As this year's Oscar buzz builds, we're taking a look at some of the Best Picture nominees and the locations that inspired them, from the tropical sands of Honolulu to the bright lights of Paris.

The Descendants: Honolulu, Hawaii

Explore Honolulu with TravelMuse
Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, is the capital and largest city of the state of Hawaii. It is the government, transportation, and commercial center for the state, and home to its best known tourist destination, Waikiki Beach... Read more>

Midnight in Paris: Paris

ParisLogue.com from BootsnAll
Be virtually transported to the City of Lights on this fantastic website completely devoted to all things Parisian, including what to pack, where to bring the kids, and of course the all-important question: where (and what) to eat? Bon voyage! Read more>

The Help: Jackson, Mississippi

The Deep South, USA from PilotGuides.com
Down here, the life seems simplified; the big-hearted folks of the Deep South seem genuinely pleased to see you. The beer is cold, the food comes piled high on your plate. The region is a little at odds with time and life seems to have slowed down.... Read more>

Moneyball: Oakland, CA

Oakland, CA City Guide from DesignSponge
Oakland is experiencing a revival similar to Brooklyn, the alternative sister city to New York. It offers a younger, hipper underground scene and fresh, new, exciting things to see and do! Read more>

War Horse: Devon, England

Discovering Devon and Cornwall with Rough Guides
At the western extremity of England, the counties of Devon and Cornwall encompass everything from genteel, cosy villages to vast Atlantic-facing strands of golden sand and wild expanses of granite moorland. ... Read more>

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: 9/11 Memorial & Museum, New York City

Visit the 9/11 Memorial & Museum With Viator
The defining moment of America's last decade is burned into our collective imaginations: the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, when New York's World Trade Center crashed to the ground. Ten years later, on the spot where the Twin Towers fell, a memorial to those lost that day was finally unveiled in a solemn ceremony... Read more>

Days and (K)nights of Malta
Malta, set at the crossroads of the Mediterranean between the island of Sicily and Libya’s African coast, boasts a history and culture enriched by thousands of years as a vital strategic link of trade routes, gorgeous Mediterranean weather, spectacular, unspoiled beaches and much more... Read more>

America's Most Secluded Beaches
There are some less-visited but still spectacular beaches that await travelers willing to work up a little sweat (hiking, climbing, even chartering a boat) before hitting the shore. Here are some of the most secluded beaches in America that are worth the journey to get there. Read more>

Zanzibar, Tanzania
A cliché it might be, but Zanzibar is one of those words, like Casablanca or Timbuktu, that conjures up adventure, remoteness and excitement in the minds of most Westerners. The kind of name that figured in your dreams when you first decided that traveling was in your blood... Read more>

6 of the Most Unusual Honeymoon Destinations
The world is huge and there are tons of these secret corners around, if you know where to look. Forget Cancun, Maui and Venice, I’ve come up with these 6 uncommon honeymoon destinations that are loaded with cozy resorts, private bays and incredible natural beauty. Read more>

Offbeat Travel Destinations in India
This article features some of the offbeat highlights of India, including Gopalpur, one of the most untouched and cleanest beaches in the country. It used to be a bustling port, but now the town is rather sleepy, which is not necessarily an inconvenience.. Read more>

Six Hawaiian Adventures Off the Beaten Path
Check out this intrepid mountain bike ride on the little-traveled Hawaiian island of Lana'i, ending at Polihua Beach, a completely isolated mile-long stretch of sand that rarely has anyone else on it. It's just one of a number of incredible offbeat adventures in Hawaii from BootsnAll.com... Read more>

7 of the Best Trekking Destinations
Whether you are ice-climbing the glaciers of Patagonia or trekking through the Sahara Desert, trekking holidays amplify your view of a country, allowing you to see it from a wider point of view. Read more>

Five Great Hikes of Puerto Rico
When people think of a Caribbean island, beautiful palm-lined beaches are typically the first scene that comes to mind. However, the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, although containing many wonderful beaches, offers much more. Read more>

10 Best Hiking Trails in the World
From BootsnAll, here are the ten best hikes on the planet, each with a combination of scenery and special extras that make them well worth going out of your way to enjoy. Read more>

Trekking Round the World
Whether hiking through the ruins of Macchu Picchu, trekking the glaciers in Argentina or taking a quick break in a grassy field in Russia, sit back, relax and prepare to take a visual journey... Read more>

Hiking to the Base of Mount Everest
Everest sat high on the near horizon blowing its nose like a blizzard over the top of neighboring Lhotse, the eternal hurricane force winds scouring Everest from its west to east summits... Read more>

Chilean Patagonia: Wildlife Spotting in Torres del Paine
Surrounded by a natural arena of sunset-tinged and snow-capped peaks, it’s impossible to imagine a more wild and spectacular location than Lago Pehoé in southern Chile’s improbably scenic Torres del Paine National Park... Read more>

Let's Go's Top Travel Destinations for the Summer
Let's Go has compiled a list of its Top Travel Destinations this summer. Whether you're on a tight budget, looking to splurge after a winter of Scrooge-like miserliness, or simply studying abroad for the summer, this top ten list has got you covered. Read more>

Valencia, Spain: The Perfect Summer City
Dreaming of a sunny weekend dash to Europe? This excerpt from Lonely Planet Magazine shines a light on the juiciest picks of Valencia, the Spanish city that checks all the summer city break boxes. Read more>

Have Car, Will Travel: Eight New Ideas For Summer Road Trips
We’re drawn to the idea of the unknown, the adventure, the spontaneity of just hopping in the car and driving. Besides that, it’s cheap. Of course you’ll take a road trip this summer, it goes without saying, but why not spice it up this year with some new twists on an old favorite? Read more>

Top 10 Summer Cities
From city beaches to summer arts festivals, make the most of urban life with Rough Guides' list of top ten summer cities around the globe. Read more>

The Best Summer Hikes Around The World
From spectacular Mount Massive, Colorado to storybook beautiful Cinque Terre, Italy, these are some of Tripwolf's users' favorite hikes around the world. Read more>

GoNomad's Guide to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket
These Massachusetts islands are the jewels of the New England coast, with wonderful beaches, clean streets, friendly people and are both top notch travel experiences. They are the vacation choice of many of the rich and famous, but their charms are also easily available to the rest of us. Read more>