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Celebrity Travel – Follow the Jet-Setters
Have you ever wondered where the world’s most fawned-over celebs escape to when they’re not gracing the red carpet, dazzling us on screen or er, filing divorce papers?
Well, we’re about to dish on the good stuff. Here’s a look at 10 top celebrity travel escapes.
1. Maldives: Paradise Perfected
The Maldives in the Indian Ocean is the ultimate tropical paradise, a sparkling blue magnet for celebrities seeking luxury, alone time and tropical fish.
They don’t just go there to vacation, they go there to commit. John Legend and Chrissy Teigen got engaged at the Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas.
(That’s nice, but my husband and I got engaged in Umbria, Italy, which is a totally cool off-the-radar destination, and where, like, Gwyneth Paltrow spent her birthday, so we’re in-the-know, too).
Celebrities in the Maldives
But back to the Maldives. Millie Bobby Brown Insta posted from the Soneva Fushi on Kunfunadhoo Island, which is where Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas spent their honeymoon.
(Sadly, that didn’t turn out, but I bet they had a great holiday.)
2. Aspen, Colorado: Alpine Elegance
Celebrity travel means luxury travel, and when winter calls, the rich and famous flock to Aspen for its snowy splendor and high-altitude glamour.
A favorite among the likes of Gigi Hadid, Tom Hanks and an international mix of jet-setting ski bunnies, Aspen’s world-class slopes, chic chalets, and bubbling après-ski scenes create an Alpine escape that blends adventure with star power.
It’s also a recommended recovery zone after a high profile breakup – Kendall Jenner went there after her split from Bad Bunny. (Who clearly, is a very bad bunny indeed.)
3. St. Barts: Caribbean Chic
What stars don’t go to St. Barts?
In the heart of the Caribbean, St. Barts, also sometimes spelled St. Barths but officially Saint Barthélemy, beckons with its see-and-be-seen allure.
If you missed Pippa Middleton or Cindy Crawford at the haute hotel Cheval Blanc St-Barth Isle de France, maybe you can catch music royalty like Beyoncé and Jay-Z or mega-rich Jeff Bezos on the beach.
Wherever you go on this petite 24-square-km island, its white sandy beaches and French-Caribbean charm promises nirvana for those seeking a laid-back, yet bling-filled tropical paradise.
4. Courchevel 1850, Skiing Sophistication in the French Alps
For celebrities in search of snowy sophistication, Courchevel is a mega-hot choice.
A top spot for luxury holidays in France, Courchevel is part of Les Trois Vallées, the largest ski area in the world, but you can’t just go to any old village in the region.
(I speak from experience. I skied at the Club Med Peisey Vallandry, and there wasn’t an A-lister in sight.)
Apres Ski With the Celebrities
No. If you want to rub shoulders with the super elite, beeline to Courchevel 1850, the most ultra-luxe of the villages that make up the greater Courchevel resort.
At the very least you’ll eat well. There are no less than 7 Michelin-star restaurants in this sleek and sexy alpine resort, but would you expect any less from France, the gastronomic center of the universe?
Celebs visitors like Kate Middleton, Prince Will, and George Clooney might prefer to fly under the radar here, but there’s no denying it’s a place of show-off-y excess.
Reportedly, Roman Abramovich, former owner of Chelsea Football Club, dropped more than $10,000 on a bottle of Bordeaux to use for mulled wine.
(And here I thought a $30 bottle of Zinfandel was a splurge.) Oh, those crazy oligarchs!
5. St. Moritz, Switzerland: Alpine Majesty
I love love love St. Moritz, even though I went in November, a time when anyone who is anyone wouldn’t be caught dead there.
Who cares? St. Moritz doesn’t need big names to give it superstar credibility, it’s a star in its own right, featuring in not one but two James Bond flicks.
A timeless favorite, where Alfred Hitchcock spent his honeymoon, this sublime Swiss ski resort exudes Alpine majesty and has been a playground for the wealthy for decades.
A Longtime Winter Favorite
Not as in-your-face flashy as ski towns like Courchevel or Verbier (which could have easily made this list), St. Moritz positively drips with class.
Even the Swedish royal family holidays here. (Not to mention Madonna, Kate Moss and Robert De Nero.)
From the poshly-perfect Badrutt’s Palace Hotel to the heart-stopping Cresta Run, the only bobsleigh run made of natural ice, it’s a perennial winter destination for the elite.
