Virtual Travel Ideas For Quarantine

When quarantine started (in what feels like an eternity ago), many people were forced to cancel their holiday and travel plans. While we know lockdown is temporary, travel is one of the things many of us are missing a lot right now. Experiencing other cultures, interacting with people from different parts of the globe and trying out new language skills are just a few of the great things travel has to offer, and it can be tough to feel like all that has been taken away.

But we are here with some great news: you don’t necessarily need to board a plane or take a train to explore the world. If you are feeling the travel itch, here are 5 creative virtual travel ideas to help sate your wanderlust!

Perfect your guacamole! Photo via Flickr

Learn to make a new dish

They say the path to one’s heart is through the stomach and trying out new cuisines is a great way to fall in love with a different culture! Not only that, but you can garner some serious new cooking skills while taking your taste buds on a trip around the globe. YouTube has a wealth of fun cooking videos, and some of them even cater to language learners. For instance, you can learn how to make guacamole while picking up new Spanish vocabulary or try your hand at cooking gnocchi while improving your Italian!

Enjoy a virtual tour

Have you always dreamed of visiting some of the world’s most famous museums to see incredible and iconic exhibits? As it turns out, you can do just that without having to leave your lounge. Wander the halls of the Louvre or spend hours browsing the breath-taking paintings at the Musée d’Orsay, all from the comfort of your sofa. Many other museums offer virtual tours—like the Met 360° Project which lets you immerse yourself in the famous NYC museum from anywhere in the world or these virtual tours of London’s Natural History Museum which include weekly live chats with research scientists! Check your favourite institution’s website to see if they provide online alternatives to in-person visits. Who says you can’t get cultured under quarantine?

Anthony Bourdain. Photo via Flickr

Binge on a travel show

Travel may not be an option for you right now, but that does not mean you can’t live vicariously through others! Watching a travel show is not only a great way to immerse yourself in a new country and culture, but it can also serve as some serious inspiration for your post-quarantine bucket list. In No Passport Required, chef Marcus Samuelsson will take you on a journey across the USA to learn about how immigrants shaped the cuisines we enjoy today. Meanwhile, in Parts Unknown, you will explore some of the world’s most fascinating places—from the bohemian artistry of the Lower East Side, to the remote jungles of Colombia and more—alongside the late, great Anthony Bourdain.

Learn a new language

There is no better way to show your love and appreciation for another country than by learning to speak the language. Not only is knowing another language a great career skill, but it is also an excellent quarantine activity to keep you busy and socialising with others. These days, you can learn almost anything remotely, and with online language classes, language exchanges and learning resources, picking up Mandarin, Hindi, French or any other in-demand language is a seamless process.

If you are feeling inspired to start your virtual travel experience by learning a new language, you have come to the right place! Learning a language will help you to immerse yourself even more into new cultures, both through virtual travel and when regular travel opens up again in the future. The best part is, we offer flexible online classes in a variety of languages so you don’t have to break quarantine to learn, and our native-speaking tutors can tailor each lesson to suit your personal learning goals. Drop us a quick enquiry to find out more and start your language journey today.