Sagano Bamboo Forest, Japan
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the travel industry has been staggering, and while we can’t make it to our dream destinations any time soon due to the global lockdowns in place, thanks to a host of virtual expeditions and live-streaming services, for now at least, the world can be toured from the comfort of our sofas and armchairs instead. All just a mouse click away, would-be adventurers can take their pick from safaris and city tours to exploring natural and man-made wonders, including UNESCO World Heritage site the Taj Mahal.
GO ON SAFARI
Wildlife broadcasting experts WildEarth TV and luxury safari hotel group andBeyond have teamed up to stream twice-daily WILDwatchLive game drives at sunrise and sunset CAT (Central African Time) via YouTube and Facebook. Spanning three hours in real-time, there’s a chance to spot the famed Big Five (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo). Hop on Twitter during the drive to ask questions using the #wildearth hashtag. For live ‘in the field’ notifications follow @andBeyondTravel on Instagram.
24-HOURS IN PARIS
From breakfast croissants to tours of the Louvre, Palace of Versailles, and Eiffel Tower, Kayak’s virtual Day in Paris hits all the major tourist attractions – minus the long lines, of course. Culture vultures will appreciate the handy French phrases cheat sheet, plus a link to Spotify’s sultry French Café Lounge playlist. An evening river cruise and a scenic helicopter flight over the city rounds out the day nicely.
STORYTIME IN MOROCCO
An integral part of Moroccan culture, Marrakech’s famous Jamaa-el-Fna Square typically hosts a variety of storytellers whose weekly performances of traditional folk tales captivate locals and visitors alike. Hoteliers Mike Wood and Lucie Anderson-Wood – who run and own five gorgeous boutique riads across the city – were poised to open a brick-and-mortar storytelling museum in the autumn, but due to COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown had to shift gears dramatically. Instead, they are bringing some of the world’s best storytellers together on a new website, worldstorytellingcafe.com. Three tales are being broadcast daily during the pandemic, including poetry and appearances from local Café Clock tellers.
PALM SPRINGS ‘OASIS AT HOME’
Southern California’s stylish desert vacation oasis has put together an impressive roundup of virtual offerings for everyone from families to foodies via its new Oasis at Home landing page. Fans of all things midcentury will appreciate the 360 virtual tours of historic homes in and around Palm Springs; art lovers an inside look at Desert Modernism. Outdoorsy types can meet animals at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens or go “from cactus to clouds” on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, among other experiences.
A DAY IN RIO
For caipirinhas on Copacabana Beach with a bossa nova soundtrack, check out Kayak’s virtual Day in Rio. Learn a few handy Portuguese phrases before taking a cultural tour of Museo de Amanha (the Museum of Tomorrow) and colossal Art Deco statue, Christ The Redeemer. Next, pop on Spotify’s Ipanema 1962 playlist and learn to make Brazil’s national drink with a handy happy hour cocktail how-to before settling down to binge-watch Netflix series Most Beautiful Thing a stylish Brazilian period drama set in the 1950s.
Ipanema, Brazil
LAPLAND’S NORTHERN LIGHTS
Spring might well have truly sprung, but Lights Over Lapland’s Aurora Vacation Virtual Tour in Abisko National park is spectacular no matter what the season. Pour a glass of wine, turn the lights down and sit back for a visual feast –– the tour starts at the world-famous ICEHOTEL and includes an exhilarating reindeer sled ride (from the driver’s seat point of view) through a snowy woodland before the magical Northern Lights show begins. Want to book the real thing? Dates are being taken for autumn packages, which start in October, and winter adventures, which will be available from December through March.
MARVEL AT THE TAJ MAHAL
India’s majestic Taj Mahal is beautifully captured at different points throughout during the day, including sunset in this stunning Ultra HD video shot by Amazing Places on Our Planet. Built in the 17th century by the fifth Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tribute to his third and favorite wife, the white-domed mausoleum has to be the ultimate romantic testimony of love. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983 and one of the world’s most famous landmarks, it can see as many as 8 million visitors a year.
DIVE FOR PEARLS IN THE PERSIAN GULF
Said to be one of nature’s greatest miracles, while pearls might be more readily associated with the South Pacific, the Persian Gulf also has an abundance of natural oyster beds. Pearl grounds – which originally stretched on the Arabian side from Kuwait along the coast of Saudi Arabia to Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of Oman – and their resulting bounty, considered the ‘Queen of Gems,’ have carried great importance in Arab cultures for centuries. Take a deep (virtual) dive into the story of Suwaidi Pearls and one man’s journey to revive the pearl diving tradition with this immersive video.
TAKE A TOUR OF JAPAN
With the Tokyo Olympics postponed until 2021, Visit Japan has the option to Travel Japan Via Movie on its website, giving armchair explorers the chance to tour the fascinating country from its southerly Okinawa Islands in the East China Sea to the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido and everywhere in between. The 360 VR Japan video also takes in must-see sights, such as Fushimi Inari Taisha with its vermilion torii gates and the breathtaking Sagano Bamboo Forest road outside of Kyoto.
HANG 10 IN AUSTRALIA
Surf culture has been an integral part of the Australian identity ever since Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku introduced the sport back in 1955. Surf fans can tour the Australian National Surfing Museum in Victoria via Google’s Arts & Culture page and check out online exhibits and photographs that tell the story of the country’s surfing heritage and beach culture. For a daily dose of cuteness, the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary outside of Brisbane has eight live web-cam feeds that should keep wildlife fans happy.
Keri Bridgwater is a freelance writer based in San Diego, California. Her bylines have featured in the London Evening Standard and Roam Magazine, among other international outlets. She covers travel, lifestyle, culture, art and design related stories for AGLAIA Magazine. Follow her on Instagram
