Louisiana’s unique people and its rich history, culture and landscapes have been featured in numerous books and stories over the years. Now you can experience it all for yourself by visiting the State that boasts fabulous cuisine, music that sets your soul free, hundreds of year-round festivals, a diverse, exotic and colourful history, Tax-Free Shopping, and good ol’ Southern hospitality!

Louisiana’s multicultural heritage has created a dynamic spirit and lifestyle that is evident in all aspects of the state. Creole and Cajun cultures are unique examples of Louisiana’s eclectic history. Cajun culture is born of the tradition of the Acadians who settled in southern Louisiana after their expulsion from Nova Scotia in 1755. The term “Creole” refers to the “born in the colony” and refers to a combination of French culture with Spanish, African or Caribbean descendants.

The colourful contributions of both the Creoles and Cajuns can be experienced through dance, food, and music.

Eating in Louisiana is a delicious culinary adventure, and you have to try a slice of Louisiana pie. Spanning centuries, our food is our culture. Whether you’re having pork boudin in Lafayette, savoury meat pies in Natchitoches, Oysters Rockefeller in the French Quarter— or a modern twist on the old world style from a number of both established and up-and-coming chefs—you are sampling the rich mix of Louisiana’s heritage.

Creole cuisine dominates some of the best restaurants in New Orleans including Arnaud’s and Commander’s Palace. Cajun music is inseparable from Cajun dancing. Evidence of this can be found in Breaux Bridge’s Café des Amis or Boudreaux and Thibodeaux’s Night Club in Baton Rouge.

Any time of year one can find a festival to enjoy and the invitation is always open. But travellers should double-check the times, dates and locations of smaller festivals before arriving to ensure the information is up to date. Booking ahead for more well-known festivals such as Mardi Gras and the Jazz & Heritage Festival is crucial for both independent travellers and groups.

Peek back across the centuries, as you walk under lavish ironwork and through the lush courtyard gardens of a meticulously-restored French Quarter hotel. Touch history with a stroll and a tour of a plantation where the ways of the past are recreated. Let nature’s mysteries astound and amaze with a boat ride through a cypress-studded bayou. Here, in Louisiana, magic, myth and lore come alive every day.

Louisianans have a family ethos that is all-inclusive across the generations with an abundance of attractions and activities to be enjoyed throughout the state of Louisiana as a family. Something for everyone with soft adventure, state-of-the-art interactive museums, haunted history walking tours, airboat rides through the bayous and music to cross generations, all creating memories of a wonderful family holiday for generations to come.

Whether you are exploring the bayous of Cajun Country, the gardens of North Louisiana or the nightlife in New Orleans there is no corner of Louisiana that should go unturned. See what Louisiana has to offer and “laissez les bon temps rouler”…let the good times roll!