Sir Richard Branson purchased Necker Island, part of the British Virgin Islands, for a mere £180,000 in the late 70s. It was when his now-thriving mega-company, Virgin, was only six years old. That was the cheap part: for the next three-years, Branson worked on turning the island into a Mecca of relaxation for his high-profile musical clients, spending over $10 million on Balinese-inspired villas utilising local stones and woods. Today, the island routinely plays host to up to 28 guests, who can enjoy the use of a personal chef, private beaches, and tennis courts. The island’s rent runs at $53,000 a day, and it is a frequent hangout of A-listers such as Janet Jackson, David Beckham, Oprah, Mariah Carey, Michael Douglas, and Steven Spielberg.
2. St. Tropez
While it isn’t a private island, St. Tropez has always been a quiet getaway location for frazzled celebrities who want to temporarily escape from the limelight. This beautiful French coastal town has an untouchable quaint charm and has on of the most beautiful ports in all of Europe. It can get crowded during the summer months, but the rich and famous can still get that much-needed relaxation in St. Tropez by staying at the über-exclusive Chateau de la Messadiere, whose suites run at an impressive €1262 a night. This gorgeous coastal town is a regular getaway location for Kylie Minogue, Hugh Grant, and Paris Hilton.
3. Anguilla
Another location that is open to the general public, yet remains an extremely popular celebrity escape, is the island of Anguilla, in the Lesser Antilles. If this is the Lesser Antilles, it’s hard to image what the Greater Antilles might look like. One thing’s for sure: it would be a sight too great for any man to behold, and would probably melt your face off like that guy in Raiders of the Lost Ark. The is home to a slew of exclusive hotels, spas, and restaurants, and its beaches are considered some of the most beautiful in the world. It’s no wonder that it’s such a popular hideaway for stars like Drew Barrymore, Kate Winslet, Liam Neeson, and Robert DeNiro.
4. Little Halls Pond Cay, Bahamas
Little Halls Pond Cay steps things up a notch from the previous entries on this list. Like Necker Islands, it is a privately owned patch of green in the dark blue, but this time it is intended for the sole use of one man (and his family and friends), Johnny Depp. Depp and wife, Vanessa Paradise, settled on the property in 2004, when the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise was in full swing and Depp was feeling particularly nautical. Depp has stressed to the press that the island is run on 100% green energy, and the actor is even know to do his own gardening and topiary. The famed actor, notable for his dislike of attention from the press, has reputedly given his reclusive island hideaway it’s own unique nickname: F**ck Off Island.
5. Tetiaroa Atoll, French Polynesia
Not to be outdone by a young upstart like Depp, Marlon Brando, from 1965 until his death in 2004 at age 80, was the proud owner of an entire atoll that’s comprised of 13 separate bodies of land. Brando fell in love with the French Polynesian region after shooting the film Mutiny of the Bounty, and the flame never died. In what can be either described as sad or exciting, the island has been acquired after the actor’s death by Tahiti Beachcomber SA, a hotelier that intends to develop a mega resort on the island (which they intent to simply dub, ‘The Brando’) to be open to (disgracefully rich) members of the public.
6. Île Gagnon, Quebec
To Celine Dion, these tropical islands that everyone is going bananas (or coconuts) for are so passé. She, instead, used her millions of dollars of wailing-money purchasing the small island of Île Gagnon, Quebec, in her native Canada. Dion is one of the highest paid entertainers in history, and lives with her manager-turned-husband René Angélil. With this beautiful French-style chateau, there is no doubt that her house will go on.
7. Wakaya Club
The Fijian island of Wakaya was acquired in the seventies by businessman, David Harrison Gilmour, who saw the island as a great investment opportunity. He couldnt have been any more right. The island features the eponymous resort, the Wakaya Club, occupies a respectable 2200 acres and is home to up to eleven couples at any one time. But if you spread that over 2200 acres it’s like sprinkling grains of sugar on Rosie O’Donnell – they not going to encroach on one another. The island has play temporary home to the likes of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, and Keith Richards.
8. Fleming’s place
Want to stay at a place called ‘Goldeneye’ that was owned by none other than James Bond Ian Fleming himself? Of course you do. If you don’t, immediately contact your doctor and in the meantime check yourself for a pulse. Goldeneye, a beautiful villa that Fleming called home during his long stay in Jamaica, has all the tropical charm you would want in a private hideaway and has been visited by celebs such as Sting and Johnny Depp. We can only imagine that they spent the majority of their time at Goldeneye running around humming the James Bond theme with their hands in the shape of that iconic Walther PPK, rolling around corners and just generally getting into mischief. The villa also has it’s own full-sized screening room so you can watch everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace. Just skip the ones with Timothy Dalton or George Lazenby.
