Living the Highlife in Miami

OMG Miami Beach was amazeballs; to set the seen Imagine blue skies, parks, palm trees, colourful street life, art deco buildings, and free-spirited locals it is fabulous. I was walking along Ocean Drive and the convertibles, hummers, and limousines were all lined up outside the bars with semi-clad dancing girls/boys and daily bikini contests which were actually quite fun believe it or not my husband was well happy.

Miami is exactly what I thought it would be like - full of beautiful, tanned, and fashionable people with some really funny characters. The weather here is gorgeous, and both the women and men here definitely know how to work it strutting up and down the streets in impossibly high heels but perfectly groomed and wearing designer clothes really showing off along Miami Beach which was the best place for doing lots of people watching.

The City of Miami is separate from the Miami Beach area where most visitors spend their time. We stayed about 4 miles away joined to downtown by a couple of main roads. I only took a few photos of Miami unlike the 100+ I usually capture on every trip I take. For one, I really didn't find many things in terms of cultural structures or different attractions to photograph.

I did book a diving tour off the coast, and that was brilliant my husband loved it what an experience. Secondly, it's difficult to take photos that would capture the atmosphere of this unique place, I was too busy enjoying my time and living in the moment I totally forgot about pictures. I think it's the kind of people here that make the place so fresh and exciting, rather than the attractions and architecture. Miami is classy and quite understated really, there are no tacky tourist shops here lining the beach, neon signs or people selling things on the beach.

Even the bars on the beach are simple, unlabeled straw huts, off I went with my book to the beach, but actually, I didn't read a page - I was too busy watching the locals OMG they really are a law onto themselves. And believe me, they love to be stared at! Miami Beach is definitely not a quiet place in any way, shape or form. But even this 24/7 place has a few spots you can find peace and quiet in. I found my serenity on the beach - just lying around on the sand warming up, breathing the ocean. Miami Beach at night is fantastic, and I highly recommend it to anyone the club scene here is massive.

Planes fly over the shoreline flying banners promoting top DJ acts for each night. Clubbing can be a bit pricey though; you may have to book in advance and also dress code, in my opinion, was unreal, and I don't think flip flops would make the cut. There was a lovely Irish Pub on Lincoln Rd which I loved the street by itself and always full of people hanging around the stores. What a small world - I ran into someone I knew from my town in this pub, we had a few pints there and caught up on life (as well as a buzz). We went back to the beach to check out the scenery.

Afterwards, we went to a Miami Heat game at the American Airlines Arena and finished off the evening with a couple of games of pool. To make the most of it before my departure the next day, we stopped at a lovely, though quite expensive and slightly ritzy, beachside restaurant with alfresco seating and delicious food. As we were sitting catching up it became very apparent (again) that the very wealthy and beautiful people of the Miami Beach hang around here, they were strutting around and only too delighted to display it.

I got a nice bit of colour and just relaxed when I wasn't partying, spent a bit more money here than anywhere else - it's hard not to really. But it was worth it, so it was all good. This place can be paradise on a budget, but if you can splash the cash, you will be blown away.

SA & M Mey