I partied with Charli, Gaga and Missy in the desert – Here’s the three-day detox I did to recover in one of LA’s favourite postcodes

If you have ever been to Coachella you will know that the recovery after a long weekend of partying in the desert is long and rough. 

During my most recent trip to the US with my partner, we spent the better part of a week being ‘Brats’ – dancing well into the wee hours of the morning to Charli XCX, Missy Elliot and Lady Gaga. 

Unlike many of the ‘California sober’ models and influencers too busy posing for endless selfies to eat or drink, we indulged in endless margaritas and outrageously overpriced food offerings. Yes, I am talking US$20 (AU$30) for a slice of pepperoni pizza. 

So after a whirlwind few days, the thought of spending more indulgent nights out in LA at bougie restaurants, dive bars and buzzy nightclubs made my head spin.

We were in desperate need of wellness –  some smoothies, strolls, a seaside escape.

DAY ONE  

For our post-Coachella detox I decided to design a three-day itinerary with a focus on health and fitness, along with a little five-star dining and accommodation in between.

Moving well away from the bad influence of my usual mainstay of West Hollywood, I settled on the more serene Santa Monica. 

Nestled along the shimmering Pacific Ocean, Santa Monica is a vibrant testament to California’s laid-back lifestyle, natural beauty and culture. 

The iconic coastal city not only has picturesque beaches, a bustling pier, and eclectic neighbourhoods, but a plethora of wellness studios, healthy dining options and kale as far as the eye can see at one of the city’s biggest farmers markets. 

I have never stayed in a beachside hotel in Los Angeles, and the newly refurbished Sandbourne Santa Monica seemed like the perfect fit for my first experience.

Recently overhauled by hotelier Gulla Jónsdóttir, the 175-room hotel is part of the Marriott’s Autograph Collection and is a luxury beach house where ‘urban style meets the coast’.

Pulling up to the all-white frontage of the Sandbourne, I felt like I was in Miami, but as soon as we walked inside we were was greeted by the warm and inviting interiors by Atelier Gulla Jónsdóttir, who has done his best to evoke the nearby ‘sandy beach and its sunrises and sunsets’.

Our suite was even more stunning – a spacious 550 square foot retreat featuring a pillow top king size bed, a marble bathroom with a tub and a tranquil ocean view thanks to a walk-out balcony.

After settling in, it was time for that much-needed wellness in the form of quintessential bike ride along the beach. 

Santa Monica boasts 5.5kms of beautiful coastline with almost 200km of dedicated bike lanes and eight neighbourhoods to ride through.

Cycling along The Strand, a paved bike path that runs along the coast from Santa Monica to Venice and beyond, is a favourite activity for visitors. 

The path is safe and perfect for family outings, allowing travellers to experience the city’s natural beauty while staying active. 

After working up an appetite, we stopped to try local salad bar Alfalfa, which boasts of menu featuring locally-sourced and nutrient-rich ingredients.

While on the West Coast, we tried the ‘West Coast salad’ – a healthy mix of fruit and veggies, all washed down with what all the cool Santa Monica girls drink – a matcha latte.

While this three-day trip was all about detoxing, I did allow for a little indulgence at the hotel’s restaurant Marelle that night.

Marelle is the brainchild of Santa Monica native and culinary luminary Chef Raphael Lunetta and its setting is incredibly sexy. The huge dining space is dimly lit and has that aforementioned Miami inside-out design, with billowing curtains that sway in the evening sea breeze.

As for the menu, the restaurant offers an elevated dining experience that celebrates the vibrant flavours of California, including crispy and decadent Jidori chicken wings, Lunetta’s signature lump crab cakes, lemon mushroom rigatoni and a succulent herb crusted chicken paillard. 

DAY TWO   

Day two of our Santa Monica sojourn I broke away from the boyfriend for a workout.

I headed to Pvolve – a popular fitness method which is endorsed by none other than that mega hot ageless babe known as Jennifer Aniston.

Pvolve is a rapidly growing boutique fitness franchise known for its science-based approach to functional fitness.

It combines low-impact exercises with resistance-based equipment to enhance strength, mobility, posture, and balance and is celebrated by stars like Aniston, Molly Sims, Padma Lakshmi, and Kate Bosworth for their transformative workouts.

The best way to describe it is a cross between Pilates, barre and yoga… on a Twister mat. 

For 20 years I have tried every type of fitness class under the sun, and while I consider myself extremely fit, I felt muscles I have never felt before after just one session.

An added bonus was the luxe change rooms featuring Aniston’s own vegan & cruelty-free hair products, LovaLie.

After hobbling back to the hotel for a quick shower, I took a quick stroll through Downtown Farmers Market. 

One of the biggest in the city, the market stretches over four blocks and is bustling with colourful food stalls featuring Southern California’s best produce from local farmers and small food businesses.

After perusing all the fresh produced I worked up an appetite and headed to to one of Santa Monica’s coolest strips- Montana Ave.

