Escape to lively and soulful Louisiana

The southern state of Louisiana sits on the Gulf of Mexico and is famously the home of New Orleans and the extraordinary Mardi Gras festival, as well as being acclaimed for jazz and blues music. Louisiana’s heritage is a melting pot of French, African, American and French-Canadian cultures, with Creole and Cajun at its very heart.

If it’s a holiday with rhythm, history, heritage, music and fabulous food that you’re after, let Signature Travels show you the best of the best.

What will you choose to do?

·      “Swing” the night away in the heart of the French Quarter, in Louisiana’s largest city of New Orleans. Preservation Hall is where you can “go local” and catch a live jazz night. 

·      Party in Louisiana, where there are no fewer than 400 festivals. Each has a unique vibe but you can expect  a good dose of history, culture, good food, great music and a warm welcome.

·      Fall in love with Lafayette, a city renowned as the capital of Cajun and home to delicious dishes such as crawfish, gumbo and jambalaya.

·      Take a trip to Lake Charles in south-west Louisiana to experience a more intimate live music scene.  Live sets pop up throughout the year on the shores of the lake and it’s here that you will discover the Mardi Gras Museum and the 1911 Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Centre.

·      Head to historic Oak Alley Plantation on the west bank of the Mississippi River, in the community of Vacherie, to step back in time for a view of Louisiana’s less illustrious past.  A tour reveals the lives and workings of the sugar-cane estates that once dominated the state.

Festival fun in Louisiana

We’ve all heard of the Mardi Gras, which is French for Fat Tuesday, and New Orleans is the destination for this famous celebration. It begins on the Christian feasts of the Epiphany and culminates on the day before Ash Wednesday. While undoubtedly a must-visit if you love a carnival, Louisiana is also home to many more exciting and unique festivals and events.

Throughout the year, music, food, history and holidays inspire more than 400 Louisiana festivals, including the Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival, Frogmore Plantation Picking and Ginning, The Highland Jazz Festival, Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival, The Krewe of Centaur Parade and the New Orleans Book Festival.

If any of these events take your fancy, why not plan your Louisiana holiday to time in with a fun festival? Let Signature Travels show you how…