Perched on the edge of the Mississippi delta, in the Deep South of Louisiana state, lies America's most unworldly and atmospheric city. Rich in history and culture, New Orleans, nicknamed the 'Big Easy', is the diametric opposite of its US counterparts in most respects, not least because here, teetotal, anti-smoking workaholics are a rare breed and creativity, drinking and fun are paramount.
The French Quarter is an area of gorgeous Spanish and French colonial architecture, mostly dating from around 1795: terraces of elegant houses with ornate ironwork balconies, high ceilings and tall windows that were built to make bearable the city's wilting heat. A short tram-ride away is the Garden District, where stunning old mansions nestle among manicured but lush foliage. But if architecture isn't your thing, there is shopping, history, wildlife and, naturally, jazz aplenty.
To the onlooker, life in New Orleans is about creativity and having fun. Music is still revered here and in the tourist centre of the French Quarter, live bands performing everything from traditional jazz to salsa to strange avant-garde poetry can be found in almost every one of the seemingly endless number of bars.
Getting around
The city is split into several distinct areas – the French Quarter, the Garden District and the Central Business District. Travel between them on old-fashioned trams or 'streetcars'. Modern taxis are plentiful and most convenient for longer journeys, but you don't feel like walking, you can nip around the narrow streets of the French Quarter in traditional open horse-drawn carriages. And if you fancy a trip on the Mississippi, the only way to go is steam paddler, in the form of the Natchez, which departs twice a day from the French Quarter.
Where to stay
Though there are the usual Holiday Inns and other big-name hotels, it is far more fun to stay in one of the authentic old houses, many of which are now hotels or B&Bs. Check out www.frenchquarterneworleans.com, www.neworleansbandbs.com and www.historiclodging.com. If you are a keen ghost hunter the Olivier House Hotel, just off Bourbon St, boasts a lady who gives guests a little help up the stairs and sometimes makes her presence apparent in the downstairs front bedroom. Or, for a less full-on experience, the beautiful Queen Anne Hotel in the Garden District might suit.
When to go
The folk of New Orleans are fond of festivals and any excuse for a party, but none tops Mardi Gras, in mid-February. This is not for the faint-hearted – it makes the Notting Hill Carnival look like a children's tea party – and is the most expensive time to visit. The most comfortable times, weatherwise, to go are in early spring or late autumn. But to experience it at full humidity you need to go during the low season, between June and September.
Food & drink
Health fanatics may suffer a little here - food in the Deep South is mostly fried, so just brace yourself in advance and dive in. Creole cooking is popular and found in many restaurants and cafés - try gumbo, a spicy vegetable soup with 'shrimp'; jambalaya (like paella) and 'po' boys' – basically a sandwich made from French bread and filled with ingredients such as shrimp and oysters (fried, of course!).
The restaurants in and around the French Quarter tend to serve expensive and unimpressive fare, especially the 'upmarket' but truly dreadful Antoine's, which, despite being a local institution, serves diabolical food. Instead check out some of the many smaller cafés and interesting restaurants in the townhouses or venture out to the Business or Garden districts. Be sure to visit Checkpoint Charlie at 501 Esplanade Ave, where you can eat from the grill, sup a beer, catch a live band – and do your laundry at the same time! Other great bars away from the beer-fuelled stag-nighters on Bourbon Street are Brazil and the Apple Barrel in the lower Frenchman area, the Maple Leaf (on Oak Street), to name but a few.
How to get there
British Airways and American Airways fly there, but it means changing flights in Dallas or Chicago. Expect to pay around £400 per person. Alternatively book a cheaper return flight to Chicago and a separate internal flight. Then take the airport shuttle (£10) into town or a taxi, which costs around £24 for two people.
