Lights, camera, vacation!
From Africa to the Amalfi Coast, get inspired by the most luscious film locations that look just as glorious off screen
SPECTRE
the location Sölden, Austria the inspo This 007 extravaganza showcased the spectacular scenery of the tyrol with Daniel Craig’s James Bond on her Majesty’s Service among the glistening peaks and glassy lakes of the Ötztal Alps. the Sights At 3,048m above sea level, ice Q is the highest gourmet restaurant in the Alps, a glamorous glass cube with breathtaking, panoramic views of the towering mountains. next to the gaislachkogl cable car station, ice Q stood in for hoffler Klinik psychiatric unit, but its real-life use is much more appealing. A four-course menu and glass of champagne is £87pp ( iceq.at). to experience something of the excitement of the big snow chase that began here, ski down piste number 30 from the Rettenbach glacier to the valley floor. get there Fly to innsbruck (£100pp with easyjet.com) and then take one of the several shuttle services and taxi companies to hotels in Sölden (from £30 one-way, sharing; express-taxi-innsbruck.com).
la la land
the location los angeles, USA the inspo Described as ‘a love letter to the city’, the hollywood musical about Mia and Sebastian’s search for their dreams starred more than 40 locations, showcasing la’s fabulous vistas. the Sights on the must-do list is cathy’s corner on Mount hollywood Drive, the setting for song and dance routine A Lovely Night. it’s a section of road that winds through griffith Park, with stunning views overlooking the San Fernando Valley. Don’t expect a bench or streetlights – these only exist in the film. The kitsch Rialto Theatre at 1023 Fair oaks ave in South Pasadena, where the lovers meet for a cinema date, is now a branch of the Mosaic church (visitors are welcome).
The film was big on restaurants and cafés… Smoke house ( smokehouse1946. com), called lipton’s in the film, where Sebastian plays the piano, is popular with showbiz types. The lighthouse café ( the lighthousecafe.net) at hermosa Beach is where Seb introduces Mia to ‘pure jazz’ – today, it also hosts salsa, country and reggae. The Blind Donkey in long Beach became Seb’s jazz club – there’s no jazz but cool drinks ( theblinddonkey.com). get there Fly to la for around £400 return on virginatlantic.com.
mamma mia!
the location Skopelos, greece the inspo Beautiful beaches, forested mountains, and a ruined Venetian fortress were just some of the visual treats of this luscious island in the north aegean Sea, where Meryl Streep, amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan and colin Firth cavorted to abba’s greatest hits. the Sights as in the film, the atmospheric old Port of Skiathos is where you first step on to the island. The tranquil turquoise waters of Kastani Beach feature heavily in the movie, but you won’t be able to dance down the wooden pier and bar – both were constructed for the set. But you will be able to groove to Dancing Queen on glisteri Beach, also a popular location.
The church on top of the hill is the white-washed agios ioannis chapel in Kastri, perched 199 steps up a winding path on top of a rocky outcrop that juts into the sea.
Villa Donna doesn’t exist but Skopelos Village hotel (from £100pn, skopelosvillagehotel. com) is where the stars stayed – read their glowing comments in the guest book. get there Fly to nearby Skiathos (about £200 return with ba.com) and take the 30-minute ferry to Skopelos – hellenic Seaways runs three times a day (£30pp, hellenicseaways.gr).
the talented mr ripley
the location The Bay of naples, italy the inspo The villages on the volcanic islands of ischia and Procida, off italy’s amalfi coast, evocatively portray a sun-drenched italian summer in the late 1950s in anthony Minghella’s movie. the Sights The square where ripley (Matt Damon) gets off the bus is ischia Ponte; nearby is Bagno antonio, the beach where he meets Dickie ( Jude law) and Marge (gwyneth Paltrow). Most of ‘Mongibello’ can be found on Procida – there are regular ferries from about £13. here, the gorgeous fishing village of corricella is where Dickie meets his secret lover. The town square location is Piazza dei Martiri, which is also in Il Postino. get there Fly to naples, about £100 return, then take the ferry to ischia Porto ( naplesbayferry.com).
lost in translation
the location tokyo, Japan the inspo The neon-saturated, hyper-bustling city of tokyo was the other star of this iconic romcom. the Sights The new York Bar, where Bob and charlotte first meet, is in the Park hyatt hotel in the soaring Shinjuku Park tower (£361pn, hyatt.com). one of director Sofia coppola’s favourite locations was the mad scramble intersection at Shibuya, surrounded by gigantic neon billboards. nearby, on inokashira Dori street, is the branch of Karaoke Kan where Bob and charlotte sang, while Shabuzen in the basement of The creston hotel is the shabu-shabu restaurant where they cooked their own food ( crestonhotel.jp).
get there Fly from london to tokyo on jal.com for around £650.
out of africa
the location Kenya the inspo never-ending images of spectacular nature from the magnificent african plains were a key part of the success of this memorable love story starring Meryl Streep as Danish author Karen Blixen and robert redford as her lover Denys Finch hatton. the Sights Some of the most famous scenes were filmed in the Mara triangle, part of the Masai Mara national reserve. a fiveminute walk from the location where the pair have a picnic is angama Mara, a luxury lodge (£975pppn full-board; angama. com), where staff will help you recreate the picnic (with added champagne). For a less budgetbusting option, camp for £40pn ( maratriangle.org) or check out budget safaris at bigtimesafaris.co.ke (about £300pp for three days). a 45-minute drive away is the Mara river and Mara enkipai, the stone house where Denys washes Karen’s hair. in nairobi, visit The Karen Blixen Museum ( museums. or.ke/karen-blixen). get there Fly to nairobi for about £600 return on ba.com. Then it’s a one-hour flight from Wilson airport into The Masai Mara (£180pp, airkenya.com).
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