Product Description

New Orleans is a world apart from the rest of the Untied States, a city that has held on to its distinctive character and French Creole heritage. It is home to some of the world's finest musicians as well as the famous Mardi Gras carnival. The Rough Guide to New Orleans takes you through it all in great detail, providing informed reviews and lively accounts of the best that the city has to offer. Features include excursions to plantations, a history of Mardi Gras and, features on local history in general.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1345445 in Books
• Published on: 2001-11-29
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

About the Author
Samantha Cook first visited New Orleans in 1990, and liked it so much, she has returned every year since. She has been involved with Rough Guides for ten years, starting out as an author on the Rough Guide to the USA and contributing to many other titles.

Excerpt
WHEN TO VISIT
New Orleans has a subtropical climate, with warm temperatures, high humidity and heavy rainfall. Thanks to its busy convention calendar, swarming weekend tourist traffic and a seemingly endless stream of festivals, the city stays pretty full year-round, but the peak tourist seasons are Mardi Gras – which starts on Twelfth Night and builds up in intensity until Mardi Gras itself, the day before Ash Wednesday – and Jazz Fest, which spreads across a fortnight at the end of April and the start of May. Both, along with the increasingly popular French Quarter festival, occur in spring, which is a pleasant, sunny time to visit. However, the humidity is already building up by then, and Jazz Fest especially can be plagued by heavy rain.
The torpid months between May and September, when the blistering heat and intense humidity prove debilitating in the extreme, count as off-season; prices may be lower and crowds thinner at this time, but for good reason. From May to November the city is at risk from the hurricanes that sweep through the Gulf of Mexico. Even if it doesn’t get a direct hit, New Orleans can be seriously affected by a tropical storm landing anywhere along the coast.
Climate-wise, fall is one of the best times to visit: October especially tends to be sunny, warm and relatively dry, though the nights can be chilly. Even in winter the days don’t usually get too cold; the nights, however, are another matter, cursed by the bone-bitingly damp air that creeps in from the river.
Plagued by heavy pollination, humidity and pollution, New Orleans is a year-round nightmare for allergy sufferers, and can bring on miserable symptoms even for those who have never experienced them before. Bring your own medication, or stock up when you arrive.

Customer Reviews

Excellent guide book for New Orleans
If I had to bring just one guidebook on a visit to New Orleans this would be the one I would choose (out of the ones I have read).

The guidebook included several helpful maps and some nice historical/background detail.

It has a great section about visiting plantations along River Road to the west of the city. We rented a car and took a daytrip out along the River Road and found the info that was provided to be accurate and insightful.

The book's introduction to the Garden District, how to get there, what to see, etc. was excellent.

We followed several of the book's restaurant recommendations and were quite pleased - the book recommended both Mother's Cafe and The Acme Oyster House, both of which were gems.

Lots of little surprises, very well written
The more I read this book the more I like it. There are parts of this book that stood out in my head because they practically took me back to New Orleans. I have a great deal of respect for Samantha Cook, she is a great writer!

I was very glad to see the section listing books and, in particular, movies set in or about New Orleans. Whenever I am going through New Orleans withdrawl I check this guide for movies I haven't seen.

Besides the content, which on a whole is very useful and right up there with the best guide books, I like it's small size. It is easy to carry around with you.

Indispensible!
This little guide is chock full of expert advice that makes your stay in this fun but grimy city much more enjoyable. Information about the one reliable cab company (and there are a lot of cab companies there), the St Charles streetcar line, and the best restaurants will keep you from looking like so many other tourists that we encountered--lost and frustrated. The writing is realistic, a little opinionated, but never snotty or incorrect. For instance, it has a small commentary on crime, but doesn't dwell on it, like other guides do. The bottom line is: use this guide and your own common sense, and you'll have a great time!