OK ladies, since we covered trips for men last week, it’s your turn to grab a bunch of gals and your favorite bum-slimming jeans for a girls’ weekend away from work, men and kids. Ever wonder why celebs such as Jennifer Aniston and Eva Longoria look so good? That glow is more than the effects of Botox and Tae Bo, but the afterglow of frequent getaways from the stress of being a millionaire adored by the masses. Sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? So take a page out of Nicole Kidman’s book before you stress yourself into the pages of Britney’s never-ending story. And men, before you roll your eyes and stop reading, score points with your significant other by suggesting she take one of these trips. We’ll even let you take credit for the idea.

St. Barths flights | hotels | cars
Whether you want to call it Saint Barthelemy, St. Barths, or St. Barts, this island is the getaway to gain that golden brown tan you’ve admired on frequent visitors Nicole Kidman, Uma Thurman and Kate Moss. If you hate tan lines, start by showing off your celebutante body on Grande Saline Beach. Slip back into your skivvies and scuba dive along Lorient Beach or Petit de Anse to catch a sea turtle sighting or make friends with the parrotfish. After a hard day of relaxing on the beach and beating off the paparazzi, have your personal assistant book a reservation at the exquisite Carl Gustav Restaurant for fine dining fit for a star or a spa treatment at Hotel Guanahani and Spa. But celebrities are just “normal” people too, so join them for a cold one at Le Select or enjoy some live entertainment at Bar de l’Oubli. For a little fun, introduce yourself as Nicole Kidman’s best friend’s cousin’s babysitter. Tabloids, here you come!

Namibia flights | hotels | cars
Assuming you don’t live under a rock, you’ve heard of the Southern African country of Namibia made famous by Brangelina. Of course, you don’t have to be pregnant with Brad Pitt’s baby (a girl could hope!!) to visit this beautiful country known as a top spot for eco tourism. Namibia offers it all, including unspoiled coastline, desert, grass savannahs, rugged mountain ranges and lush sub-tropical green space. Start in the northwest, and enjoy some hiking along the Kaokoland mountains which run along the coast. Next, go further inland to explore the The Etosha National Park & Game Reserve, one of the finest and largest in Africa. If you want to live like star, book a room at Burning Shore luxury resort where the Jolie-Pitts camped to await the birth of Shiloh. While you live like a star, take advantage of the resorts offerings of tours including safaris, trips to Bird island, Walvis Bay Lagoon, Sandwich Harbour, pelican watching at Point Seal Colony and dolphin-sighting excursions. Check out of Burning Shore and check into Okonjima, a luxury bush camp home to The AfriCat Foundation, a non-profit organization, committed to long-term conservation of Namibia’s large carnivores, especially cheetahs and leopards. Spend several days on safari, learn how to track these large cats and take a photography class so you can capture all these amazing memories to the envy of all your friends back home.

Lake Como, Italy flights | hotels | cars
Going from one Sexiest Man Alive to another, what woman wouldn’t want George Clooney to rub sunblock on her while exploring the waters of Lake Como on his boat (pause to enjoy mental picture). Since purchasing his mansion away from mansion, celebrities have flocked to Clooney’s Lake Como villa including Jennifer Aniston, Matt Damon and TomKat who reportedly considered tying the knot at the villa. With two or more friends sharing a room, the celebrity-studded Villa d’Este is a steal. Pretend you’re on the set of Ocean’s 14 as you enjoy the resort’s vast acreage and luxurious amenities including a helipad for a quick getaway. If you don’t make a celebrity’s paycheck, there are plenty of hotel options under $200. We recommend the Hotel Orso Bruno which is located near Laglio on a quiet corner of the lake. You’ll want to get the lay of the land with a tour of the lake via boat or seaplane. There are tons of charming towns to explore, so hop the ferry Gestione Navigazione Laghi which stops at each of the towns along the lake. We recommend extended stays at Como, Bellagio and Varenna. Lake Como isn’t known for nightlife, so budget a few hours for a long dinner and many bottles of delicious wine. If you can still move after a four hour meal, the town of Bellagio is your best bet for bars, just walk along the Lungo Lario Manzoni on the water’s edge and cafe hop among the rich and beautiful.

Sun Valley flights | hotels | cars
Are you an avid skier or a ski bunny? Either way, join Paul Newman, Oprah, Brooke Shields and a few celebrity prancing pooches in Uggs at America’s first ski resort Sun Valley. Unlike other celebrity ski resorts, you won’t break the bank on room and board (can’t promise the same for your leg) and you won’t need designer ski suits to fit in. Beginners will want to hit Dollar Mountain, known as one of the finest teaching mountains in the world. With over 200 experienced instructors, there might even be a hot ski instructor romance in your future. Don’t worry Picabo, there are plenty of slopes for wanna-be Olympians. Take the Mayday chairlift (even sounds scary, doesn’t it?) to Little Easter Bowl for the most difficult run. Revive those aching muscles with a sports massage at Solavie Spa Resort where you can rub elbows with elite Hollywood refugees. Try Kneadery for brunch and see if the Schwarzeneggers are scarfing down eggs at the table next to you. When you’ve had enough of your famous peers, opt for seclusion with a bike ride along Trail 142 for spectacular views. Or for a true celebrity work out, visit Sun Valley Resort Horsemen’s Center for some riding or play a round of golf at Sun Valley Resort Golf Course. Reflect on your journey to fame and wander into Duchin Lounge for a cold one and a little jazz for your celebrity epiphany.

Europe’s Cool Capitals flights | hotels | cars

Visit the cool capitals of Europe and find out what’s cool, new, hip and trendy: Art and architecture in Amsterdam; Food and design in Vienna; Fashion and shopping in Antwerp; Restaurants and nightlife in Zurich. These cool capitals have it all and can help you save on newly reduced vacation packages.

I Wish Kayak Would Listen to Me!
Is Kayak doing a good job of providing you with good content and deals each week? We’d love to get your feedback. Can you take 1 minute to complete our short survey? It’s super quick; we promise! Your answers will help us improve our emails to you. Your feedback will be totally confidential, and will be used solely by the Kayak newsletter team to provide even better content and deals in the future. Take Our Quick Survey Now

Staying home with the kids,

Steve and Paul, Kayak.com founders

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 5th, 2007 at 9:05 am and is filed under Newsletters. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.