What do you envision when you think of Miami? For me, I think of giant palm trees, brightly coloured houses, and the music - oh the music. Just thinking about it now, I can see Ricky Martin singing about living the crazy life while effortlessly gyrating his hips and making all the women swoon. Oh how I wanted to be Ricky Martin! Or reaching back a little further, I can remember Gloria Estefan and The Miami Sound Machine telling everyone how ‘the rhythm was going to get them’.

Nowadays, you have the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, P Diddy and Enrique Eglesias and of course, the elusive Paris Hilton, electrifying the city with their presence. Miami has become a hot spot for celebrity sightings. I was so wound up after seeing this program that I hopped on the very next flight (actually, it was five weeks later) and began my first adventure as a ‘jet-setter’.

As I landed at Miami International Airport, I put away my suspense novel and enthusiastically began my search for celebrities. After seeing only ‘ordinary’ people in the airport, I rented my convertible Mustang (remember, working-man's wage) and headed off towards South Beach.

My accommodation of choice was the luxurious Bentley Beach Hotel, it is said to be a favourite spot of Beyoncé and Jay Z. However, I opted for a more practical choice, The Beach House Hotel. The hotel was not swarming with paparazzi and stars, but a beautiful hotel nonetheless with a stunning beach view.

Walking through the streets of South Beach, I noticed the shoppers bustling in and out of high-end retail stores. The trendy stores and boutiques seemed to be filled to capacity. For those who have a passion for shopping, South Beach won’t disappoint. The Lincoln Road Shopping District offers everything—and I do mean everything. This strip is full of shops, five-star restaurants and sidewalk vendors who offer everything from fresh flowers to pineapple-on-a-stick. Many local artists display their artwork on the sidewalks. I was enjoying the atmosphere, but still, not one celebrity!

In South Beach apparently the same amount of attention that is given to shopping is also given to dining. Restaurants and cafés began to fill by early evening, many of them spilling over onto the sidewalk. I dined at a place called The Front Porch Café. It is a great neighbourhood café right on Ocean Drive (but on the quieter end). The great homemade food, super-friendly staff, and soft ocean breezes made the Front Porch a fantastic choice.

The food was delicious! They serve huge portions and have great salads with nice vegetarian options. They also have the best shrimp in garlic sauce (order it and you’ll thank me later). It was very reasonably priced, but the people-watching wasn’t as concentrated as I would have liked. It was still close enough to the South Beach Marriott Hotel that I could catch a glimpse of Britney Spears if she happened to pass by.

With my celebrity sightings still at zero, I headed to the queue at the door of one of the many clubs, along with the rest of the South Beach population. One of my many entertainment magazines informed me that The Crow Bar is usually packed with celebrities, but you need to get in line early because on some nights it’s impossible to get in. And it was.

I then walked over to Club Deep. This is the only night club on South Beach where you can actually dance on water! This sinfully sexy disco was jam-packed with people either sporting the absolutely latest designer wear or showing more skin than seemed legally possible. I, being the quintessential ‘jet-setter’ was completely decked out in my favourite Versace shirt and expensive Japanese designer jeans (actually, I shop at the Gap, but this is my story) and I was prepared for any encounter.

The DJ performed his own perfect fusion of sultry Latin rhythms, danceable rap, hip hop and dance music. Club Deep is known for catering to celebrities, and I am sure there were many there that night, but I was having so much fun, that I totally forgot about trying to see any of the Hiltons.

South Beach, Florida has been called the American Riviera and an Art Deco Playground. Yet there’s more than fine white sand to South Beach’s attraction, there is also exuberant architecture. The beachfront is surrounded by masterfully-crafted architectural gems and stylized, futuristic buildings. But Miami is also a city whose greatest influence and modern-day personality came with the influx of Cuban refugees that began in the 1960s. They settled in an area dubbed Little Havana.

In this family-friendly neighbourhood you can hear salsa music coming through the windows of brightly-coloured homes and the breezes carry strong whiffs of Cuban and Mexican cuisine. In Little Havana, you will not see a lot of celebrities, but you will see children playing in the park and the women gathered together in front of one house or another enjoying a cup of coffee.

The next day, I continued my celebrity-watching with a little less enthusiasm. I was sitting yards away from the magnificent Tides South Beach Hotel attempting to finish my suspense thriller, when I became mesmerized by the scenic beauty: the palm trees swaying, the exotic birds, the spectacular skyline, the white sand beach, and yes, all of the beautiful people.

The night before was overflowing with sultry decadence filled with partying and being beautiful. But the day seemed to have a different type of excitement. It had the exhilaration of appreciating the beauty and the culture that Miami has to offer. I kept in the back of my mind that I would meet a host of celebrities later that night, but at that very moment, I was completely content watching an elderly man feed breadcrumbs to a flock of birds in the warm tropical sun.