How To Cure Your Travel Bug While Social Distancing
All of our travel plans have been put on hold because of the Coronavirus and the furthest we’re travelling right now is from the bedroom to the living room, maybe the occasional trip to the supermarket. As much as we all want to leave our homes and head on an adventure abroad, it’s important to be safe and responsible - and stay inside. For those of you getting restless like us, below are some ideas on how you can cure your travel bug from the comfort of your couch.
CATCH-UP ON THE BEST TRAVEL SHOWS, MOVIES AND DOCUMENTARIES
Already watching too much Netflix? Or have you succumbed to Disney+? We won’t tell. Escape to your dream destination by losing yourself in a travel adventure film or TV show. There are so many inspiring and thought proving series and films out there from you to choose from. However, below are some of our staff’s favourite watches.
Television
The Kindness Diaries
Our Planet
Conan without Borders
Departures
Movies
The Darjeeling Limited
Into the Wild
Midnight in Paris
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Seven Years in Tibet
Documentaries
Mountain
Expedition Happiness
Maidentrip
READ TRAVEL BOOKS
Nothing beats getting lost in a good read. Transport yourself to a new land by digging into a book that takes place in the country you’re hoping to head to next. Here are some of our recommended reads based on destination:
Africa (various countries): “Dark Star Safari”
Australia: “In a Sunburned Country”
Europe (various countries): “Neither Here nor There”
Italy/India/Indonesia: “Eat, Pray, Love”
Nepal: “Video Night in Kathmandu”
Peru: ”Turn Right at Machu Picchu”
USA: “Wild”
Miscellaneous: “Mountains of the Mind” by Robert Macfarlane, “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho, “On Trails” by Robert Moor
HAVE A DESTINATION THEMED EVENING
Plans to travel to Italy get cancelled recently? Cook up some spaghetti carbonara, throw on Andrea Bocelli, and bring Italy to you! If your Asia adventures aren’t going ahead, order yourself some delicious Asian food, whack a beach scene on your desktop background and if you’re feeling extra festive, order some decorative pieces and flags online. The possibilities are endless. No matter how cheesy this idea might be, it’s a fun way to get your culture fix in without actually leaving your home. Be sure to get your family or roommates in on the action too (if you live with them of course. Otherwise, a FaceTime or Zoom call it is!)
PRACTICE LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE
Immerse yourself in a new culture by learning a new language (or at least the basics.) We’ve all got a little extra time on our hands, so why not use it to teach yourself something new? This is also a great way to prepare for a future trip, especially if you plan on traveling to a non-english speaking country. You’ll also feel more connected to the people once you’re actually there.
Duolingo is a great free language learning resource to get you started.
TAKE VIRTUAL TOURS
Sure, it’s not the same as being there in person, but as we’re all confined to our couches, it might be the next best thing! Being stuck at home doesn’t mean learning has to stop. Here are some free virtual tours to check out in your free time:
360 tour of Machu Picchu
View the Sistine Chapel in Italy
Wander the Great Wall of China
Explore the landscapes of Iceland
View more tours here
CREATE A TRAVEL VISION BOARD
Channel your creative energy and create a poster board complete with photos of your bucket list destinations. This may not only help nip that travel bug in the bud, but creating a vision board can also help turn your dreams into a reality. You can use it as a source of inspiration when you’re setting and achieving goals. Kick it old school and break out the scissors and glue, and get crafty.
START YOUR OWN TRAVEL INSTAGRAM
Instagram is a go-to source for travel inspo for many of us. Although there are a bunch of great pages we could share with you here, why not create your own? Take some time to dig through your old travel photos, research some cool editing apps, and get posting. If you haven’t done too much traveling of your own yet, you can begin by sharing photos of places you’re hoping and planning on visiting.
Our amazing US team put a great blog together on how to turn your travel photos into a brand (including recommended photo editing tools and hashtags) here.
BEGIN PLANNING YOUR NEXT TRIP
It won’t be too long before the chaos of COVID-19 subsides and it’s safe to travel again. You can start planning your next trip now, even if it’s just through researching destinations and things to do there. From there you can take the essential steps towards saving for and booking your trip.
P.S. Those signed up to our newsletter will be the first to get news and announcements on our upcoming trips!