9. George Clooney’s Italian Villa
George Clooney’s Italian villa (named Oleandra) is the stuff of legends and almost as much a darling of the paparazzi as the star himself. Clooney is known to spend months on end hunkered down in his gorgeous 18thcentury villa, situated on Lake Como in Laglio, northern Italy — and when you have a girlfriend who looks like this, why the hell wouldn’t you? Though Clooney also was known to share his villa with a complete pig, literally: an honest-to-god pot-bellied pig named Max who hailed from Vietnam and lived with the actor for most of his (the pig’s) 18-year life. His swine companion isn’t the only odd thing about Clooney’s Italian escape: just this July, masses of undetonated World War II hand grenades, mortars and aircraft bombs were found in the waters surrounding his villa, only 50 feet from the star’s back steps. Did that phase Clooney? Of course not: ‘This is not the first bomb I’ve experienced.’
10. Musha Cay, Bahamas
Musha Cay is a beautiful collection island in the Bahamas owned by famed magician and above-average-batter David Copperfield until he decides to make it disappear on television and use the proceeds to buy an even bigger island, and so forth. The group of islands cost Copperfield a respectable $50 million — meaning he’ll have to keep plugging away at those magic shows to make his money back. Maybe he should just make the smallest, crappiest one disappear. The Island, besides being a regular hangout for Copperfield during his down times, is also able to accommodate 24 guests with losing its air of isolation. On top of Musha Cay’s obvious luxury, Copperfield claims that the fountain of youth has been discovered on the island group. Hey, would a magician ever lie?
11. Eden Rock
Eden Rock in St. Barths is one of the most famous celebrity hideaways in the world and looking at the villas and their lush and beautiful surroundings, it’s definitely no surprise that Eden rock is such a popular getaway for the likes of Tom Hanks, Mick Jagger (the second Stone on the list), and Lorne Michaels. The villas all have their own names, the most two popular of which are Villa Rockstar and Villa Nina — where John Lennon recorded the song ‘Imagine,’ one of the most influential rock songs of the 20th century. The location is especially popular in the winter due to its mild climate and the variety of activities on offer.
12. Mango Island — Mel Gibson
It’s hard not to love Fiji, and the Australians love it in particular, given that it’s one of the only countries that isn’t one trillion miles away from them. It’s not surprising that Mel Gibson, one of the country’s most insane prolific actors, decided to buy his own little slice of heaven in Fiji: Mango Island. It is indeed shaped like a mango, though it’s also shaped like a goat’s bladder, but the former works much better as a name. Maybe Joosarnto Cay would have worked as well, but Gibson has already been in enough hot water. He purchased the island in 2005 for a reputed $9 million for the extremely spacious 5,400 acre island, making it one of the largest privately owned islands in the pacific. Mel swears he isn’t going to destroy any of the island’s natural beauty, just maintaining a simple residence for him self and planning the film Braveheart II: Scotsmen of the South Pacific.
13. Rooster Cay
Rooster Cay is a beautiful little island in the Bahamas and very close to the nation’s capital, Nassau. Its owned by Eddie Murphy, one of the wealthiest actors in the entire world and one of the funniest stand-ups of all time. Murphy purchased the property in 2007 for $15 million, making it stand out even amongst this group of who’s who housing for it’s tremendous cost, especially considering its relative size at a mere 15 acres. There is a lot of speculation over whether Murphy will retain the island as a private getaway location or venture into some sort of villa rental scheme like many others on the list. One thing’s for sure: the Raw beauty of the island is almost unmatched, and the feeling of jetting off to a home the Bahamas instead of Coming to America sounds just fine to us, we’d be happy Trading Places with Murphy any day.
14. Shania Twain
Murphy’s lavish spending only just outstripped that of fellow superstar Shania Twain, whose pop-country sound catapulted her to stardom in the late 90s and eventually saw he having the best selling album of all time by a female solo artist at over 39 million records sold. Shania payed an amazing $14.1 million for a property in New Zealands south island where she now lives for a good portion of the year. The property is a staggering 61,000 acres, making it the largest property on this list be a ridiculous margin. Originally, Twain planned to tend Merino sheep on the station with her (now former) husband Robert ‘Mutt’ Lange, but most of the attention in developing the property was payed to developing a hiking trail for the public. New Zealand officials were very hesitant in selling the piece of land to Twain, fearing an eventual landslide of celebrity ownership that would see the natural beauty of the land tarnished by excessive construction. Yet Twain and her then-husband knew exactly what to say, and sweet-talked their way into the purchase by promising to build the aforementioned trail, which took an entire three days to complete.
15. Chateau Miraval
Brangelina are the darlings of the media at the moment, garnering more attention from the press than the Hindenburg strapped to the Titanic getting eaten by Godzilla who’s having an affair with Tiger Woods. The latest portmanteau couple have been spending a lot of time in the south of France recently and sources say they have signed a three-year lease on the magnificent Chateau Miraval, situated near Aix-en-Provence, following several helicopter trips to scout out properties. We’ve all heard of window-shopping, but copter-shopping — that’s a new one. The amazing chateau comes with it’s own vineyard, a lake, a pool, a moat, and 35 bedrooms. Some estimate its value at up to $70 million. Brad and Angelina have some company nearby, too – Bono, Edge, and Johnny Depp all have properties nearby. One last fact to put this place into perspective – it’s bigger than the Whitehouse. Brangelina are living in a home bigger than that of the leader of the free world — and his is filled with tons of annoying staffers, while the celeb couple only have a bunch of maids and someone to walk their children for them.
