US · Louisiana · 29.98°N 90.08°W

new orleans

Live jazz, wrought-iron balconies, beignets and long lunches built around Creole cooking.

Best time
February–April and November–December are mild, with Mardi Gras (usually February or early March) packing the city. July–September are hot, humid and the riskiest part of hurricane season.
How long
3–4 days
Getting there
Fly with one stop via London, where British Airways flies to New Orleans a few times a week, or with two via an Asian hub and a US city, about 24–30 hours all in. The airport is 25–40 minutes from the French Quarter. New Orleans is 13 hours behind KL, 14 from November to early March. Malaysians need a US B1/B2 visitor visa, usually with an interview at the embassy in KL; ESTA isn't open to Malaysian passports.
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US · Louisiananew orleans29.98°N 90.08°Wgowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Live jazz, wrought-iron balconies, beignets and long lunches built around Creole cooking.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingNew OrleansUS, Louisiana
KLnew orleans
≈ 16,125 km from KL, as the crow flies
Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France or St. Louis Cathedral also Cathédrale Saint-Louis, Roi de France in New Orleans Louisiana as the sunsets on the day viewed from across the street

Photo: Barry haynes · CC BY-SA 3.0

1 / 5

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

New Orleans is jazz drifting out of doorways and lunches that run all afternoon. The French Quarter is the start, but the streetcar out to the Garden District and the music on Frenchmen Street show more of the city.

Makan

  1. BeignetsSquare doughnuts buried in icing sugar, with coffee at the old cafés by the river.Map ↗
  2. Po'boyA crusty baguette sandwich; the fried shrimp and oyster versions skip the pork.Map ↗
  3. GumboA dark, spicy stew over rice. It often includes pork andouille sausage, even in seafood versions.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. French QuarterIron-lace balconies, hidden courtyards and Jackson Square. The quieter streets away from the Bourbon Street bars are the best part.Map ↗
  2. Frenchmen StreetA short strip of small clubs with live jazz and brass bands most nights.Map ↗
  3. Garden DistrictOld mansions under oak trees, reached on the St Charles streetcar, running since the 1800s.Map ↗
  4. National WWII MuseumOne of the best museums in the country, with planes, films and personal stories from the war.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Halal is scarce in the tourist areas, so seafood does most of the work; Creole cooking uses pork sausage and lard freely, so ask.
  • Many music venues are bars with age limits. Preservation Hall is all ages, with short sets of traditional jazz in a small, plain room.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.