In the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton, 'Shangri-La' is a mystical, harmonious place enclosed in mountains. The Santa Monica definition is quite similar, but the hotel that bears the same name is on level ground. Ocean Avenue to be precise, and it's far closer to the ocean than the mountains. Try 100m close. Many rooms look out onto the sea, through a perfect framing of palm trees and clipped grassy foreshore. Overlooking the Pacific since 1939, the Shangri-La has two alluring attributes that stand out, even above the style of the place and its princely location. One, you will get your F Scott Fitzgerald on, big-time. This is a dramatic beacon of Art Deco beauty, Hollywood allure, and Los Angeles history. Two, the classic sex scene featuring Rosie Perez and Woody Harrelson in White Men Can't Jump was filmed here. Right on the top floor, where the hotel bar, which was converted from a large suite, now sits. Raunchy! The Shangri-La is close to all of Santa Monica's key attractions and the building actually borders Arizona Street which is closed off twice a week for the Farmer's Markets.

Before you skip this one, let me be clear: this is where I saw celebrities. Reese Witherspoon, to be exact, and I can confirm she was buying big ol' Californian sun-ripened peaches, fresh from the farm. Usually farmers markets are the preserve of old ladies with tartan shopping carts and tired-looking farmers with leathery hands. Not this one. It's further proof of Southern California's fresh living ways and is probably why everyone in Santa Monica looks so healthy. Your Wednesday or Saturday morning wander should be taken on an empty stomach as you'll want to sample fresh fruit juices and food stalls. Whether it's peaches, homemade pesto or freshly roasted pine nuts, your taste buds will freak. Farmers Markets take place at 2200 Virginia Avenue on Saturday between 8 and 11am, at 2640 Main Street on Sunday between 9:30am and 1pm and right alongside the Shangri-La on Wednesday and Saturday between 8:30am and 1pm.

Santa Monica has been synonymous with the rise and rise of Californian cuisine with a range of top shelf restaurants on offer. One that truly sticks its neck out is the JiRaffe Restaurant, at 502 Santa Monica Boulevard. It's no secret that Santa Monica chefs find inspiration at the city's farmers' markets, where they can pick up the bounty of local Southern California growers. And that's exactly where we met up with Jiraffe's head chef and ex pro-surfer Raphael 'Raffe' Lunetta. This guy is a total dude — not only for his surfing and pan-rattling prowess, but also because he name-drops loads of famous people (ask him about his yearly dinner party with current world champ surfer Kelly Slater) and his roasted organic beet salad - combining organic beets, candied walnuts, dried cherries, goats cheese, banyuls-ginger vinaigrette - is both a work of art to observe and an epiphany to taste. Describing his food as "rustic American/French cuisine", Raffe is a big fan of Australia and Aussies and will likely greet you with a high five and a big smile. Also, try the highly unusual but surprisingly harmonious fusion of Latin and Asian food at Zengo, in Santa Monica's newest, hottest mall, Santa Monica place.

Take the Gold Coast's broadest, flattest beach. Now times it by two. And then add Broome's Cable Beach. Welcome to Santa Monica Beach, an expanse of sand so wide that getting from the foreshore to the water is well over a 100-metre dash. Chances are you'll enjoy some of the 300 days of sunshine that the region is blessed with on its wide expanses. The American Planning Association calls it one of the 10 Great Public Spaces in America (2008) and while you will be one of five million Santa Monica Beach-goers in the year, it's likely to be a one-of-a-kind kind of place to you. This classic stretch of the Pacific Ocean is fringed with restaurants, shopping, cultural attractions, cool equipment to swing on and cultural precincts that distinguish this urban village from other beach towns. Every celebrity enjoys their time in the sun, especially when they're detoxing.

What also sets Santa Monica Beach apart is the option to do yoga right there on the sand in the sun. Instructor Trish Bianco is yet further proof of the kinship California shares with Australia - she once spent a summer teaching the Brisbane Lions AFL team yoga in their off-season! Trish caters for all levels and guarantees a feel-good session. On the most basic level, yoga postures help the body to release toxins. Some of the most commonly known yoga postures, and also some of the most simple, involve twisting, stretching and bending of the body which help to force blood deep down into muscle tissue, including our organs of elimination (liver, kidneys), holding it there whilst the posture is maintained. As the posture is released, fresh, newly aerated blood rushes in as the old blood is helped on its way by the flowing sequences that keep the circulation going.

The only negative of such a broad, incredible beach is that when you get thirsty for a 'soda' or hungry for a fish taco, it's a serious hike back to Perry's (the main cafe chain along Santa Monica beach, with four outlets along the 'Gold Coast', three of which offer butlers) to refuel. Beach butlers not only do the sole-scorching work by bringing you food and drink in an esky, they also give you shelter under a big umbrella and a comfy beach chair. Bored already? Ask your butler for some fun beach stuff like beach balls or bat tennis. Sandy beach volleyball courts south of the pier are always available to the public free of charge. Or just pretend you're living Entourage style and have your server send out the cocktails.

Even dudes know Dermalogica. But there's no chance they know, and neither will most dude-ettes we'd wager, that the first ever Dermalogica concept store was opened in Santa Monica. And it kicks serious ace in a really healthy, relaxing way. I'll level with you, I don't really know what treatment I had; there was a sweet facial massage and some kind of mist going on. It was awesome and included special patented features like 'face mapping' and 'skin analysis'. Somehow, despite some serious LA late-night weathering apparent on arrival, I walked out with the skin of a newborn.

They can't spell, bless 'em, but boy can the krew at Kreation Kafe kook up a treat for the health-conscious celeb that wants to live a detox to the letter. Kreation is a regular showbiz spot, but in typical Santa Monica style ("protect the famous" must be the shire's Latin motto) we can neither confirm nor deny that Le Ann Rimes was lunching here the day before we did. Try the Roman with poached organic eggs instead of fried, and don't forget a side of house-made hummus with a drizzle of walnut oil, thinly sliced fennel and three raw almonds. No more, no less. If Kidman can do it, you can too. Kreation is supplied by local farmer's market products, are mostly organic and locally grown.

On this absolutely must-do bike tour of Santa Monica's key spots you'll see the soul of the place - from Venice Beach and the crazy canals (Santa Monica's version of the Goldie) to the absolute beachfront holiday home once owned by Clark Gable. And the best part of it is, the decision is yours. You can pedal, or not. The bikes have little motors and can be mopeds if you'd prefer to take it easy. Considering many of the stops on the tour are inaccessible by car, this is really the business for the intrepid, but lazy, tourist. The fresh air is good for you either way.

How did Pink get so buff? The answer is, by visiting Santa Monica Pier and learning trapeze. And thanks to the confusingly titled 'Trapeze School New York' on Santa Monica Pier, you can get some of that high-flying action, too. Pink came to this very spot to learn her trapeze routine for a high-energy live act. Running classes from beginner - as in rank, fear-of-heights-friendly beginner - to Pink (intermediate) to pro. In one class you can take yourself from gravity-hugging zero to aeronautical hero, pulling off, no joke, some mad skills like hanging upside down and then getting caught mid-air by a pro instructor before a backflip dismount.