Whether it’s an Eat, Pray, Love-themed excursion to Bali, a Lord of the Rings sojourn in New Zealand or a Game of Thrones trip to Croatia, the silver screen has long inspired us to see the world anew. With the advent of streaming, this Hollywood influence has become even more profound, with trending shows wielding immense power in driving traffic to certain destinations or even specific stores. From Mad Max-inspired sojourns into the Australian Outback to chasing down your own K-drama moment in Seoul’s chic departmental stores and exploring Bridgerton-style aristocratic glam in Bath, here are seven destinations to visit to feel like you’re in a movie or a top TV show.
Singapore
For a taste of the high life in this sophisticated city state
Hollywood blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians is a fantastical tale of generational wealth and family ties in Asia. But aside from raising the curtain on how the rich supposedly roll in this region, it also showcases dozens of beautiful places in Singapore where most of the film was set. Raffles Hotel and Marina Bay Sands make an expected appearance – they are icons of the Lion City after all – but there’s plenty of reasons to venture beyond the five-star hotels.
Check out spots like Bukit Pasoh, a buzzing street lined with bars and restaurants where Rachel (Constance Wu) and Peik Lin (Awkwafina) have a heart-to-heart chat, and visit Newton Food Centre, where Henry Golding’s character Nick Young binges on local hawker dishes upon landing on the island.
If you’re smitten by the mahjong scene in a Peranakan shophouse (which was actually filmed in Penang), head to the neighbourhood of Joo Chiat where a large cluster of these conservation shophouses remain.
Seoul
For a closer look at South Korea’s trend-setting capital
From BTS to BLACKPINK, the power of Korean popular culture shows no signs of waning – and that’s just referring to their music. Films like Oscar-winning Parasite have opened everyone’s eyes to the amazing Korean talent and productions, while K-dramas inspired them to travel and embark on location tours.
In Gangnam, you can listen to Psy’s hit song, “Gangnam Style”, while admiring its gleaming skyscrapers or dancing inside one of its stylish nightclubs. Meanwhile, fans of Queen of Tears, the highest-rated K-drama of all time, may want to visit places like the Korean Stone Art Museum in the historic district of Seongbuk-dong, the popular department store The Hyundai Seoul as well as the stylish Sheraton Grand Walkerhill Hotel, which has a beautiful view of the city across the Han River. If you’re heading east of the capital, make your way to The Forum, a cultural space designed by Jaime Hayon that spans the entire ninth floor of The Hyundai Daegu.
Sydney
For cinematic landscapes in Australia’s New South Wales
From the pristine Great Barrier Reef to the majestic Uluru (Ayers Rock), Australia boasts plenty of dramatic landscapes. It’s also blessed with vast uninhabited land and varied terrain, which makes it the perfect set for the post-apocalyptic Mad Max series. The latest instalment is Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, which will be released at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival. Like the other films, it was shot in several locations in New South Wales including Broken Hill, Hay and Kurnell.
Faraway Downs, Baz Luhrmann’s latest release on Hulu, is an expanded take of his 2008 film, Australia, which follows the journey of Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) who travels from England to Australia planning to sell her husband’s ranch but then falls in love with the business and the local drover played by Hugh Jackman. The series features never-before-seen footage shot in Sydney and the rest of New South Wales, but also showcases the rest of the country including the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia. Get a feel of life in the outback at Garrawilla Cattle Station Adventure or enjoy a more luxurious countryside escape at Spicers Sangoma Retreat.
Paris
For a stylish sojourn in the world’s most romantic city
The majestic Eiffel Tower, the charming district of Montmartre and the magnificent Pont Neuf have graced our screens in the likes of Amélie and Midnight in Paris. Yet no movie or television show has boosted the French capital as much as Emily in Paris – a blockbuster Netflix series following the life of a young American (Lily Collins) making her way in the City of Light. The show effectively uses the whole city as a set and fans love the sense of escapism it provides, especially when it launched during the pandemic.
The “Emily effect”, as it’s called, is the most compelling modern-day example of set-jetting with crowds heading to La Boulangerie Moderne for a pain au chocolat, Bistro Terra Nera (Gabriel’s restaurant in the series) to see its distinctive crimson facade, and the elegant Place de Valois on the 1st arrondissement where Savoir (Emily’s office) is located. If you’re looking for somewhere sedate that also features on screen, the private Jardin du Luxembourg where Emily goes for a run in Season 3, is a lovely spot for a relaxing daytime stroll.
Sicily
For a multi-stop tour of luxurious spots
“Going to Sicily is better than going to the moon,” said Gabriel García Márquez. Everyone who has seen HBO Max’s The White Lotus Season 2 set on the island would readily agree. The award-winning black comedy TV series follows employees and guests of the fictional White Lotus hotel and their interactions. The second chapter of the drama anthology was primarily filmed in Taormina (to get here, hop on a domestic flight from Rome). In true luxury, they took over the photogenic Four Seasons San Domenico Palace, which is said to be fully booked for years to come.
Aside from Taormina, the series also featured other parts of Sicily including Palermo, where they went to the stunning Palazzo Conte Federico that’s open for public tours. One of the most memorable settings is Noto, where characters Daphne (Meghann Fahy) and Harper (Aubrey Plaza) spend a night in the remarkable Villa Tasca – now available to rent on Airbnb. Perhaps the most striking Sicilian icon that appears in various episodes is Mount Etna; get a closer look at the active volcano at Planeta Sciaranuova Winery, where you can savour a glass of local wine while basking in one of the world’s most beguiling views.
Bath
For an immersion in England’s old-world grandeur
From the Roman baths to the honey-hued limestone buildings, there’s a multitude of reasons to visit the historic city of Bath. Located over an hour away from London by train, it’s always been a popular day trip destination, but it’s risen in popularity thanks to the success of Bridgerton, a hit Netflix series about a fictional family’s trials and tribulations in the competitive world of Regency-era London in the early 1800s.
This Unesco World Heritage Site boasts plenty of handsome Georgian terraces and even period lamp posts that instantly transport one to the past. Merely strolling along the quaint Trim Street, the imposing colonnade-lined Bath Street and through the elegant Beauford Square is enough to take you back 200 years. Don’t miss the Royal Crescent, a local landmark that has a grand, curved terrace and a spacious grassy lawn in front. The nearby No. 1 Royal Crescent was also used as the Featheringtons’ London home in the series.
Chicago
For a delicious bite of a progressive American city
While New York and Los Angeles are basically mainstays in film and television, other American cities also get their time in the limelight. Over the last year, there’s growing interest in Chicago – accessible by train via New York – thanks to The Bear, an award-winning drama that follows Carmy (played by Jeremy Allen White), a young chef from the fine dining world returning to Chicago to run his family’s sandwich shop, which he then transforms into a culinary winner.
Naturally, many of the spots featured in the series are food-related including Kasama, the world’s first Filipino restaurant to get a Michelin Star, where Carmy’s sous chef Sydney (Ayo Edibiri) orders mushroom adobo (a popular Filipino stew) and the breakfast sandwich with longanisa (a Spanish sausage similar to chorizo).
Two pizza places make an appearance too: Pequod’s and Pizza Lobo. In an episode called “Sundae”, Syd finishes her food tour at Margie’s Candies in Logan Square, a 90-year-old ice cream parlour that is a local institution. Food aside, follow Syd’s journey on the architecture river cruise to marvel at Chicago’s splendid cityscape.
