Shrouded in the romantic mystery of pirates and voodoo, the southern state of Louisiana is undeniably unique.

The state’s largest city, New Orleans, is famous for its lively jazz, its colonial-era French Quarter and its fabulously raucous Mardi Gras.

While most visitors to Louisiana make a beeline for this vibrant, multi-ethnic city, those who dig a little deeper will find that there is plenty to experience beyond the boundaries of ‘The Big Easy’.

The lesser known rural areas of the state boast a remarkable variety of landscapes. From its endless rolling hills and pine forests to its murky swamps teeming with alligators, Louisiana is nothing if not diverse.

Whether canoeing along a cypress-clogged bayou, dining on spicy crawfish in a crumbling Creole cottage, or dancing the night away to some of the most impressive live music on earth, you will find that there really is never a dull moment in this exceptional southern state.