Virtual Reality: Five Holiday Destinations for Reality TV fans

By Richard Jones

You can hardly switch the telly on these days without seeing some sort of reality TV show.

And although these shows aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, there’s no denying their popularity, with millions of addicted viewers tuning in to find out who’s doing what and who’s dating who.

And then there are the filming locations – over the years, production crews have set up cameras and microphones in some of the world’s most spectacular and exclusive sun-kissed places.

Here, we take a look at five great destinations which have been used as filming locations and may inspire reality TV fans when choosing their next holiday.

The Only Way is Essex

The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

TOWIE favourites including Amy Childs, Amber Turner and Dan Edgar, Yazmin Oukhellou, James Locke, Diags, Chloe Meadows and Courtney Green were among the 20-strong cast that stayed at the five-star all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic to film the first two episodes of the latest series. You can follow in the stars’ footsteps by walking along the Hard Rock’s 121 acres of white sandy beach and catch rays around the resort’s13 expansive pools. You can also visit the new Rockaway Bay Water Park, practice your surfing skills on the oceanfront Flowrider, tee off at Nicklaus Golf and be pampered at the luxurious 60,000 square foot Rock Spa. Then at night, indulge at the resort’s nine restaurants and 23 bars and lounges before throwing some shapes at the Dominican Republic’s most exclusive nightclub, ORO.

Seven nights at the five-star Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana costs from £1,520 per person including return flights with TUI and transfers. Visit tui.co.uk and hardrockhotelpuntacana.com.

Made in Chelsea

Santa Eularia, Ibiza

The Made in Chelsea set are notorious for their foreign jaunts having filmed episodes in New York, Los Angeles, the South of France, Croatia and Buenos Aires. In 2017, the likes of Sam T, Tiff, Jamie, Frankie, Olivia, Julius, Sam P and Toff embarked on the cast’s fourth summer series by travelling to the Mediterranean island of Ibiza. For most of their holiday, the crew hung out in between the funkily lit fruit trees in Es Caliu, a romantic restaurant in the beautiful town of Santa Eularia on Ibiza’s southeast coast. This relaxed resort packs in world-class food, flower festivals, shallow swells and gloriously green golf courses. Set in a lovely location beside the marina and just a short walk from the beach and the resort centre, Hotel Tres Torres Ibiza is a great choice.

Jet2 Holidays (jet2.com) offers seven nights at Hotel Tres Torres Ibiza from £783pp based on two people sharing and including return flights from the UK and transfers.

Love Island

Sant Llorenç des Cardassar, Mallorca

The infamous Love Island villa is in the town of Sant Llorenç des Cardassar, on the eastern side of Mallorca, just down on the coast from the popular resorts of Sa Coma or Cala Millor. This area is full of large properties with pretty views of the Mediterranean, as well as traditional Mallorcan windmills. The villa used in the hit show is owned by a German Millionaire, and costs over £5,000 per week to rent, and that’s if you can jump to the front of the huge waiting list. Casa Amor, a short walk from the main villa, is even more expensive. However, if you are looking for a Love Island-style property in this part of Mallorca, you can find other stunning villas in Sant Llorenç de Cardassar, including Es Rafal Roig-S’arc which features a garden, an outdoor pool and mountain views.

Seven nights at Es Rafal Roig-S’arc costs from £883 based on two people sharing the full apartment and includes breakfast. For more information go to booking.com. Flights to Majorca available through Jet2.com.

Ex on the Beach

Las Palmas, Gran Canaria

MTV reality series Ex on the Beach brings together 10 participants on a beautiful beach to ‘go on vacation’. However, there is a catch… they are joined by their various exes and must decide whether to revive their former flame or move on. Apart from all this exciting romantic drama, viewers have become equally interested in where the show is filmed. Season five was shot in Las Palmas, the picturesque capital of the Spanish island of Gran Canaria, which was also the location for the Clash of the Titans remake and Netflix’s The Witcher. A minute’s walk from Las Canteras Beach and a short stroll from historic fortress Castillo de la Luz, the three-star hotel Aloe Canteras is a great place to bask in the sun while listening to the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

Love Holidays (loveholidays.com) offers seven nights at hotel Aloe Canteras from £319pp based on two people sharing and including return flights from the UK with Wizz Air (wizzair.com). For more inspiration on holidays in the Canary Islands go to: hellocanaryislands.com.

Married at First Sight

UNICO 20°87°, Riviera Maya, Mexico

If you’ve already watched Married at First Sight, then you’ll know that the couples, who were total strangers, usually go on an incredible honeymoon at a luxury resort. However, one destination has topped all others – UNICO 20°87° in Mexico where Anthony and Nikita headed. Set on the stunning white beaches of Riviera Maya, about halfway between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, this adults-only all-inclusive resort immerses guests in the culture of the region, from the locally inspired cocktails and cuisines to the art in the rooms. There are three unique pools and a holistic spa and wellness centre, while exciting pop-up events such as pool parties, floating yoga, aqua exercise biking, cooking and mixology classes, salsa lessons and stargazing insert a touch of spontaneity into your stay.

Virgin Holidays (virginholidays.com) offers seven nights on an all-inclusive basis at UNICO 20°87° Hotel Riviera Maya from £1,794pp based on two people sharing and including return flights with Virgin Atlantic and transfers. Also see unicohotelrivieramaya.com.