The locations in movies and books can be so vivid that once you finish, you’re left thinking: “Wouldn’t it be great to take a trip there?” Here are some ideas for travel based on films and literature.
The recent Hollywood blockbuster “Crazy Rich Asians” offers a scenic look at the bustling, cosmopolitan island nation of Singapore. Visit one of the hawker centers filled with food stalls selling authentic cuisine and enjoy the panoramic view from the observation deck of the 55-story Marina Bay Sands Resort.
Fans who want to see the fantasy-inspired landscape of “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” can visit many of the locations in New Zealand where they were filmed. Take a tour of the Hobbiton Movie Set in the rolling green hills of Waikato or go to the top of forested Mount Victoria in the capital, Wellington.
If “Under the Tuscan Sun” has you dreaming of Italy, plan a visit to the charming hilltop town of Cortona, where the movie takes place. You can use it as a base for exploring the beautiful region of Tuscany. Visit the town’s main plaza, the nearby Baroque Church of San Filippo Neri and Bramasole, the villa that Diane Lane’s character buys in the movie.
Fans of Dashiell Hammett novels, and Humphrey Bogart films, can see locations from “The Maltese Falcon” on a trip to San Francisco. Like private detective Sam Spade, you can dine at John’s Grill, one of the city’s oldest steak and seafood restaurants. Spade’s dinner is still on the menu – lamb chops with a baked potato and sliced tomatoes.
London is home to nearly a dozen sites from the Harry Potter movies, making it a great destination for fans of all ages. You can visit Kings Cross Station, where young wizards board the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9¾. The ornate Victorian-era Leadenhall Market stands in for Diagon Alley. Other film locations include Piccadilly Circus and the Reptile House at the London Zoo.
Take a trip back in time to the 19th-century world of “Little Women” with a visit to Concord, Massachusetts, northwest of Boston. Orchard House, where Louisa May Alcott wrote and set her novel, is now a museum. Alcott and her family once owned many of the items on display.
A trip along the Mississippi River is the perfect way to take in places associated with Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Stop in Hannibal, Missouri, where the author grew up, to visit his boyhood home and take a cruise on the Mark Twain Riverboat.
Travel Leaders advisors can also book clients on tours that offer literary opportunities. Seabourn Cruises, for example, includes Arts Conversations on some of its voyages with experts in music, theater, dance, film and literature. Classic Vacations has a three-hour literary walking tour of Paris that covers the period from the 18th century onward, as well as a private Book Lovers’ Tour.
For help planning a visit to a place associated with your favorite films or books, contact your travel advisor at Travel Leaders / Destinations Unlimited.