Sun spots of the stars

Celebrity couples sure know how to have heavenly holidays, reveals Ellie O’Mahoney, lifestyle editor at Fabulous magazine

Kauai, Hawaii

For your first holiday as a couple, Kauai in Hawaii takes some beating. The island is just what you picture when you hear the word ‘paradise’. Think jungle-covered volcanic peaks, lush vividly coloured flowers and, always just around the corner, the twinkling blue Pacific.

Lovebirds Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux jetted off there for two weeks last August to celebrate Justin’s 40th birthday. Rather than stay in one of the dozens of resorts that line the coast, the pair holed up in a $7,000-a-night rented estate not far from the super-luxe homes owned by Jen’s friend Ben Stiller, Pierce Brosnan and Will Smith.

If you don’t have a Hollywood-style budget, you could do much worse than book into the Pomaikai ‘Lucky’ Farm B&B, an eco-resort. Ask for the romantic Coffee Barn room and you’ll fall asleep listening to the Hawaiian breeze through the window screens. It even comes with the essential Hawaii kit: snorkelling gear, body boards and a supply of fruit from the trees, including papayas and passion fruit.

It might be stating the obvious, but the island’s all about the epically beautiful beaches and the waves. This is the place to surf, and even Jen’s taken a few lessons here. If you don’t have sea legs, swing by Kauai’s towns – Hanapepe, Hanalei and Old Koloa Town – to get a taste of the local community.

Jen and Justin popped into the Lotus Gallery of Fine Art while they were there and picked up a small statue of Buddha. They also stopped at Banana Joe’s Fruit Stand for a refreshing snack.

You can also make like the low-maintenance pair and indulge in daily yoga, oceanfront jogs, massages, bike trips and a trek up to the Waimea Canyon, the largest canyon in the Pacific. It measures 10 miles long, one mile wide, and is more than 3,500-feet deep. Perfect for escaping the limelight.

Getting there: US Airways flies to Kauai’s main airport, Lihue Airport (LIH). luckyfarm.com (rooms from $80 plus tax). Best time to go: Get the best rates in the off-seasons (mid-April to mid-June and November to mid-December). The most reliably good weather occurs at these times, too.

Hvar, Croatia

“Hvar is not the easiest place to get to, but it’s worth it,” so said Solange Knowles, better known as Beyoncé’s little sister. We’re not sure she had too many travel issues, though, seeing as how she probably hitched a ride on the superyacht Odessa, which Jay-Z and his wife were aboard for Beyoncé’s 30th birthday celebrations.

It was the couple’s first holiday after announcing Beyoncé’s pregnancy and they certainly know where to go: Hvar, an island in Croatia, is moving fast up the holiday hot list. Prince Harry partied at Hvar Town’s open-air club, Veneranda and Gwyneth Paltrow’s been spotted there, too.

Maybe the fact that Hvar has more hours of sun than anywhere else on the Adriatic coast has something to do with it, and the scenery is charming, too.

The island’s beaches are pretty rocky, although the glass-clear sea provides amazing snorkelling. If you do want sand, head for the north side of the island.

After hours, make like America’s hottest couple and head to the popular Hula Hula Beach Club in the west part of town. You can hang out all day on their sunbeds and then roll in to the famous after-beach party, which kicks off at 5pm.

When night-time finally comes, don’t worry if you don’t have a yacht: the Riva Hvar Yacht Harbour Hotel could only be closer to the water if it were a houseboat. Sharon Stone and Kevin Spacey have both checked in, yet room prices remain great value. Sip a glass of the local wine, Plavac Mali, on the waterfront terrace and enjoy a view of the Pakleni Islands.

Don’t forget to set sail, too. Beyoncé and Jay-Z were snapped taking the short boat trip to Palmizana on the Pakleni islands. You’ll find The Meneghello Place there: a 300-hectare tropical garden with exotic trees and beautiful flowers.

Getting there: easyJet flies to Split, then take a short (and cheap) ferry or hydrofoil ride to Hvar; suncanihvar.com (rooms from around £145). Best time to go: October, when the island celebrates its patron saint.

Portofino, Italy

Supermodel and Project Runway star Heidi Klum clearly adores the tiny fishing village of Portofino. She holidayed there with ex-boyfriend Flavio Briatore, and has been back a number of times with husband Seal. And we can see why.

Only 300 cars are allowed into the port at any one time, so the celebrity couple can wander the streets admiring the bell towers, churches and lemon-painted villas in peace.

Made famous in the 1950s when the Hollywood It list, including Clark Gable and Brigitte Bardot sojourned there, Portofino is still celeb central: Wayne and Coleen Rooney married there; George Clooney doesn’t live far away, and Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones love a mini-break, Portofino-style.

When Heidi and Seal swung by last summer on one of the biggest yachts in the world, the Indian Empress, they dropped anchor in the Saint Jean Cap Ferrat bay. However, like Kylie and Madonna, they have also stayed at the elegant Hotel Splendido. Its terrace restaurant and its heated saltwater pool overlooks the harbour.

If your budget is more tagliatelle than truffles, try the three-star Eden. It’s homely and just minutes away from the harbour.

It wouldn’t be Italy without a shopping spree. Heidi is said to have popped into Dolce & Gabbana; Armani and Gucci also have shops in theport area. The couple were also spotted walking the footpath from the Botanic Gardens to Castello Brown with its stunning views across Portofino harbour.

Getting there: Ryanair flies to Genoa, about 20 miles away; hoteledenportofino.com (doubles from £120). Best time to go: April to November.

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