(Though personally, I don’t see what Prince Albert of Monaco sees in the ultra-private anything-goes Dracula Club. I’ve been there and it looks like a frat house. But I guess that’s the point.)
6. Los Cabos, Mexico: Baja Bliss
For the Hollywood elite, sun-drenched Cabo is an easy hop, skip and jump away.
On the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, Los Cabos is an A-lister beacon, shining strong in a colorless sea of non-celebrity destinations.
A unique blend of desert landscapes and seaside luxury, party-perfect Cabo has designer-chic resorts, insane nightlife, and endless ocean views.
Cabo – A Top Celebrity Warm Weather Hot Spot
(I heart the luxe Le Blanc Cabo Spa Resort, but if you’ve got your entourage with you, you’ll probably want a private villa. Maybe Oprah will let you use hers.)
Even though swimming in the ocean is dicey, with only a few beaches safe to wade into, there’s an infinite number of crystal-clear infinity pools and cocktail bars. No wonder Jennifer Aniston has been coming here for years.
7. Seychelles: Pristine Paradise
Seychelles, an Indian Ocean archipelago, is an exotic hideout for celebrities seeking untouched natural beauty.
Royals like Prince William and Kate Middleton, who honeymooned here, are drawn to its powder-white beaches, lush jungles, and private villas that add up to one whopping winter vacation paradise.
Which Seychelles Islands Are Favored by the Stars?
While I liked the sleepy beauty of La Digue Island, where everyone gets around by bicycle, North Island is where Will and Kate holed up, and Jennifer Anniston and Brad Pitt celebrated non-lasting honeymoon bliss at the Fregate Private Island resort.
8. Bora Bora, French Polynesia: Overwater Bliss
As the Seychelles honeymoon for Jennifer Aniston didn’t work out, our favorite Rom-Com actress tried again, this time vacationing in Bora Bora with Justin Theroux.
Hm. That didn’t work out so well either, but Bora Bora in the South Pacific still makes our list of top winter getaways for the stars.
A Romantic Celebrity Destination
And at least Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, who honeymooned here, are still together.
With coral reefs, turquoise lagoons, and opulent overwater bungalows, Bora Bora reigns supreme for celebrities seeking overwater luxury.
Just ask Vince Vaughn, who filmed Couples Retreat at the St. Regis Bora Bora Resort. Wait … didn’t he date Jennifer Aniston, too?
9. Turks and Caicos: Island Oasis
Matt Damon renewed his wedding vows on an island in this blissfully beautiful archipelago, Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber vacationed here (a million years ago when they were still together), and Oprah Winfrey may or may not own real estate here.
Turks and Caicos boasts sugar-sand beaches, swank accommodations like Jade Mountain and the Viceroy Sugar Resort and all the water sports you could wish for. What are we waiting for?
(And by the way, if you don’t have unlimited funds like these top stars, you may want to check out some affordable luxury Caribbean tips.)
10. Mustique: Exclusive Hideaway for Celebrity Sun Seekers
Let’s end this roundup of star-studded winter hangouts on a legendary note.
Mustique, a private island of mythic proportions, has been a celebrity retreat for rock stars, models and A-listers for decades.
After all, it’s where Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall were almost legally married!
While beloved celebs like David Bowie and Princess Margaret have sadly left the island (and us) for bigger vacation spots in the sky, you might still catch the Jagger kids or supermodel Cara Delevingne dancing down at Basil’s Bar.
Why Celebrity Vacations Inspire Us
From the sun-drenched Maldives to the snow-covered slopes of Aspen, these top celeb destinations showcase vacations to salivate over through the lens (and Instagram accounts) of the world’s most famous jet-setters.
In our own non celebrity world, complete with stress, heavy workloads, and grey drizzly weather, celebrity winter vacations offer a form of escapism, and encourage us to dream big about our own winter getaways.
They’re also good gossipy fun.
Read more: Want to travel like your favorite star? Don’t miss How to Travel Like an A-Lister.
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Bad Kissingen, a UNESCO Great Spa Town of Europe
Hi Kathryn, Since I limited this celeb article to 10 top winter destinations, I had to really slim it down. I wanted to include Anguilla as well as Costa Rica – decisions decisions. Sicily, though, would be more of a summer destination for me.
No Costa Rica in this list? Or Sicily/Sardinia after “White Lotus?”