Hotels in Los Angeles

Don't go to LA, because you will fall in love with the place and want to move there! Ok, seriously... LA is amazing. Even people on the street are friendly. I live in Sydney where people don't talk to each other and no one has time for anyone. LA is an accepting place that feels like home every time I go. Sure your transport times are longer than most other cities, LA is spread out. Plan your day spending time walking around in pocket areas and avoid going across town unless needed. Use uber when needed and avoid taxis. Make sure you know the best route to get around because taxi or über drivers will take you the longer way. Must do's: Venice beach Santa Monica beach and pier Malibu Beach Malibu Nobu restaurant A hike in pacific palisades Daily morning hike at Runyon canyon Shop at the Beverly Hills shopping district Cheesecake Factory (Beverly hills or the grove - it's much more than what it sounds!!) Stay at SIXTY hotel as there is an rooftop bar and pool. One of the best views around town. Shop at the Grove and Century city Westfield Find local Cafes for better priced foods Check out West Hollywood and Santa Monica Blvd gay or not - check out the clubs on SMB. Mickeys and Revolver for a fun time. Tender Greens on SMB for a good feed Visit universal studios (catch an uber to universal city) Check out the Hollywood strip especially TLC Chinese theatre for a screening of the latest blockbuster movie. If you need US dollars, go to Bank of America and get a cash withdraw as there are not many Foreign Exchange services for those who live outside of United States. If you have a US bank account then most banks will dispense USD to their customers. Carry your passport with you to restaurants if you are going to be drinking, drivers licences are not accepted at some places. Spend at least 10 days in LA, ideally 14 days. Also visit San Francisco, Laguna Beach and San Diego.

I stayed in a hotel in Melrose Avenue which gave good access to sights such as the La Brea tar pits, Griffith Observatory, Paramount Pictures Studios, Hollywood Boulevard and the California Science Centre where the Natural History Museum, Memorial Coliseum (Olympic Stadium) and the Endeavour Space Shuttle are all located. The Griffith Observatory have shows at there planetarium but I found it a bit dull as it was, more-or-less, just a documentary on the evolution of the universe - much as you would see on TV - so give it a miss if time is short, as there are other sights to see near by. If you go to the La Brea tar pits be sure to take the guided tour, this was quite interesting; there is on-site parking at 10 dollars (if I remember correctly) for the day. If you visit the California Science Centre be sure to budget a good long morning or afternoon for your visit, don't just rush throught it, take time to enjoy the sights; if you feel like a sit down then go visit the Rose Garden at the Science Centre, I found it very relaxing. The tour of Paramount Studios is a bit expensive and could have been more interesting but the tour guide new her stuff and was very charming. You can get close to the iconic Hollywood sign, there are sign post saying, something like, "Residents Only" on access roads to the sign, but ignore these as they have no legal validity and are just put up by the locals wanting to stop us seeing the sign.

Hollywood was amazing. Chinese Theatre with stars hand and feet imprints in cement, wax museum, Dolby Theatre made you pinch yourself. Found Starline Tour (small bus - 6 hours) with great tour guide a wonderful way to get overall picture including Venice Beach and Santa Monica. Tall palm trees everywhere. Recommend Universal Front of Line tickets to get through everything in a day. Paramount Studio Tour was a gem. Also oldest house in Spanish market area and Grammy Museum were highlights. L.A. is a big city and public transport difficult. Recommend hiring a vehicle if you are comfortable with the traffic. You will need a navigation device. Otherwise budget for cabs or tours. Plan your days so travel time is minimized. We stayed near the airport when about to travel and booked out late at 8pm. Otherwise stayed in accommodation in Hollywood close to Chinese Theatre. There is a great deal of homeless people living on the streets and areas that are potentially dangerous so be careful where you go. Venice Beach although iconic is not a safe area. When booking accommodation check location carefully and use 'Google street-scape' to avoid getting caught with a great sounding motel that turns out to be in a dodgy area.

I loved my visit to LA. Visited Santa Monica Beach and walked along to Venice Beach. So much fun and plenty to see along the way (gotta love people watching). The TLC Chinese Theater was great fun in the evening because of performing buskers. Great Shopping and don't forget to visit the Hard Rock Café. Visited the National History Museum - Loved it. Should have allowed a whole day as I didn't have time to visit the Science, Space, and African Museums on site. Also visited The Broad - Contemporary Art Museum - fantastic. Loved the 'Stars Homes' Bus Tour. Found I wasn't as interested in the Stars Homes as I was in just seeing the different areas of Holy Wood. Great Value for Money. Was lucky to be an invited guest and visited the Magic Castle - would love to tell you all about it, but my lips are sealed. I used the Bus Service, and the Tube. Felt Safe, and it was a great way to get around.

i came to LA not to see the hollywood stuff but specifically to see the La Brea Tar Pits...just imagine a sticky pond that has been capturing unsuspecting animals for ever...since animals first walked in California. What gets me is that the second animal along did not say, " Oh a dead dinosaur stuck in that muck...hmmmm i had better give it a miss and not step in it too." They have thousands upon thousands of bones from extinct as well as still current wildlife. And you can watch the scientists at work on the bones. Way more fun that walking hollywood streets!!! and then they have a REAL Space Shuttle too...that was lots of fun Jump in the simulator and get some idea of takeoff, orbit and docking with the international space station. Parents...if you want to encourage your kids to reach for the stars, take them to see this. and if you are a tea-a-holic like me...the British Pub in Santa Monica does a real pot of tea...OMG! i felt i had struck gold when i walked in there.

Whatever you want to do you can do it here. I drove myself around in a hire car with a GPS and if you take your time and make allowances for traffic it is an very easy and convenient way to get around. Highlights are Disneyland and Universal Studios as I was traveling with my daughter but next time will be sans child where I can explore the rest that LA has to offer. Be prepared for a long wait through customs and border protection at LAX; unless you are from an ETSA visa waived country and you have been to LAX in the last 18months in which case you can go through a different entry point. If you haven't visited in that timeframe get ready for the long haul, in my case 2.5hrs with a 7yr old after a 12.5hr long haul flight from Australia. Have some snacks and water ready. The border protection guys take their job very seriously and will yell at you if you have your cell phone out in the clearance area including the baggage claim area. We used a shuttle service, Karmel, from LAX to Anaheim and it was perfect. Easy pick up and easy ride, albeit in peak hour, but hey we were in the back taking it easy so no drama for us. Make you sure you grab a US SIM card for your mobile phone before you leave home, make sure the phone is unlocked and away you go. It was one of the best things that I have done with travelling and I had access from wheels down in LA. I did have the SIM activated the day before I arrived just so there were no issues with time differences etc for activation. Have fun, I'll definitely be coming back!