It is often said that New Orleans is like no other city in the US and the second you arrive you’ll see what they mean. It is literally heaving with activity all year round and the fascinating mix of culture which exists there greatly adds to the colour and atmosphere of this remarkable location.
Miami, and South Beach in particular, is seen as the Art Deco capital of America. Take a stroll down Ocean Drive and you can admire building after building after building that screams out Art Deco. In this podcast, Hostelworld.com's Colm Hanratty speaks to Jack Johnson of the Miami Design Preservation League to discover what exactly is Art Deco, what are the best examples and more.
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Download Boston Pocket Guide Download Chicago Pocket Guide Download Las Vegas Pocket Guide Download Los Angeles Pocket Guide Download Miami Pocket Guide Download New York Pocket Guide Download San Francisco Pocket Guide Download Washington DC Pocket Guide View all guides »New Orleans is full of life. Great food, great music. It has a bit of a reputation as a party town but I found that once off of Bourbon St, everyone was really just looking to enjoy themselves and it wasn't outrageously crazy.
Insider Tip:The city is much smaller than I expected and most places are within walking distance of each other. The day passes for the bus and streetcar are worth it if you expect to take more than three trips.
New Orleans is such a great music city. It's one of those cities where you can walk down the street at any time of the day and hear great music from the bars or on the streets. There is so much great jazz around. The Preservation Hall, of course, is one of the most famous venues. The jazz clubs are so lively as well, with many dancers taking stage around the band. And even if you're not a fan of jazz there's are bars with rock bands, country - anything people can dance to.
Insider Tip:Spend every night listening to live music - it's an essential New Orleans experience.
I loved it here. It was stinking hot and the mosquitos tried to drain me. Bourbon Street is hokey and full of drunkards, but the French Quarter is fascinating. Plenty of interesting free things to do and see - I'd recommend the graveyards, wandering through the Quarter, nose through the little knick-knack shops, invite yourself to a Burlesque show or many of the free jazz nights. The food here can be very good. A single po-boy kept me going for a whole day. If you're on the Greyhound, be aware the taxis
Insider Tip:Find the Voodoo Museum and book a walking tour with them if you can. It's quite obscure, so you won't become one of the herds of 20 or so tourists tramping round with themed hand-fans. I went on it and there were four of us. It's very instructive and run by a historian rather than a summer worker.
I'd always wanted to sample the delights of the Big Easy and I wasn't dissappointed. What an incredible city! The people, the culture, the food, the architecture and of course, the nights out were all outstanding. The French Quarter was stunning, and it was fun just walking around and looking at the buildings and listening to jazz music, which can be heard everywhere! The superdome has to be seen! It's just superb. Be warned though, the City has a reputation as the murder capitol of the US!
Insider Tip:Don't just go to McDonalds! The local cajun food is so good! Gator on a stick and jambalyah were fantastic! Plus, take pictures of the steamboats, but I didn't think the trip was worth the money at all. A very boring journey. And you have to visit a jazz club! They're so cool!
New Orleans is a swirling tidepool of excitement, adventure, and really wild things. It has wonderful cultural attractions and music and sights and incredible awesomeness and you need to go.
Insider Tip:While Bourbon street's cool, it doesn't hold a candle to Frenchmen st. It has local bars and excellent jazz and great venues. Go to Molly's on Decatur for a frozen Irish coffee and then head next door to Coop's Place for some really decent cajun food. Just do the things. All the things.
Just north of the Mexican border, San Diego is the most laid back of California’s big cities and a great place to simply chill out. Situated on a bay, there are many places to laze about in during the day. It is also a compact grid meaning getting around is easy as pie.
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