A look into some of the exclusive holiday destinations of celebrities.
Ah, Summer. The nice weather, beaches, multi-million dollar resorts… Okay, so not everyone gets the luxury of a lavish vacation. However, there are a lucky few who are not only able to afford billion-star hotels and private chefs, but their own private island as well. While we’re out enjoying the local beach this summer, many celebrities are the only one on shore — and prefer to keep it that way. Here are fifteen extravagant and reclusive vacation spots.
Sir Richard Branson purchased Necker Island, part of the British Virgin Islands, for a mere £180,000 in the late 70s. It was when his now-thriving mega-company, Virgin, was only six years old. That was the cheap part: for the next three-years, Branson worked on turning the island into a Mecca of relaxation for his high-profile musical clients, spending over $10 million on Balinese-inspired villas utilising local stones and woods. Today, the island routinely plays host to up to 28 guests, who can enjoy the use of a personal chef, private beaches, and tennis courts. The island’s rent runs at $53,000 a day, and it is a frequent hangout of A-listers such as Janet Jackson, David Beckham, Oprah, Mariah Carey, Michael Douglas, and Steven Spielberg.
While it isn’t a private island, St. Tropez has always been a quiet getaway location for frazzled celebrities who want to temporarily escape from the limelight. This beautiful French coastal town has an untouchable quaint charm and has on of the most beautiful ports in all of Europe. It can get crowded during the summer months, but the rich and famous can still get that much-needed relaxation in St. Tropez by staying at the über-exclusive Chateau de la Messadiere, whose suites run at an impressive €1262 a night. This gorgeous coastal town is a regular getaway location for Kylie Minogue, Hugh Grant, and Paris Hilton.
Another location that is open to the public, yet remains an extremely popular celebrity escape, is the island of Anguilla, in the Lesser Antilles. If this is the Lesser Antilles, it’s hard to image what the Greater Antilles might look like. One thing’s for sure: it would be a sight too great for any man to behold, and would probably melt your face off like that guy in Raiders of the Lost Ark. The is home to a slew of exclusive hotels, spas, and restaurants, and its beaches are considered some of the most beautiful in the world. It’s no wonder that it’s such a popular hideaway for stars like Drew Barrymore, Kate Winslet, Liam Neeson, and Robert DeNiro.
Little Halls Pond Cay steps things up a notch from the previous entries on this list. Like Necker Islands, it is a privately owned patch of green in the dark blue, but this time it is intended for the sole use of one man (and his family and friends), Johnny Depp. Depp and wife, Vanessa Paradise, settled on the property in 2004, when the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise was in full swing and Depp was feeling particularly nautical. Depp has stressed to the press that the island is run on 100% green energy, and the actor is even know to do his own gardening and topiary. The famed actor, notable for his dislike of attention from the press, has reputedly given his reclusive island hideaway it’s own unique nickname: F**ck Off Island.
Not to be outdone by a young upstart like Depp, Marlon Brando, from 1965 until his death in 2004 at age 80, was the proud owner of an entire atoll that’s comprised of 13 separate bodies of land. Brando fell in love with the French Polynesian region after shooting the film Mutiny of the Bounty, and the flame never died. In what can be either described as sad or exciting, the island has been acquired after the actor’s death by Tahiti Beachcomber SA, a hotelier that intends to develop a mega resort on the island (which they intent to simply dub, ‘The Brando’) to be open to (disgracefully rich) members of the public.
To Celine Dion, these tropical islands that everyone is going bananas (or coconuts) for are so passé. She, instead, used her millions of dollars of wailing-money purchasing the small island of Île Gagnon, Quebec, in her native Canada. Dion is one of the highest paid entertainers in history, and lives with her manager-turned-husband René Angélil. With this beautiful French-style chateau, there is no doubt that her house will go on.
The Fijian island of Wakaya was acquired in the seventies by businessman, David Harrison Gilmour, who saw the island as a great investment opportunity. He couldnt have been any more right. The island features the eponymous resort, the Wakaya Club, occupies a respectable 2200 acres and is home to up to eleven couples at any one time. But if you spread that over 2200 acres it’s like sprinkling grains of sugar on Rosie O’Donnell – they not going to encroach on one another. The island has play temporary home to the likes of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, and Keith Richards.
Want to stay at a place called ‘Goldeneye’ that was owned by none other than James Bond Ian Fleming himself? Of course you do. If you don’t, immediately contact your doctor and in the meantime check yourself for a pulse. Goldeneye, a beautiful villa that Fleming called home during his long stay in Jamaica, has all the tropical charm you would want in a private hideaway and has been visited by celebs such as Sting and Johnny Depp. We can only imagine that they spent the majority of their time at Goldeneye running around humming the James Bond theme with their hands in the shape of that iconic Walther PPK, rolling around corners and just generally getting into mischief. The villa also has it’s own full-sized screening room so you can watch everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace. Just skip the ones with Timothy Dalton or George Lazenby.
