Six TV series to inspire your next getaway from European wine villages to exotic islands
OFF THE BOX Six TV series to inspire your next getaway from European wine villages to exotic islands
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
ARE you struggling to think of where to go on your next holiday?
How about getting inspired from your favourite TV show?
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
14
Emily in Paris has given every fan a number of TV hot spots to find in the French capital
Credit: GIULIA PARMIGIANI/NETFLIX
14
White Lotus season three was filmed on Koh Samui
Credit: HBO
Whether you're a fan of the sun or want more of an active holiday, there are TV shows that have seen it all.
Here are the top six TV shows that have us wanting to book a getaway ASAP, from tiny villages in Portugal to beautiful vineyards.
White Lotus
Aside from the murder, weird goings on and strange guests at the White Lotus resort, it's an incredibly enviable holiday destination.
The very first season starring Jennifer Coolidge and Sydney Sweeney was filmed in the stunning Four Seasons resort in Hawaii.
For season two, they moved production to the Four Seasons San Domenico Hotel in Taormina, Sicily.
As for season three, it returns with eight episodes on February 16, 2025, where they filmed at the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui.
Koh Samui is a small island off the east coast of mainland Thailand making it the best place for diving and snorkelling.
The stunning desert paradise offers hillside villas, pools overlooking the ocean and personal residential assistants to help guests with whatever they need.
The fastest way to get to Koh Samui is by flying to Samui International Airport (USM). You can fly from Bangkok, the UK, or other cities in Thailand.
There are lots of attractions on the island, from a sunset cruise to visiting the Big Buddha Temple.
You can stay in these six holiday homes from TV & Film
14
The fastest way to get to Koh Samui is by flying to Samui International Airport
Credit: HBO
14
The series is set in the luxurious Four Seasons Resort
The Good Ship Murder
Much of the filming for this Channel 5 drama took place on the MSC Virtuosa, a cruise ship operating out of Southampton.
The ship is used for all the location shots while still carrying fee-paying passengers.
While there are a few murders, much of the show has a stunning backdrop because the majority is filmed in Malta.
The island country in the Med is the perfect place for a getaway and there are plenty of filming hot spots to hit if you're a fan of the series too.
Filming has previously taken place in the church in the village of Mellieha, Imġiebaħ Bay, St Christopher's Street, the Upper Barrakka Gardens, Victoria Gate which are all in Valletta, the country's capital.
14
The Good Ship Murder films on an actually cruise ship that goes out of Southampton
Credit: Channel 5
14
The majority of filming in series one took place in Malta's capital city, Valletta
Credit: Alamy
Love Island: All Stars
Reality fans are glued to the current Love Island series, but we're obsessed with the villa from Love Island: All Stars on ITV2.
In the backdrop of the Franschhoek winelands is the beautiful villa, Ludus Magnus.
If you don't need a resort, there are lots of apartments for rent around Franschhoek, which is an hour drive outside of South Africa's capital of Cape Town.
Franschhoek is known for being one of the most beautiful wine villages in the world and stands out as the premier wine and food region of South Africa.
There are lots of opportunities to explore the winelands and the neighbouring mountains by horse or tram.
14
The Ludus Magnus villa is in the Franschhoek winelands of South Africa
Credit: ITV
14
Franschhoek is an hour drive outside of South Africa's capital, Cape Town
Credit: Getty
Emily in Paris
Luckily for us, a trip to Paris is pretty easy thanks to the Eurostar. Emily and her French pals have given us plenty of places to check out.
From the Bistro Terra Nera which doubles as Gabriel's Restaurant. Emily's go-to bakery is La Boulangerie Moderne, and her famous apartment is just around the corner on Place de l'Estrapade.
As fans know, in season four, the characters ventured out of Paris and went to the French Alps.
They stayed in the Haute-Savoie town of Megève which is the perfect place for a skiing break.
14
You can visit Emily's favourite haunts in Paris like the Bistro Terra Nera which doubles as Gabriel's Restaurant
Credit: © 2024 Netflix, Inc.
14
The French town of Megève, Haute-Savoie is perfect for a skiing holiday
The Split: Barcelona
The Split spin-off in Barcelona aired its finale in December 2024. If you couldn't stop checking out the beautiful scenery, then make sure to book a trip to the Spanish capital.
The characters are reunited at a wedding that takes place in a vineyard - one you can go to.
The Torre del Veguer vineyard is in Sant Pere de Ribes. The vineyard is located about an hour and a half's drive from Barcelona.
The vineyard offers lots of activities from yoga and wine sessions, wine pairing experiences and a tours of the vineyard which come before a wine tasting.
14
The Torre del Veguer vineyard is in Sant Pere de Ribes
Credit: BBC
14
The vineyard offers lots of activities like yoga and wine sessions
Credit: PA
House of the Dragon
The Game of Thrones spin-off used so many locations to create the other world of Westeros.
A lot of the backdrop you see is actually filmed in Wales and Cornwall, but there are a few of locations outside of the UK too.
