Missing out on your summer break? We hear ya! The team over at Lightfoot Travel have put together their list of the 8 best travel movies of all time to inspire your next vacay
There are so many things we love to do in Hong Kong. From hitting the hiking trails to shopping vintage clothing and even indulging in water sports; there’s nothing this SAR doesn’t have. And while nobody knows when we will next be travelling, the team at Lightfoot Travel are here to reveal their favourite films for escapism. 3, 2, 1, – Action!
Olie Lever: Romancing the Stone
“Growing up with Colombian friends, and watching Romancing the Stone as a teenager enticed me to want to visit Colombia. Seeing Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner in Cartagena, with him holding on to a crocodiles’ tail from the ramparts of a fort, I knew I had to visit this hot, humid and exciting city. Once I finally did, I realised that part of the movie was filmed in San Juan in Puerto Rico….oh the disappointment! But it was short lived. Cartagena is my favourite city in the region, with the influence of the Caribbean being felt in the people, climate and cuisine. A real melting pot of a place which rounds off any trip to South America.”
Nikki Pang: Lost in Translation
“Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson and a dire dose of jetlag make Lost in Translation my ultimate travel movie. There’s something so whimsical yet gritty about how Tokyo is portrayed. So much takes place inside the now iconic Park Hyatt Tokyo but the glimpses we get of the city and its inhabitants are fascinating. From the serene Joganji temple to the frenetic neon lights of Shinjuku and the scramble of people and traffic outside Shibuya train station, this film can’t help but pique your curiosity about Japan. It also inspires you to try karaoke!”
Nico Heath: Lord of the Rings
“I first read Lord of the Rings when I was about eight-years-old at school and have read it many times since. When you watch the movie though, you become completely absorbed by the scenery of Middle Earth in New Zealand. Watching it made me want to go to New Zealand and to Queenstown especially. In actual fact, the scenery is more breathtaking in real life.”
Lucy Jackson: The Talented Mr. Ripley
“Witness the Italian coast at its finest with incredible scenery, and an amazing wardrobe. Visually, it’s an absolute treat: the villa where Dickie (Jude Law) turns out to have ensconced himself; the courtyard outside Marge’s (Gwyneth Paltrow) place, and the St Regis Hotel in Rome where Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) checks in. The 1950s backdrop is super-romantic with vespa rides around the cobbled streets and grandiose buildings as a backdrop to this psychological thriller. The Talented Mr. Ripley is one of the best films to come out of the 90s, and the reason I picked Italy for my own honeymoon!”
Diana Fung: Eat, Pray, Love
“Eat, Pray, Love is such a classic odyssey of a woman searching for the meaning of life. At a time when it was assumed that she had it all, she chucked in her career and relationship to explore with the ‘Eat’ element in Italy and pasta and gelato galore; ‘Pray’ in India where often our clients often head for yearly pilgrimages; and Bali, where she found ‘Love’. Julia Roberts navigates her journey in a way that is believable and envy inducing – who wouldn’t want a year out to travel and find oneself again …?”
Harsha Ogale: The Motorcycle Diaries
“Tracing the route that 23-year-old Che Guevara explored on his journey from Brazil to Peru, The Motorcycle Diaries is a fascinating insight into the man before he became a revolutionary. During this eight-month journey prior to finishing his medical studies, he witnesses the disparity across South America and what starts as a real adventure becomes a mission of self-discovery. As he travels, you’re taken through mountains, deserts, waterfalls, and wild, remote areas, but it’s the movie’s feeling of freshness and possibility – and the fact that travel changes you more than you think – that also stays with you.”
Jo Upcraft: Sideways
“Sideways is a charming film that transports you to the rolling hills of California’s wine country, and it not only makes you want to hit the road in a convertible, but also crack open a bottle of red. As the two main characters, Miles and Jack, wind their way through the Santa Ynez Valley grape-growing region, we learn about their friendship and their diminishing hopes and dreams. It’s thought-provoking, funny and slightly melancholy, but mostly this film invites you to sit back and take stock of life with a fine pinot noir in hand (which is essentially what I think all the best holidays should do).”
Matt Vlemiks: The Godfather
“Despite the subject matter, The Godfather has been a massive pull for tourism in Sicily for close to 40 years. While most of the action takes place in America, Al Pacino’s exile in Sicily – when he visits the village of Corleone, falls in love and generally keeps a low profile – is the most scenic and cinematic in the film. A long-time favourite film of mine, today Lightfoot Travel can organise The Godfather themed guided tours of Sicily for avid fans. It’s on my bucket-list to go on one!”