hero media

Celeste Barber’s definitive (and hilarious) guide to L.A.

Celeste Barber is the belly laugh-inducing Instagram star who calls it like she sees it when it comes to celebrities and their behaviour on social media.

And now, Instagram’s funniest woman shares her ultimate guide to the home of the people she mocks the most…

Spying a seductive image of Kim Kardashian kissing Kanye West, Celeste grabs her partner and attempts to ‘recreate’ it, only – without the smoke and mirrors and excessive use of Photoshop. Celeste’s following has grown considerably as a result of her very realistic response to these celebrity posts – with 4.4 million followers and counting. (If you haven’t checked her out already, you absolutely should, right here…)

Recently Celeste travelled to sunny Los Angeles, and was kind enough to provide a list of recommendations on where to sleep, eat, drink and play – and play she did. Needless to say, we’ve got them all bookmarked. Perhaps it’s best not to follow in her footsteps completely… ha!

Dream Hotel, Hollywood.

Celeste’s guide on where to stay:

We stayed at the new Dream Hollywood Hotel in Hollywood, which only opened last year – and it was great. I hadn’t stayed in the Hollywood area before, but it seems to be undergoing a transformation of sorts and there are really cool little pockets opening up.

I’m really into the area around Selma Avenue, near the Dream, where there are great restaurants and cafes. We went to Groundwork Coffee Co EVERY MORNING for our breakfast and coffee hit. If you’re there, be sure to ask for Travis and tell him Celeste says hi.

The Dream Hollywood Hotel was true to its name. It’s right next to the fancy nightclub, Avenue LA. As my clubbing days were over about a decade ago, I wasn’t into the partying. Instead I sat in the foyer watching all the pretty people do all the pretty people things – it was awesome. I could pretty people watch all day long.

Space15Twenty in Hollywood.

Celeste’s guide on where to play:

I have a real obsession with walking through Urban Outfitters and pretending I live there and the people who work there are my roommates – it’s weird and I love it. There was an Urban Outfitters concept store in Hollywood called Space 15Twenty, around the corner from the Dream Hollywood Hotel, where we were staying, so I would go there and be weird. This store has not only women’s and men’s clothes, but it also has all of the homeware stuff! I have only ever seen their homeware online and as DJ Sweaty Fresh and I are OBSESSED with homewares, we were in our element.

Umami burger, Hollywood.

Celeste’s guide on where to eat:

Umami Burger Hollywood changed our lives. There are several stores across L.A., but there was one right across the road from our hotel in Hollywood, and it’s right next to Urban Outfitters. Man, we TOTALLY made the most of it.

At select outlets they do a burger called the Impossible Burger, which is a vegie patty, but you would never know. I still dream about it. I may have had two for lunch on the final day in L.A. because I was trying to prolong my separation anxiety.

America does a burger like no one else in the world. Every time I go back to L.A. I think ‘I’m going to eat well and drink all the green juice in the city’, but the burgers call me. And now the Impossible Burger has my heart, it’s going to be impossible to beat it. (See what I did there?).

 

Celeste’s guide on where to drink:

There is an awesome rooftop bar called The Highlight Room at Dream Hollywood Hotel that has 360-degree views of L.A, as well as the iconic Hollywood sign. You can also see the Scientology building from up there, which gives the right amount of ‘heebee-jeebies’ that a rooftop margarita can fix. #Hothusband was also quite partial to several Dos Equis every afternoon.

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers,
and more.

Where to get the Instagram shot that screams “I’m so in L.A. right now!":

You can never go wrong with The Hollywood Sign.

The Hollywood Sign, Los Angeles.

Where to see celebrities?

I saw Caitlyn Jenner’s son, when I was at SoHo House’s Little Beach House Malibu with my Aussie mates. I think it was Brandon, but Brody is much more famous, so let’s say Brody… It was kind of fun and boring all at once. I was hoping to see Miley Cyrus skipping around with daisies in her hair, but no such luck.

 The go-to neighbourhood outside of Hollywood:

We went to Malibu for #hothusbands birthday, which was great. We stayed at an awesome hotel called The Surf Rider, which is inspired by the Californian surf culture, and just did a whole lot of nothing which was very exciting for us.

 

 

Want to see more stories from International Traveller in your Google search results?