Monsanto in Portugal doubles for Dragonstone, the ancestral home for House Targaryen, one of the forty dragonlord families, in the first season.
The village is perched on top of a hill is famous for its ancient castle, boulders and is considered one of the most picturesque villages in Portugal.
If you fancy a stay in the village, there are some charming Airbnb's available to rent for as little as £80 per night.
14
Monsanto in Portugal doubles for Dragonstone, the ancestral home for House Targaryen
Credit: Home Box Office
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Billy Joel tells Bill Maher he's over what 'woke' people think of him
Billy Joel might go to extremes - but woke isn't one of them. The famed singer and pianist, 76, was the latest to appear on the Club Random podcast with Bill Maher, where he vented about the current state of politics and social norms while speaking about his new two-part HBO documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes. 'At this point… I'm inured to it,' the five-time Grammy winner, sitting in his home in front of his piano, told the outspoken media personality Maher, who has had his own ideological clashes with the left. The Bronx-born musical artist was asked about his take on contemporary culture - citing his 1976 track Angry Young Man - and didn't hold anything back. The song features the lyrics: 'I believe I've passed the age, of consciousness and righteous rage, I found that just surviving was a noble fight / I once believed in causes too, I had my pointless point of view, and life went on no matter who was wrong or right.' Maher sang the lyrics and said he was sure the generation gap in play would inevitably lead to misguided takes on the issue. 'I feel like that is the message of the age, even though some people will hear that and say, "Look at these two a*******!"' The Piano Man artist added, 'Boomers.' Maher said that in contemporary culture, people on the left get upset when others don't blindly agree in their condemnation of President Donald Trump. Maher cited lyrics from Joel's 1982 song Goodnight Saigon, in reference to the Vietnam War. The song included the lines, 'And who was wrong? And who was right? It didn't matter in the thick of the fight.' Maher asked Joel, 'Do you still feel that way?' who responded that he did. Said Maher, 'And you don't care what they say about you – the woke?' The Just The Way You Are singer responded, 'At this point, no.' Joel said that when he doesn't agree with someone, he makes a point to try to understand where they are coming from in their respective viewpoints. 'I'm always trying to find out the other point of view,' Joel said. 'What's, you know, not my point of view - somebody else's point of view. 'Okay, I'd like to understand why they think that way.' Maher said he feels that it's 'so difficult in this day and age' to have those discussions. 'I mean it is what I am always trying to do on my show,' said Maher, a graduate of the Ivy League's Cornell University. 'It is, look, this is one safe space for everybody and I will take the heat from either – both sides. 'I mean I do feel like the left, who, ironically I'm more actually aligned with, is more snippy about it, and has a worse attitude about it, and makes me viscerally not like them more sometimes.' The chat between Joel and Maher also ventured into how the proliferation of social media has changed the landscape. 'People say things all the time on [social media] they would never say, if they had to say it to your face,' Maher told Joel. Joel replied, 'It just always surprises me how people, they express this hatred - it's like, you hate a musician because he wrote something?'
Spectator
2 hours ago
- Spectator
The English pinot noir that rivals Burgundy
England is now and history. The other day, in the Weald of Kent, now was England and pleasure. We were visiting the Balfour Winery, near Staplehurst, on an enticing midsummer day. This was a quintessential English landscape. To the left, a wood with classically English trees. To the right, a country house. In the distance, an oast house. We were viewing all this from a balcony, after an excellent lunch based on local ingredients, with wine pairings, that I reckon was worth a Michelin star. The scallops were as good as I have ever tasted. The locals are aware of the neighbouring asset: the previous Saturday, the restaurant had served 750 guests. But the kitchen has a problem. Jake Goodsell, the chef, is only 25. A splendid fellow, he is full of ambition. There must be the likelihood that his fame will spread and that he might come to be recognised as one of the most promising chefs in the country, with the headhunters taking a close interest. The locals are wise to enjoy him while they can. At one point, a plane passed overhead, leaving a vapour trail. That made me pensive, albeit briefly. A little more than 80 years ago, there would have been vapour trails in these skies, with young pilots who did not always come back. ('Never in the field…') Amid this benign landscape – England's pastoral symphony – it is easy to forget that history was not always gentle. Often, it was fought over and fine men shed life's blood to protect it. Yet it was worth the sacrifice. Be it a winery, a regiment or a minister's private office, one can always tell a happy ship, where everybody is committed and feels valued. Thus it is at Balfour. There is a delightful girl called Alannah Bayard. She arrived on a visit and then more or less refused to leave, insisting that they must give her a job. They did, under the aegis of a benign family. She is now Balfour's head of brand. This brings us to the least typically English aspect of this glorious affair: it is a formidable winery. From the balcony, one sees not only woodland but wonderful rows of vines. Twenty-odd years ago, Leslie Balfour-Lynn found herself in charge of a family house surrounded by 400 acres which she did not wish to see despoiled by the developers. So she turned the land into a vineyard. She realised that in both geology and climate, it had much in common with French wine regions. Like all the best wine-makers who always want their bottles to go to a good home, she fell in love with her product. Thus far, Balfour has concentrated on sparkling wine and pinot noir. The Balfour brut rosé and reserve brut have both won awards and medals. This is serious fizz. The pinot noir is also serious stuff. It is often regarded as being a truculent grape, a reputation encouraged by the Burgundians, who would like us to believe that they and only they can be trusted to make it. But Balfour has produced not one but two pinot noirs. The Luke's is fine; the Signature is really special. When Balfour started off, it dismissed all the naysayers who were so free with pessimistic counsel by saying: 'Well, if it doesn't sell, we can always drink it.' Nowadays, that would be no easy task. Last year, it produced 800,000 bottles. Balfour also makes beer and cider. But vinous fame is its spur. The people there relish their craft and the thought of further horizons. It is an inspiring place to visit and it has connections with local pubs that have old-fashioned names and can accommodate guests and arrange to transport them to the winery. In a country hardly replete with good news it is a delight to come across some, in excelsis.
