New Orleans

Situated on the banks of the Mississippi River is the New Orleans' state-of-the-art Audubon Aquarium, regarded as one of the best in America. Underwater tunnels allow visitors to marvel at a Caribbean Reef and a re-creation of the Gulf of Mexico, complete with sharks.There's also a walkthrough Amazon rainforest and an exhibit displaying the inside story of swamp life. The aquarium features almost every type of aquatic creature imaginable, from jellyfish and sea horses to otters and penguins.Audobon Aquarium's sister attractions, also run by the Audubon Institute, are the excellent New Orleans City Zoo, situated in Audubon Park further uptown, and the Audubon Insectarium, situated in the historic Custom House on Canal Street.The zoo is a fun diversion for kids, and the insectarium, a more unusual attraction, is one of the largest freestanding insectariums in the US, housing more than 900,000 species.

Address : 1 Canal Street

Website : www.auduboninstitute.org

Telephone : (504) 565 3033

Admission : $24.95 adults, $18.95 children aged 2-12

Avery Island is located on an eight-mile (13km) deep salt dome located in Iberia Parish, 137 miles (220km) west of New Orleans. A rock salt mine opened on the island during the American Civil War, producing enormous amounts of salt for the Confederacy.Known as the birthplace of Tabasco Sauce, Avery Island is still home to the Tabasco Pepper Sauce Factory, which offers tours to the public. The island also contains the Jungle Gardens wildlife refuge, home to alligators, deer and raccoons, and Bird City, a pond with specially-built piers for viewing snowy egrets, among other birds.

Website : www.tabasco.com/avery-island

Regarded as the heart and soul of New Orleans, the French Quarter is the historic part of town covering about 90 square blocks radiating out from Chartres Street and Jackson Square. Established in 178, the French Quarter is also known as the Vieux Carre.Originally a French military outpost, which was later taken over by the Spanish, it gradually developed into a cultural hub incorporating slaves, pirates, mercenaries, call-girls and various freemen of every colour and creed.Today, the area looks and feels much as it did before Hurricane Katrina, with its wrought-iron railings and tall doorways. There's a thrilling offering of nightclubs, bars, live music venues, Cajun-seafood restaurants and all sorts of shops.By day it is one of the best people-watching spots in the world and is the focus for visitors to New Orleans. By night, areas such as the famous Bourbon Street become giant street parties, with a world-class dining districts backed by a soundtrack of jazz music.

Website : www.frenchquarter.com

A great weekend getaway from New Orleans, Grand Isle is a popular holiday town located on an island in the Gulf of Mexico. Formerly a busy port of call for notorious pirates like Jean Lafitte, Grand Isle is now a peaceful haven for relaxation, fishing and birdwatching, revelling in its reputation for being a sportsperson's paradise.Grand Isle State Park is home to one of the top winter beaches in the US, and there is a small town nearby with a few restaurants and self-catering accommodation. Grand Isle comes alive each year for the Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo, a salt-water fishing rodeo that draws some 15,000 people annually. Another popular event is the Grand Isle Migratory Bird Festival, held each spring.

Website : www.grand-isle.com

Since Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans in August 2005, its people have been rebuilding. The beautiful, vibrant city has largely recovered but remnants of the tragedy remain. In many ways, the memory of the hurricane has become integral to the city's identity.Gray Line Tours offers a three-hour bus ride around some of the hardest hit areas in New Orleans, including Lakeview and Gentilly, and is aimed at gathering support to continue the rebuilding of the city. To respect the privacy of the locals, buses will not allow tourists off the bus to take pictures.Instead, they will pass around pictures of the storm and its destruction, and guides will describe the events before and after the storm hit the city, as well as explaining the significance of the levee system.

Address : Tours depart from Gray Line Lighthouse ticket office, Toulouse Street, French Quarter

Website : www.graylineneworleans.com/hurricane-katrina-tour.html

Telephone : (504) 569 1401

Opening times : Three-hour-long tours are conducted daily at 1pm.

Admission : $50 (adults), $31 (children).

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve is a great place to experience bayou life in Louisiana. The park, named after the notorious early-19th century pirate, consists of six physically separate sites and a park headquarters.These include the Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette, the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center in Eunice, the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center in Thibodaux, the Barataria Preserve in Marrero, the Chalmette Battlefield and National Cemetery in Chalmetter, and the French Quarter Visitor Center in New Orleans.The park offers a variety of activities, including bayou cruises from the Acadian Cultural Center, birdwatching and swamp walks in Barataria Preserve, and paddlewheel boat trips from New Orleans to the historic Chalmette Battlefield sites.

