Private jets, designer shopping and mingling with celebrities and royals are perks usually enjoyed by the rich and famous – but they aren’t the only ones.

The most sought after A-list nannies get to enjoy the privileged lifestyle and travel experiences of their employers and are paid to do so.

While it’s not all easy work, celebrity nanny Philippa Christian along with several other elite babysitters have revealed all to MailOnline Travel.

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Philippa, 27, has spent the last few years working for a number of high-profile families including movie and sports stars, which has required her to stay everywhere from private islands to a palace in India.

Some of her employers have even had jobs she could never find out about.

‘It’s always best not to ask and wait until you are told, if that day comes,’ she said to MailOnline Travel.

‘I have been so lucky as to have been a guest in a private Italian villa with a staff of over 50 and to even a palace with grounds that stretch as far as the eye can see and have my own quarters.’

Australian-born Philippa admits that thanks to her job she has been able to visit destinations she had previously only dreamed of.

She said: ‘I have spent time in America, India, the Bahamas, the UAE, as well as shorter trips to European countries.’

And forget slumming it in economy, the in-demand nanny regularly flies in first class and even on private jets.

‘I remember the first time I flew first class I had no real idea of what to expect but fortunately the children I was caring for did,’ she said.

‘They knew where everything was located within the first class suites, they knew where the buttons were to change the seats into beds and knew where our packaged pyjamas and pillows were kept, one of my preschoolers could even recite the flight attendant’s safety demonstration speech.’

Although the job involves long hours and regular jet lag, there is also time to explore the exotic locations where the families holiday.

When Philippa was living in Nassau in the Bahamas, many of the nannies would go away on the weekends when they had time off and would visit islands throughout the Caribbean.

So varied are her experiences that Philippa has even released a book, Nanny Confidential, revealing some of her secrets.

Speaking on the Kyle and Jackie O breakfast programme on Sydney’s KIIS FM earlier this year, the garrulous blonde from Melbourne revealed: ‘Some of them [employers] were really tricky, you can’t have boyfriends or male friends over and you have a curfew of 10 o’clock at night.’

But despite adhering to rules and being away for long periods of time, albeit in paradise locations, her sacrifices do not go unnoticed.

After being unable to fly back home for her birthday one year, her wealthy family allowed her to take about an hour to shop for herself – with no cash or card required.

Philippa, who cannot divulge names of her employers having signed binding contracts, has nannied for reality stars, actors, sporting legends, supermodels, singers and Middle Eastern royalty since she was young.

‘Growing up in a very large extended family, there was always babysitting on offer and once I was old enough to actually take on the job on my own, I couldn’t find anything I enjoyed more,’ she said.

‘My day consists of chasing children, swimming with them, telling them stories and then bathing and dressing them for dinner so their parents could have the pleasure of seeing their beautiful, happy, contented faces as they sat down at the table.’

She isn’t the only one who enjoys a jet-setting lifestyle.

Paola Diana, 40, is the founder and CEO of Nanny & Butler – an international agency devoted to finding the most professional household staff, from personal assistants to governesses.

Paola, originally from Rome, splits her time between London and the Italian city, scouring the globe for the best chauffeurs and nannies.

‘They can have a magical lifestyle,’ she revealed. ‘The nannies have never travelled on a private jet before and when they do they find it amazing. At the beginning they really feel like they are living something special.

‘It’s a dream come true for them, they are just young girls in their 20s.

‘They become what we call princess nannies – they get so used to the lifestyle that they start to complain and say “This time we didn’t go first class” and you have have to remind them how lucky they are.’

But Paola added that those going to work for Hollywood stars might be surprised by their lifestyles.

‘It’s true you get to work for VIPs and celebrities,’ she said, ‘but they don’t do so many extravagant things. It’s different kinds of very wealthy families. We call them HNW families – high-net-worth families.’

‘Many of them live in different places throughout the year, in London, Greece or America – so the nannies have to travel with the families. Many of these families don’t bother to rent or buy homes. They will just book out one floor of a seven-star hotel.’

Nannies can start at £30,000 per annum but according to Paola that is only a starting salary. She says the girls she looks after can easily earn up to £60,000 caring for the children of the super-wealthy.

She said: ‘Really good nannies can command £1,500 a week, which is £78,000. They are young, most of them are in their 30s and they can earn this much money.’

On top of this there are endless bonuses available for nannies who impress their employers.

If they are really good and stay with the families a long time, they tend to give them benefits and they can be very generous, even up to £30,000.

Some of the benefits given are in free tickets or experiences, which is what adventure nanny Holly Bammert has been lucky enough to receive.

The American babysitter has been to England, Greece, ​Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the Virgin Islands and Uruguay, including doing a jungle trek on the Hawaiian island of Kauai taking part in ​kayaking and ziplining.

‘My favourite travel nanny experience was the summer I spent in London with my then nanny family,’ she revealed to MailOnline Travel.

‘The family brought a good portion of their household staff along for the trip and put us all up in our own serviced apartments in South Kensington, not far from the home they’d rented for the summer.

‘For all of us, they covered a companion ticket for a loved one to fly in and visit or for us to fly anywhere in the world, plus 10 days off to travel and sightsee.

‘My best friend flew in and spent the entire summer in London with me. In addition to our regular salary, we also received a very generous per diem.’

Holly has also flown in private jets, relaxed in first class and slept in a host of five-star hotels.

‘The most I’ve spent away as a travel nanny was six months cumulative in one year. It can certainly be difficult to spend time away from friends, family and partners, especially when you can imagine sharing these amazing experiences with the ones you love,’ she said.

‘But it’s all about attitude to get through it. I would remind myself that I am having once in a lifetime experiences with amazing and inspiring family, kids that I absolutely adore, and getting paid to do it!

‘I would remind myself that this is a much better work environment compared to any office cubicle back home.’

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