Louisiana (as much of the rest of the South), is known to display the stereotypical "Southern hospitality". However, the condition is that you give respect back. The pace of life is often more Mediterranean than other parts of the US. Approach locals with a positive attitude and you are apt to make friends; a gruff impatient attitude may generate resentment rather than promptness.
South Louisiana has a large Cajun population; while English is generally understood everywhere, French is still spoken by many people especially in South West Louisiana. Louisiana Cajun French is a distinct dialect difficult to understand for many speakers of conventional or Parisian French.
The notorious Hurricane Katrina of 2005 particularly affected the South East of Louisiana with one of the worst disasters in U.S. history. Less well known elsewhere but causing significant damage locally were Hurricane Rita hitting Louisiana's South West a month later, and other areas flooded in Hurricane Gustav in 2008. The disasters are still an emotional subject to many Louisianans.
Even those who escaped with little harm often have friends, relatives, and co-workers with more tragic stories. Jokes that you were told elsewhere blaming or insulting Louisianians will bring a negative response here. Some locals may be inclined to share disaster stories with sympathetic visitors, but others prefer not to talk about it--don't push them.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Louisiana
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Louisiana - updated May 2024
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Louisiana Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
