Brace yourself for a virtually assisted couch-vacation

New Delhi

2020 probably hasn’t been the best year for the explorers out there. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, all the plans of wandering about the beautiful cobblestone streets of Europe or a boys’ trip to Vegas have been shelved.

But sweat not! While you are stuck to your couches, treat yourself with a virtual vacation. After all there’s no other solution is there? Netflix, Prime Video, Hotstar and Youtube are full of countless undiscovered treasures that await your eyes.

To help you make an informed decision from the depths of the almighty internet here are 5 travel shows that would help you get a couch holiday.

Spirit of Scotland

Join Kunal Kapoor in his quest to discover the land of Kilts and Castles and feel the true ‘Spirit of Scotland’ in this 5-part series. The show takes you through the breath taking landscapes, rich heritage and an extremely charming countryside that makes Scotland the fantasy land that it is.

But above all, Kunal explores the true gift of Scotland to the world, Scotch Whiskeys. In each episode Kunal pays visit to a legendary distillery, home to brands like the Glenlivet, Aberlour, Ballantine, Chivas and Royal Salute. The show is available on YouTube and others.

Departures

If you agree that travelling with your best friend is best kind of travelling, ‘Departures’ is the show for you! Two spirited guys Scott Wilson and Justin Lukach leave their 9-5 jobs to take a year long trip of a lifetime. The boys travel through every nook and corner of the world be it Japan, Canada, Jordan or Thailand to bring to you a one of a kind experience that will surely leave you reminiscing over your stalled plans and the memories with your friends. The show is available on YouTube.

Somebody Feed Phil

What happens when a well-known TV show creator who also happens to be a foodie gets his own show? Watch ‘Somebody Feed Phil’ to find out! Philip Rosenthal, the creator of long running TV show ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ takes the viewers on a food-venture around the world exploring the food culture in cities like Tel Aviv, Mexico City and New Orleans. The show offers an absolute mouthwatering experience but be sure to keep some munchies beside you because unfortunately you can’t psych your mind with virtual food. The show is available on Netflix.

Pedal the world

You know what’s a healthy vacation? A bicycle tour across 2 countries! That’s what Felix Starck, a German 20-something ventures upon in this feature-length documentary from 2015. Setting out from his home in Germany, Felix pedals south across Europe to Turkey, before jumping on a plane and heading to Southeast Asia, then New Zealand and the United States before eventually returning home to his friends and family exactly one year later. The documentary is available on Netfix.

Street Food

This series of nine 30-minute episodes explores the local delicacies of Asia and the stories of the people who make them. From Michelin-star awarded street food from Bangkok to Samosas and Aloo Tikkis in India to the snail chefs of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, the show covers the best food off all. The show explores the delicacies and oddities of Japan, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, South Korea, and the Philippines and is available to watch on Netflix.

A virtual tour of Orlando for your little ones

New Delhi

Whether you want to soar down a rollercoaster, or have some fun touring theme parks, a virtual tour of Orlando could be a good getaway for all the young travel-bunnies stuck at home.

“We recognise that now, more than ever, we all want to escape from reality, even if it’s just for a moment. Whether you like floating down a lazy river in one of our resort pools or immersing yourself into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, we hope these experiences provide a much-needed break from everyday life,” said George Aguel, President and CEO of Visit Orlando.

From the comfort of your home, the ‘virtual visitors’ can now soar down a 200-feet roller coaster drop, watch fireworks over the famous Cinderella Castle, zipline over alligators and even learn from experts how to draw Mickey Mouse, on Visit Orlando’s blog.

Walt Disney World

Watch a sneak peek of new rides like ‘Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway’ and ‘Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance’, enjoy character meet-and-greets and more on the Disney Parks YouTube channel.

Universal Orlando Resort

Travel to different worlds virtually like The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley and experience the parks with 360-degree videos of some of the most popular roller coasters, explore holiday events and take a closer look into the restaurants that make up Universal CityWalk, on the Universal Orlando Resort’s YouTube channel.

Virtual Relaxation

Relax and virtually float through by yourself down the winding lazy river that is part of the 5-acre waterpark located in the luxurious grounds of the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort.

Explore a lake on a giant swan-shaped boat, through the swan boat ride in downtown Orlando’s Lake Eola Park.

Float down the river with gushing geysers at Aquatica’s Roa’s Rapids at the Aquatica Orlando water park, in a virtual action river experience with high tides and gushing geysers.

Animal Interactions

From Gatorland’s School of Croc, a Facebook live every day at 10 a.m. every showcases animals and adventures. In the afternoon, their YouTube channel shares live-action encounters with animals including Burmese pythons, crocodiles, alligators and monitor lizards. Peak into animal habitats through a new daily video series on Facebook live, from the Central Florida Zoo.

High-Speed Thrills

Virtually experience indoor skydiving at iFLY Orlando inside of their high-energy vertical wind tunnels that allows visitors to float on a column of air. Get in the driver’s seat for a virtual race through Andretti Indoor Karting and Games’ indoor track of turns and high-speed chases.

Virtual Learning

You can now stream educational IMAX films typically shown in the cinedome of the Orlando Science Center. Enjoy MacGillivray Freeman IMAX films by streaming, America’s Musical Journey on YouTube, and Dream Big, Humpback Whale and National Parks Adventure on Vimeo on Demand.

Learn about living in space, Mars and rocketry or tour Space Shuttle Atlantis during a new series of Facebook lives from Kennedy Space Center.

From Disney Imagineers, learn real-world case studies and even design a theme park experience through interactive activities and lessons in theme park design and engineering.

Learn to draw Mickey Mouse as Disney shares a complete series of how-to tutorials on how to draw the famous figure on the Disney Parks YouTube channel. Cast member Stephen Ketchum provides expert tips on how to draw Mickey over the years, from vintage 1920s Mickey to the more contemporary “pied-eyed” version.

Music, Movies and Museums

Listen to intimate musical performances at the Timucua Arts Foundation, set in the home grounds of the former music director for Cirque du Soleil. The foundation will post daily videos of previously recorded live performances on its Facebook page, also host a Digital Music Flea Market to help local musical artists.

Get a daily move recommendation and insider info on the film from a cinematic expert on the Enzian Theater’s Facebook page.

Explore the museum galleries of the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art via the museum’s website, with PDF versions of the object guides that are normally placed in each gallery. Learn the history behind the museum through two films available for streaming: ‘A Legacy for the Community’ and ‘The Tiffany Chapel: A Masterpiece Rediscovered’.