind of local sugar coated donut called a beignet and The Place to eat them is the Cafe Du Monde. Its right on the waterfront by the park in front of the cathederal.

http://www.cafedumonde.com/

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=29.957612,-90.059931&spn=0.006711,0.010149&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=29.957577,-90.062011&panoid=hyN-vlsTU9t53B4W0CHV3w&cbp=12,115.64,,0,5.43

We went on a couple of walking tours. The old centre is small enough to walk around pretty easily and its so beautiful.

Take the trolly car (very easy), along St.charles ave and get off near the old Lafayette cemetery in the Garden District. That whole area is full of old southern mansions, anne rice, the vampire author lives there. Its really best to go on a tour of the area but you can also wander around on your own.

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=29.929892,-90.080323&spn=0.001193,0.001269&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=29.929892,-90.080578&panoid=56Q7pUTrZ6FtOczN0gG6bQ&cbp=12,132.91,,0,-6.99

And then there's Bourbon street. Which is in the French Quarter. Its like temple bar on a saturday night. With a lot of Jazz. The Music all over New Orleans is amazing.

There's every kind of eating and drinking establishment on bourbon street and the surrounding streets so you will find something to suit. They're fameous for their food. Amazing fusions of french and carribean and spanish. Creole I suppose. I had grits for the first time there. I also had some seafood that reacted really badly but I wont dwell on that.

In August its going to be so hot with such high humidity that you'll barely be able to breathe. Its like being in a swamp in the tropics and that alone will make it memorable. Its also one of the highest crime cities in the US with the most corrupt police force so be vigilant. Avoid the really dark lonely streets. You know the drill. tripadvisor.com is good for current advice.

ProudDUB

Echo much of what In The Tree said. New Orleans is a wonderful city. The French Quarter is quite small and compact & very easy to explore on foot. You should deffo spend some time just wandering around the French Quarter, and exploring Jackson Sq. Consider doing so by horse drawn carriage as New Orelans in August is going to be incredibly hot and humid. The trolly car will take you to the Garden District. It is full of lovely old Southern homes which are well worth a look see.

If its not too hot, consider a day trip to one of the bayous, where you'll see lots of amazing wild life, mangrove swamps and the the odd 'gator or two. If you want to go a bit further afield, try and visit one of the plantations. Oak Alley is probably the most famous and easiest to visit from New Orleans. It's been featured in countless movies and TV shows. http://www.oakalleyplantation.com

Dunno how big of a partier you are, but definitely give a night on Bourbon St a whirl. It may or may not be your cup of tea. Some people think its great, some people think its a bit sleazy, but its something you should definitely experience at least once.

Crime is a factor to consider. Despite its glamourous reputation, New Orelans is quite a poor city & drunken tourists can be easy targets for those looking to make a quick buck. I don't mean to alarm you, just keep your wits about you, especially late at night, especially if you've been drinking. New Orleans is one of the few US cities with an open container law, meaning that you can wander around the city with your cocktail in hand and no one will say boo to you. So its very, very easy to get very, very hammered and with the heat involved, you can get badly dehydrated very quicky too, so be careful there.

And oh yeah...the hot dog vendors that you see all over the French Quarter....don't be tempted to eat one...ever...no matter how drunk you are, or how hungry you are....ever....did I mention ever???

LadyLoulou

Thanks a million guys great food for thought!

latenia

The 2 best bars in the world are in New Orleans: Snake and Jake's Christmas Lounge



The Saturn:



Don't arrive before 1AM

If dives aren't your thing then check out the old hotel bars like the Sazerac or the Monteleone. For food check out Bayona...

BailMeOut

For a very casual, inexpensive but brilliant place to experience really good New Orleans food go to 'Coops Place'. Do not let the line outside the door in the evenings put you off and eat everything on the menu (especially the blackened fried chicken).

As previous poster mentioned Cafe Du Monde, while very touristy, always has a huge line outside the door but it is well worth the 20/30 minute wait. Beignets do not travel well so do not get them to go, you need to eat them there with the delicious chicory coffee.

Other than eating as the food is really as good as you have probably heard and a huge part of New Orleans life there go hunt out some good music joints. Ask the locals (waiter, taxi drivers, etc.. where to go - they will know).

...and stay away from the sleazy/cheesy part of Bourbon St. These 3 or 4 blocks are not a proper representation of this great city.

Have fun and be prepared to come home a few kgs heavier!