George Clooney’s Italian villa (named Oleandra) is the stuff of legends and almost as much a darling of the paparazzi as the star himself. Clooney is known to spend months on end hunkered down in his gorgeous 18thcentury villa, situated on Lake Como in Laglio, northern Italy — and when you have a girlfriend who looks like this, why the hell wouldn’t you? Though Clooney also was known to share his villa with a complete pig, literally: an honest-to-god pot-bellied pig named Max who hailed from Vietnam and lived with the actor for most of his (the pig’s) 18-year life. His swine companion isn’t the only odd thing about Clooney’s Italian escape: just this July, masses of undetonated World War II hand grenades, mortars and aircraft bombs were found in the waters surrounding his villa, only 50 feet from the star’s back steps. Did that phase Clooney? Of course not: ‘This is not the first bomb I’ve experienced.’
Musha Cay is a beautiful collection island in the Bahamas owned by famed magician and above-average-batter David Copperfield until he decides to make it disappear on television and use the proceeds to buy an even bigger island, and so forth. The group of islands cost Copperfield a respectable $50 million — meaning he’ll have to keep plugging away at those magic shows to make his money back. Maybe he should just make the smallest, crappiest one disappear. The Island, besides being a regular hangout for Copperfield during his down times, is also able to accommodate 24 guests with losing its air of isolation. On top of Musha Cay’s obvious luxury, Copperfield claims that the fountain of youth has been discovered on the island group. Hey, would a magician ever lie?
Eden Rock in St. Barths is one of the most famous celebrity hideaways in the world and looking at the villas and their lush and beautiful surroundings, it’s definitely no surprise that Eden rock is such a popular getaway for the likes of Tom Hanks, Mick Jagger (the second Stone on the list), and Lorne Michaels. The villas all have their own names, the most two popular of which are Villa Rockstar and Villa Nina — where John Lennon recorded the song ‘Imagine,’ one of the most influential rock songs of the 20th century. The location is especially popular in the winter due to its mild climate and the variety of activities on offer.
It’s hard not to love Fiji, and the Australians love it in particular, given that it’s one of the only countries that isn’t one trillion miles away from them. It’s not surprising that Mel Gibson, one of the country’s most insane prolific actors, decided to buy his own little slice of heaven in Fiji: Mango Island. It is indeed shaped like a mango, though it’s also shaped like a goat’s bladder, but the former works much better as a name. Maybe Joosarnto Cay would have worked as well, but Gibson has already been in enough hot water. He purchased the island in 2005 for a reputed $9 million for the extremely spacious 5,400 acre island, making it one of the largest privately owned islands in the pacific. Mel swears he isn’t going to destroy any of the island’s natural beauty, just maintaining a simple residence for him self and planning the film Braveheart II: Scotsmen of the South Pacific.
Rooster Cay is a beautiful little island in the Bahamas and very close to the nation’s capital, Nassau. Its owned by Eddie Murphy, one of the wealthiest actors in the entire world and one of the funniest stand-ups of all time. Murphy purchased the property in 2007 for $15 million, making it stand out even amongst this group of who’s who housing for it’s tremendous cost, especially considering its relative size at a mere 15 acres. There is a lot of speculation over whether Murphy will retain the island as a private getaway location or venture into some sort of villa rental scheme like many others on the list. One thing’s for sure: the Raw beauty of the island is almost unmatched, and the feeling of jetting off to a home the Bahamas instead of Coming to America sounds just fine to us, we’d be happy Trading Places with Murphy any day.
Murphy’s lavish spending only just outstripped that of fellow superstar Shania Twain, whose pop-country sound catapulted her to stardom in the late 90s and eventually saw he having the best selling album of all time by a female solo artist at over 39 million records sold. Shania payed an amazing $14.1 million for a property in New Zealands south island where she now lives for a good portion of the year. The property is a staggering 61,000 acres, making it the largest property on this list be a ridiculous margin. Originally, Twain planned to tend Merino sheep on the station with her (now former) husband Robert ‘Mutt’ Lange, but most of the attention in developing the property was payed to developing a hiking trail for the public. New Zealand officials were very hesitant in selling the piece of land to Twain, fearing an eventual landslide of celebrity ownership that would see the natural beauty of the land tarnished by excessive construction. Yet Twain and her then-husband knew exactly what to say, and sweet-talked their way into the purchase by promising to build the aforementioned trail, which took an entire three days to complete.
Brangelina are the darlings of the media at the moment, garnering more attention from the press than the Hindenburg strapped to the Titanic getting eaten by Godzilla who’s having an affair with Tiger Woods. The latest portmanteau couple have been spending a lot of time in the south of France recently and sources say they have signed a three-year lease on the magnificent Chateau Miraval, situated near Aix-en-Provence, following several helicopter trips to scout out properties. We’ve all heard of window-shopping, but copter-shopping — that’s a new one. The amazing chateau comes with it’s own vineyard, a lake, a pool, a moat, and 35 bedrooms. Some estimate its value at up to $70 million. Brad and Angelina have some company nearby, too – Bono, Edge, and Johnny Depp all have properties nearby. One last fact to put this place into perspective – it’s bigger than the Whitehouse. Brangelina are living in a home bigger than that of the leader of the free world — and his is filled with tons of annoying staffers, while the celeb couple only have a bunch of maids and someone to walk their children for them.