  1. Click here to set International Traveller as a preferred source.
  2. Tick the box next to "International Traveller". That's it.
hero media

12 grand journeys throughout North America

    Discover North America’s epic adventures — from Route 66 and Alaska cruises to Hawai‘i road trips, NYC culture, Mexico trails and more.

    1. Route 66, the Main Street of America

    Travelling with: Ricky French

    Sunset on Route 66 in the California Mojave Desert.
    Hit the open road and trace America’s legendary highway. (Image: Getty/Der_Thomasa)

    Dubbed the Main Street of America, Route 66 radiates serious main character energy, cemented into popular culture through everything from John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath to the Disney Pixar film Cars. Spanning nearly 4000 kilometres from Chicago to Los Angeles, the historic highway celebrates its centenary next year, a timely invitation to take the mother of all road trips along the Mother Road. Allow two to three weeks to tackle the full length, or bite off a smaller chunk at either end, cruising the dramatic deserts of California or the more pastoral landscapes of Illinois, lined with neon-lit diners, retro gas stations and quirky roadside attractions.

    2. Mexico’s Día de los Muertos

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    emblematic catrina of mexico with flowers and necklace with sempasuchil flowers
    Celebrate life and honour loved ones in vibrant style. (Image: Getty/Fabian Pacheco)

    You might know Oaxaca as the birthplace of mole and mezcal. But the state in southern Mexico is also where the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) began. Time your visit to coincide with the colourful holiday, on 1–2 November, which honours and celebrates loved ones who have passed away. Oaxaca is also Mexico’s Michelin-starred culinary capital, with 18 restaurants and a humble taco stand listed in the 2025 guide.

    3. Museum-hop in New York City

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    The Guggenheim Museum’s iconic spiralling exterior, a highlight of North America Epic Adventures.
    Step inside and marvel at bold, world-class art. (Image: Damiano Fiore)

    Your map app will look like it’s been scattered with confetti after you’ve dropped pins on all the museums you want to visit in New York City. Must-sees are the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art aka the Met, and the Museum of Modern Art. The American Museum of Natural History is also a draw. It’s also worth venturing into the boroughs to browse institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum, which has a huge permanent collection categorised by culture.

    4. The USA’s music scene

    Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead

    The Seattle skyline at night, aglow with city lights on North America Epic Adventures.
    Soak up skyline views and dive into the city’s coffee culture. (Image: Abigail Boone)

    If you’re a muso, chances are you’ve wanted to make a pilgrimage to the United States, the epicentre of so many beloved genres. Whether you’re head-banging your way around the Grunge Circuit in Seattle, chasing the twang of the pedal steel through Tennessee or bouncing between blues bars in the Mississippi Delta, the USA’s rich music culture has something that’ll strike a chord.

    5. Road-tripping Hawai‘i

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    A woman surfing in Hawaii, gliding across turquoise waves on North America Epic Adventures.
    Catch the waves and ride Hawaii’s iconic swells. (Image: Ben Ono)

    Hawai‘i is one of the most diverse US states to road trip around. Of the six major islands to visit, the Island of Hawai‘i packs in everything from the snowy summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa to black-sand beaches and lava fields frozen in the act of flowing forward. Change down a few gears on the island of O‘ahu, too, where you can find your own patch of sand on Waimanalo Beach. Visit poi and pineapple plantations. And hang ten on beginner-friendly waves on the North Shore.

    6. Cruising Alaska

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    Explora Journeys ship cruising in Alaska.
    Sail past glaciers and spot whales in pristine waters.

    Seeing Alaska from the sea allows you to cover a lot of distance quickly. This immersive frontier now beckons more than ever before with Explora Journeys adding the American state to its global destination portfolio. Best of all are the pre-and post-journey immersions that connect the luxury of a cruise onboard Explora III with the rugged grandeur of the Alaskan interior. UnCruise Adventures also weaves in access to remote national parks, legendary wildlife corridors and authentic cultural experiences on its Alaskan itineraries.

    7. The Wixárika Route in Mexico

    Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead

    People journeying through the Wixarika Route.
    Journey deep into sacred Huichol traditions and art.

