Photo: Contiki
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If you, like many others, were inspired by Eat, Pray, Love to travel the world and reconnect with yourself, then you should probably do yourself a favour and actually travel to the same stunning destinations as Elizabeth!
The Eat, Pray, Love filming locations will take you from one idyllic destination to another on what might become the most stress-free and eye-opening experience of your life (if you follow in Elizabeth’s footsteps, that is)! Especially if you hop on a cheeky Contiki xx
Where was Eat, Pray, Love filmed?
While many movies are shot in studios and on sound stages, a film all about self-discovery on holiday would feel reaaaally inauthentic if the cast and crew and the viewers didn’t get to experience (or view) the real deal. So, wherever Julia Roberts says she is, that’s where she actually is!
Filming took place in Indonesia, Italy, and India. Let’s get into it all.
1. Rome, Italy
All roads lead to Rome, right? Makes sense that Elizabeth would find herself here. With all the ancient history and delicious Italian food, you’ll never get bored or go hungry. Eat, Pray, Love takes us to a few iconic spots in the city like Piazza Navona and Castel Sant’Angelo which is located right near the utterly majestic Vatican City.
Image source:Getty Images / unsplash
2. Naples, Italy
On her quest to devour the best foods in the world, Elizabeth stops off in Naples, the birthplace of pizza. Pizza is a certified top 10 food, right? Located near the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii, you can gawk at the sparkly sea and a centuries-old volcano, and pick up a slice to snack on at every turn.
3. Ubud, Bali
Elizabeth’s story takes us to Indonesia, and specifically to the heaven-like island of Bali. With lush green forests, temples galore, and some of the world’s best beaches, it’s hard not to find peace here. Ubud is often called the cultural heart of Bali, and this is where Elizabeth stays. We see her walking through bustling Pasar Seni markets, and staying in just the most gorgeous hotel ever!
Image source:Contiki
4. Tegallalang Rice Terraces, Bali
Located outside of Ubud is this swathe of stacked rice terraces which you may have seen pictures of all over your Instagram feed. Dotted with palm trees and emerald green for as long as the eye can see, the Tegallalang Rice Terraces have become a major Balinese tourist attraction for a reason.
5. Padang Padang Beach, Bali
This place is known for white sandy beaches and incredible nightlife, so obviously the cast and crew had to use one as an Eat, Pray, Love filming location. This is the beach where Julia Roberts and Xavier Bardem’s characters meet – however the bar in the movie is unfortunately not real. But worry not, there are plenty of other similar ones all over the island!
Image source:Oliver Sjöström / unsplash
6. Pataudi, India
As the title suggests, a big part of Elizabeth’s journey in Eat, Pray, Love is the spiritual journey. Portions of the film are set in India, where real life Elizabeth spent time in an Ashram: spiritual retreats and monastic communities. Although she has never revealed the real location of the Ashram she visited, the cast and crew found themselves at the Ashram Hari Mandir in Pataudi – which is a town outside of New Delhi and Jaipur.
7. Uttar Pradesh, India
Right on the Ganga River in the north of India, not far from Nepal, we find Elizabeth enjoying a warming cup of traditional Chai. The Uttar Pradesh region of India is known for deep tradition and spiritual history, hailed as the birthplace of Lord Rama, Lord Krishna and Bhagwan Parshuram. Mirzapur Village within the region is where these scenes were shot!
Image source:Martijn Vonk / unsplash
Is Eat, Pray, Love a true story?
Yes! Eat, Pray, Love is a true story written by Elizabeth Gilbert, in which she chronicles her time spent travelling through Italy, Indonesia, and India after a divorce in search of herself. Over the course of her travels, she learns new life lessons, learns about different values and ways of viewing the world and most importantly, she learns about herself.
Many readers of the book and watchers of the film have found this story to be incredibly inspirational – and I mean, it is. Last year’s Voice of a Generation survey saw Eat, Pray, Love as the 4th most influential film or tv show which inspired our audience to travel, wow! It just goes to show that there’s more to a holiday than just ticking countries off a bucket list.
