Bonjour!

When it comes to dream destinations, Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Nice and Monte-Carlo did not even really come to mind, because they were seemingly so extravagant and out-of-reach for the non-rich and famous (me). Most of the references I’ve ever heard to these places were in music and movies, only accessed by your favorite stars and celebrities. That may have been my perception, but when you look into these locations, you understand why they frequent the area, known as Côte d’Azur. When the opportunity presented itself to travel here with friends to celebrate a birthday, life and inspiration, we couldn’t pass it up.

Nice, France

We flew into (and out of) Nice airport (NCE) and called an Uber to transport us to (and from) the villa near Cannes. We did not get to visit much of Nice outside of the airport; the drive from the airport to the villa had plenty of extravagance to see in the form of villas, mansions, and yachts.

Cannes, France

Our lodging was just outside of Cannes, in an area called Mandelieu la Napoule. The neighborhood is located on the French Riviera and boasts views of gated mansions and a casual castle. We stayed in a villa with 11 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms, concierge, a private pool and poolhouse, and a balcony overlooking the Riviera, so you can imagine the opulence of this place. It was truly luxurious! Private wine tasting and dinner just as the sunset at this residence felt like we were royalty, and it was so special, I put it right up there with my wine tasting experiences in South Africa and New Zealand. Aside from lodging, we embarked on the yacht trip from the Port of Napoule. The yacht was a four-story beauty with lounge areas, three decks, and dedicated chefs; we spent eight whole hours partying, swimming, resting, eating and drinking, and basking in the unbeatable views. One thing we learned is that calling a rideshare from that area is not the easiest at this time of the year, which was apparently not peak tourist season. It took us a few tries to get rides, but who could be frustrated after the day that we had?

Saint-Tropez, France

We spent a day at Nikki Beach in Saint-Tropez, which was a vibe. We lounged in pool cabanas and ordered some of the best seafood. The beach was a short walk away, so we leisurely ventured between the pool and the beach. It was extremely hot that day, but thankfully, the staff at Nikki Beach kept the beverages and the Tory Burch umbrellas on deck to keep us comfortable. After leaving Nikki Beach, we went into the shopping areas to walk around and grab some souvenirs. With Saint-Tropez on the French Riviera, we passed by many docked yachts in this area as well. We couldn’t get away from them if we tried! 

Monaco City and Monte-Carlo, Monaco

Monaco is its own sovereign nation, so it was cool to be able to hit two countries on one trip. Monaco is known to be “billionaires’ playground” for having the highest per capita GDP, and as such, there was a lot of high-end shopping and experiences to be had. We started our visit by walking around Monaco City in Saint-Martin Gardens, and then headed to Monte-Carlo, where all of the shopping took place. Every direction you turn is a luxury designer shop. Some of the group visited Vueve Cliquot, Louis Vuitton, and others, and I had wanted to visit a secondhand/pre-loved shop in the area, because as mentioned, the residents there are high-income, so I bet there were some good finds! We went to a mall for a bite to eat and then walked to The Queen Bee boutique with preloved items. We grabbed some great finds for the ladies (they did not have items for the men – sorry), and made our way back to our transport, because it is way too easy to blow several bags walking around Monte-Carlo.

Overall, the trip was more magnificent than I could’ve imagined, and we were all so full and inspired by the experience. I can’t imagine what more I could do to top this trip on a return visit, but I would certainly come back!

All photos taken with Nikon D5600.