    For generations, the Indigenous Wixárika People of Mexico have walked a sacred path known as Tatehuarí Huajuyé, or ‘The Path of Our Grandfather Fire’. The annual pilgrimage route spans 500 kilometres, taking in significant sites in Wixárika spirituality and cosmology. The route passes through the deserts, mountains and forests of northern Mexico before reaching Wirikuta, believed to be the place the sun first emerged. The route is a living cultural landscape of Indigenous culture pre-Columbian influence and, in July this year, was formally inscribed into UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

    8. Drive the Iceberg Coast in Canada

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    Iceberg off the east coast of Canada
    Chase icebergs along Expedition 51 on Canada’s east coast. (Image: Canadian Tourism Commission/ Chris Hendrickson)

    Download the icebergfinder.com map to better plan your road trip along Canada’s Iceberg Coast. The new highway, which has been nearly 25 years and CAD$1.1 billion in the making, threads through the country’s pleated coastlines around Quebec, Newfoundland, Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick before looping in the French islands of St Pierre and Miquelon. As well as chasing icebergs along Expedition 51, travellers will have the opportunity to engage with cultures that have thrived in the pristine provinces for thousands of years.

    9. A foodie tour of Nova Scotia

    Travelling with: Katie Carlin

    Lunenberg Nova Scotia
    Try lobster rolls in Lunenburg on the east coast of Canada in Nova Scotia. (Image: Natalia Kvitovska/ Unsplash)

    World-famous for its lobster, Nova Scotia is a Canadian province best savoured through its culinary clout shaped by sea and terroir. Bite into lobster rolls at historic Lunenburg’s Salt Shaker Deli & Inn and sip maple rum at Ironworks Distillery. Winery-hop around Wolfville’s rising vineyards (don’t miss Lightfoot & Wolfville). Take a maple syrup tour at Sugar Moon Farm near Earltown. And pull up a seat at waterfront Bar Sofia in Halifax, where Nova Scotia oysters aguachile arrive bright with cucumber, lime and pickled onion.

    10. Soak up the sun in the Caribbean

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    Overwater bungalows off a beach in the Caribbean
    Experience the white-sand beaches and cerulean seas of the Caribbean on board a cruise.

    The Caribbean is on the radar for seasoned cruisers. And it’s easy to see why, with white-sand beaches, cerulean seas and swaying palms so picture-perfect they look AI-generated. Cruise with Windstar, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity on its inaugural Xcel season to the Caribbean to enjoy action-packed excursions such as snorkelling coral reefs and shopping for local trinkets. And those sea days? Spectacular.

    11. Red Chair Hikes of Canada

    Travelling with: Kassia Byrnes

    Red Adirondack chairs overlooking Lake Minnewanka in Canada
    Take a seat at Lake Minnewanka, one of more than 400 red Adirondack chairs scattered across Canada’s hiking routes. (Image: Getty Images/ Autumn Sky Photography)

    No one appreciates the great outdoors more than Canadians, emerging from snow-covered winters to tread glacial rivers and snowshoe through forests, or to hike mighty mountains and wildflower-strewn valleys come spring. Along popular hikes around the country, more than 400 red Adirondack chairs have been placed in peaceful, breathtaking locations. What started as a social media contest now sees hikers soaking in classic Canadian lake and mountain vistas, overlooking historic sites or gazing down on the mountainous path they just travelled.

    12. Ride the Rocky Mountaineer from Denver to Moab, USA

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    Sweeping views from the Rocky Mountaineer.
    The Rocky Mountaineer will continue as the Canyon Spirit in 2026, seen here carving through Ruby Canyon.

    Sighting wild animals is one of many incredible thrills along the two-day luxury Rockies to the Red Rocks route onboard the Rocky Mountaineer across America’s Southwest between mid-April and mid-October. In addition to the lone bear, we spot bighorn sheep, elk, beavers, pronghorn antelope, bald eagles and ospreys. Riding the rails onboard the luxury train, which was founded in Canada in 1990 and has been awarded the prestigious World’s Leading Travel Experience by Train several times, has never been about just getting from A to B. Ride the train from Denver to Moab and you will see the scenery change from snow-capped peaks to meadows, red-rock canyons and soaring cliffs that resemble ornate Gaudí-esque cathedrals. But it’s not until you get off the train that you can produce the ultimate Venn diagram, with nature and adventure in the intersecting spheres.

    Celeste Barber and her definitive (and hilarious) guide to Los Angeles