Miami's got the X Factor: Caroline Flack finds stars, spas and shops in Florida
https://jattravel.blogspot.com/2013/10/miamis-got-x-factor-caroline-flack.html
My only previous experience of Miami was doing the 'Judges' Houses' while I was working on The X Factor.
We
went to Kelly Rowland's house for four days but we were there during
the storm season and that part of Florida was having lots of
thunderstorms. Because I was working I didn't really get a chance to see
much of the city, so I decided to return because I wanted to have
another chance to have more time to look around.
I've travelled a lot to other parts of the US – mainly to Los Angeles and other parts of California – and also to New York. On this trip to Florida I was really looking to relax and enjoy the beaches. I was there with one of my friends, Laura Jackson, who is a TV presenter and ex-model.
Miami was everything we hoped
it would be – and much more besides. I absolutely loved it. Miami Beach
is a fabulous place for a holiday. I was quite taken aback with how
pretty it was. I loved all the Art Deco architecture, which is
exquisite.
We stayed for seven nights at the Canyon Ranch on Miami Beach, situated between Bal Harbor and South Beach. It has a 700ft stretch of white sand in front of it. I knew of Canyon Ranch's reputation as one of the leading spa destinations in America – there are also branches in Arizona and Massachusetts – but what impressed me was how incredibly friendly everybody was – one of the friendliest places I've ever stayed. Everyone seemed to want to make sure that you had the best possible time while you were staying there. The beach staff, in particular, were extremely good and they made sure we had fun.
The great thing was that we never really needed to leave the hotel. One of the few times we went out was to visit the nearby Soho Beach House, the Miami outpost of London's Soho House. It's excellent and its Cecconi's restaurant is one of the nicest I've been to. We ate fabulous fish dishes and it was such a treat. Dining here felt like Christmas in the summer.
Laura and I have been on holiday together before and know we're really good at spending time together. Our plan, such as it was, was to go and be healthy. We weren't planning to go away and have a party holiday. We wanted to go away and come back fully relaxed and revived. By staying at the Canyon Ranch spa we knew there were exercise classes and that all the meals served were organic.
The food was amazing, and I've never seen a restaurant menu that lists the calories next to each meal, so you know exactly what you're eating. It made us think very carefully about what we were going to order.
We did lots of exercise: we tried Pilates and things such as the '20- minute abs' and Laura did water aerobics every day. In the spa the massages and treatments were outstanding. We went to the spa in the mornings and enjoyed trying out all the different steam rooms and saunas, and the sublime tropical rain shower. Then we spent ages lounging in the Jacuzzis.
There was lots to do even if you weren't actually having a treatment. It was all very leisurely. There were also more energetic pursuits available if you wanted. You could sign up for activities such as rockclimbing, which included abseiling down walls. Every day we promised ourselves that we would attempt rock climbing but somehow we never managed to get up in time to sign up for the class.
The staff were really very good at motivating us and making us try new things. But nobody tried to force us to do anything – everything was at your own pace, so it never felt as if you were there on some sort of programme. There was no iron regime you had to stick to. This was good because I'm one of those people who will change my mind at four o'clock and then change it again at six o'clock. It was perfect for me.
We weighed ourselves when we got home – and while I hadn't necessarily lost weight, I came home feeling different. Usually I return with a dread that I've really over-indulged – that nagging anxiety you drank too much and spent too long in the sun. But this time we came back feeling refreshed, with an inner glow from the fact we'd eaten well, we'd exercised and we had just had the right amount of sun.
We did venture out for a couple of shopping evenings. We headed to Lincoln Boulevard, a big pedestrianised shopping area, and carried out a pretty thorough retail investigation. There were a number of the big chain shops but there were also some really cool designer boutiques as well. We didn't have any local advice, so we were just discovered places for ourselves, which was good fun.
We also enjoyed doing a little clubbing. Mac's Club Deuce on 14th Street is a well-known place. I've seen it described as 'a dingy, black-tiled bar that has seen better days' – but it's a really cool spot that attracts a lot of celebrities including Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon and Kate Moss, and apparently it once appeared in an episode of Miami Vice! It was like being at a pool bar with a jukebox: we had a couple of Coronas and chilled. It was all very laid-back.
