For a while now, it’s seemed like there’s an end in sight for the coronavirus pandemic. More and more people are getting vaccinated, and infection rates are dropping. Things are looking up. However, travel bans remain in place around the world. In some cases, emerging Covid-19 variants are complicating summer travel plans. It will take a while for global travel to return to per-pandemic levels from the look of things. Until then, we have to find other ways to satisfy our wanderlust. So here are five great ways to sight see and explore the world virtually from the comfort of your home.
Virtual Museum Tours
Take digital strolls around some of the most iconic museums around the world from the comfort of your home. Explore ancient historical artifacts from Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Oceania through these interactive virtual museum tours. From the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History to The Louvre, numerous virtual galleries and digital exhibits offer a chance to see some incredible pieces of art without leaving your couch.
Watching Travel Films and TV
Watching travel content from other countries on Netflix and other streaming platforms is a great way to experience these destinations. However, since streaming content varies based on location, you might have to get a little crafty to watch foreign content. Start by downloading a VPN. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) lets you tweak your actual IP address and select an IP address in any country of your choice to unlock more travel content.
Explore World Famous Landmarks
Thanks to virtual reality technology, you can visit world-famous landmarks from the comfort of your home. Virtual tours use 360° videos and panoramic images to create a realistic virtual experience of the site being presented. Explore popular landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal, without leaving your front door. Most popular landmarks across the globe are offering free virtual tours.
Tour Popular National Parks
Do you love nature? Consider taking a virtual tour of your favorite national park. Google Arts & Culture has teamed up with several national parks to help you get your fill of the great outdoors from the comfort of your home. Experience some of the most stunning natural sights in the United States by taking virtual tours of popular national parks such as Yellowstone National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park.
Take a Virtual Cooking Class
One of the best things about traveling is that it allows us to try new foods. And for most people, food is one of the highlights of traveling. Food allows us to connect with other cultures and create shared experiences. Taking a virtual cooking class is a great way to explore and connect with different culinary cultures. From beginners to advanced cooks, there are cooking classes for everyone.
With Covid-19 still heavily affecting many parts of the world, non-essential travel is highly discouraged even for the inoculated. During a time when travel plans are hard to make, there are many ways to experience various destinations without leaving your home. Explore museums, national parks, and popular landmarks from the comfort of your home.
Check out the Metropolitan Museum of Art via Google arts and culture. It is pretty cool.