It's Literally in Reel Life!

Once in a while, I like to write about stuff that inspires me to travel. This post is about fictional literary and cinematic characters that made me pay attention to the actual or imagined locale in which the protagonists' story unfold. Here are just some from my numerous favourites (I anticipate a part 2 or 3 coming).

1) Character: Tony Montana
Movie: Scarface
Location Inspiration: Miami

Watch Scarface movie trailer here Warning: contains scenes of mature subjects.

When Tony Montana and right-hand man Manny Ribera begin their rise up the thug ranks, they chill out by the pools of The Fontainbleau Hotel in Miami Beach (actual location). Although the hotel has long been renovated, it maintains its louche and decadent vibe. There are 8 restaurants on site, including: James Beard-awarded chef, Alfred Portale's Gotham, as well as the revolutionary Chinese restaurant from UK, Hakkasan. But to experience the legacy of Cuba's Mariel Boatlift, visit Miami's Little Havana district, the hub of Cuban exile community.

2) Characters: Francis, Peter, and Jack
Movie: The Darjeeling Limited
Location Inspiration: The State of Rajasthan, India

Although The Darjeeling Limited Train in the movie is a fictitious creation, it evokes romantic reveries of the slow road through India. The movie was shot mainly in the northern state of Rajasthan, India, specifically in Jodhpur and Udaipur. Popular attractions in Rajasthan are the palaces of Jaipur, the grand monuments of Jodhpur, the lakes of Udaipur, the desert forts of Jaisalmer, the temples of Bikaner, and the Thar Desert near the Pakistani border. The quirky stylings of The Darjeeling Limited movie, with its Louis Vuitton-designed travel luggage, spurred me to include this part of India into my most-wanted destination list!

In the capital of Jaipur, the raw grandeur of Samode Palace Hotel is enough to hold anyone a willing hostage for a few days.

The natural beauty of Udaipur, with its lakes and beechen woods, is among the top attractions in the country. Taj Lake Palace on the banks of Lake Pichola offers a respite from the sun's heat.

3) Characters: Hercule Poirot
Movie: Death on the Nile (based on Agatha Christie's novel)
Location Inspiration: Cruising the Nile River, Egypt

Plying Africa's longest river is Egypt's Belle Epoque steam ship, The Sudan. It is also the setting for Agatha Christie's murder-mystery novel (subsequently made into a movie of the same name in 1978). Sleuth on deck with a classic cocktail or channel your inner writer in the panoramic Agatha Christie suite.

Or stay at the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan, where the author penned the above novel, as well as where some scenes of the movie were filmed. *As of press time, the hotel is closed for renovations for 2 years.

by goldtoblue from Flickr

4) Characters: Julia, Lucy, and Bea
Movie: Hideous Kinky (based on Esther Freud's memoirs)
Location Inspiration: Marrakech, Morocco

Although we stayed in two lovely riads in Marrakech - here and here - last year, there are many other guesthouses worth exploring. Like the Italianate-Orientalist Dar Darma in the heart of the Marrakech medina. Tip: opt to stay inside the medina, where all the action is!

5) Characters: Port and Kit Moresby
Movie: The Sheltering Sky (based on the book by Paul Bowles)
Location Inspiration: The Sahara Desert

Warning: may contain scenes with mature subjects.

Journey in style with El Khiam Ahlam's desert caravan and sleep under the starry Sahara skies in luxury canvas tents.

Do you have your own literary or cinematic inspirations?