How to Take a Virtual Vacation
Between conference calls and a quarantine snack break, like we’re on some kind of pandemic stress marathon, many of us may need a break. It’s not the easiest thing to find when you’re stuck at home, especially if you love to travel. If you prefer to visit other cities, states and countries, then staying within the area of your home can be cumbersome.
But that doesn’t mean escape is impossible: we just need to embrace the virtual experience. Just as we read books or get addicted to a Netflix series to get away from the world, we can also forget about it for a while with a little home trip.
Scene setup
As with any form of travel, plan your trip ahead of time by planning your itinerary. You decide where you want to go, what you want to see and even what events you can take part in – all without the hassle of how you get there.
If you can, set aside a space for yourself from where you sleep or work so you can fully immerse yourself in your virtual journey. As much as possible, recreate the atmosphere and atmosphere of your chosen place:
- Light candles or a fireplace if you are camping . Turn on the lights and save a little on your electricity bill for that.
- Don’t forget about smells! If you’re visiting a virtual amusement park, try recreating this funnel cake recipe .
Where to go
It’s entirely up to you. If you yearn for the ocean, perhaps you would like to head to the beach to enjoy the clear blue water and the sound of the crashing waves. According to Cindy T. Graham, Ph.D. , a licensed clinical psychologist based in Columbia, Maryland, a virtual beach may have several health benefits: “Ocean noise can have a calming or meditative effect. Relaxation activities … have been shown to have positive effects on physical health (eg, lowering cortisol levels, reducing inflammation, improving heart health). In addition, these anti-anxiety activities are also associated with improved mental health (decreased symptoms of depression and anxiety). ”
We can enjoy not only the beaches. There are so many options, including heading to the theme park or taking a roller coaster ride from home!
Here are some exciting virtual tours you can take right now:
Relax on the beach
Snorkeling in Palau
In just under six minutes, this 360-degree virtual experience will take you into the depths of Palau. Clear water, swaying corals and vibrant schools of fish are just a few of this video. You can also learn about the role of corals in fighting climate change.
Walk alongWaikiki Beach in Oahu, Hawaii.
Imagine being barefoot in the sand while the sun kisses your forehead. For more than two hours, you can enjoy the aquamarine waves as you walk along the beach, see children playing in the sand, and watch the palm trees sway.
National parks
Tourthe Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.
This seven-minute 360-degree video will allow you to explore the Serengeti with all the thrill and safety concerns of face-to-face interactions with wildebeests, gorillas and even a friendly warthog.
Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska
Or maybe you want to visit a corner of the world with glaciers and views of the ice caps on the tops of the picturesque mountains. You can go kayaking on the glaciers and witness the humpback whale diving out of the water. Stand at the top of the Exit Glacier crevasse and witness how global warming is affecting this pristine environment.
Guided city tours
London, England
Get the chance to see Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and many other famous landmarks in this United Kingdom city. Your guide Peter talks about the historical context of each site and why they are so culturally important.
Bangkok, Thailand
This excursion will allow you to truly experience one of the most popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia, full of incredible architecture, temples and golden Buddhas.
Milan, Italy
As we all know, the pandemic has dealt a severe blow to Italy. As you travel through this majestic city of over 1.4 million people, you can look forward to the day you can visit in person. The tour shows the modernization of Milan over the past decade, as well as older buildings such as the Sforzesco Castle – home to the art exhibitions of Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo.
Watch the show
Summer is a great time for concerts or performances. For example, I love going to festivals to watch my favorite artists perform, performing songs with random strangers from all over the country.
But even though we’re not going to festivals anytime soon, we can still watch Broadway plays and dance as professional DJs mix it up. Or enjoy country performances if you like.
Here is a list of some of the shows you can go to at home:
- Broadway : BroadwayHD offers a seven-day free trial and front row seat for plays such as Macbeth, Cats, and Swan Lake.
- Club Quarantine with DJ D-Nice: In one day, this old-school hop-hop DJ has grown from a few thousand followers on social media to over a million followers. Club Quarantine has been visited by some of the biggest celebrities, including none other than former First Lady Michelle Obama.
- Detroit Symphony Orchestra – DSO offers audiences a variety of choices, broken down based on orchestral style (baroque, classical, romance), female composers, and alphabetical composers.
- Metropolitan Opera – The Met offers free encore performances from the Live in HD series, each of which lasts 23 hours. Check out their upcoming schedule, which includes Cosi Fan Tutte and Madama Butterfly Puccini .
- Whiskey Jam’s, Risky Jam – The Risky Jam is hosted on Instagram Live every evening from 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm CST, with over 6 country music artists performing every night.
Dress part
Just because you’re at home doesn’t mean you need to stay in your yoga pants. Come on, put on the outfit you were going to wear to the governor’s ball. Do your hair. Open an unused makeup kit. Or wear swimming trunks, sunscreen, and sunglasses as if you were going to the beach. Take that FaceTime with your friends and family and take screenshots of how much fun it all is.
And don’t forget to breathe, have fun, and feel free to tag us on social media during our guided tour of the living room.