8 Ideas to Travel the World from Home
(Updated: 23 June 2020)
For those whose feet love to wander,
whose mind loves to learn,
whose heart loves to be enthralled,
staying at home is tough.
Don’t even talk about taking flights, taking a step out to the streets is scarce precious time now.
Running out of ideas what to do at home? Fret not. Thanks to technology, we can still travel the world virtually. Let’s go on an adventure at the comfort of our couch. Here are a few ideas you can engage in at home. Have fun!
1. Launch Earth
Launch earth with Google Earth. Search places you like to go and learn about them. Zoom in to take a closer look at the places of interests. Orbit the world in 3D.
You can also explore desired destinations or hard to get to places with Airpano’s 360-degree photographs and videos.
Come, let’s take off! The world is yours to explore.
2. Enjoy Famous Circus Performances
Now you don’t have to fly across the world to catch magnificent circus performances. Watch these shows online. And instead of forking out more than S$100, they’re for free!
Find Cirque du Soleil’s shows at its new website, www.cirquedusoleil.com/cirqueconnect, along with 180-degree virtual reality videos, behind the scenes, and short video clips from the Blue Man Group.
Otherwise, watch the performances on Cirque du Soleil’s YouTube channel. Subscribe to the channel for notifications of new episodes. Stay tune for a 60-minute episode every Friday, or you can start from Episode 1.
Previous episodes are available on their website or YouTube channel. Do check out the special episode of One Night for One Drop! It is an annual philanthropic event in which celebrities and Cirque du Soleil artists create a show in support of the One Drop foundation.
Other than Cirque du Soleil, there are many amazing performances to watch online for free. For example, the full circus performance “O” of Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. Previously, its ticket price ranges from US$107 to US$460.
3. Go on Free Virtual Tours
Museums and Galleries
Discover art from over 2,500 museums and galleries around the world on Google Arts & Culture. Other than art, you can also learn more about history and science through the online collection available on Google Arts & Culture.
Go on virtual tours and browse the online exhibits of famous museums, such as the British Museum, National Museum of Korea, Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and the Guggenheim in New York City.
Castles and Palaces
Roam around historical buildings. Go on virtual tours of Prague castle, Palace of Holyroodhouse (Queen’s official residence in Scotland) and many others at History View.
Animal Wildlife
Animal lovers can have a feast for the eyes at the comfort of their homes. Scour through the network of live cams at Explore, and find your favourite animal to watch — from animal sanctuaries, to African wildlife, to creatures under the deep blue sea.
4. Cook International Cuisine at Home
One highlight of travel is eating good food and trying out new cuisines. Not able to step out as often now, the next best thing to do is to put on the Chef’s hat and cook the international food yourself.
Join online cooking classes around the world, or support SG local businesses such as Wok ‘n’ Stroll, and Food Playground.
If not, refer to simple home recipes I shared on home.joogostyle.com. Whip up simple dishes like ‘Bell Pepper Chicken Stir Fry’ and Buta Donburi.
Enjoy eating the food you cook!
5. Workout, Exercise
Clocking in 10,000 steps is easy when you touring your holiday destination. So while you sit and travel the world, don’t let those muscles sag. Get up and keep your body moving!
Many places are offering online classes for Pilates, Yoga, Zumba and many others. Previously, I attended pre-natal Pilates at Breathe Pilates and love what they have to offer. Now, they’re offering online Pilates sessions for private, group, unlimited and on-demand sessions.
Otherwise, search Youtube for free workout videos, such as this and these workout sessions with people from Cirque du Soleil.
6. In-House Entertainment
Instead of in-flight entertainment, switch on the in-house entertainment! Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are two popular choices for English and international titles. For the Asian palate, there are Viu.com for the Korean kimchi, Singtel CAST for the all-rounder rojak, and meWATCH for Singapore local laksa.
*Promotions alert*
From now till 30 Jun ’20, access 30 channels completely free on Singtel CAST. Or get 40% OFF 3-month meWATCH Prime at S$17.82 with this NTUC membership offer. Subscribe with promo code NTUC40, valid until 31 Aug 2020.
7. Travel Documentaries
Speaking of in-house entertainment, look out for travel documentaries! Even though you are homebound, embark on virtual trips around the world and live vicariously through other people. I’m currently watching J-Style trip by Jay Chou on Netflix. Of course there are many other titles to stream on Netflix.
For the foodies, Street Food: Asia brings you to explore the street food of nine Asia cities — Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, and more. In this cultural journey into street food, discover the stories of the chef behind these flavorful dishes.
Or if you are the adventurer, Mountain brings you to the summits of the world’s most amazing mountains. Be enthralled by the breathtaking imagery and thought-provoking narration.
Otherwise for explorers of culture, join photographers in Tales by Light as they travel the world to capture unseen angles of people, places, and creatures. Season 3 follows a trio to Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Australia.
8. Travel Writings
As a writer myself, I would highly recommend reading travel writings to immerse yourself in the sights, and sounds of a foreign land. Words allow your imagination to concoct a rich imagery that teleport you to the destination.
I really love the writings of Kennie Ting at dreamofacity.com. He’s the director of Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum and Peranakan Museum. Otherwise, the thecampervanmanblog.com who is currently posting his list of Europe’s Top 10 cities.
Speaking of which, I do miss my inaugural Europe trip. And of course, read my travel stories recorded in my online travelogue. If not, start dreaming and planning your future trips with my itineraries to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and others.
Hope the above have sprinkled some travel dust into your home. Let me know if you have other suggestions!
Meanwhile, stay home, stay safe ❤