A series of famous big and small screen filming locations along with their Google map locations so you can visit them for yourself.
Have you ever watch a film and thought, “WOW! That place looks amazing. I would love to visit it.” Or perhaps you feel like your life won’t be complete until you have had your photo taken on Forest Gump’s bench. The following are a list of filming locations along with their Google map locations so you can visit them for yourself. We offer adventure tours in quite a few of these area’s as well.
1. The Beach
The Movie: The beach is a film about a young backpacker visiting Thailand. However, upon visiting he hears of a beautiful untouched paradise free from tourist traps. He searches and finds the story to be true, but he ends up in a paradise which turns nasty.
The Location: This film was shot on the island of Koh Phi Phi Lehin, which is located in Thailand, between the large island of Phuket and the western Alderman sea. However, the film became involved in controversy when the director did not think the beach was beautiful enough and embarked on a little cosmetic surgery. He widened the beach and removed any plant life that he deemed to be ugly. The film company is now involved in a multi million dollar law suit due to alleged permanent damage to the eco system.
TV Series: Lost is TV series with more twists and turns than a curly whirly. A plane crash strands a group of passengers on a strange island complete with Polar Bears, a Smoke Monster, and a hostile local population.
The Location: The Film is shot on Oahu, the third largest island of the Hawaiian Island chain. Surprisingly, the majority of the filming for the whole show was shot on the Island, this Includes scenes set in California, New York, Iowa, Miami. South Korea, Iraq, Nigeria, United Kingdom, Paris, Thailand, Berlin and Australia. However, the expense of filming the show on this Island has made it one of the most expensive TV series ever.
The Movie: The story is set around a beautiful blue lagoon located on a tropical island where two children become stranded. It stars a young Brooke Shields. As the two children become older and begin to mature, they begin to fall in love with each other.
The Location: The Blue Lagoon is actually located in Jamaica in a small enclave where the sea mixes with a cold-water spring. This effect gives you a strange warm-cold feeling when you swim in it. The locals say this lagoon isbottomless. They also believe that a dragon lies asleep at the bottom!
The Movie: One of Stanley Kubrick best films, The Shining is a spine chilling watch. A couple along with their young son become caretakers of a large hotel over the winter months. However, the hotel has a grizzly past and the dad goes slowly insane.
The Location: The exterior of the hotel used in the shining was The Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood in Oregon. In the book, it was actually room 217, which was haunted, but the management requested that Kubrick change it fearing that no one would want to stay in the room ever again. In the final film, the script was changed so the haunted room was 237, which does not exist.
The Movie: Indiana gets into trouble again tracking down lost artifacts that belong in a museum. In this film, he is trying to find some magical glowing stones that were stolen from a village. Oh yea, and their kids who were kidnapped to work in a mine. His investigations take him to a temple run by a weird cult planning terrible things.
The Location: The majority of the film was shot in Kandy, Sri Lanka. India denied allowing the film to be shot because the government thought the script was racist.
The Movie: Bill Murray is a local TV show weatherman who is sent every year to the small time of Punxsutawney along with the rest of the area’s weathermen. He is sent to see if a shadow cast by a groundhog will indicate if spring is just around the corner of if winter is set to last another 4 weeks. He ends up trapped, reliving the same day over and over again. At first, he see this as a blessing, No matter what he does, he ends up waking up in the morning guilt and injury free. He uses this new power for good by seducing women, robbing banks, and doing all the things he always wanted to do.
The Location: SHADOWS OR GROUNDHOGS CANT PREDICT THE WEATHER. Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania is a place you could visit, though I don’t think it has much excitement to offer apart from this one archaic ritual.
The Movie: The Amityville Horror is based on a true story where a family move in to house at 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville. However, 10 months ago there was a gruesome murder where the father of the previous family who lived there killed the whole family. The new family is plagued by a series of paranormal activity.
The Location: This movie was actually based on a true story. The film based on the book was written by Jan Anson based on the testimony of the family who lived there. The Family knew of the murders when they moved in, but they went ahead with the purchase thinking it to be a bargain. They did get the house blessed when they moved in, and the priest who did the blessing said he heard a ‘get out’ just as he was about to leave. While the family lived there, they experienced a catalogue of paranormal activity including:
While the mother was in bed, she would received red welts on her chest (The mother was shot)
There were cold spots and the smell of perfume or excrement where there was no source of smell,
The house was plagued with flies, even in the winter months.
The house is still there, so you can visit it if you dare. Perhaps if you are a little macabre and like the paranormal, you should put in an offer on the house and move in. I must warn you, when the family finally moved out the paranormal activity followed them.
The Movie: James Bond attempts to prevent the destruction of the free world by stopping the hijacking of a nuclear space weapon by a former fellow agent who has gone bad. So it’s the usual Bond story, guns, babes, and bare knuckle fight action. The opening sequence sees James Bond battling the forces looking to do harm to the UK and its allies. The movie was filmed around the Arecibio radio telescope in Puerto Rico.
