CELEB TRAVELS | Checking in with ‘Pretty Woman’ star Leah Mari

Hi, my name is Leah and I am an actor/singer on stage and screen. I am playing Vivian Ward in Showtime’s Pretty Woman! How exciting is that?

I would absolutely describe myself as a traveller. Many of the Mari family holidays growing up were spent on cruise ships, trips down the South coast of KwaZulu-Natal and in the Drakensberg. We have been privileged to sail around Europe, the UAE and the Caribbean. I love travelling.

Three words that describe my travel personality: organised, efficient, adventurous.

My first trip abroad was to the US when I was seven years old. I remember doing cartwheels up and down Disneyland. Everything at Disney was huge and colourful. I was so in my element among the Disney princesses and cartoons come to life!

A travel moment I’ll never forget is doing a photoshoot at the very edge of Victoria Falls for a wedding company. I got to spend five days at a lodge on the Zambezi River. It was a dream. We were in the lap of luxury on the doorstep of one of Africa’s greatest treasures.

At a dinner party, my go-to travel story is about how my family and I missed an international flight when I was 10 because a law had changed — children could only fly internationally with an original unabridged birth certificate. They turned us away at the airport in Durban because we had brought a certified copy. We managed to get a connecting flight through Cape Town and, when we presented our original documents, they told us that the law had changed back a few weeks prior and that certified copies were actually acceptable again.

If I were hosting a tourist in my hometown, I’d take them to Table Mountain, the beach, a great coffee shop and either take them to get a Cape Malay curry or a Durban-style bunny chow… or both.

My favourite little town in Spain is Toledo. I spent my 16th birthday there with my closest friends while we were on a choir tour. We hiked up to a large rock and sat for hours overlooking the entire town (it’s that small). I’d love to experience Toledo as an adult for all its preserved culture and richness.

Three things I always do when I visit a new city: find a gym, find a coffee shop, take lots of photos.

The best travel experience I’ve ever had was going on my first safari in Hluhluwe Game Reserve as a child. Seeing animals I had only seen in pictures was so thrilling.

When travelling, I’m a sucker for a kitsch and colourful fridge magnet.

The friendliest locals I’ve encountered were in South Africa. I’m proud to say it – we’re the warmest!

A tourist attraction everyone should see at least once is Signal Hill or Table Mountain in Cape Town. Nothing gives you perspective like standing on the top of a mountain and seeing the vastness of the ocean and land on either side of you. It’s so life-affirming how incredible, beautiful and vast creation is.

My perfect holiday involves great company! Nothing makes a holiday greater than having people who energise you and love you. If it’s a road trip, padkos is absolutely crucial. It also involves great outfits. On safari, we love a bit of linen/khaki. On the beach, we love a matching set.

My ultimate bucket-list destination is New York to see Broadway for myself. The hustle and bustle of NYC is so appealing to me – the culture and the fashion. All of it!

Playing Vivian Ward means stepping into a very specific version of Los Angeles. I think Cape Town at the moment has many similarities to LA in the ’80s. California was exploding with growth at that time. It was the entertainment capital of the US and pop culture was the forefront of the public’s attention. Cape Town is similar. Very touristy and flashy. Pop culture in Cape Town focuses a lot on fashion, music, food culture and also a booming health and fitness craze — this is LA in the ’80s too. LA was, and largely still is, the land of dreamers. Everybody has a dream. People are trying to make it happen for themselves. That’s all around me in Cape Town and it’s very much where Vivian begins her journey.

If Vivian went on holiday, I think she’d definitely go to Vegas. She and Kit are having a girls’ trip!

• Pretty Woman: The Musical is on at the Artscape Opera House in Cape Town until 19 April 2026. It runs at Montecasino Teatro from 24 April until 31 May. Book tickets here.