Encircled by four mountain ranges, Los Angeles is oddly isolated, prompting early chroniclers to describe it as "an island on the land". To appreciate the city it should be thought of as five distinct regions, Downtown, Hollywood, The Valleys, Westside and the Beaches.

Los Angeles was originally christened by wandering Spanish missionaries in 1781 as "El Pueblo de Neustra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula" (‘The Town of Our Lady Queen of the Angels by the Porciuncula’), and shortened a few years later to Los Angeles. Most residents simply refer to it by its initials, LA. It has also been called at varying times ‘The New Eden’, ‘The New Jerusalem’, ‘The New Babylon’, and simply ‘Lotus Land’, as over the decades it grew from a cow town to a boomtown, then an oil town to tinsel town. It was not accidental that the automobile culture, the movie and aerospace industries, and Disneyland, took root in Los Angeles, or that almost every conceivable, and a few inconceivable, fads, fashions and styles have at some time or other sprouted in the city’s consenting climate and spirit.

Basking in a sunny, semi-tropical climate, and blessed with a diversity of cultures, Los Angeles mixes and matches different settings and scenes with a singular style.

Here is a city where in a day, a weekend or a week, you can meander from world-famous amusements to a wealth of museums, hip hop from pop and high culture, view what’s in vogue in the arts and entertainment, catch the stars in Hollywood, shop for the latest hot fashions in bargain centers to boutiques catering for every whim and budget, taste an exotic array of ethnic flavors in a gazpacho of ethnic enclaves, or simply go native and bike, ’blade or veg out.

Downtown: LA’s dynamic urban core has undergone a major facelift recently and the construction of new buildings and facilities has reinforced the area’s claim to be the Pacific’s premier business centre. Downtown attractions include Angel’s Flight, originally a funicular railway dating from 1901 now restored, and the Museum of Neon Art (MONA) which displays a fine art collection in electric media and neon signs. Modern art buffs will want to visit the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA which recently re-opened after a three-year closure. One of the world’s largest newspapers, the Los Angeles Times is across the street and offers behind-the-scenes tours of the media empire. For the more academically inclined, the Los Angeles Central Library, one of the nation’s most respected research and resource centers, is also its third-largest library, following a period of significant expansion. The El Pueblo de Los Angeles State Historic Park preserves a number of historically important buildings from the Spanish and Mexican eras. Serious shoppers can explore the Fashion District and the Jewellery District where quality merchandise is sold at discount prices.

Downtown LA is a cornucopia of cultures; Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Broadway and the Latino-influenced Olvera Street and Broadway are examples of local communities. Befitting its climate and context, and individualistic spirit, the area has a particularly rich and varied architecture and design heritage. It is where the American Arts and Crafts movement flourished; the Spanish Colonial, Mexican and Mission Revival styles were rediscovered; where the Art Deco style, followed by the Moderne and the machine-like Modern styles took root; and where Frank Lloyd Wright experimented with new materials, forms and theories. There are whimsical, way-out designs, most of which can be seen from the street, along with a variety of public art, much of it gracing the Downtown area, and murals seemingly everywhere. Among other things, LA has also been called ‘The Mural Capital of the World’, thanks to its temperate climate, and ethnic and neighborhood pride. And its public art, particularly downtown, is worth a detour.

Citywide Information: The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau (LACVB) has introduced a number of new visitor services and programs designed specifically for travelers.

These measures include the new series of official Los Angeles Visitor Guides. These seven easy-to-use guides are packed with insider’s tips, suggested itineraries, detailed descriptions and local area maps. The guides also include Destination Los Angeles which covers the entire city as well as six innovative and detailed guides covering Hollywood, the Beach Cities, Downtown, Beverly Hills/Westside, shopping, dining and nightlife.