The Location: The Arecibio radio telescope is the largest single aperture telescope in the world, measuring some 300 ft across. It is located near the city of Arecibo, Puerto Rico and is run by Connell University.
The Movie: A film is set in the future where everyone lives in a utopian paradise. There is just one catch; you have to die at 30. However, some people aren’t happy at this ‘arrangement,’ so when they are close to 30 they decide to run. These are referred to in the film as “runners” and it is the job of sandmen to catch them. The storyline is based around a sandmen sent to infiltrate the organisation which is helping people to run away. However he finds everything he is told is a lie, and he himself becomes a runner.
The Location: This location is the one you see when the runners are trying to re-enter the city. It is actually located at Fort Worth Water Gardens, Texas. It was built in 1974, and was designed by noted New York architects Philip Johnsonn and John Burgee. This location is described as a water oasis in the centre of the urban jungle.
The Movie: Forest Gump is a film about a man who is a bit simple but has a good heart. He manages to achieve some amazing things during his lifetime including meeting several presidents, becoming a war hero, founding a shrimp company, and Apple.
The Location: The Famous bench on which the film is set is located on Hull Street, Chippewa Square, Savannah, Georgia, USA. However, you can no longer sit on it as it is now housed at the Savannah History Museum.
11. Back the the Future (The Burger King outside of where doc brown lives)
The Movie: A young Michael J. Fox makes friends with an eccentric scientist who has developed a time machine housed in an old Delorian. He goes to the past and he changes something. When he returns, the present is radically different. This is an example of the butterfly effect. He then embarks on a three-part adventure putting right all the mistakes he has made. It also looks like gene pool of Hill Valley is remarkably small.
The Location: In the film, Doc brown lives in a garage next to burger king. The burger king is located on North Victory Boulevard, Burbank, California, and is still there if you fancy a visit popping in for a whopper.
The Series: The Prisoner is a British film series shot in the late 60s centering around a former British agent. After indicating his interest to resign from the secret service, he becomes imprisoned in a strange seaside village where is captors try to find out why he resigned. He is imprisoned with all sorts of other inmates who seem to be from varied cultures and social statuses. No one has any names and instead, everyone is referred to as a number (hence the famous phrase. “I am not a number, I am a free man”). The majority of the series follows the main character trying to escape and to find the mysterious ‘number one’
The Location: Primarily the filming took place at the Hotel Portmeirion in Penrhyndeudraeth, North Wales. There has been a lot of speculation about what the series was actually about. Unfortunately, the creator died before he could spill the beans.
The Movie: Sam Rockwell plays an astronaut in charge of a mining operation based on the moon. He is nearing the end of his three-year contract when after an accident he starts to notice some strange things.
The Location: This is one travel location I wish I could visit but, of course, it was all done on set. Who know, one day we will be able to visit. But I certainly won’t be putting my name down…..too cold!
The news is filled with stories of travelers being stuck in Europe because of the volcanic ash-cloud, but not everyone is distressed because they can’t get back to their regular mundane life. We’re hearing stories of travelers who’ve had to call their bosses back home (in the states) and explain they can’t come back to work because of the volcano “Oh woe is me, I can’t go back to work!”. What’s your boss going to do? Fire you over an act of God?
I wish I was stuck traveling in Ireland, like the youtube video, I’d be looking for some thing fun to do (personally always wanted to surf Ireland.
But traveling is what you make of it. You are bound to get stuck or delayed sometimes and making the best of it is what will determine whether you have happy memories or bitter ones.
Adventure travel is a foreign concept to all too many foreign travellers. We’ve all been through the same package vacations — hotel to beach, beach to restaurant, and back again — and it’s never as exciting as it could be. It all comes down to the DNA of your holiday. If you’re out for adventure, you’ll leave much more excited and recharged than you would from a typical package vacation. With the massive amount of information available online for backpackers, adventure travellers and intrepid nomads, the opportunities to have an adventure holiday that doesn’t leave you lost and bewildered are better than ever. Here are five reasons to take the plunge and go on an international adventure instead of a typical vacation.
#1 – You’ll see a side of the country that you can’t see from a hotel room.
When you’re cooped up in a 5 star resort, you’ll certainly enjoy yourself. Whether or not you’ll see any real culture is another matter. Over the years, resorts and tourist towns have insulated themselves from the true nature and culture of their countries. Instead of offering real culture, they’ve offered western comforts and conveniences. If you want to see some true culture, take the adventure travel path instead of the convenient, comfortable route. You may not get the same king size bed, but your experiences will more than make up for it.
#2 – Adventure travel lets you immerse yourself in the language.
This one’s only really true if you’re visiting a country where English isn’t the native language. Getting off the beaten track and truly experiencing the country lets you immerse yourself amongst locals, and avoid the English-saturated areas. While a lot of people will speak enough English to help you in an emergency, you’ll need to practice your local language to get by in a lot of situations. While this isn’t perfect for convenience, it allows you to learn a massive amount about the language and culture while travelling.
#3 – You’ll end up with travel stories that really inspire people.
