Top 5 Must-Visit Film Locations for Travelers

Most travelers are actually movie and television geeks as it is a favorite pastime of pretty much everybody.

Even in the age of the internet, we still avail of paid streaming services such as Netflix to satisfy our urge for broadcast entertainment, which is why traveling to movie sets are a mind blower, especially for an avid traveler.

The fact that they were heavily featured in a movie makes them an instant tourist attraction. Some are already beautiful even without being used as a filming location while others were made popular after it was used.

There will be times when the real-life locations do not depict the actual milieu as they become an adaptation of fiction such as in sci-fi and cartoons.

Without further ado, here are the top five must-visit Film locations for travelers.

1.      Firehouse, Hook & Ladder Company 8

“If there’s something strange in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call?” The Firehouse, Hook & Ladder Company 8.

This small firehouse located at 14 North Moore Street, NY is known for the film Ghostbusters, where Peter, Ray, Egon, and Winston plot their next bust.

The building serves as an actual fire station in real life. What is amazing is the fact that the building was built in 1903 and still stands to this day despite how much New York evolves.

 

2.      112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York

From busting ghosts to ghosts that bust. The house on 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York is said to be one of the most haunted houses in the world.

This Dutch colonial house upstate has a documented history of paranormal activity that drove a man named Ronald DeFeo Jr to kill his entire family.  DeFeo claimed he heard voices which urged him to commit the mass murder.

Just a few years later, a man named George Lutz, with his wife Kathleen and two kids moved into the said house. The patriarch Lutz almost suffered the same fate had his family not been able to lure him out of the house for good.

This haunted house was documented in Jay Anson’s book “The Amityville Horror: A True Story.” It was then turned into film adaptations such as the title movie in 1979 and 2005.

It was also the place where the famous cult horror movie “The Conjuring” was set in 2016.

 

3.      Hôtel Sidi Driss

Arguably the most popular film series of all time is actually set in a lesser known country of Tunisia. The Hôtel Sidi Driss is known as the set for the Star Wars film series.

The film has actually helped the locals of Matmata, Tunisia exponentially due to the fact that most of the city’s revenue come from tourism thanks to Star Wars.

Tourists are going crazy for this hotel located in the middle of the desert. The hotel has undergone upgrades as renovations were made for movie purposes during the years and is still open for day-tours till this day.

4.      Christ Church College

Speaking of popular film series, Harry Potter makes this list as they have provided tourism and commits for the University of Oxford.

The Christ Church college is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, and a popular destination due to being the actual location of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Although the entire school’s campus was shot in many different locations, the Christ Church College is the most recognizable due to the fact that every banquet scene in the Great Hall was shot at this very place.

The sixteenth-century staircases that Harry, Ron, and Hermione used to creep on after school hours are also part of Christ Church College.

5.       Banaue Rice Terraces

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been known to produce the highest grossing films for years.

A certain location in Ifugao, Philippines however is already a world wonder even without being featured for Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

The Banaue Rice Terraces is arguably most beautiful layer of rice paddies in the world, which is why it was named its “eighth wonder.”

People who travel to this beautiful terraces would always include the caption “looking for Thanos” as it is where he set throne in Avengers: Infinity War.

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Travelling to Vietnam

The different types of visas to Vietnam

Are you planning a trip to Vietnam in the nearby future? Then you’ve probably figured out that you need a visa to enter the country. This all depends where you’re from. If you’re from a country that’s on the visa exempt list, you can most likely stay in the country for up to 15 days visa free. However, if you want to stay for longer than that, you’ll have apply for a visa. If you’re not on the visa exempt list, you always have to have a valid visa before traveling to Vietnam. Let’s take a look at the three visa options:

Visa on Arrival

This is the most popular visa option because it’s easy to get, it’s fast, and affordable. Everything’s also done online so you only need to fill out an online application form, follow the instructions and voila! You’ll have a visa in no time. You can apply from wherever you are in the world! It’s arguably the best option. However, the visa on arrival is only valid if you travel by air. If you’re crossing the border for example, from Cambodia by bus, you must apply via the Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate.

E-Visa

Another online visa option, but the E-Visa is only available for certain countries and therefore it might not be good if you’re not on the list of countries who can apply for this sort of visa. But if you can, it’s just as good as the visa on arrival. It’s super easy to get as well. Do note that the e-visa is a 30 day, single-entry Visa, so you can’t get extend this type of visa if you wish to stay longer.

Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate

The third and last option is to go to the Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate and apply with them. If you want to travel to Vietnam by land, you must get a visa via the Embassy or Consulate. The reason why this option may not be the most convenient is because if you don’t live close to a Vietnamese Embassy, you must spend a lot of time on transportation and have to spend more money. So if you know that you’ll be flying to Vietnam, the most convenient option is to get a Visa on Arrival or an E-Visa, if you only intend to be in the country for maximum 30 days and you’ll only enter the country once.

That’s the three options you have for applying for a visa. It’s not more complicated than that! When you’ve gotten your visa, you’re all good to go and explore the beautiful, charming, and magical country of Vietnam. It’s one of the highlights in Southeast Asia.

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