Have you ever thought about doing museum visits, wildlife watching, cooking international cuisine and taking language lessons all in one day?
What if you could do it from the comfort of your home?
Whether you’re waiting for your next trip or just taking some time to relax, there are some easy ways to travel the world from our living room that can make us feel like globetrotters.
Where we’re headed, you won’t need your passport. Here’s how to cure the wanderlust without ever leaving the house!
Take a virtual tour of famous attractions and galleries
You don’t need to leave your home to virtually explore the world’s greatest attractions.
On Google Earth, you can view the ancient wonders of the world from your computer screen, in a 360-degree, bird’s-eye view.
Machu Picchu in Peru, Stonehenge in England and Angkor Wat in Cambodia are just a few.
Use technology and a cozy place to sit, it’s time to explore the world in comfort!
If you’re more of a museum or art gallery type of traveler, there are plenty of things you could spend hours exploring.
You can take a tour of the world-famous Vatican, including the beautiful Sistine Chapel . And unlike when you see it in person, you can talk all you want!
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the British Museum in London and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York all have online rooms and tours. There are many others too – go down the rabbit hole on Google Arts and Culture for weeks of entertainment.
Explore the wildlife
Have you always wanted to go on a safari?
It has never been easier thanks to the setup of live cameras in national parks in Africa , which you can watch online. Indulge your wanderlust by spending hours observing elephants, lions, gorillas, hippos and more, while welcoming a little nature into your living room.
You can watch zebras bathe in the water in Kruger National Park or marvel at elephant marches in South Africa’s Addo Elephant National Park. Animal watching is a great way to cure wanderlust, so are you roaring to get started?
Learn to cook international dishes
Traditional cuisine is a very important part of any adventure and offers a glimpse into different cultures. What travels without food? All it takes is a reliable recipe and a willingness to try something new and the flavors will transport you all over the world.
A huge library could be filled with the amount of travel cookbooks there are in the world, but there are also many websites like BBC Good Food that are free. Here’s your chance to become a master chef!
Whether you’re craving Spanish paella, Chinese dim sum, or Indian samosa, find something that takes your palette on a journey. Don’t be afraid to get started right away, you probably already have some of the ingredients in the kitchen!
Watch a travel documentary or movie
Many travel and documentary shows out there can act as a virtual guide, helping you see the world and learn about its different stories and cultures.
Some really cool documentaries on Netflix right now include The Dawn Wall (featuring the intriguing Yosemite National Park), Street Food (exploring the cuisines of different countries), and Dark Tourist (a tour of places around the world associated with death – not as scary as it sounds).
And if you’re on a budget, YouTube offers an endless stream of travel videos, from backpacking vlogs to city tours.
There are so many great travel films to keep you entertained, and you can’t go wrong with classic Hollywood Roman Holiday or dark comedy Bruges.
Go on, escape reality for a while, and cure your wanderlust while you’re at it.
