Kings, queens, music, beats, floats, booze, noise, streamers, crowds and only crowds.

Mardi Gras or better known as Fat Tuesday, certainly is most synonymous with the city of New Orleans just like the Carnival in the Rio de Janeiro. Most of the people are simply concerned with find the right place to stay in the city at this time.

For most of those people who simply like beings surrounded by crowd and certainly don’t ever care about sleeping much, or even looking for peace or quiet atmosphere, can certainly find a hotel facing the Bourbon Street as it certainly is an ideal spot for them. They certainly like the place as it has some of the most expensive rooms in the city at this time of the year, but you certainly can expect putting in a lot of money. The best preferred option would include Royal Sonesta, which has balconies facing the Bourbon Street.

The Inn on Bourbon is certainly another favorite spot that has rooms with balcony facing the street viewing the parades; the Bourbon Orleans certainly has rooms that view the Bourbon Street with suites that are two levels right at the ground level.

OK, Bourbon Street may just be a bit outré as far as it is concerned for you and you certainly want all of the excitement but just a little far away from the crowd.

Many hotels are present around the Bourbon Street that is in the heart of the French quarter which are definitely periphery for the main events. One that I prefer is the Chateau LeMoyne which is very much similar to the Holiday Inn. It is located just a block away from the Bourbon and definitely could be a world away. One can always request for a room with balcony that faces the Rue Dauphine so you can still enjoy all the excitement of Bourbon and also the noise.

The Dauphine Orleans certainly is a very good option on Rue Dauphine.

One of the best preferred hotels in city of New Orleans in certainly very much beautiful, charming and elegant. St. Louis is certainly voted as the best hotels by the Conde Nast Traveler magazine which is also called as the best “French Quarter Hotel”. It is located just half block away from the busy Bourbon on the Bienville Street and also provides to its visitors comfort and excitement inspite of all the noise in the city.

Its sister hotel, St. Ann/Marie Antoinette is also located on Rue Conti just a block away and is very much charming and intimate.

The inexpensive, small and charming Rue Royal Inn which is located at the “Quiet end” of the French Quarter is definitely a block away from the Bourbon.

I certainly love Hotel Monteleone for its architecture as it has around 600 rooms that are renovated and also a roof top swimming pool. It is also located a block away off Bourbon on the Rue Royal just near the Canal.

There are a number of French Quarter hotels that are charming and lie within a few blocks just of the Bourbon Street and are also within walking distance.

One of the best is the Bienville House which is located on the Decatur Street just near the Aquarium of Americas. It has around 83 rooms and offers a lot of luxuries like down pillows, coffeemakers equipped in every room and complementary continental breakfast.

Another most preferred is the Chateau Dupre which is also in the same area and is marked at present by Ramada. It offers around 54 rooms and suites with complementary newspaper and breakfast.

Many of the big, conventional hotels are located on the French Quarter on the Canal Street. One of the best is the 1290 room and forty one storey New Orleans Marriot. Holiday Inn French Quarter which is located on the Rue Royal and the Canal Street is just another one. Le Meridien which is located across Canal in the business district is just an elegant 30 storey hotel with 494 rooms and inspired by French touch. Sheraton New Orleans is just another one which is tall, narrow building with 1101 rooms and 41 storeys.

A number of historical hotels are also located in the side of Canal like the Lafayette which was built in 1916 and is a small luxury hotel with 44 luxurious rooms. Le Pavillion built in 1907 is an antique piece offering 219 rooms and 7 suites and also serves its guest with midnight peanut butter and sandwiches. The Ambassador Hotel was also created in 19th century by annexing the ware house.

No matter where ever you want to stay in the New Orleans at the time of Mardi Gras or other time around the year it certainly is not hard to find a charming and elegant hotel. Unless you have to wait a week before Mardi Gras or the Jazz feast when you certainly will be lucky to find any hotel of your choice.

Expected Tourists- five million

Mardi Gras Carnaval of New Orleans is said to be “The Greatest and Biggest Free Show in the World”. It occurs every year in the month of February. Other than open sex everything is here. Women exposing breasts on streets in lieu of cheap beads from naughty men are most common during carnival.

