The White Sand, Red Carpet Lifestyle in Miami
Miami has a reputation for being Florida’s playground for the rich and famous. With a comfortable tropical climate, beautiful beaches and luxury hotels, it attracts celebrities escaping America’s colder cities for weeks at a time. Expedia’s Aussie travellers usually spend 3-4 days in the seaside city, but that’s plenty of time to eat and drink with the beautiful people. Here’s our guide to a few out-of-this-world experiences.
Star spotting
There are two types of stars to be spotted in Miami – the ones you can see twinkling through a telescope at the Miami Museum of Science and Space Transit Planetarium and the ones who regularly flock to restaurant hot-spot Mr Chow.
If you enjoyed the out-of-this-world experience offered at the planetarium, launch yourself further into space with a visit to the Kennedy Space Center. It’s closer to Orlando than Miami, but the Astronaut Hall of Fame and ground-shaking shuttle launch experience make it worth taking a break from the tanning to make the day trip.
Back in South Beach (that’s SoBe to the locals), as the sun goes down the beautiful people come out to play and Mr Chow, located in the super-glamorous W hotel, is where they go to eat. The 123-foot-long chandelier, dripping with gold leaf and sparkling Swarovski crystals, runs the length of the dining room and sets the tone for an A-lister evening of mingling and munching. The modern Chinese menu features (allegedly) one of the best Beijing duck dishes in the world.
Walk the runway
Cameras at the ready – check out Miami’s best angles on a Hop-on Hop-off tour. Choose between a Beach Loop or City Loop and explore as many of the 20 stop-off points across the city as you can. From the historic villa and stunning gardens of Vizcaya Museum and the flora and fauna at Jungle Island zoological park, to the buzzing nightlife of Little Havana and the colourful Art Deco District, Miami is picture-perfect. Later, you can indulge your own aspirations of being a supermodel as you strut your stuff at the Townhouse Hotel. The rooftop lounge has been the beautiful backdrop for a number of fashion shoots, including Vanity Fair and Cosmopolitan. The deck is lined with sun loungers during the day so you can perfect your tan for an evening at the hotel’s bar where there’s an all-organic menu.
Join the jet-set
Bringing a splash of the French Riviera to Miami Beach is La Côte. Housed in the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, this exclusive beach-club-meets-stylish-cafe is the perfect place to sip a cocktail (perhaps a French Press – a mix of vodka, fresh watermelon and cane nectar) before dining on Mediterranean-style tapas. Oversized sunglasses optional. The hotel itself is also not to be missed – with six oceanfront pools and a luxury spa, it’s worth the splurge. There’s also 11 restaurants, including a branch of the internationally renowned Hakkasan by Alan Yau.
If the idea of being transported to Cannes isn’t enough, take to the air yourself on a Grand Miami Air Tour gliding over Miami’s beaches and the Venetian Causeway (the bridge that crosses Biscayne Bay) before soaring past the multimillion dollar homes that line the waterfront.
Embrace your inner VIP
Where do the political elite party when they come to Miami? Well, the fritas served at El Mago de las Fritas (5828 SW 8th Street) made the headlines when President Obama dined there a few years ago. These paprika-spiced and onion-topped hamburgers are deliciously juicy and served with a side of crispy shoestring fries. Alternatively, opt for a Cuban sandwich – made with ham, roast pork, cheese, pickles and mustard. The family-run joint has been serving this full-to-bursting sarnie since 1984. You might not spot any passing dignitaries on the day you visit, but there’s a good chance you will glimpse the king of the jungle on an animal safari at Jungle Island, home to both a white tiger and a snow leopard. In addition, a 90-minute guided tour will take in penguins and lemurs, before stopping off to meet reptile handlers and bird trainers in action.
Where to stay
For the last few years South Beach was the place to be, but Expedia’s Aussie travellers are a clever bunch staying on trend and trying out hotels at Main Beach and downtown Miami. EPIC, A Kimpton Hotel is, contrary to the name, a boutique hotel. Good things come in small packages – there’s a stunning roof top pool, a private marina for you to dock right on the Miami River and rooms with plenty of style. If you want to stay right on the beach, you can’t get much closer than the Grand Beach Hotel. For more ideas on when to go and where to stay, check out the Expedia Miami Travel Guide.
Images by Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Fontainebleau Hotel, La Cote Restaurant and Alexander Demyanenko
More Articles With Adventure
When was the last time you went skiing? Were there heated walkways, free bubbles, hot toddies, hot tubs, and roaring fireplaces? We didn’t think so. If you haven’t been to Northstar California Resort, in North Lake Tahoe, you haven’t done skiing right. Here’s 10 reasons why this North American ski resort will take your winter… Continue reading 10 reasons Northstar shines bright in snow season
This article is a joint partnership between Expedia and Air Vanuatu. Being a mere three-hour flight from Sydney, two-and-a-half hours from Brisbane, and from June 2019, just over four hours from Melbourne, Vanuatu is the South Pacific neighbour where your family can have an active holiday and experience real island life. Immerse in the cultural… Continue reading 5 reasons to go to Vanuatu in 2019
More than four million people have climbed to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and for International Women’s Day, BridgeClimb celebrated with a very special Power Climb made up of inspiring Australian women. The three hour BridgeClimb celebrates women working together, ‘rising above’ to achieve their dreams and marks the first of many series… Continue reading BridgeClimb takes International Women’s Day to new heights
It’s dark outside the four-wheel drive, Mexico’s highways are quiet at 4am, there’s just us and a few passing cars on the road for the two and a bit hour drive. The sky hasn’t started to lighten as we hop out of the car, stretch our legs and slowly walk into the park. Passing through… Continue reading How to take the best photographs of Chichen Itza
What’s roughly the same size as Singapore, had its own Ice Age and is just a few hours away from Australia? Trust us, you won’t guess because we’re talking about Lake Taupo. Located on New Zealand’s North Island, four hours drive south east of Auckland, Lake Taupo is in fact the same size as Singapore.… Continue reading Why Taupo needs to be on your to do list