Virtual Travel Ideas to Help Get You Through COVID-19 Social Distancing

With the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic sweeping across the globe, citizens everywhere are being urged (rightfully so) to stay at home to avoid spreading the disease and help flatten the curve as quickly as possible. While these are the necessary actions that need to be taken on a global scale to help eliminate the spread of COVID-19, travellers everywhere, I'm sure, are experiencing a sense of wanderlust now more than ever. Travel right now (and for the near future) is basically impossible. I know I typically plan a short trip every summer, which, as it stands right now, will probably not happen. So, with travel currently impossible for travellers everywhere, is there anything we can do to stay in the travel mindset while we wait out this pandemic at home? Yes, actually - it's called virtual travel.

Virtual travel is exactly what it sounds like - experiencing different countries and cultures from around the globe using technology and the internet. And the good news is that there are tons of different ways for you to virtual travel to your favourite destinations that you've always wanted to to travel to right from the comfort (and safety) of your own home. All you need to do is know where to look.

So, to start you on the best trip around the globe that you've ever had from your couch, here are a few virtual travel ideas to help you stay in the travel mindset while staying home during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic:

Test out Google Earth VR

Google Earth now lets you experience some of the world's most famous cities and destinations through virtually reality, allowing you to literally virtually travel from the comfort and safety of your home. There is a catch, however - to truly experience Google Earth in Virtual Reality you need to purchase an Oculus Rift, which is a virtual reality goggle. I don't have them, but I imagine this experience would be pretty rad. If you do already have an Oculus Rift, Google Earth VR is, in fact, free.

If you don't feel like investing in virtual reality goggles, head over to their website to see some of their example virtual reality experiences to get an idea of what it would be like. Or simply go on Google Earth, search a place you want to travel to, and then drop the little man onto the street so you can walk around. You'll get a good (and free) perspective of the place. And, if you really get caught up in walking (I mean, clicking) through the streets, you may actually feel like you've traveled there. Pro tip - if you're going to do this in a tropical country, make yourself a margarita and put on some tropical music. It'll feel like you're actually there!

Read Travel Guides

If you, like me, always read travel guides before a trip to learn the ins and outs of a country and its culture before you travel there, now's the time to pull out some of those guides you were planning on reading for future trips and become an expert. Learning about a country's culture, local attractions, transportation methods, itineraries and common phrases in the local language can provide a great virtual travel experience. The best part about it? You can literally immerse yourself in a travel guide right from your couch. Add in some coffee and you're set.

If you don't have any travel guide books that you were saving for the next time you planned a trip, you can simply pick a country and start researching it on Google. Alternatively, you can purchase Lonely Planet's guidebooks as e-books so you can read through them on your e-reader or iPad. You'll stay home, stay safe, and become an expert on a new country. Sounds like a virtual travel win to me!

Watch the Africam Tembe Elephant Park Live Stream

If you've always wanted to go Africa, now's your chance to watch some of it's most magnificent creatures live right from your computer. The best part? They're all in their natural habitat. No, this isn't a zoo live feed; its a live feed in an African elephant park in, well, Africa! The Tembe Elephant Park is known for having some of the largest elephants in Africa, and is located deep in the sand forests and wetlands in Northern Tongaland. You can also spot some of Africa's other magical creatures on the live stream, including lions, leopards, black and white rhinos, and buffalo. The live stream runs 24 hours a day, so you can get your virtual travel Africa fix day and night. You can watch it here.

Watch Planet Earth on Netflix (or Other Netflix Travel Shows)

Chances are you've been binge watching Netflix during the COVID-19 social isolation / quarantine - and you're not alone. And, at this point, you've probably watched all of the good reality shows (I'll admit I liked Love is Blind and The Circle), so you're probably wondering what else there is to watch. The answer, my fellow travellers, is Planet Earth.

If you've never seen Planet Earth, just know that the series takes you across the globe showing you some of the most majestic animals, birds and, yes, insects in scenes that you've never seen before (not even YouTube has this kind of epic animal footage)! And, to make it all that much better, it's narrated by Sir David Attenborough, who is one of the most famous animal documentary narrators of all time. It is a true virtual travel experience that will leave you equal parts satisfied and filled with wanderlust.

If epic animal documentaries aren't your thing, try watching Instant Hotel. It's a reality show based in Australia where contestants compete to see who has the best AirBnB in the land down under. You'll get to check-in and check-out some of the country's coolest AirBnBs without leaving the safety of your house - or spending a dime.

Follow Travel + Leisure on Twitter / Instagram

I'm sure you're already following a lot of great travel social media accounts, but Travel + Leisure seems to take the whole virtual travel idea to another level. They post a majestic video from a new place at least once a day, and those videos (honestly!) make you feel like you're actually there. Of course, no virtual travel experience will ever truly mimic being in a place, but, if you're looking for a quick virtual travel experience, follow Travel + Leisure. I'm sure their 5 million Instagram followers would agree that they're worth the follow.

Read and Support Travel Blogs - Or Start One

I'm a little biased here, as this blog is very travel-focused, but now is a great time to read your favourite travel blogs. There's so much great content out there on the internet regarding travel and, if you don't have any of those travel guides mentioned above, you can simply find a lot (if not all) of the information you need for a country on travel blogs. A good place to find new travel blogs is on Pinterest. It is essentially a search engine, so all you need to do is type in certain questions regarding the country you're interested in and voila - you'll find tons of pictures (or pins to be more precise) that lead you to travel blogs detailing your queries.

If you feel like starting a new project during social distancing or quarantine, why not start a travel blog? Starting a travel blog is the perfect way to keep in the travel mindset when you can't travel. In fact, that's why I started this one! For more info, head over to Bluehost to see how you can get hosting to set up a Wordpress site. They're cheap to start, lots of fun, and will help you with your virtual travels.

Plan Your Next Trip - Right Now

I know it may be hard to fully get into this mindset given the current state of things world-wide, but now is a great time to start planning a trip for the future. I'm not talking about actually booking anything, as it'd be best to wait until it's actually safe to travel again to do that. But I'm talking about picking a place to go when this is all over, finding hotels you like, planning an itinerary, and just learning about that country. Whether it's 1 month, 6 months or a year from now, we will eventually be able to travel the world again and live the wanderlust lifestyle. So, for now, we might as well make the most of our time, daydream, and prepare our travel minds for when it is safe to go again.

If you love to travel but are currently sitting at home staying safe and helping keep everyone else safe, start diving into some virtual travel experiences to keep yourself in the travel mindset. There's tons of options out there, including Google Earth, travel guides, Netflix shows, travel social media accounts and travel blogs. You just need to scope them out. So, for now, stay home, stay safe, and safe virtual travels!

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