David Bowie's Eclectic Caribbean Vacation Home Is Now Available To Rent (If You Can Afford It)

Fans of the legendary and sorely missed chameleon of art, music, film, travel, and life can fortunately feel connected to David Bowie in various places around the world. He inspired some of the best street art murals in London and frequented the Cahuenga Corridor, a hip Los Angeles strip of restaurants, bars, and clubs. But there's one place with a more intimate connection to the star that you can now make your own temporary home. Bowie's luxury villa, designed specifically for the influential musician, could be your next vacation spot on the Caribbean island of Mustique.

Called Mandalay Estate, the villa showcases architectural flair blending Balinese, Caribbean, and contemporary styles from the 1980s. The multistory residence accommodates up to 14 guests with five bedrooms and two private cottages. All of the rooms have ensuite bathrooms and king- or queen-sized beds. Bowie superfans may want to call dibs on the one-bedroom Studio, which was once the British musician's recording studio. The Writer's Cottage is also steeped in creative soul and spirit, as it was once the residence of poet Felix Dennis.

The guest rooms are only a fraction of the property, which also has a drawing room, dining pavilion, card room, study, and a games room with instruments and a stage. Avid musicians will appreciate the well-equipped rehearsal studio, bookworms have a 3,000-book library, and cinephiles have over 2,000 movies in the film library. Outside, a yoga pavilion, infinity pool, koi pond, 6-acre garden, and multiple sun decks ensure tranquil relaxation, recreation, and solitude. In a 1992 interview with Architectural Digest, Bowie said, "One thing that's quite sweet about the house is that it's broken up into little areas that you can get lost in — you can go at least eight days and find a different place each day."

Guests at Mandalay Estate are given the royal treatment worthy of a music legend's former vacation home. Around 10 staff take care of guests and the property, including gardeners, housekeepers, two managers, a butler, and a chef. You also have full use of the property's golf buggies to get around the island, which is its own luxury escape with white-sand beaches, tennis clubs, day spas, scuba diving, fine dining, and weekly dancing and live music events. The Mandalay Estate isn't even the most expensive residence on Mustique. That title belongs to The Terraces, which is the most expensive Caribbean home worth over $200 million.

That's not to say staying at the Mandalay Estate is cheap. Bowie's legacy and the opulence he left behind demand a steep price for vacationers. The $20 million villa goes for between $70,000 and $90,000 a week at the time of this writing. Low season (May 1 to December 18) is the cheapest at $70,000 for five bedrooms or $85,000 for all seven. Peak season (January 4 to April 30) will cost you $90,000 a week for the entire property. This unfortunately means many Bowie fans will never have the fortune of staying where he relaxed and gleaned creative inspiration for his art.

Getting to the island of Mustique is no simple or cheap task either. American travelers first have to fly from the U.S. to St. Lucia, Barbados, Martinique, or St. Vincent. Certain cities, such as Boston, New York, and Atlanta, have direct flights to some of these islands. You'll then need to board one of Mustique's 18-seater planes that fly to the island in 10 to 50 minutes. This flight alone can cost between $100 and $500, depending on when and where you're flying from.