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Do you ever find yourself so enraptured by the setting of a movie or TV show that the story line becomes almost inconsequential? Do you miss clever plot twists because you’re mentally rearranging your travel bucket list? Whether it’s indulging your French fashion fantasies à la Emily in Paris or channeling your favourite Bridgerton character during a delightful stroll through London’s Regent Park, these are our hottest picks for your real life holidays inspired by television and movies in 2025:
From the gleaming white dome of Sacré-Coeur to the art-deco poolside vibes of the Piscine Molitor, the latest season of Emily in Paris is a love story dedicated to picture-perfect Parisian locations. You could take in a tennis match at Stade Roland Garros, or shop for antiques at the Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine flea market, then find an outdoor table at a cute café to catch up on the latest gossip with your bestie.
Season Four also invites you to expand your travel plans beyond Paris, perhaps a road trip to see Monet’s famous home and gardens at Giverny, enjoying a Christmas ski break in Megève, or whizzing through the streets of Rome on a classic Vespa.
The previous seasons of The White Lotus have both been glamorous showcases of luxurious locations – in Maui, and then in Sicily. Sparkling seas, pristine beaches, high-end resorts, a generous sprinkling of history and culture, and just a touch of murder – it’s been a wildly successful recipe that is unlikely to change for the hotly anticipated third season, which is set in and around a luxury island resort in Thailand. The details are still largely under wraps, but we do know that filming has centred around the spectacular Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, with some scenes also set in Phuket and Bangkok.
If you want to enjoy your own White Lotus-themed Thai holiday (minus the murders, of course), Koh Samui has plenty of luxury experiences to choose from, even if your budget doesn’t quite stretch to a stay in one of the Four Seasons Resorts’ sublime hillside pool villas. You could explore the nearby islands of Ang Thong National Marine Park on a private yacht, enjoy world-class fusion cuisine at the Six Senses Resort’s nine-tiered cliffside Dining on the Rocks restaurant, or sample the cocktail menu at one of Koh Samui’s private beach clubs.
The newest instalment of this family classic sees our favourite talking bear returning to his roots in “darkest Peru” (his words, not ours). Paddington and his family must travel through the Amazon rainforest and the mountains of Peru to find his beloved Aunt Lucy, and you can recreate the adventures which were filmed on location in Colombia and Peru.
The southern gateway to the Peruvian Amazon is Puerto Maldonado, which is an hour’s flight from Cusco or Lima. Located near Tambopata National Reserve and Manu National Park, it’s the ideal place start point for your Amazonian adventure of incredible wildlife encounters, immense natural beauty and luxury eco-lodge accommodation. From Cusco, you can also travel to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Machu Picchu – either by luxury rail journey or by hiking the epic Inca Trail.
More than two decades after general-turned-gladiator, Maximus, entertained us in Rome’s Colosseum, a second instalment of the Oscar-winning movie, Gladiator, is set to hit our screens. The Moroccan city of Ouarzazate has provided sweeping desert backdrops for both Gladiator movies, as well as many other iconic movie moments including Lawrence of Arabia and The Mummy. It’s an ideal starting point if you want to experience the beauty and grandeur of the Sahara Desert for yourself. From here, you can journey to the iconic dunes of Erg Chebbi or Erg Chigaga, where you can experience desert activities like sandboarding, camel trekking and camping out under the stars.
The Mediterranean island of Malta will again be a stand-in for ancient Rome. With a history that spans more than 7,000 years, the narrow streets and ancient buildings of Valletta and Mdina are a cinematographer’s dream. Malta’s mild, sun-soaked Mediterranean climate and its stunning beaches and coves, including the Blue Lagoon on the tiny island of Comino, would have made for an idyllic spot for Maximus to enjoy his retirement.
Dearest gentle reader,
You are invited to experience the grandeur and grace of Regency-era England, as seen in the hit show, Bridgerton. You won’t find Francesca Bridgerton or any of her seven Bridgerton siblings climbing into an elegant carriage outside Ranger’s House, but you will recognise this stately home in Greenwich as the exterior location of their home in London’s Grosvenor Square. Other London filming locations you can visit include Hampton Court Palace, Chiswick House and Lancaster House. Woburn Walk is a pretty, pedestrian street in the heart of Bloomsbury that is the location of the Bridgerton ladies’ favourite modiste, Genevieve Delacroix.
Beyond London, you can visit numerous filming locations that have been featured in the Bridgerton series. In Bath, Holburne Museum serves as Lady Danbury’s country estate, while the Royal Crescent provides the exterior shots for the Featherington family’s London address. Hatfield House in Hertfordshire provides the interior location of the Bridgerton brothers’ favourite private club, and Lord Hawkins’ “Innovations Ball,” complete with hot-air balloon catastrophe, was held in the gardens of Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire.
Yours truly,
Lady Whistledown
From the dusty streets of ancient Rome to the luxury setting of a Thai resort, our favourite on-screen locations are a fabulous source of holiday inspiration. Ask your personal travel manager how we can produce and direct your picture-perfect 2025 escape.
TravelManagers respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands where we work and gather, and those we visit.
