We can’t always hop on a plane, but we can always pretend. Here’s a roundup of movies, books, and music that instantly put us in a vacay mode, whether it’s lounging on a beach with a spritz, biking through cobblestoned streets, or just daydreaming from bed on a Sunday afternoon.



Movies/Shows that feel like a getaway

• Mamma Mia! - Greek islands, ABBA, and the most iconic mother-daughter duo. Bonus points for singing along while packing.
• Before Sunrise - Wandering Vienna all night with a stranger who somehow feels familiar. Vacation romance at its most poetic. Best watched with a glass of wine and no plans the next morning.
• Moana - The pull of the horizon, the quiet knowing there’s something more out there, and the courage to chase it. A main character we want to be besties with and the soundtrack? Iconic.
• The White Lotus - Vacation but chaotic. Aperol spritzes, questionable choices, and co-ords in Sicily. A must-watch if you like your holidays with a pinch of drama!
• Nine Perfect Strangers - You know we love a wellness retreat full of people with ominous lives. Realisations and revelations set amidst seaside cliffs and snow-clad Alps.
  

Books to escape into

• Room on the Roof by Ruskin Bond - A coming-of-age story in an Indian hill station. Teenage summer bottled up in a quiet, nostalgic package. Perfect for disappearing into something familiar and tender.
• Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman - Slow, sun-drenched days in Northern Italy filled with bike rides, fruit bowls, and the ache of not wanting a season to end. Read it when you want something languid and just a little heart-wrenching.
• The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak - This one’s worth it just for how Shafak paints places, from sun-warmed Istanbul cafés to the dusty streets of Konya. She captures familiar corners of cities in a way that makes you feel like you’ve walked through them yourself. It’s rich, vivid, and full of that slow-travel feeling.
• Chocolat by Joanne Harris - A small French village, a mysterious woman with a sweet tooth, and a bit of soft magic. This book is for when you’re craving a little whimsy, best read with a cup of hot chocolate.
• The Gentleman from Peru by André Aciman -  Set in an idyllic hotel on the Amalfi coast, this novella slowly unravels a Peruvian man’s life over lingering dinners. Memory, romance, and mystery blur together into an enchanting haze like the quiet lull of a seaside afternoon.

The vacay playlist of all time

We already made the playlist for you (you’re welcome). It’s full of tracks made for weekend road trips, open windows, and pretending your iced coffee is actually a caipirinha on a beach somewhere.

A little Latin, a little disco, a little retro soul, these are the songs we keep on loop when we want to feel even a little bit out of office.

🎶 Love Letter | Summer Radio