Hi,
I am planning to go on a trip with my girlfriend around Louisiana for 5 days. We%26#39;re planning our trip the 2nd week of March.
I%26#39;d really like to be able to do a swamp tour, to have a glimpse of cajun and acadian culture. On the other side, my girlfriend is interested by ghost/voodoo stuff and the romantic aspects of New Orleans.
I have already started to look and here is my plan:
- Lafayette
- Saint Martinville
- New Orleans
- La vacherie
- Baton Rouge
Where is the best area to do a swamp tour?
How long should I stay in New Orleans (i was thinking 2 days)?
Which hotel in New Orleans would my girlfriend like?
Is Oak Alley Plantation that good to spend the night?
Thanks a lot for your help.
Philippe
help for planning a 5 days trip around Louisianna
We have vacationed in South LA foryears and found the best spots. Swamp Tour: Munsons near Houma.
Best place to stay: In Houma, a B%26amp;B ';Audreys Lil Cajun Mansion'; 985-879-3285. Excellent food.
Voodoo stuff: take a tour,in the French Quarter, in the day time and visit one of the voodoo shops in the French Quarter. While in the French Quarter, have beignut %26amp; coffee at Cafe Du Monde. (just watch the tourists) FOOD: in Houma, ';Big Al%26#39;s'; or ask Miss Audrey. Keep in mind that New Orleans is expensive and you might want to venture away from there out to the Cajun Country. When you get there get a tour guide of Louisiana. there are too many places that are great, Oak Alley Plantation is OK, but we prefer other places in Thibodaux (Pronounced tib-a-dough) for example. You won%26#39;t have time to see much of South LA, %26#39;cause there is so much to see. we bet you will want to come back ---again and again---and again!
AYEEEEEEAH! Let the good times roll!
Bill
help for planning a 5 days trip around Louisianna
Philippe: I do not know what you expect to see in Lafayette, but for certain, you should combine Lafayette and St Martinville in the same visit. These are in SW LA and you will pass through Baton Rouge on the way to these places.
Geographically speaking, you might be better off staying in Baton Rouge, as this could be the centerpiece location.
Vacherie is on the West bank of the Miss. River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Laura Plantation is near Vacherie.
If I were to recommend a plantation to stay overnight, I would recommend Nottoway Plantation, in White Castle. It is across the river from Baton Rouge, and you can google Nottoway Plantation, as well as Oak Alley, and view the differences, according to your choice.
There are many hotels in New Orleans, especially in the French Quarter. Of these I would recommend the Omni Royal Orleans. It is in the middle of everything to see and do, including restaurants and the St. Louls Cathederal on Jackson Square and the artists. Two days in New Orleans would be enough to get a good sampling of what is in the Quarter, and that is where everything is.
There is a swamp tour out of Houma, and Raceland, if you view another post on this site. You would quite necessarily have to get directions, as Houma is about 50 miles from New Orleans, in South Louisiana on the bayou.
Houma is quite a quaint little town with a lot of cajun folk.
Hope this is of assistance. Good luck in your planning.
What a nice %26#39;world wind tour%26#39; of south Louisiana you have planned. Lovely weather during this time of year as well!
I would plan my trip in the following order (or reverse)
New Orleans: Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter
Do a voodoo/cemetery tour, riverboat ride (do not do the dinner cruise) tour the garden district. My favorite restaurants for fine dining are Palace Cafe****, Brennan%26#39;s, Redfish Grill, Acme Oyster House (more casual) just to name a few. There are so many wonderful things to do in N.O. that 2 days really is not enough but the other areas are great as well.
Leaving New Orleans, take US Hwy 90 to Houma, La (50 min drive) and take a Swamp Tour (Your New Orleans hotel Concierge could arrange this tour for you).
Leave Houma an continue to drive on US 90 through New Iberia (about a 2 hr drive)(stop in for free tour of the Tabasco Plant at Avery Island, then follow Hwy 14 and future signs to St. Martinville. This is where I would spend the night, your 3rd night of trip. (Old Castillo Inn is a nice B%26amp;B there) On the banks of the Bayou Teche where the Acadians made their way in to this area from Nova Scotia, a nice small museum close to this Inn on the history of the Acadians and the Evangeline Oak.
Day 4 - through Lafayette and back to I-10 to Baton Rouge area where there are several choices - either drive north to St. Francisville and stay at the Myrtles Plantation (many have reported ghost sitings there - fits with the ghost/vodoo for your G-friend) or drive south and stay at the Nottoway Plantation near White Castle.
Day 5 - return to New Orleans
Philippe, Hope this is helpful and that you both have a wonderful time.
Hi want to thank you all for your help, this is what we did. As we were coming from Texas we slept at Lafayette. We went to eat at Randol%26#39;s (which i strongly recommand). The following day we went to St Martinville, Thibodeaux, laurel valley village and reached New Orleans at night. We spent 2 days in New Orleans which is really not enough. We didn%26#39;t have time to do half of the things we wanted to. We went on a cementary/Voodoo tour. The cementary tour was really interesting but the voodoo temple was a waste of time... We went to Vacherie then to visit Laura plantation and Oak Alley plantation. Laura plantation is a must do! The visit was very interesting. I had a different feeling about Oak Alley plantation. The scenary is wonderful but the visit is just a joke. The guide was repeating a speech learnt by heart all the tour long. As I wanted to go to a swamp tour, we went to Munson%26#39;s swamp tour in Shriever. We really enjoyed it and I%26#39;d recommand people to go there.
Once more thanks everybody for the advice you gave me, it made my trip unforgettable !
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