We also enjoyed hanging out at
the famous Delano bar where you can sit out with a mojito staring up at a
star-filled sky (that's stars as in night sky rather than of the
Beyoncé variety). We also enjoyed visiting the Gale Hotel – a really
cool bar where we did lots of dancing. That was our one night of letting
off steam.
Not long after we arrived we managed to attract the interest of the paparazzi, which was very embarrassing. I go on holiday to enjoy the beach and slob out. You don't really want to you get up in the morning and have to do your hair and your make-up because you're going to the beach and may be photographed. Suddenly we had a lot of photographers following us and it became a bit of a hide-and-seek game.
We didn't bump into any celebs although we went with the loose intention of looking up British singer Craig David who lives in South Beach. I don't know him, so it would have been a bit weird if I'd just gone up to him and said 'Hi ya!'
Miami has now joined my list of all-time favourite holiday places. Other destinations include India. When I was younger we used to stay in beach huts in Kerala – that was fun. I had an amazing time in Thailand at the beginning of the year. We were in Koh Tao, and we stayed in beautiful beach huts on the edge of cliffs overlooking the sea.
Our stay was particularly memorable as we shared our room with a white-lipped pit viper. It was a bright fluorescent green and we learned later that this particular snake is one of the main reasons why people end up in hospital in Thailand. And there we were with one in our room. Two girls and a snake: you can imagine!
I was dancing on my sunbed (as you do) when I suddenly saw my friend SJ's face go white. 'Stay where you are!' she said. And then I saw this really long snake, moving beneath me and sliding into our room. Reception sent a man with a big stick! But he didn't get it – it had gone through the floorboards.
So, can you imagine that we tucked ourselves into bed that night pretty tightly, with all the mosquito nets around us. It makes for a great anecdote now, but at the time, I remember feeling absolutely petrified.
An encounter with a snake shouldn't be that surprising, however, if you take a holiday in a tropical place such as Thailand. It's stupid to think you're not going to get stuff like that, so you've got to get accustomed to it.
Brazil is also a favourite place. I went when I was working on a CBBC show with Reggie Yates, and we stayed in Teresopolis, inland from Rio, for six weeks, working non-stop. We had one day off to go to Copacabana and it rained, and we were like, 'Oh God, of all the days!'
So, I'd love to go back there. I like travelling to see different places – it's fun, isn't it? Well, apart from the snakes, that is…
Caroline presents Xtra Factor on ITV2 every Saturday and Sunday.
We
went to Kelly Rowland's house for four days but we were there during
the storm season and that part of Florida was having lots of
thunderstorms. Because I was working I didn't really get a chance to see
much of the city, so I decided to return because I wanted to have
another chance to have more time to look around. I've travelled a lot to other parts of the US – mainly to Los Angeles and other parts of California – and also to New York. On this trip to Florida I was really looking to relax and enjoy the beaches. I was there with one of my friends, Laura Jackson, who is a TV presenter and ex-model.
Pleased to be here: Caroline Flack explores the sights of Miami
We stayed for seven nights at the Canyon Ranch on Miami Beach, situated between Bal Harbor and South Beach. It has a 700ft stretch of white sand in front of it. I knew of Canyon Ranch's reputation as one of the leading spa destinations in America – there are also branches in Arizona and Massachusetts – but what impressed me was how incredibly friendly everybody was – one of the friendliest places I've ever stayed. Everyone seemed to want to make sure that you had the best possible time while you were staying there. The beach staff, in particular, were extremely good and they made sure we had fun.
Write caption here
The great thing was that we never really needed to leave the hotel. One of the few times we went out was to visit the nearby Soho Beach House, the Miami outpost of London's Soho House. It's excellent and its Cecconi's restaurant is one of the nicest I've been to. We ate fabulous fish dishes and it was such a treat. Dining here felt like Christmas in the summer.
Laura and I have been on holiday together before and know we're really good at spending time together. Our plan, such as it was, was to go and be healthy. We weren't planning to go away and have a party holiday. We wanted to go away and come back fully relaxed and revived. By staying at the Canyon Ranch spa we knew there were exercise classes and that all the meals served were organic.
The food was amazing, and I've never seen a restaurant menu that lists the calories next to each meal, so you know exactly what you're eating. It made us think very carefully about what we were going to order.