Everyone’s heard the same travel stories over and over again, about the beach here, the restaurant there, and the sights wherever. These stories keep us occupied for a minute or two, but they don’t inspire us to go out and do anything. Instead of boring people with a story from your resort, inspire them with your stories of zip lining in Costa Rica, scuba diving in Thailand, or bungy jumping in New Zealand. Great stories won’t find you — you need to go out and chase them yourself.
#4 – Adventure travel can help you save money.
Sounds a little silly doesn’t it? We all associate travel with expenses, and in many ways this isn’t always true. When you learn to avoid the major tourist spots and focus instead on having the greatest adventure possible, it’s easy to spend from 1/2 all the way down to 1/4 of what you might spend staying at a posh tourist resort. Get off the beaten track and amazing deals will find you.
#5 – You’ll build worldwide contacts.
This one’s a great side effect of travelling outside the beaten path. When you’re an adventure traveller, you’ll come across people that share your interests, and can offer valuable contacts around the world. Want to go so Spain next year? Call up the Spanish traveller you met while hiking in Argentina? Building contacts through travel is one of the best ways to forge long distance friendships.
Swimming with sharks rates pretty high on almost everyone’s greatest fears list. No matter how much you’ve heard about their lack of hostility, there’s an image built up around sharks that’s hard for us to distance ourselves from. Maybe it’s the result of media attention, and their role in films such as Jaws and Deep Blue Sea, but there’s just something about sharks that doesn’t click with most of us. It’s funny; often our greatest fears are the most irrational, and can easily be broken once we face them head on.
This is what swimming with sharks is all about. There are two schools of people that tend to do it: those that are trying to overcome their fear, and those that value the rush and excitement. Regardless of what camp you may fall into, swimming with sharks can create some massive value in your personal life and mindset.
So why do it? It all comes down to your priorities. At it’s worst, the experience provides you with the ability to distance your fears from the reality. Although sharks are renowned as dangerous, they’re really not, and are much less aggressive than other sea creatures. Swimming with sharks can be a calming exercise for many people, allowing them to come closer to realizing their fears and mastering their calmness and abilities.
Then there’s the second reason, which is the incredible thrill that swimming with sharks offers. This isn’t just regular scuba diving, this is a highly exciting dive with creatures hundreds of times the size of your average tropical fish. The two experiences just don’t compare, except when you look at the superficialities of each. The format is similar, but the experience is much more exciting and thrilling than any regular scuba dive could be.
There’s an old stoic principle, that when you’re closest to your fears you’re least vulnerable to them. This applies to swimming with sharks especially well, since it’s a fear that almost all of us have held at some time. When you keep your fears at a miles distance, they’re always there. You can never meet them, never rationalise them, and never overcome them. Keep them close to you and you can easily overcome them, defeat them, and let them guide you through life. Fear is a guiding principle, not something to run away from.
So, ready to do it? Whether you’re looking for a fear destroying experience or just looking to experience the ultimate thrill ride and adrenaline rush, swimming with great white sharks should be at the top of your list. Possibly the most thrilling experience in the world, it’s one that any serious adventure traveller can’t afford to pass up.
They’re both hot tourist destinations, and with the massive discount airfare deals available today, travel to New Zealand and Costa Rica doesn’t need to be something that cripples your finances. Whether you’re off for a week, a month, or a year, both countries offer a massive range of activities, scenic sites, and thrilling cities. With their vastly different climate zones, it may seem as if the two countries are polar opposites. However, while they both provide a small cross-over of activities, they really come into their own when showcasing their unique scenery, stunning coastlines, and vast range of activities and adventures.
Voted the world’s best travel destination in 2003 and 2004 by Lonely Planet, New Zealand is a mecca for adventure tourists, backpackers, and anyone else looking for an adventurous, exciting holiday. With a massive range of different geographical options, New Zealand is the Argentina of the South Pacific. Spanning several different climate zones, New Zealand is home to some stunning semi-tropical beaches in the far north, and stunningly beautiful mountains, glaciers, and fjords in the south. This massive geographical variation is what makes New Zealand such a popular and highly recommended travel destination.
While Costa Rica may seem like a strange comparison, it’s surprisingly similar in many ways. Both countries have extensive mountain and river systems, and are renowned for their adventure tourism possibilities. A lot of the activities available in Costa Rica are also in New Zealand, however the setting couldn’t be more different. Instead of zip-lining through dense jungle and rainforest, you can bungy jump into a vast, beautiful temperate gorge. With Costa Rica home to some of the world’s most impressive birds and wildlife, New Zealand has relatively few dangerous animals and is more well known for it’s remarkable natural beauty.
New Zealand's stunning Humbolt Mountains.
Still, both countries offer massive potential for adventure tourism, with package tours easily available through any reputable travel agency. If you’re not the package tour type, it’s very easy to navigate through New Zealand without a set itinerary. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself spending more time here than you imagined — it’s very easy to be deceived by the small size and think that there’s less to see than there really is. Similarly so for Costa Rica, which might look like a small dot on the map, but in reality is packed with dense jungle and winding mountain roads.
So, whichever country you pick for your adventure holiday, remember that the other one is waiting there next year. While many of the activities shared between the two countries are similar, it’s as much a result of the cultures as it is of the settings. New Zealand’s scenery couldn’t be more different to Costa Rica’s, but they both offer a level of tranquility, natural beauty, and adventure that’s hard for any destination worldwide to match.