Website : www.nps.gov/jela

Telephone : (504) 589 3882

The Louisiana State Museum, affectionately called the Cabildo, is an entertaining and informative attraction in the city's vibrant French Quarter. The exhibitions explore the history of Louisiana from a multicultural perspective, from the first European explorations to the post-Civil War Reconstruction era.The museum is the flagship of the Louisiana State Museum facilities and housed in the historic building of its namesake, dating back to 1799, originally serving as the Spanish city council offices. Two major historic events took place in the Cabildo building: the Louisiana Purchase Transfer ceremonies in 1803, and the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalised racial segregation. The Cabildo takes pride in the fact that five American presidents have visited it.

Address : 701 Chartres Street

Website : louisianastatemuseum.org/museums/the-cabildo

Telephone : (504) 568 6968

Opening times : Tuesday to Sunday 10am-4.30pm. Closed Mondays and state holidays.

Admission : $6 (adults), free for children 12 and under. Concessions available.

If you're not able to visit New Orleans during its famous annual celebrations, don't worry. Mardi Gras World offers the festival experience all year long. The museum is actually the working studio of the foremost carnival float designer, Blaine Kern, for whom producing floats and props for the city's annual Mardi Gras is a fulltime job.Visitors can watch Kern and his team design and construct the giant sculptures including everything from cartoon characters to mythological figures and creatures that they'll eventually parade through the streets. Tours are offered every half an hour, including a Mardi Gras costume display, a historical video and even a free slice of traditional Mardi Gras King Cake.

Address : 1380 Port of New Orleans Place

Website : www.mardigrasworld.com

Telephone : (504) 361 7821

Transport : A free shuttle is provided with ticket purchase, and has pick-ups at 20 convenient downtown locations.

Opening times : Daily 9am-5.30pm.

Admission : $ 22 (adults and children over 11); $14 (children under 11). Concessions available.

The New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) is a world-class facility. The permanent collection at the museum features over 40,000 objects, from the Italian Renaissance to the modern era, and is celebrated for its collection of both American and European works, including art by masters like Degas, Matisse, Rodin, Jackson Pollock, Monet, Renoir, Georgia O'Keeffe and Picasso.The museum sits in the lovely City Park, surrounded by ancient oak trees and lagoons. There is also a small amusement park and Storyland, a charming fairytale playground, in the park to help amuse younger travellers.One of the most impressive parts of the museum is the superb Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. The Sculpture Garden provides a unique opportunity for visitors who treasure the arts, with a varied collection of modern and contemporary sculptures presented in an exquisite natural setting.

Address : 1 Collins Diboll Circle, City Park

Website : www.noma.org

Telephone : (504) 658 4100

Opening times : Tuesday to Thursday 10am to 6pm; Friday 10am to 9pm; Saturday 10am to 5pm; Sunday 11am to 5pm; closed Mondays.

Admission : $12 (adults), $6 (children aged 7-17)

Historic Preservation Hall is New Orleans' most popular jazz venue, where Preservation Hall jazz bands serve up first-rate Dixieland Jazz every night in the French Quarter building, originally built as a residence in 1750. There are three performances a night, each lasting about 45 minutes.No seating, food or drinks are available, but crowds of all ages flock here simply for the wonderful music. It's possible to get tickets at the door without booking in advance, but it's advisable to arrive about 30 minutes before the show to avoid long queues or disappointment when tickets sell out.

Address : 726 St Peter Street, French Quarter

Website : www.preservationhall.com

Telephone : (504) 522 2841

Opening times : Nightly showtimes are 8pm, 9pm and 10pm.

Admission : Tickets cost between $15 and $20 at the door.

Founded in 2000 by historian and author Dr Stephen Ambrose, the unique D-Day National World War II Museum is as a highlight of any New Orleans sightseeing tour. Situated in New Orleans' Warehouse District, the museum depicts the June 6, 1944 invasion of Normandy, the Home Front during World War II, and the D-Day Invasions in the Pacific.Exhibits include text panels, artefacts, and personal account stations where visitors can listen to the stories of war veterans. A panorama exhibit recreates a Normandy beach landing and there are also regular film shows. This is a modern, imaginatively curated museum which brings the war to life for visitors.

Address : 945 Magazine Street, New Orleans. Entrance on Andrew Higgins Drive

Website : www.nationalww2museum.org

Telephone : (504) 528 1944

Opening times : Open daily 9am-5pm. Closed Mardi Gras Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Admission : Museum only: $27 adults, $17.50 student. Concessions and combo tickets available.