MAKE IT A STAR VACATION
Here are some great places to enjoy a break like a celebrity, and maybe even run into one
You’re dying to get away — perhaps the beach or maybe a city or ski trip — but it’s hard to decide where to go. Perhaps you can find inspiration in the places celebrities go. Maybe your family will even run into someone famous and snap a selfie. Here are some options that combine great things to see and do with a small chance of seeing stars:
ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
There aren’t any A-lister, glam hotels on St. Vincent, but this island chain also includes the glorious Grenadines. Getting there has become easier since a large new airport that can handle jumbo jets opened. Bequia is a charming island you can reach by a short ferry ride from St. Vincent. Even prettier is Mayreau, which has one of the Caribbean’s best beaches in Salt Whistle Bay. The most exclusive island of the bunch is Mustique, where the likes of Prince William and Kate Middleton have been known to vacation and where the Rolling Stones often hide out when they’re not performing their 18,973rd live version of (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.
LOS ANGELES
OK, this is fairly obvious. But it doesn’t make it any less true. You can almost always spot a celebrity at a major sporting event. Los Angeles International Airport is a good place to look for stars, too. You might not run into Ryan Gosling, but the coffee shop set from Oscar-nominated La La Land is now part of the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. For something different, try a bike ride with West Hollywood’s Bikes and Hikes LA. Or try a horseback ride in the shadow of the famous Hollywood Sign — a fun trip offered by Sunset Ranch Hollywood.
NEW ZEALAND
Actor Jason Statham and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, known by some as the latest British “It Girl,” were spotted in Auckland, where he’s been making a film. They posted pictures of healthy smoothies at a few places around town before heading off to stunning Milford Sound and Queenstown on the South Island. Also spotted near Queenstown in the last few weeks was Jeffrey Dean Morgan from The Walking Dead. Morgan took the jet-boat outing on the Shotover River, a thrilling ride on a boat that skims the water and narrowly misses massive boulders. I did it a few years ago in Skippers Canyon and loved it.
VANCOUVER AND WHISTLER
This is a great trip because it combines a fantastic city with one of the world’s best ski destinations. Whistler has great food and a crazy good ski scene, making it a natural draw for celebrities who like a little action on their holiday. Hey, you might even spot a celebrity if you take a soak in one of the pools or enjoy the saunas at the Scandinave Spa. If nothing else, you’ll feel wonderfully relaxed. Vancouver is famous for its food, cool bars and fun neighbourhoods. On top of that, the town they call Hollywood North is home to a great deal of film and television production. Most recently, Casey Affleck has been in town filming Light of My Life, although they might wrap by March break.
ANGUILLA
Celebrities love this Caribbean island, its lengthy list of beautiful beaches and hardly any paparazzi. Locals seem to leave the stars pretty much alone, which is why you find them at places like the Four Seasons and the new, sleekly designed Zemi Beach Resort on the north coast. Among stars recently spotted on the island are Jay Z and Beyoncé. Another celebrity who appears to love the place is Jennifer Aniston, recently named the top female celebrity Canadians would want to vacation with.
HAWAII
Justin Bieber is a big fan of Hawaii. Maui’s beaches pop up regularly on Instagram accounts of the stars, or on popular websites that track celebrity sightings. The beaches at places like the Andaz and the Four Seasons Maui in Wailea are hugely popular, as is the Fairmont Kea Lani. Oprah Winfrey owns a great deal of property on Maui and can often be found on the island.