Los Angeles Hotels

Beneath the marquee idol looks and shiny veneer is a seamy, yet affable underbelly. The sum total is a magnet for intrepid travelers.

With ethnic pockets, superb cheap eats, architecture, nightlife and enough heady glitz and glam to make your head spin, Los Angeles is a veritable amusement park, with a depth that seldom makes the final cut in tourist brochures. And with attractions like Universal Studios in Hollywood and Disneyland nearby it’s always going to be a huge hit with the kids too.

Attractions

A prototypical Los Angeles experience, a walk on Sunset Boulevard is mandatory. The famous 1.5 mile strip of Sunset that runs through West Hollywood features wall-to-wall billboards, boutiques, bars and restaurants. From the Viper Room to Whisky a Go Go, Troubador to The Roxy, the area has some of the best live music in the city.

While a stroll on the Sunset Strip is a must, the best way to enjoy Los Angeles is by car. Rent a convertible and cruise down Sunset from the downtown core, all the way to the Pacific Ocean. A drive on Mulholland at dusk provides spectacular views of the city.

If you love Hollywood lore, make a pilgrimage to both Westwood Village and Forest Lawn Cemetery. The graveyards house the remains of show business legends.

Venice Beach is still the place for hot bods, freaks, performers, artists and hustlers. Ocean Front Walk is the stage for entertainment, with the beach and Pacific in full view. For a reliable free show, check out the action on the basketball courts and the narcissistic egomania on Muscle Beach.

Melrose and Robertson streets provide cool retail fodder for shopaholics, while nearby Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills is the place to lose your head and good credit score.

For a taste of culture, the Getty Center is the best museum in Los Angeles, with lush gardens, avant-garde architecture and eclectic exhibits.

City districts like Little Tokyo, Thai Town and Koreatown provide Los Angeles with wonderful diversity and for tourists, great ethnic shops and authentic cuisine.

Events

With a metropolitan population just under 14 million people, there is never a dull moment in Los Angeles.

The city has phenomenal concert halls, from the historic Hollywood Bowl, summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and world class jazz festival in June, to the dramatic home of the Academy Awards, the Kodak Theater.

The Disney Concert Hall, a controversial Frank Gehry creation, is host to many landmark events throughout the year.

With a number of pro sports teams, the Lakers at Staples Centers and Dodgers at Chavez Ravine are tough tickets to come by. The two provide Los Angeles with respective global icons in basketball and baseball.

Annual ethnic festivals flourish in Los Angeles, from Fiesta Mexicana and Greek Fest, to Thai Cultural Day and Latino Heritage Celebration.

Climate

Los Angeles has a typical Mediterranean climate, with sunshine 325 days of the year and warm, stable conditions, courtesy of the Pacific Ocean.

• Winter (November to February) 9-23°C
• Spring (March to May) 11-24°C
• Summer (June to August) 16-29°C
• Fall (September to October) 16-28°C