Covid-19: How to travel outdoors without getting caught!

Corona virus or Covid-19 is a global pandemic which has severely affected all our international as well as domestic travel plans. Many countries have declared nationwide lockdown and temporarily suspended the internal & cross-border transportation to curb the menace of the deadly virus. That literally means no nightlife, no sightseeing, no nature, nor flying for weeks/months. Who knew simple things like grocery shopping, jogging and even going out on the street would fall into the category of luxurious activities one day?

Although self-isolation and social distancing is the need of the hour and one must stay home for the time being but still there are some tricks with which you can travel outdoors without getting caught to any corner of the world and psst! the plus point: No corona infection either.

Virtual Museum & Sites Tours

Wish to learn more about the cultural, artistic, historical & scientific artifacts from around the world? Google Arts & Culture is a platform that takes you into the world of popular & culturally rich museums from around the world. It’s not only the museums but also the important sightseeing places too that are featured on this website. Right from the royal Palace of Versailles in France to the cultural & historic Dr. Bhau Daji Lad museum in Bombay, you name it they have it. Some art pieces inside the museum are available to view up-close along with its associated historical/cultural stories to enlighten more about the artifact to its visitors. These virtual tours also provide interactive, guided exhibits and stories from around the world eg: Tragic love story at the Auschwitz concentration camp talks about the attempt of a couple to run away from the concentration camp and the story is backed with relevant documents, photos & maps to give the reader a clear picture of the scenario. If that hasn’t already added some sparkle to your eyes, you’d be interested to know that all these tours, exhibits & stories are 100% free of cost. Yes that’s right! Well wait no more!

Travel Videos

Do I really need to introduce one of the most powerful online video-sharing platform? Yes, you guessed it right, it’s Youtube! The fact that one can share travel videos with the global world right from its smartphone app has made travel all the more accessible. Since a long time, Youtube has continuosly helped all its viewers to get an overall idea of their next prospective destination and also has played a major role in planning the entire trip. For example this Turkey video gives the general idea about overall country of Turkey and its cities by showing the things to do and places to visit etc. Similarly you’ll find plenty of virtual walking tours, food tours, treks etc on this amazing platform. What better chance to travel the world from the comfort of your own couch?

Travel Movies & Music

“Don’t tell me you still haven’t watched Into The Wild. Aren’t you a traveler?” said my friend. Although it almost is a 7 year old statement, I still remember the FOMO I felt at that very moment so much so that the first thing I did that night was to watch Into The Wild. I think it definitely was one of the best travel movie I had watched in today’s times. Travel movies & music videos have the ability to take you on a journey like no other thus creating a lasting impact on our mind. At times we discover new locations & new events/festivals due to travel movies & music videos. Like the La Tomatina festival that is celebrated in Bunol (a town near Valencia in Spain) gained popularity in India due to the bollywood film: Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Now is the best time to grab those earphones & take some travel lessons from the travel movie & music makers, don’t you think?

Online Experiences

AirBnB’s unique #stayhome initiative is making quite a buzz worldwide. Recently this biggest online company has launched the Online Experiences platform for people of all ages to connect, virtually travel and earn during the COVID-19 crisis. Activities start from as cheap as Rs. 100/- and one just requires a good internet connection & the laptop to learn something fun. All these activities can be undertaken by families, couples, colleagues and even kids which makes it a fun experience at home. If you want to show your skills to the world then fret not as AirBnB even lets you host these Online Experiences on Zoom. The company provides the hosts access to Zoom free of charge along with personalized support services for curating, capturing and sharing their Online Experience. Click here to know more about this amazing stuff

Explore Earth

Did you know you can now keep an eye on each & every corner of the earth? Welcome Google Earth that lets you have a detailed 3D representation of complete Earth based primarily on satellite photos, aerial photography & GIS data. This computer program has made it possible to travel outdoors without getting caught to any place in the whole world and while you are at a particular landmark it fills you in with all the facts & information related to that place. Further with the street view, it is now possible to walk virtually on the streets and gawk at all the monuments minus the crowd. Amazing isn’t it? Well that’s not just it! Google Earth has also partnered with Voyager to curate stories, quizzes and go on guided tours along with the world’s leading storytellers, scientists, and nonprofits. Just like Google Earth’s webpage suggests us to immerse ourselves in new cultures & test our travel knowledge. Would you go on such a mind-boggling virtual journey?

Travel TV Shows & Documentaries

Who doesn’t watch TV now? Channels like NatGeo, Animal Planet, Fox travelers, History TV, Discovery etc. has aired TV shows & documentaries since ages. Even Netflix has several travel shows & documentaries lined up for its viewers. These virtual travels have the ability to take us to every corner of different part of the worlds without having the need to leave the couch. The hosts sometimes goes into the core forest area amidst wild animals or dives deep into the sea or explores the culture of the country and at times even manage to combine travel with the local street food tour. TV shows & documentaries precisely depicts & narrates what stands right in front of him thus making it one of my favourite modes of travelling from the couch and I regularly watch some shows/documentaries like – Our Planet, Rick Stein’s India, OMG! Ye mera India, Man vs. Wild etc.

Now that you know how I travel outdoors without getting caught amidst the Covid-19 pandemic why don’t you try it out too and let me know in the comments below about all the places you have visited right from the comfort of your house. I cannot wait to hear already.

Pin it 😉