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December 2013 insider guide

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LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION Your essential guide to Los Angeles...

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Caribbean + MUST HAVE HOLIDAY ITEMS / ENGLANDS BEST KEPT SECRET December 2013

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insider guide

city of angels...

Los Angeles T

he list of things to do in Los Angeles is as long as the city is vast. If your time in town is limited, there is the potential to spend days in the museums alone, and never make your way to Hollywood or the Hills. Hit up Venice beach, but don’t miss out on a trendy and hip eastside ‘hood. This short LA city guide offers a mix of great things to see and do to get the most from your LA getaway.

December 2013

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What to do?

2 1 Santa Monica Pier

Considered the focal point of Santa Monica Beach, Santa Monica Pier includes Pacific Park, a traditional set-up stocked with a Ferris wheel, aquarium, fairground games and cotton candy stands. On warm weekends, the stretch is busy with families, beach bums and gym bunnies, who work out in public at the original Muscle Beach just south of the pier. Lately, the Pier has played host to a number of outdoor film and music events, bringing a hipper clientele to the boardwalk.

What’s more iconic than the Ferris wheel and roller-coaster sitting atop Santa Monica Pier? But that’s just the beginning, this amusement park is packed with rides, games, food and all kinds of family fun.

Venue Information

200 Santa Monica Pier Santa Monica California 90401 Telephone: 310-458-8901 www.santamonicapier.org

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Shop in Style

Many people dream of being Julia Roberts shopping on Rodeo Drive, but few can afford to buy from the array of high-end designers seen in Pretty Woman. So window-shopping is the order of the day.

Along the $200-million ersatz European cobbled walkway Two Rodeo, browsing tourists mingle with serious spenders.

A few blocks away, and you’ll find the Beverly Center- a monstrous eight-storey mall nestled between Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. The mall features staple American retailers and an array of designer boutiques to break the bank!

A hop away is The Grove, open-air retail and entertainment complex- part of the historic Farmers Market. A mix of shops, eateries and the renowned dancing fountains and tram can all be found just off South Fairfax Avenue On the Westside, Third Street Promenade in Downtown Santa Monica is a fully pedestrianised street allowing upscale shopping, dining and entertainment a stones-throw from the beach.

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Hotfoot it to Hollywood

Hollywood celebrities are never far away in LA. To catch a glimpse of stardust, stroll the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where more than 2,400 figures from the entertainment world are immortalized in pink terrazzo with symbolic gold lettering.

If you’re a film buff, look out for the famous hand and footprints at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Countless premieres and galas have passed through, adding to the renowned pagoda’s star quality.

What may be one of the biggest LA mysteries is how to get as close as possible to the iconic Hollywood Sign.

Lace up for a trek along the dirt road on Mt Lee Dr to where stand directly above the Hollywood Sign and can experience a total 360-degree view of the cityscape.

If celeb spotting is your sort of thing, Starline Tours essentially operates an entire network of double-decker bus circuits across the city, from Downtown to Santa Monica to LAX. Buses arrive at most major tourist attractions across the city every 20 /30 minutes, so feel free to avoid awful spots and linger in more interesting ones (to complete the Hollywood-WeHoBeverly Hills loop in one sitting clocks in at just under two hours).

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See how its done

Only Universal Studios lets you ride the movies and go behind the scenes of a real working movie studio.

The Entertainment Capital of L.A, Universal includes a full-day, moviebased theme park and Studio Tour plus Universal CityWalk- an entertainment, shopping and dining complex, which includes the AMC Universal CityWalk Cinemas and the “5 Towers” state-of-theart outdoor concert venue.

The theme park features world-class rides and attractions including the awardwinning, critically acclaimed megaattraction, Transformers: The Ride—3D , as well as Revenge of the Mummy —The Ride indoor roller coaster, The Simpsons Ride and Jurassic Park —The Ride.

Universal CityWalk is Southern California’s dynamic entertainment, dining and shopping destination that reflects the area’s rich cultural diversity. The iconic open-air leisure and nightlife complex includes the dynamic high-tech concert venue, “5 Towers,” and provides visitors with a vast array of shops and restaurants, including a massive Hard Rock Cafe.

Entrance to City Walk is free, and ticket prices to the theme park vary.

December 2013

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Cigars, Caddies and Che...

Its a jungle out there...

In Holguin, you don’t need to go far for a taste of authentic Cuban life. Catamarans are waiting in the port to whisk you away to the very best snorkelling spots and Jeeps are always ready to lead you into the jungles of Cuba’s most adrenalinefilled destination.

Holguin is a place where different months of the year can deliver completely different getaway experiences. Come in January for daytime highs in the mid-20s or wait until April when it’s truly tropical and a day below 30 C is rare.

“The water in Holguin really is blue, the sand white and the rum is as delicious as people say”.

It’s hard to understand why Christopher Columbus, who first set foot in Holguin province in October 1492, ever left this place.

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