Giving Rio a run for its money is New Orleans' famed Mardi Gras. As the saying goes, Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez. In Louisiana, there's an entire Carnival season (beginning on Twelfth Night) where parades and balls aplenty get the party started. And for the two weeks before Fat Tuesday, at least one major parade takes place every day. But the most grandiose and elaborate parades, and events and parties are reserved for the last five raucous-inducing, city-never-sleeps days of the season. The eye-catching floats filled with costumed and masked participants, organized by Carnival krewes elicit screams of delight and cheers from the crowds as float-riders toss (most famously) cheap beads and other goodies--from plastic toys and trinkets to the traditional doubloons, which are dollar-sized coins of wood or aluminum often embossed with the krewe name. The normally hopping French Quarter is on triple overdrive during Mardi Gras, as its streets are clogged with revelers of all shapes and sizes for the event's duration.

In the French Quarter, Royal Street has elegant antique galleries such as Keil’s Antiques, which dates from 1899. On Chartres Street shops are more diverse – the Civil War Store has swords, flags and books, while the stylish Lucullus is a dreamy collection of everything culinary, from 18th-century tables to used French bistro glasses. The French Market (bounded by Decatur, North Peters, Barracks and Ursuline streets) is in a series of buildings along Decatur Street near Jackson Square and it has an open-air a flea market that’s worth a visit. Its independent vendors sell handmade jeweler, bags, artwork, ceramics, CDs and tapes and household adornments.

Dining is a passionate art form in New Orleans. The restaurants and chefs are world-renown and award-winning ... and will make your visit to New Orleans an unforgettable experience!

Antoine's
Since 1840, Antoine's has been noted for its excellent French-Creole cuisine and numerous historical dining rooms. Antoine's has long been a tradition for both locals and visitors to New Orleans. An unmatched dining experience in the heart of the French Quarter.

Jean Lafitte's Bistro
Long known by its customers as an Oasis on Bourbon Street, Jean Lafitte's Bistro offers the finest of Creole and Cajun cuisine utilizing local seafood, prepared from treasured family recipes along with locally influenced versions of some old favorites.

Steamboat Natchez Dinner and Jazz Cruises
The Steamboat Natchez offers daily dinner jazz cruises and harbor jazz cruises with a New Orleans food buffet. Enjoy our music and food as you cruise along the Mississippi

Cajun Cabin
Live Cajun music and free dance lessons nightly; one of the best Cajun food and people-watching balcony on Bourbon Street.

Dinner at the Court of Two Sisters Restaurant
For sentimental and romantic occasions, The Court of Two Sisters is a favorite destination for families and couples. By night, the courtyard comes alive with flickering lights and candlelit tables. Enjoy dinner amid flowering plants and quietly flowing fountains in a courtyard accented by old-world French architecture.

Hornets Basketball - Professional basketball has taken flight in New Orleans with the Hornets, and this city is buzzin'.

Audubon Golf Course
Pack your clubs—or rent a set!—and tee off at New Orleans' newly renovated golf course, located at Audubon Park. The course, which underwent a $6 million renovation in 2002, reopened in November, 2002. Noted golf course architect Denis Griffiths transformed the 81-acre site into a 4,189 yard, par-62 course with 12 par 3s, four par 4s, and two par 5s. Golfers find beautiful greens, lush landscaping and four lagoons brimming with geese and duck. The course was the site of the World's Fair of 1898, and the eagle-eyed golfer can find a stone relic of the exhibition near one of the holes.

If you're visiting in summer, prepare for the 'oven' effect of going from chilly air-conditioned interiors to overwhelmingly tropical 35°C (95°F) streets. September and October tend to be much more agreeable. Christmas is an off-peak period with discounted accommodation, although the winter temperatures during the large New Year's Eve celebration can be chilly.