If you’re a travel-lover, then you’ll know that there’s nothing better than packing your bags, hitting the airport, and traveling to an exciting destination for a spot of exploration. Alas, those regular lives of ours often don’t play ball when it comes to traveling the globe. It’s hard to take a trip when you have limited time off work.
Thankfully, there are other ways to get your fill of travel-related fun. Indeed, you don’t even need to leave your own home. Below, we’ll run through eight awesome travel-related experiences you can have from the comfort of your own couch. We’re not saying that they’re exactly the same as traveling the world, but they’ll certainly keep the travel bug at bay until you’re in a position to take another trip.
The Louvre Masterpieces
Wandering through the Louvre sure does sound lovely. The problem is that the museum is in Paris, and you’re not. But don’t let such a little matter as geographical location rob you of enjoying some of the world’s finest art pieces. Instead, head to the Louvre’s website, where the museum has made its entire collection — some 480,000 works — available to view online, for free. Staring at the beauty of the Mona Lisa, among others, is a great way to spend an evening.
Swim With Dolphins
Traveling can be restorative and relaxing, even if you’re only virtually traveling. A case in point is the swim with dolphins experience from The Dolphin Swim Club, which gives you a sense of what it’s like to swim with those majestic mammals without getting wet. The project took more than a year to complete and has been noted for its calming, stress-busting qualities. Whether you’re looking to relive the experience of swimming with dolphins or just curious as to what it might be like, you’ll find that this offers a lovely evening.
Cooking Classes
If you’re a food lover, then you’ll know that traveling the world is as much about tasting the culinary highlights of other cultures as it is about anything else. One way to get a close look — and taste — of delicious food around the world is to take part in an online cooking workshop.
In this, you’ll be led through a cooking process with an expert via a video link. There’s no shortage of options available — in fact, whatever food culture you’re interested in exploring, they’ll likely be someone offering a workshop. This goes beyond simply following an online recipe, as it really draws you in close to the experience with the chef, who will be located in the country that you have an interest in.
Kentucky Derby Excitement
There’s no shortage of awesome sporting events. But when it comes to excitement, fun, and socializing, it’s hard to look past the Kentucky Derby, one of the most stylish events of the year. Attending the race should be on everyone’s bucket list, but if you can’t make it this year, then look at having your own race day experience right at home.
Invite your friends around, get dressed up in a summer dress or suit, and use an introductory betting offer from OddsChecker to back your chosen winner for glory. Once the race is over, light the BBQ and spend the evening enjoying that warm May weather with your loved ones — you might just find that this experience is even better than being there in person!
Dive Into Harry Potter’s World
If you love the all-around atmosphere of Harry Potter, then you’ll love Edinburgh, which served as the general inspiration for the aesthetic of the hit book/movie series. There are Harry Potter-related tours available online, so you can have a virtual walkthrough of some of the series’ most famous filming locations and inspirations. We promise that seeing the real-world version of Diagon Alley really will give anyone who grew up with the series a pretty big thrill.
Marvel at the Northern Lights
Ask people what would be their favorite thing to see on this great earth of ours, and the top answer would probably be the Northern Lights. After all, there’s something magical about seeing swirling beams of green light dancing above you. We do strongly recommend making a trip to see them at some point in your life but, until that moment arrives, you can always tune into one of the many Northern Light cam streams that are available online. The biggest (and most active) stream is the one that’s set up in Churchill, Manitoba, which is known for being the best place on the planet to see the natural phenomenon.
Hiking Yosemite
Yosemite National Park isn’t just breathtakingly beautiful. It’s always an activity-lovers wonderland, offering some of the best hiking in the country. By taking a virtual tour of the park, you can get a feel for what it must be like to take an epic hike through the park…without having to break a sweat. Of course, if you’re looking to replicate the experience as closely as possible, then you could always view the tour while walking on the treadmill (set it to a high incline!).
Into Space
Visited everywhere on earth and still looking for something new? Then maybe outer space is calling you. If you want to visit in person, then you’ll have to get in touch with NASA and see if they’re looking for any new astronauts. If that doesn’t work, then you can always turn to the internet.
Thanks to Google, you can go to Mars, the red planet where no human has been before. They’ve made the footage taken onboard the Curiosity rover available online, so you can have the experience of walking on the planet’s surface (albeit with slightly more gravity). You won’t be out there alone, either. And no, we don’t mean you’ll spot a martian or two. We mean you’ll have a handy guide by your side who can walk you through everything that you’re seeing. Is there a more out-there educational trip available? If there is, we don’t know what it is!