Spectator
2 hours ago
- Spectator
The nostalgic joy of Frinton-on-Sea
For the recent heatwave, it was my mission to escape our little Wiltshire cottage, where it hit 35°C. It has one of those very poor structural designs unique to Britain that, like plastic conservatories or the Tube, is useless in hot weather. First, we went to stay with friends in Frinton-on-Sea with our English bulldog, who was born in nearby Clacton and is shamelessly happy to be back among his people. Some years ago I lived in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, a living museum of America's pre-revolutionary settler history. Frinton doesn't go quite that far – there are no ersatz yeomen milking doleful cows – but to visit is to enter a time warp back to the mid-1930s. It's the sort of place where Hercule Poirot might solve a crime while en vacances. The town's heyday was the first half of the 20th century, when society notables including Churchill and Edward VII came to enjoy the solemn whimsy of ornate villas (Dutch gables, gothic crenellations and French balconies to the owner's taste), the pristine golf course and the elegant lawn tennis club. Most famous of all are the beach huts, a long, neat row on stilts, which contain so many people's early memories. My grandmother lived near Colchester and every summer my mother courageously carted her six children (and, on two occasions, a cat in a basket) from Wales, across the London Underground and out to Essex for a week. Encounters with childhood nostalgia can be disappointing. The den from primary school has been tarmacked over. A favourite climbing tree has blown down. Caramac bars have been discontinued. Frinton, though, is just as I remember it. The sweet shop, the greensward, the wooden groynes covered in seaweed. The big sky and murky sea. Second homes and holiday lets are rare. Deep consideration is given to what innovations might lower the tone, and most things are rejected. There is now one pub, which opened 25 years ago, and one fish and chip shop that started in 1992. Huts have been painted cheerful pastel colours instead of the original dark brown. Other than that, Frinton is unchanged. Is the town an example of stout local pride or stick-in-the-mud nimbyism? With its mad but lovely housing stock and proximity to London, it might have become England's answer to East Hampton were the local council and residents not so resistant to change. As it is, you can't even sell ice creams on the seafront. I like it. Tucked into Nigel Farage's constituency, Frinton embodies the 'good old days' that so many Reform-minded people want to get back to, because those days simply never left them. Two days later, via London where I record the Telegraph's Daily T podcast with Tim Stanley, we head west to my parents' house in [redacted] Pembrokeshire. The small coastal town is another delight, the secret of which makes locals and lifelong holidaymakers cry when they see it featured in Sunday supplement 'best places to stay' lists in case it attracts the kind of hordes who block up Cornish lanes with their enormous Range Rovers. Costa del Cymru is a balmy 30°C and plays host to an unwelcome shoal of jellyfish who park up in the bay and a raucously fun farm wedding above the golf course. By day we swim, sandcastle, and siesta in front of the cricket and tennis. In the afternoons we loll in the garden and, in lieu of a children's paddling pool, have great results with a washing up bowl and the lovely sensation of sticking your finger up a gushing hosepipe. At night we are treated to lobster – proudly potted by Dad – white wine and the blissful sensation of snuggling down under a duvet against the slight chill. It's a deeper sleep than we've had in weeks. At the end of the stay, Mum and I try on some hats for my sister's impending wedding, then we play a tedious game of suitcase Tetris before travelling home in heavy rain. I drive and my husband works. It makes me think of how robust the constitutions of cabinet ministers must be, seeing as they do most of their box work from the back of a car and aren't sick. We arrive home to a dead lawn and the creepers of wisteria climbing into our bedroom windows like The Day of the Triffids. I check my weather apps – variable and unsettled; ho hum – and get back to work on my latest novel, which is about the shenanigans of randy young farmers in the countryside. That night I lie awake on top of the sheets in the humid darkness, sure I can ever so faintly hear the crash of waves and the cry of gulls. There is no refreshing waft of breeze, neither easterly nor westerly.
