Traveling is something we all love doing and has become the lifestyle of many. But because of the current situation, this is now a passion we all have to put aside for a while to make sure we can come back to it as soon as possible. But if we try to be a bit creative we can still enjoy being able to travel without leaving home. Here are our suggestions that will still make it possible to explore different cultures, meet international travel enthusiasts, try food from all around the world, learn languages and discover travel destinations from your home sweet home.
Travel virtually to a park, zoo or aquarium
Elephants, monkeys and penguins can be viewed through webcams, virtual tours and “home safaris.” Visit Georgia Aquarium to keep an eye on Sea-dwellers like African penguins and Beluga Whales which are the stars of this aquarium’s live cam. The San Diego Zoo is live-streaming a number of animals on its website and lets you switch between koalas, polar bears, and tigers in one sitting. You can also bring exotic animals like snow leopards into your living room with a selection of live video streams from Australian zoos. Discover the beaches of Pacific Rim National Park and the magnificent peaks of Banff National Park via Google Earth, watch a live view of Algonquin Provincial Park and let a guide take you on a video tour of Gros Morne National Park.
Learn your favourite foreign language
We all have at least one language we’ve always wanted to learn but we keep procrastinating it anyway. But don’t you see that it’s the perfect time to start diving into this lovely language you admire? Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going. There are plenty of resources available such as language lessons on Udemy, books on Amazon, Youtube videos, language learning podcasts, and even practice groups on Facebook and Telegram in most large cities.
Read travel blogs
Some of the best travel stories and travel tips can be found on (no surprise!) travel blogs. Add in interesting writing, gorgeous photos, hilarious stories, and you’ve got hours of entertainment. You can find new blogs to read by scrolling through Pinterest, Instagram, or doing a good Google search for your next destination. Additionally, *cough cough* Ootlah’s blog articles are a good place to start; it’s just two steps far from here 😉
Dive deeply into Travelporn on Pinterest
If you are a visual person, you defiantly love Pinterest as it’s the ultimate in inspiration. It also goes hand in hand with reading travel blogs. Follow all your favourite travel blogs on Pinterest and that way, you can see at a glance if there are any articles you just have to read and you can save anything interesting to your own boards. Follow as much as you like of travel blogs so you’ll never be lacking for visual goodness. You’ll learn about so many new places this way. Sort all your boards by destination, so when you do have the opportunity to travel again you can go back to the board for the country you’re heading to and read through all of the pins you’ve saved.
Listen to travel podcasts
Travel podcasts are one of the best ways to pass the time, especially if you are doing something monotonous like cleaning or exercising. Listen to your favourite travel podcasts to learn something new or just get inspired. Bonus points if the hosts are funny and interesting, which they all are in Amateur Traveler, Women Who Travel, Indie Travel and much more.
Watch movies that fuel your wanderlust
Watching movies is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to travel without leaving home . Just pop in a movie, grab some popcorn, and get your fill of wanderlust from the comfort of your own couch! Watching movies about travel or movies from different countries will put you in a better mood, give you so many new ideas for your next vacation, and shows how people live around the world. Pick a country or region and gather all of the movies or TV shows you could find either about or set in this place. If you’re looking for some inspiration, here are some of the all-time favorite travel movies:
- Hector and the Search for Happiness
- The trio: Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight
- The Secret Life of Water Mitty
- Midnight in Paris
- Eat, Pray, Love
Put on some foreign music
“After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.” Music is and has always been a great source of inspiration and entertainment for many. For a quick and easy mood booster, Put on songs from other countries you didn’t listen to their music before. Open Spotify or Youtube and search for whatever strikes your fancy. Feeling tropical? Put on Caribbean steel drum music. Want to be the epitome of chic and classical? Put on some French Brigitte Bardot songs. Want to be transported to a cafe in Korea? They have that as well! Just search Youtube for “Korean Cafe Music”!
Plan your next trip
Just because you’ve had to stay home and shelve all your travel plans doesn’t mean you can’t look forward to a future trip. Often the happiest part of travel takes place before you ever pack your bag! Read about destinations, search for hotels and decide on what to do once you get there. If nothing else, it will tide you over during this lockdown period and give you something fun to look forward to when this is all over. Check out Ootlah’s Instagram and Facebook feeds for some amazing ideas. You can also get inspired by our vacations and flexible trips— all designed to let you book with peace of mind.
Last things last, Remember that we are all in this together and we are not missing out on anything. Soon we will travel again and enjoy it even more because we will appreciate it more. Be creative and make the most out of your around the world from home trip!
Don’t miss reading part one here. Enjoy what travelling brings to our life without having to move from the couch!
