Armchair Travel | Self-Isolation

“Travel will continue after the coronavirus outbreak. The industry will return sooner than you think, and with some great deals.” Forbes

This is my sixth week (I think, might be seven or even eight) in lockdown and to be honest my days have never gone by so quickly considering I’ve barely left the house except for essential supplies. If this period of enforced isolation teaches you anything it’s that we have so many incredible resources at our fingertips.

Most of us have had our travel plans vetoed for the foreseeable future so it’s time to adapt, get creative and explore the world as armchair travellers. Now is the perfect time to plan future trips, enjoy some virtual experiences and immerse yourself in the abundance of online content while self-isolating at home. Here’s ten ideas to start your virtual journey….

Take a virtual safari in South Africa – Join luxury travel company &Beyond and wildlife broadcasting experts WildEarth on a virtual wildlife drive. The two companies are offering personalised wildlife drives streamed twice daily in real time. The three-hour drives take place in two of South Africa’s popular private reserves bordering the Kruger National Park, the Ngala Private Game Reserve and Djuma Private Game Reserve. The rangers navigate the park following the sights and sounds which is broadcast via the live feed’s four cameras. Visit www.andbeyond.com and WildWatch live to view as well as &Beyond’s Facebook and YouTube channels where all previous episodes are saved.

Read more about our safari at Shamwari Private Reserve in South Africa in my previous post HERE

Transport Yourself to Mykonos – Imagine yourself reclining on one of the famous stripy daybeds, sipping a fruity cocktail with the waves crashing in the background at one of Mykonos’ most famous beach clubs. Recreate the Nammos beach club vibe at home with a curated playlist available for download from SoundCloud. Try your hand at Mediterrnean cuisine from the selection of signature recipes for popular dishes such as Fried Zucchini Tzatziki, Prawn Tempura, Nammos Fish Soup and Baked Pappardelle with Tomato Sauce.

Read more about our own Nammos experience in Mykonos in my previous post HERE

Tick off some Travel Bucket List Destinations – How about a virtual hike in Peru? Take a peek inside a royal palace in London? A seventh wonder of the world in Jordan? Well a virtual hike sounds a like my kind of activity (rather than a real one), take a 360-degree trip to Machu Picchu complete with a guide at youvisit.com, stop off at the Sydney Opera House, see inside Buckingham Palace and wander Indiana Jones style amongst the ancient ruins in Petra via Google – see more places via Conde Nast Traveller HERE

Read more about our trip to Sydney HERE and Jordan HERE

Dive the Great Barrier Reef – Take an interactive journey to the Great Barrier Reef with wildlife legend Sir David Attenborough. Visit Attenboroughsreef.com to explore five key locations across the famous reef and join Attenborough onboard the state-of-the-art research vessel, The Alucia and the submersible, Triton. Explore the underwater paradise filled with colourful fish, incredible corals and reef sharks that call this part of the world home.

Enjoy a West End Extravaganza – The Shows Must Go On! is renowned composer Andrew Lloyd Webber’s YouTube channel that brings the best of live theatre into your home every Friday at 7pm (10pm UAE time). Webber’s much-loved musicals such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cats, Evita and Phantom of the Opera will be available to view for a period of 48 hours.

Party at a Music Festival – Coachella may have been postponed this month but you can party at your own Couchella brought to you by the legendary festival’s YouTube channel. Enjoy “Coachella: 20 Years in the Desert”, a first time look inside their vault which features never-before-seen footage, performances and behind-the-scenes stories. There’s exclusive interviews and key performances from some of the biggest names in music including Billie Eilish, Kanye West, Madonna, Radiohead and many, many more – click HERE to get the party started. The re-scheduled Coachella dates had been set for 9th – 11th and 16th – 18th October 2020 – click HERE to read more.

Virtual Wine Tasting – Who doesn’t like sampling the local vino when travelling? Learn more about different wines from the experts and where better to start than the famous wine region of Franschhoek in South Africa. Head over to the Holden Manz Wine Estate Facebook page for a series of virtual wine tastings with Gerald Holden – click HERE to join in the tasting fun. Having visited this winery and sampled its wares I can thoroughly recommend trying some of their wine. Click HERE for virtual wine tastings from thetastingclass.com based here in the UAE. Prefer gin to wine? Head to Gin Kiosk’s Instagram HERE for virtual gin tasting and cocktail ideas.

Online Cooking Classes – Travelling is very much about immersing yourself in the local culture and food plays a massive part in that experience. Recreate some of your favourite dishes from around the globe with the abundance of online courses and classes. Learn cooking skills from some of the world’s best chefs, like Gordon Ramsey and Wolfgang Puck, with a MasterClass membership. Sign up, watch and learn as you prepare and cook dishes at your own pace, the annual all-access membership allows you to take as many classes as you like over a year. There is currently a buy one, share one deal so you can gift a family member or friend a free membership (membership also gives you access to classes in Writing, Music & Entertainment, Science & Technology, Business, Politics & Society, Film & TV, Lifestyle, Sports & Games and Design, Photography, & Fashion).

Immerse yourself in culture – The iconic Globe Theatre in London is streaming free plays by William Shakespeare from April to June via the Globe Player (paid service) or free premieres on their YouTube channel. Enjoy the bard’s classics such as Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Merchant of Venice. The only question left to answer is “To stream or not to stream” – click HERE to start your experience. Information sourced from Lonely Planet.

Visit the virtual Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Bit of a random one but if you are a Harry Potter fan, young or old, this will be right up your street. The Harry Potter At Home hub will bring Hogwarts to you, banish boredom with nifty magical craft videos, fun articles, quizzes, puzzles and plenty more from the wizarding world. Visit www.wizardingworld.com/collections/harry-potter-at-home to find out more.

If you are looking for travel inspiration to help plan your next trip, check out the many countries and staycations featured here on the blog in the TRAVEL section as well as accommodation reviews in the STAY section. For daily travel news, itineraries and inspiration delivered straight to your inbox sign up to Conde Nast Traveler HERE

For more self-isolation boredom busting ideas read my previous posts HERE