Retail therapy: Caroline and Laura Jackson hit the shops on Lincoln Road
We did lots of exercise: we tried Pilates and things such as the '20- minute abs' and Laura did water aerobics every day. In the spa the massages and treatments were outstanding. We went to the spa in the mornings and enjoyed trying out all the different steam rooms and saunas, and the sublime tropical rain shower. Then we spent ages lounging in the Jacuzzis.
There was lots to do even if you weren't actually having a treatment. It was all very leisurely. There were also more energetic pursuits available if you wanted. You could sign up for activities such as rockclimbing, which included abseiling down walls. Every day we promised ourselves that we would attempt rock climbing but somehow we never managed to get up in time to sign up for the class.
The staff were really very good at motivating us and making us try new things. But nobody tried to force us to do anything – everything was at your own pace, so it never felt as if you were there on some sort of programme. There was no iron regime you had to stick to. This was good because I'm one of those people who will change my mind at four o'clock and then change it again at six o'clock. It was perfect for me.
We weighed ourselves when we got home – and while I hadn't necessarily lost weight, I came home feeling different. Usually I return with a dread that I've really over-indulged – that nagging anxiety you drank too much and spent too long in the sun. But this time we came back feeling refreshed, with an inner glow from the fact we'd eaten well, we'd exercised and we had just had the right amount of sun.
We did venture out for a couple of shopping evenings. We headed to Lincoln Boulevard, a big pedestrianised shopping area, and carried out a pretty thorough retail investigation. There were a number of the big chain shops but there were also some really cool designer boutiques as well. We didn't have any local advice, so we were just discovered places for ourselves, which was good fun.
We also enjoyed doing a little clubbing. Mac's Club Deuce on 14th Street is a well-known place. I've seen it described as 'a dingy, black-tiled bar that has seen better days' – but it's a really cool spot that attracts a lot of celebrities including Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon and Kate Moss, and apparently it once appeared in an episode of Miami Vice! It was like being at a pool bar with a jukebox: we had a couple of Coronas and chilled. It was all very laid-back.
Girls about town: Caroline (R) and her good friend Laura Jackson (L) enjoyed the atmosphere at Club Deuce
Not long after we arrived we managed to attract the interest of the paparazzi, which was very embarrassing. I go on holiday to enjoy the beach and slob out. You don't really want to you get up in the morning and have to do your hair and your make-up because you're going to the beach and may be photographed. Suddenly we had a lot of photographers following us and it became a bit of a hide-and-seek game.
We didn't bump into any celebs although we went with the loose intention of looking up British singer Craig David who lives in South Beach. I don't know him, so it would have been a bit weird if I'd just gone up to him and said 'Hi ya!'
Miami has now joined my list of all-time favourite holiday places. Other destinations include India. When I was younger we used to stay in beach huts in Kerala – that was fun. I had an amazing time in Thailand at the beginning of the year. We were in Koh Tao, and we stayed in beautiful beach huts on the edge of cliffs overlooking the sea.
Healthy holiday: Canyon Ranch offers plenty of fitness classes such as yoga and pilates
Our stay was particularly memorable as we shared our room with a white-lipped pit viper. It was a bright fluorescent green and we learned later that this particular snake is one of the main reasons why people end up in hospital in Thailand. And there we were with one in our room. Two girls and a snake: you can imagine!
I was dancing on my sunbed (as you do) when I suddenly saw my friend SJ's face go white. 'Stay where you are!' she said. And then I saw this really long snake, moving beneath me and sliding into our room. Reception sent a man with a big stick! But he didn't get it – it had gone through the floorboards.
So, can you imagine that we tucked ourselves into bed that night pretty tightly, with all the mosquito nets around us. It makes for a great anecdote now, but at the time, I remember feeling absolutely petrified.
An encounter with a snake shouldn't be that surprising, however, if you take a holiday in a tropical place such as Thailand. It's stupid to think you're not going to get stuff like that, so you've got to get accustomed to it.
Brazil is also a favourite place. I went when I was working on a CBBC show with Reggie Yates, and we stayed in Teresopolis, inland from Rio, for six weeks, working non-stop. We had one day off to go to Copacabana and it rained, and we were like, 'Oh God, of all the days!'
So, I'd love to go back there. I like travelling to see different places – it's fun, isn't it? Well, apart from the snakes, that is…
Caroline presents Xtra Factor on ITV2 every Saturday and Sunday.