Sunrise over one of Costa Rica's many stunning beaches.
Costa Rica, while a small country in terms of geographical size, is packed to the brim with adventure activities. As one of the most popular tourist countries in Central America, Costa Rica has an extensive and well crafted tourist infrastructure, with options available for all different vacation types and personal styles. Whether you’re an adrenaline seeking adventure tourist, a relaxed and comfortable nomad, or a green eco tourist, you’ll find that there’s something to suit your needs and desires in Costa Rica.
This often leaves travelers with a dilemma: What do I spend my time doing? With destinations like Costa Rica, the confines of choice can be crippling, with many people leaving wondering what else they could have done. Here are a few ideas to make sure that you have the best adventure holiday possible, and leave feeling as if you’ve experienced everything that Costa Rica has to offer.
#1 – Go bird watching.
Sound a little tame? Don’t worry, it most certainly isn’t. With Costa Rica’s massive range of wildlife, searching for native birds and animals can be an adventure in itself. Venture into the stunning rainforest and search for birds, animals, and scenic sites.
#2 – White water rafting.
Costa Rica has one of the world’s most extensive river systems, and due to the country’s geographical variation, there’s a massive amount of rapids, rough water, and exciting downhill rivers to paddle through. With guided rafting tours available almost everywhere, rafting through Costa Rica is something that you can’t afford to miss out on.
#3 – Check out the surf beaches.
Whether you’re an experienced surfer or not, Costa Rica has something to offer you in terms of exciting waves and breaks. Featuring some of the best beaches in Central America, the pacific coastline is home to a massive variety of waves and breaks, ranging from large, exciting monster waves all the way down to beginner surf beaches and casual surf breaks. A perfect place to learn to surf, lessons are cheap and instructors are plentiful. Any beach-side town will have a travel agent that can hook you up with a surf instructor.
#4 – Go mountain biking.
With the country’s many volcanoes, hills, and exciting mountain gorges, Costa Rica has a myriad of mountain biking trails on offer. With bikes available to rent in almost every major tourist spot, it’s easy to pick up a bike and explore the local towns and natural sites. The area surrounding Irazu Volcano is a popular mountain biking spot, offering great views of the surrounding rainforest and rivers.
With such a massive selection of things to do in Costa Rica, it’s difficult to leave the country having done everything. Fortunately, even on a short trip it’s possible to experience a great mix of the many activities, destinations, and cultural sites on offer in Costa Rica. Don’t fret over what you may miss, focus on the stuff that you truly love and enjoy yourself.
Argentina is a country that intrigues many people, yet remains fully explored by very few. It’s not difficult to see why, as the country spans a massive amount of terrain. Outside of Buenos Aires and Patagonia, very few people would be able to tell you places in Argentina off-hand, however there’s still a massive buzz surrounding the country. It’s for good reason, trust me. Argentina is home to some of the world’s most vibrant people and stunningly beautiful natural treasures. Whether you’re an urban dweller, an adventurous outdoors type, or a traveler looking for excitement in any form, you’ll find what you’re looking for in Argentina. From the tango clubs of Buenos Aires to the vast mountainous regions of Patagonia, Argentina has something to offer every traveler.
Buenos Aires is one of the largest cities in Latin America, and the cultural capital of Argentina. Offering highly interesting European style architecture, a huge range of bars, cafes and restaurants, the city is often known as the ‘Paris of the South.’ To Argentines, Buenoes Aires is truly the center of everything, forming the base for just about everything to happen in Argentina. For tourists, it’s remarkably similar. Almost every major tourist activity, no matter what its geographical location, is available to be booked through Buenos Aires’ travel agents and tour companies.
If you’re feeling adventurous, check out one of the city’s many Tango clubs. With thousands of instructors throughout the city, finding a tango partner isn’t difficult. With classes ranging in price from $10 all the way up to $50+, there’s big potential for wannabe tango dancers of any skill level. Tango is truly a way of life in Buenos Aires, and it’s not uncommon to see dancers on the street in the city’s many arts and bohemian districts.
A country of massive geographical diversity, the north eastern regions of Argentina are home to tropical rainforests and dense jungle. While not quite on the level of the northern South American and Central American countries, Argentina can offer a tropical experience for any traveller. With transport networks in the country generally very good, accessing the more remote areas of the country can be very simple.
The mountains of southern Patagonia.
Patagonia is world renowned amongst adventurers and mountaineers for its serene natural beauty and challenging terrain. If you’re an adventure tourist, this is the place to be. Packed with sights and destinations for anyone looking for a thrill ride, this massive mountain paradise is home to some of Argentina’s most stunning scenery and dramatic landscapes. To the south it Tierra Del Fuego, the southern most point in South America and home to the treacherous Straight of Magellan and the incredibly rough Drake Passage.
All of these great destinations combine to make Argentina one of the most popular and highly recommended South American tourist destinations. With the combination of great scenery, interesting cultural sites, and affordable prices, Argentina is the ultimate South American vacation spot.
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