New Orleans is unlike any city I've ever visited. It's vibrant culture, music, and food are virtually seen everywhere. There's no other place you could find voodoo dolls at a store or beignets at 3 am. I recently went to NOLA and here's the five best things to do when you're there.
1. Bourbon Street
Arguably, this is the most tourist thing you could do in New Orleans. But, in my opinion, you won't find another street quite like it anywhere else. Bourbon Street is home to several bars, clubs, restaurants and local dive spots. The street bustles with music from each window and is filled with lights. You can hear jazz or blues wherever you are when you're on Bourbon street. It's definitely a cool place to see even if you're under 21.
2. French Quarter
The French Quarter is New Orleans historic heart. It's widely famous for its vibrant nightlife and colorful buildings. If you're looking for nice instagram pictures, this is probably where you want to go. It also has a wide array of local shops so you can pick up some local souvenirs here. Also, Madame LaLaurie, the notorious New Orleans socialite and serial killer, has her house located in French Quarter.
3. Try the Local Food
If you're in NOLA and don't try a po-boy then you didn't actually experience NOLA. Seriously, expand your taste buds because majority of local foods found here are extremely difficult to find anywhere else. I loved eating fried crawfish po-boy from NOLA Po-boys. If sandwiches aren't your thing, then go and try a seafood boil where you can get shrimp, crawfish, mussels, etc. in a boiled seafood bag. But maybe seafood isn't your thing, then try a beignet and cafe au lait from the world famous Cafe Du Monde. They're made fresh daily and are irresistible.
4. Swamp Tours
Since New Orleans was a port city and is right next to the Gulf of Mexico, it's has a swampy terrain. Since this kind of wetland is not found anywhere else in the US besides the south, the tours are worth going on. You can see alligators, wild boars, exotic birds, turtles, and many more animals that call the swamp their home. A captain on board will tell you all about the history of the Louisiana bayou. Some tours even let you hold a real alligator, which luckily, I got to do.
5. Visit the Above-Ground Cemeteries
So this may be a bit unconventional if you're planning a trip to New Orleans, but the above ground cemeteries are something only unique to this city. Due to New Orleans position, the city is technically below sea level and if they were to bury the dead, their bodies would end coming above ground and floating. To combat this, above ground cemeteries were made. The most famous cemetery is St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 which contains the tomb of the famous voodoo queen Marie Laveau. However, you do have to pay to get in to this particular cemetery so another one that is free is Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, located in the Garden District and contains the bodies of 7,000 people in roughly 1,000 tombs.