LA is full of renowned museums with singular collections and ambitious exhibits. These include the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, with its comprehensive collection of Western, as well as Asian and Near Eastern art, its striking Japanese Pavilion; and the Museum of Contemporary Art in California Plaza. Also nearby is the Wells Fargo Museum featuring 130 years of Western history. Music and dance, classic, contemporary, native, hot and cool, rock, rap, blues and jazz can all be heard in a variety of venues across the city. Jazz fans in particular should head for 5th Street Dick’s in the up and coming Crenshaw District.

As you would expect in LA there are a wealth of cinemas showing every conceivable production — foreign, revivals, experimental and classic, as well the most current films. Comedy clubs, magic shows, blues bars, juice bars, coffee house recitals and poetry readings are among the many diversions on offer when darkness falls in LA. The club scene is very fickle; a must-go night filled with this season’s stars can go bust within weeks. The result is a fluid nightlife, so check out the local listings magazines for an up-to-date guide.

Just south of Downtown is Exposition Park, site of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Sports Arena. At the park, visitors can see the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Afro-American History and Culture, the California State Museum of Science and Industry and stroll through the campus of the University of Southern California.

For another view of the industry, NBC, Warner Bros and Universal Studios Hollywood offer tours. The Universal tour is the most popular artificial attraction in America after the Disney theme parks. Visitors can speed through time on Back to the Future, feel the heat in Backdraft or come face to face with dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. Here, you can cruise through tropical waterways, take an 82-ft plunge and get up close and personal with prehistoric creatures up to five stories in height. The adjacent Universal City Walk is an engaging stylized retail promenade anchored by one of the world’s largest cinema complexes. Recently, this attraction became home to the newest Hard Rock Café, the first two-story restaurant in the chain. The Hollywood Bowl Museum features changing exhibits on performing arts in Los Angeles and last year saw the opening of The Hollywood Entertainment Museum which honors the film industry. In the Griffith Park area, one of the largest urban parks in the country, you can visit the outstanding Los Angeles Zoo, Griffith Park Observatory, Travel Town and the Autry Museum of Western Heritage. Other area attractions include Hollywood Boulevard, with its ‘walk of fame’ etched in the sidewalk. This legendary site recently added 148 new stars, together with an extension along Hollywood Boulevard which is currently being re-enhanced.

West Hollywood: West Hollywood hosts more post-Oscar parties than any other city and over 70% of all filming in West Hollywood is on the Sunset Strip. Major films shot in the area include Get Shorty, Casper, Heat and Leaving Las Vegas. There are 13 luxury hotels with nearly 2000 guest rooms in West Hollywood, offering world class accommodations. From the luxurious to the practical, they serve every imaginable need and preference regarding decor, cost, size, business amenities and accessibility for people with disabilities.

Undoubtedly, West Hollywood is best known for its exciting and varied nightlife. The city’s clubs feature rock, jazz, comedy, pop and R&B. Since the 1920s Sunset Strip has been a centre for nightlife, home to some of the world’s most illustrious clubs such as The Roxy, Whisky A Go-Go, The Viper Room, Billboard Live and The Comedy Store. Gay and lesbian nightlife thrives in Santa Monica Boulevard with clubs such as Axis, Revolver, Rage and Mickys.

West Hollywood is a shopping adventure. Sunset Plaza is lined with specialty shops, whilst Melrose, another exciting West Hollywood shopping area showcases the hottest new designer trends.

'The Creative City' features over 30 art galleries. Both the Le Montrose Suite Hotel and the Wyndham Bel Age Hotel house original international art collections that are worth millions.

Another attraction is the Museum of Tolerance featuring high-tech interactive exhibits telling the history of racism and prejudice and the story of the Holocaust.

Many cities in the world may claim to cater for all needs or tastes, but LA goes one step further. It is popularly believed that if you drop your finger on a spinning globe and choose a country, then somewhere in LA you will find its cuisine or that of its nearest neighbor, represented. Food ranges from mainstream, such as Mexican or Italian, to the more quirky, such as Nigerian and Uzbek. In the city of West Hollywood, for example, more than 100 restaurants are located within 1.9 square miles. Among the most notable here are Wolfgang Puck's first restaurant Spago, known internationally for such specialties as his celebrated pizzas, risotto and roasted lamb. For occasions that require an international flair, you might call for reservations at Cicada or historic Dan Tana's, both specialists in Italian cuisine. Jackson’s describes itself as ‘French Provincial with a California touch’. Formosa Cafe has been a favorite of the entertainment industry for over 50 years.

