One thing is to go out of your way to spot celebrities and stars while on vacation. Another is to share the same ambience, views, restaurants and hangouts as them. The same way that there is a variety of different stars (intellectuals, actors, singers, artists…), there´s a variety of different destinations. While Katy Perry relaxes in Kauai, Zaha Hadid kicks back in Istanbul. No matter where you go, it´s not about taking the picture, it´s about being in the picture. That´s how you really travel like the stars.
Business Insider magazine rates Hawaii as being a top celebrity destination considering that Obama, Kanye West, Charlize Theron, Britney Spears, Cameron Diaz, Will Smith and other celebrities pay visits to the 8 different Aloha islands. On that same list, Dubrovnik, Croatia appears as the jewel of the Adriatic Sea and one that lures stars like Richard Gere, Catherine Zeta Jones, Pierce Brosman, Sean Connery, John Malkovich, Tom Cruise, Oprah, Jay Z and Beyonce.
According to the LA Times (LA being the haven for celeb watching and celebrity culture that it is) the answer to where the stars go on holidays is: wherever they want. For JLo, Fergie, Brad Pitt and Gwen Stefani it’s all about super remote and private resorts and islands where their top priority is: a place out of the reach of the paparazzi. Traveling to these spots is not an easy task and could reach prices that are…well, unimaginable.
Other stars like architect Zaha Hadid, writer Irvine Welsh or chef and owner of the River Café Ruth Rodgers would rather blend in with the locals. Because they are a different kind of star? Perhaps because they are less recognizable? Either way, when it comes to choosing their holiday destination, their picks are within reach. For Ruth Rodgers, it´s all about sailing in Sardinia with Renzo Piano, who designed the Pompidou Centre and her husband, architect Richard Rodgers. During the month of August, they´re off to Tuscany where they live for the entire month and buy their products at the Montepulciano Market.
Writer Irvine Welsh takes the travellers’ approach and heads towards Colombia and Argentina. Welsh declares that “going into the unknown – armed only with sheer, beautiful ignorance – is when one really kisses the hand of freedom.”
Istanbul is Hadid´s favourite summer destination where she is lured by the Spice Market, the stunning architecture and the island of Buyukada, where her cousins and her piled into a donkey cart that took them to the Aya Yorgi church and monastery.
Wherever you choose to go, remember it´s all about the thrill of discovery and the mere pleasure of enjoyment. You might not have what it takes to rent a private island in the Caribbean or taking to the slopes in Aspen but that doesn´t mean you can´t still travel like a star. We mentioned it at the beginning: it´s not about taking the picture, it´s about being in it.
Photo Credits: Alexis Lamster, Maria Fajt , Pedro Szekely