Where is Britain’s Next Top Model 2017 filmed?

What is Britain’s Next Top Model?

Britain’s Next Top Model – or BNTM – is a British reality TV series that first hit screens in 2005. In the drama-filled show, 12 women compete for the title of top model – as well as an amazing chance to start their career in modelling and are mentored by industry experts. Each week, the contestants take part in challenges, photo shoots and meetings with renowned members of the modelling industry – we’re talking big names, too, like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Millie Mackintosh, to name a few. The model contestants are then put through a grilling elimination process, where an impressive panel of judges decide who stays and who goes. The judges include TV presenter, model, fashion designer, author, Strictly Come Dancing winner and mum-of-two – Abbey Clancy, one of Britain’s first ever male supermodels – Paul Sculfor, former fashion director of The Daily Telegraph – Hilary Alexander OBE, and one of the UK’s best celebrity portrait photographers – Nicky Johnston. So, what’s in store for the winner? Well, the champion receives a modelling contract, a cosmetics campaign, and a spread within a fashion magazine – and they’ll also get to appear on the front cover, so it’s a pretty big deal for wannabe Gigi Hadids…

Where is Cape Verde?

The finalists of Britain’s Next Top Model have jetted off to Cape Verde, which you’ll find just off the western coast of Africa. This place is made up of 10 different islands that float in the Atlantic Ocean, anchored around 500 kilometres off the coast of Senegal. And because each atoll is packed with stunning beaches, sun-soaked backdrops (AKA perfect selfie lighting) and have an unspoiled feel to them, they’re the ideal place for fashion shoots – and relaxing, of course…

Can I stay at the Melia Dunas Resort?

Yes you can. The Melia Dunas Resort is one of our Platinum-rated hotels, which means top-of-the-range facilities, beautiful settings and outstanding scores on TripAdvisor are just part of the deal here.

The Melia Dunas Resort resides in Sal, which is famous for its Instagram-worthy villages and powder-soft sands. We think the best thing about this luxury hotel is the wide choice of activities on offer. During the day, you can pick from beach football, volleyball, scuba diving, fishing, and table tennis. Plus, the hotel’s grounds are home to two first-rate swimming pools. One is exclusive to guests staying in The Level adult-only rooms, so you can expect a peaceful atmosphere and tonnes of space to stretch out on the sun terrace. Elsewhere, there’s another pool reserved for the kids to splash around in. If you fancy swapping the pool for the ocean, though, it’s only a short stroll to the white sands of Algodoeiro Beach.

The evening entertainment programme is just as exciting, too. There’s a bar for every night of the week here, including a venue that specialises in Champagne. Plus, there’s also an amphitheatre hosting live shows in the nearby Sol Dunas Hotel. Here, you’ll get to watch traditional Cape Verdean dancing just like the contestants did on Britain’s Next Top Model.

What else is there to do in Cape Verde?

Holidays to Cape Verde entail more than just unwinding on the beach. Okay, we admit the belts of sand are pretty amazing – but there’s lots more to do here. Whether it’s visiting botanical gardens, watersports, or sailing around the islands on a catamaran, we promise there’s something to suit every type of traveller. Here are just a few of the things you can do while you’re in Cape Verde…

Visit the Viveiro Botanical Garden & Zoo di Terra

Trips to Cape Verde are incomplete without visiting the Viveiro Botanical Garden & Zoo di Terra. You’ll find these nature-flanked gardens in Santa Maria, in the midst of Sal’s desert-like landscape, so it’s ideal for wildlife lovers. The gardens are home to over 100 species of plants (including the uber-trendy cactus that’s filling up your Instagram feed), so it was the perfect setting for the contestants’ Simple Skincare photo shoot on episode eight.

Here’s where you can find out more about secret gardens you never knew existed.

Check out Santa Maria’s colourful villages

We think Cape Verde’s most prized possession is Santa Maria. This small-but-mighty beachfront village is full to the brim with brightly-coloured houses that’ll give your Instagram followers serious holiday FOMO – no wonder this place was the backdrop for one of the fashion shoots on episode eight of Britain’s Next Top Model. Other than amazing aesthetics, though, as you wander the streets you’ll come across open-air restaurants and bars, and plenty of market stalls selling trinkets and handmade jewellery. Ideal for aspiring models.

Try your hand at watersports

You can’t visit Cape Verde without (literally) testing the waters. And we think watersports is the first activity you should tick off on your trip – just like the contestants did on Britain’s Next Top Model. We think the best place to give it a go is on Santa Monica Beach, which is renowned for its spectacular surf. Here, you’ll get to pick from kitesurfing, windsurfing, jet-skiing and diving courses. If you’re after something more relaxing, though, snorkelling is a great option – and don’t be surprised if you spot the resident dolphins whizzing past as you explore the crystal-clear waters. Underwater cameras at the ready, people.

Take a catamaran trip around the islands

If you fancy a taste of what model life has to offer, why not sign up to a catamaran tour of the islands? This adults-only half-day cruise is a good way of seeing Boa Vista from a whole new perspective. As you sail the bright-blue sea, you’ll tick off sights like Sal Rei Island and the vast, honey-gold beach of Praia de Chaves. We promise you’ll feel like a top model as you sprawl across the sun deck to top up your tan.

Party at Sal Beach Club

Sal Beach Club is the best place to party after the sun sinks. This buzzing beachfront bar plays host to live music acts at the weekends, plus there’s free Wi-Fi, a big TV and plenty of snacks to sink your teeth into when you’re taking a break from the dancefloor – think local fish and chips, stacked burgers and flavoursome wraps. This place is a big hit during the day, too. You can rent surfboards, paddleboards and snorkelling gear if you fancy tackling the waves.

Now you know everything about the Cape Verde Islands, it’s time to book.

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Author: Olivia Hunt