Residents and visitors alike believe that LA is much improved by the new Asian influences, reflected not only in the wide choice of cuisine but also in the city’s ethnic diversity. Variety is not only available in content but also in price. LA can boast some of the most expensive restaurants in the world, including Valentino in Santa Monica, Rex II Ristorante in downtown LA and Matsuhisa in West Hollywood. However, even on a more modest budget, many choices are on offer such as at the Grill Lyon in Little Tokyo which combines Japanese and French cuisine or La Serenata de Garibaldi in the Boyle Heights. It is even possible for a couple to eat out for less than $20. Rosalind’s African Cuisine, La Parilla and the Bombay Café are amongst the best.

No visitor to LA can fail to notice the overwhelming influence of the movie industry. Many stars of the big screen have traded in their clapperboards for kitchen knives by investing in themed eateries. Steven Spielberg is co-owner of Dive! on Santa Monica Boulevard. He and fellow owners, Jeffrey Katzenberg (chairman of Disney Studios) and restaurateurs Mark and Larry Levy, offer diners the novel experience of eating in a submarine with a particularly nautical menu. Arnold Schwarzenegger contributed his own sausage recipes as well as funds to Schatzi’s on Main and is also one of the principle shareholders of Planet Hollywood along with Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore. You’ve seen their films, now try their food. Even better, get close to the dress that aroused Robert Redford’s interest in ‘Indecent Proposal’ while you’re eating.

The beach areas offer other diversions besides the fleshly variety. In the canyons of Malibu, for example, is Barbara Streisand’s estate which houses her Center for Conservancy Studies. Visitors can enjoy the houses and landscaped meadows and orchards to be found here. At Bergamot Station, there is a 5.5 acre complex with a dozen galleries offering art-lovers a one-stop shopping experience.

Just east of the San Fernando Valley is the San Gabriel Valley. Pasadena is the site of the world’s most famous New Year’s Day event, the Tournament of Roses Parade. Cultural attractions in the city include the Norton Simon Museum of Art, the Huntington Library and Gardens and Los Angeles Arboretum. Nearby, Santa Anita is home to one of the most beautiful racetracks in the world and high above in the Angeles National Forest is Mount Wilson, a small observatory and museum.

Special Events: National Orange Show is held for 11 days each spring in San Bernadino. Feb The Annual Gourmet Food and Wine Festival, Thousand Oaks. Mar The City of Los Angeles Marathon. May Long Beach Indy Grand Prix. Sep Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona.

Travel: Getting around in the ‘land of the car’ may be easier than you think. Transportation in Southern California is made simple from any of the four major airports: Los Angeles International Airport, John Wayne/Orange County Airport, Ontario Airport and Long Beach Airport.

Climate: Los Angeles’s climate is generally sunny and warm with gentle ocean breezes in the summer. The humidity is low and there is very little rain.

The Santa Monica Museum of Art is a design marvel by famed architect Frank O Gehry. The museum displays the work of contemporary and modern artists. In nearby Malibu, the famed J Paul Getty Museum, an exact replica of a Roman country villa, houses one of the world’s largest and most valued art collections. Shopping is another popular pastime. The city has four different shopping areas, each with its own distinct character. Montana Avenue, Main Street, Santa Monica Place and Third Street Promenade feature specialty shops, restaurants and exclusive boutiques. In the evening Third Street Promenade is transformed into a lively entertainment centre. Street performers fill the pavements and restaurants push dining tables aside to create dance floors.

