A Stop Over in Los Angeles

I would 100% recommend a short stopover in LOS ANGELES on the way to Australia or New Zealand. I did this in March and had a fantastic time! Here are my top tips on what to do in a day or two in LA. DAY 1 After a good night's sleep don't be tempted to do too much on the first day! Get a car and head on down to Malibu for gorgeous beaches and gorgeous people watching. We relaxed on the sand watching the seals, dolphins and a photo shoot, then went for dinner overlooking the bay in a lovely restaurant with spectacular views and even more spectacular food. I can highly recommend the fried oysters. We drove back to Hollywood spotting all the super cars on the way and then down Sunset with all it's famous landmarks such as The Viper Room and Whisky a Go Go. DAY 2 - Morning We were staying in West Hollywood so a good place to start exploring is The Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. This area is full of shops, places to eat and street entertainers, lots of Hollywood Film History tours and the Walk of Fame is a MUST. We spent ages here taking pictures and comparing hand/shoe sizes to the stars! This is also the place to hop on a Homes of the Stars tour. We stopped for lunch at an All American Burger joint and were not disappointed! HUGE portions and super tasty. DAY 2 - Afternoon After lunch we hailed a cab and headed on down to Melrose for some shopping and people watching. There are a huge range of eclectic boutiques, all individual and it has a great mix of glam, grunge, vintage, upscale and affordable clothing. Next we walked to Paramount Studios, a real live working studio (not a theme park) and took a 2 hour tour. The guide was great, interesting, fun and full of knowledge and we saw lots of outfits and props from films such as Zoolander, Transformers, Bad Grandpa and Star Trek. We toured the back lots including a whole New York street and tv studios, learned a few insider secrets and history of the stars and studio and even sat on the bench from Forest Gump. We also learned about the iconic Paramount Arch with the Hollywood sign in the background. A great way to spend the afternoon without the hustle and bustle of the main theme parks.