Los Angeles

The sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles is thought of as America’s second city, behind New York of course.  Whilst famed for its movie industry, Los Angeles is also a multi-faceted creative city, home as well to fashion, art, music, literature and theatre.  It’s thought that almost 20% of the city’s residents have a job in a creative industry.  “The City of Angels” is also home to many fine museums and admirable art galleries with a cutting edge, and is a gastronomic paradise.

Los Angeles is not just a 44-mile wide metropolis; it is the ideal base to use to explore the natural surroundings of California and in which to relax along its golden beaches.

Just to complete your experience, you are less than a few miles drive from some of the most exclusive vineyards in the world, a hike in the High Mojave desert or even ski-ing at Big Bear.

LA is a wonderful place to visit, no matter the time of year.  It’s only really January and February when the temperature dips below warm, especially in the evening.  Summer is hot but seldom oppressive.  All year fog comes off the ocean onto the beaches, so don’t expect to catch much sun in the early part of the morning.

The city is mainly served by Los Angeles International Airport.  The city is so large that a hire car is the only purposeful way by which to get around – driving is LA is not too difficult as traffic is generally packed and hence slow moving.  Don’t forget, as with all travel into the US these days, make sure you’ve filled in an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) online before you travel.  If you really don’t fancy driving in the US, then LA does have an effective and affordable public transportation system.  Accommodation, as with all major US cities, is plentiful and you will easily be able to find somewhere to suit your budget.

Places to visit in LA include the Griffin Observatory, a modern building to see the skies and with a breath-taking view over the city and an excellent planetarium.  Nearby are the LA Zoo and the Museum of the American West.  If you are art-lover the city has a number of exceptional galleries – the main ones to check out are the Getty Center which houses antiquities that date as far back as Ancient Greece, and MOCA where you’ll find pieces that are right up to date.

For the fun-seekers, there’s Universal Studios, the sister to the site in Florida, with its thrilling rides based on movies such as King Kong, Shrek and The Mummy, as well as TV shows such as The Simpsons.  For your night-life LA has many bars and restaurants situated downtown, although don’t expect to be partying until the smallest hours.  LA likes to rise early and most places are shut by two in the morning.

Los Angeles is a proud place that takes its fun and heritage seriously, and enjoys its status as one of the most creative places on Earth.  Book your holiday to Los Angeles today for a varied, exhilarating and fun-soaked experience you’ll have a hard time ever topping.