Just minutes from Beverly Hills, Hollywood and downtown LA, Santa Monica is a choice location for California-style vacationing. It is within easy driving distance of major attractions such as Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Knott’s Berry Farm and the Queen Mary. Just 13km (8 miles) from Los Angeles International Airport, sun-drenched Santa Monica offers a respite from the big city bustle. It has for decades been a favorite hideaway for Hollywood as well, with Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks Sr, Greta Garbo, Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford calling it home. Today, Meryl Streep, Michelle Pfeiffer and Ted Danson are just a few of the celebrities who find solace in Santa Monica.

Santa Monica’s most famous landmark is the pier. Having undergone a phased US$45 million restoration, the West Coast’s oldest pleasure pier, built in 1908 during the height of the city’s popularity as a seaside resort, is now home to Pacific Park. The park features a 55-ft roller coaster and a giant ferris wheel as well as 11 other rides. The old pier’s carousel with hand-crafted gilt and painted horses also offers rides each day. Additional features here include the newly renovated Boat House, Rusty’s Restaurant, Mariasol Restaurant, pubs, restaurants, shops and a fresh fish market.

Outdoor adventures abound in the scenic Santa Monica Mountains on the city’s northern border. The 61,000-hectare Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area offers camping, hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, picnicking and bird watching. Wills Rogers State Historic Park, the 75-hectare ranch of the late humorist, features stables, polo matches on the weekends and tours of the cowboy/philosopher’s ranch house. Guided tours of the numerous hand-painted outdoor murals, helicopter and private airplane tours and a peek into LA’s most prized body-building facilities are just a few of the alternative activities awaiting the avid traveler.

Many of the nation’s renowned culinary talents have established restaurants in Santa Monica. With nearly 400 restaurants, cafés and pubs, the city boasts one restaurant for every 217 residents. Home to a lively British population, Santa Monica also sports a dash of Old World camaraderie with some of the best pubs and tea rooms outside of Great Britain. For billiards, darts or an evening of jazz or British rock ‘n’ roll, the best places to go are Fair City or the Kings Head. Other hip venues include The Pink, a tiny disco-style cavern hidden in an alley behind Main Street; Renaissance, an upscale super club featuring two restaurants and dancing; and the West End, a funky bar and dance club showcasing live entertainment. For further travel and accommodation information, contact the Santa Monica Visitor Center.

Anaheim is located approximately 45km (28 miles) south of downtown Los Angeles and 50km (31 miles) southeast of the Los Angeles International Airport. San Diego lies 145 km (90 miles) south of Anaheim, while San Francisco lies 645km (400 miles) north. Orange County encompasses an area of 206 sq km (798 sq miles), with 68km (42 miles) of coastline and beaches. There are 31 incorporated cities within its boundaries, including Balboa, Laguna Beach, Irvine, Costa Mesa and Buena Park.

Anaheim/Orange County has an inventory of 46,139 rooms (18,252 rooms in Anaheim alone) ranging from fine family-oriented properties for the budget-conscious traveler to elegant, full-service luxury hotels. Nearly half of the 18,252 rooms in Anaheim surround the Anaheim Convention Center and are within walking distance of Disneyland. The city of Anaheim adds a transient occupancy tax of 15% to the nightly room rate. The region also offers a feast of international and continental cuisine, ranging from five-star restaurants to quaint boardwalk cafés. Collectively, there are over 60 restaurants and cocktail lounges in the immediate area of the Anaheim Convention Center.

Climate: The average temperature is 70°F (21ºC). Summers are moderate to hot with cool evenings. Winters are mild with a little rain. Rainfall averages 13 inches annually.

Southern California has a multitude of attractions, beaches, museums and nearby locations just waiting to be explored. Several major sightseeing companies offer a variety of tours. These include Tour Connection which offers a grand tour of Hollywood, Universal Studios, as well as excursions to Magic Mountain and San Diego. Freedom Tour offers a complete customer-oriented travel service which embraces all the major southern Californian attractions, comprehensive southwest tours that include the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. Steward service provided en route includes complimentary snacks, beverages and movies on this state-of-the art luxurious motor coach. The Grand Canyon tour also highlights Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Boulder City, Colorado River. Car rental is an option that allows you to explore Southern California at your own pace and according to your own tastes.