Expected Schedule of 2010 Mardi Gras Carnaval

Saturday 30th January—

* Krewe du Vieux – F. Qurter – 6:30 p.m

Sunday 31st January—

* Little Rascals – Metairie – Noon

Friday 5th February—

* Oshun – Uptown, 6:00 p.m.
* Cleopatra – West Bank, 6:30 p.m.
* Pygmalion – Uptown, 6:45 p.m.
* Excalibur – Metairie, 7:00 p.m.
* Atlas – Metairie, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday 6th February—

* Choctaw – Westbank, 11:00 a.m.
* Adonis – Westbank, 11:45 a.m.
* Pontchartrain – Uptown, 2:00 p.m.
* Shangri-La – F. Quarter, 2:00 p.m.
* Caesar – Metairie, 6:00 p.m.
* Sparta – Uptown, 6:00 p.m.
* Pegasus – Uptown, 6:45 p.m.

Sunday 7th February—

* Alla – West Bank, Noon
* Carrollton – Uptown, Noon
* Nemesis – Chalmette, 1:00 p.m.
* Rhea – Metairie, 1:00 p.m.
* King Arthur – Uptown, 1:15 p.m.
* Barkus – French Quarter, 2:00 p.m.
* Centurions – Metairie, 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday 10th February—

* Druids – Uptown, 6:30 p.m.
* Thor – Metairie, 7:00 p.m.

Thursday 11th February—

* Babylon – Uptown, 5:45 p.m.
* Muses – Uptown, 6:15 p.m.
* Chaos – Uptown, 6:30 p.m.

Friday 12th February—

* Hermes – Uptown, 6:00 p.m.
* d’Etat – Uptown, 6:30 p.m.
* Morpheus – Uptown, 7:00 p.m.

Saturday 13th February—

* NOMTOC – West Bank, 10:45 a.m.
* Iris – Uptown, 11:00 a.m.
* Tucks – Uptown, Noon
* Endymion – Uptown, 4:15 p.m.
* Isis – Metairie, 6:30 p.m.

Sunday 14th February—

* Okeanos – Uptown, 11:00 a.m.
* Mid-City – Uptown, 11:45 a.m.
* Thoth –Uptown, Noon
* Bacchus – Uptown, 5:15 p.m.
* Napoleon – Metairie, 5:30 p.m.

Lundi Gras 15th February—

* Proteus – Uptown, 5:15 p.m.
* Orpheus – Uptown, 6:00 p.m.
* Zeus – Metairie, 6:30 p.m.

MARDI GRAS 16th February— The main carnival/ carnaval day and night

* Zulu – Uptown, 8:00 a.m.
* Rex – Uptown, 10:00 a.m.
* Argus – Metairie, 10:00 a.m.
* Grela – West Bank, 11:00 a.m.
* Elks Orleans – Uptown, 11:30 a.m.
* Crescent City – Uptown, follows Elks
* Elks Jefferson – Metairie, follows Jefferson
* Jefferson Trucks – Metairie, follows Argus

Mardi Gras is a carnival, a festive offering held at the dusk of each year and runs till Ash Wednesday. It is held between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras means “fat Tuesday”.

The five days again came in 2008 when Brazil became the toast of the town. Right from the acceptance of the key by the crown prince on 1^st Feb, the mood was electric.

The locos were in full delight for the first 2 days; boozing and celebrating like there would be no tomorrow. Like always, the O cordao do la preta took center stage, while Suvaco de Cristo sparkled under the magnificent Christ the Redeemer.

Sunday was the day Simpatia and Monobloco took over from the other loc. They were absolutely oblivious of the situation and frankly, no one minded. The frantic crowd, gathering from all over the world, was setting themselves on for the Samba dance.

When the dance started, it was a watch worth waiting for. Rio de Janeiro became a theater and the versatile dancers appeared in jesting attires. The kings and the farmers; they left no one as the glamorous girls came in full bestowal. The girls were almost nude and charming with only the headdresses to call their own. They were punctuated by show stealers wearing conical basts to transparent sarongs.

The attempt was to resemble the Portuguese touch as the year marked the 200^th year of their advent in Brazil.

The dances were held by groups for 75 minutes to be judged.

This time, there seemed to be a connection with the Japanese. The dancers dressed like a geisha would and waved in the Sayonara style. In the expected frenzy of about 7, 00, 000 tourists, the day passed.

Revelry continued for 2 and a half day more before it came to a grand close. The protection arrangement was great.