Exhausted of options to occupy ourselves on a Sunday afternoon in Santa Monica, we booked in to see some posh homes.
The price is relatively cheap in comparison to other companies that offer similar tours.
Pick up location is in an excellent position too, not far from the Pier and main shopping district.
Our guide, Gary, was THE MAN. We picked a cold, winter afternoon to tour and they had no-one else booked. Rather than rescheduling or offering our money back, the 11- year veteran of the area loaded the two of us on board and set up a personal tour of the area.
Highly experienced and knowledgeable, Gary asked questions that opened up our general interests, which dictated the trip up Malibu.
An excellent stop at The Getty Villa wasn't exactly our first choice, but Gary's knowledge made it much more interesting. Likewise, his infectious humour and laidback nature disarmed any apprehension we had.
As for the "celebrity" section of the tour. Be real. It is exactly what your cynical side might imagine. Driving past houses that are "owned" by celebs. That doesn't mean they currently live in them. Some might. But a quick Google search, suggests most don't. But, who cares? The houses are beyond impressive and more so, the almost gated community they live within is very interesting to venture into.
At the end of the tour, it was sad to hear the "tipping" routine. There's already a sign up that pretty much endorses some additional payment. It slightly ruined the experience, because by the end we felt a more personal connection with the guide. We were always going to tip him anyway. But I guess in bigger groups he does it, and so he did it with just the two of us as well. For me though, it took away a bit from the conversations we'd shared.
But all that aside, if you're visiting Santa Monica and want to take a tour - skip the others and pick Surf City. We've been on Starline and you just don't get the same level of quality for price.
Cheers "Gaz," from your Aussie mates.