Montana Ave reminds me of my own neighbourhood in Bondi Beach – a vibrant thoroughfare with cafes, small boutiques, fitness and wellness centres and what is now one of my favourite little stores, a hidden little gem called Divine Vintage – a wine bar come vintage clothing store which also offers wine tasting in a quaint little courtyard out the back.

For lunch I headed to LA’s most hottest and most Instagrammable cafes – Kreation Kafe & Juicery.

Kreation Kafe & Juicery grew from a small start in Santa Monica to a popular health food destination with locations across the Los Angeles regions, including one in nearby Venice Beach.

It is also where you are most likely to spot a celebrity, and while I wasn’t so lucky this time around I did enjoy my egg white O-MEGA BOWL and dessert-worthy red velvet smoothie.

As my muscles continued to ache I was in for a treat at my next destination.

With branches all over the world, StretchLab is a must have go-to for expert-led stretching routines to improve athletic performance, decrease joint pain or simply refresh with a great stretch.

As a first timer, I was gently guided through my 50-minute session by Bella, who also did a Physmodo Assessment of my body to measure my mobility, posture and symmetry. 

Two doors down was Perspire – an infrared sauna house where LA fitness fanatics all congregate to gently heat their body from within to improve circulation, oxygen flow and detoxification reaching the skin, muscles and joints.

My partner swears by saunas and claims that with regular sessions he rarely gets sick. Me, I am not a fan. I run hot and I often feel dizzy and claustrophobic in such a small and sweaty confined space.

Armed with a huge two litre water bottle and a remote control to watch the room’s inbuilt TV with Netflix, I lasted the entire 40-minute session and felt… surprisingly good.

Dinner that night was at Cobi’s and I was excited. I had only heard incredible things about this Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant and it didn’t disappoint. 

Dining at the restaurant is like having dinner at a friend’s quaint little cottage thanks to the vintage wallpaper, quirky décor and cute and kitsch little China plates.

The menu was equally eclectic, featuring a mix of creative Thai, Vietnamese and Indian dishes, along with vanilla soft serve sundae for dessert.

DAY THREE  

Day three of the ‘detox’, and with a sunny morning on the cards I booked myself into a 50-minute yoga class with Beach Yoga SoCal.

Instructor Melissa guided us through a refreshing and rejuvenating session surrounded by sunshine and ocean breezes on The Beach Green, with the added bonus of an unexpected beach volleyball tournament unfolding right in front of our eyes. So LA. 

After a stroll on the promenade it was time for a little fun, and what is a visit to Santa Monica without a visit to the iconic Santa Monica Pier?

Spanning the sandy waterfront, this enduring symbol of nostalgia combines classic amusement park allure with modern entertainment. 

The iconic Ferris wheel, with its bright colours and panoramic views, is a sight that begs visitors to hop aboard and enjoy a gentle spin over the ocean and the stunning views which stretch far beyond Santa Monica to nearby Malibu and Venice Beach.

However, the most famous icon on the pier is the antique carousel inside the Looff Hippodrome Building, and we were lucky to get a personalised tour with Jim Harris, Deputy Director of the Santa Monica Pier Corporation.

Harris is the landmark attraction’s official historian and has worked on the pier for many, many years, with humble beginnings as a barman at Big Dean’s Ocean Front Café.

The colourful carousel features 44 pristine prancing horses, all which have had starring roles in blockbuster movies alongside Hollywood luminaries Dennis Hopper, Paul Newman and Sandra Bullock. 

But their biggest fan was Marilyn Monroe.

Harris recalls how the tragic star would often visit the landmark in disguise, in a desperate effort to escape prying eyes and the hustle and bustle of the Hollywood grind she despised.

He went on to share equally enchanting stories about the secret apartment complex above, where Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Herb Alpert enjoyed a Bohemian life as a group of creative rising stars during the 50s and 60s.

Our final stop during our Santa Monica sojourn was a meal at the beachside branch of one of LA most famous and photographed eateries – Ivy at the Shore.

The Robertson Boulevard location has long been known for people-watching, with Hollywood film execs, studio owners and celebs often seen powwowing and power-lunching on the flower-filled patio.

Inside Ivy at the Shore guests are greeted by a similar setting, adorned with floral arrangements, string lights, and a warm colour palette that complements the Pacific Ocean just a few blocks away.

While we didn’t spy a famous face, we did try some of the signature hits, including the hearty yet heathy turkey chilli, the refreshing spicy fresh corn chowder and succulent baby back ribs.

Last but not least, one cannot visit Santa Monica without exploring its famed Third Street Promenade and we decided to do some last minute shopping before our 14-hour flight back to Sydney.

This outdoor shopping district is a pedestrian paradise, with street performers, artists, and vendors adding to its lively ambiance. 

The Promenade also leads directly to the bustling Santa Monica Place Mall, offering a blend of high-end brands and dining options.

After 72 hours in Santa Monica our post-Coachella doom was only but a dream, and we may or may not have ‘accidentally’ missed our flight home.