With global coronavirus (covid-19) travel restrictions in place, many of us are facing the new norm of self-isolating and social distancing, which means many hours to fill at home. These tight restrictions mean we won’t be travelling for a while, but that’s not to say we can’t participate in a little ‘armchair travel’ in the meantime. If you’re looking for ways to beat the boredom while keeping your travel dreams alive, here are some of our tips to help you satiate your itchy feet and get your travel fix at home.

Organise your travel photos

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Pic by @catvloguje

We’re all guilty of coming home from a holiday with smartphones, tablets and SD memory cards full of photos that we had every intention of organising, printing and maybe even putting together in a photo album or scrapbook…only to forget about them. This extra time at home presents the perfect opportunity for you to organise, file and back up your photos. Plus, looking through photos is like taking a trip down memory lane; you’ll be reminded of little stories you’d maybe forgotten and will now be able to share!

Watch a travel documentary

Thanks to streaming services and catch up tv, watching what we want on television is much easier than it used to be! While most people use these services to binge watch hours of movies and their favourite tv shows, you can also find a lot of documentaries (including travel documentaries) too! Some of our favourites include Expedition Happiness, America Wild: National Parks Adventure and Tales by Light on Netflix. Or if you have a Disney+ account, you have access to a lot of National Geographic documentaries, on the Nat Geo channel. You can also catch up on SBS documentaries on SBS on Demand as well.

Cook up a storm!

cooking-class-travel
Pic by @lornatheexplorernz

Have you ever participated in a cooking class during your travels? Or marvelled at the food markets of a city? Or maybe, there’s that one meal you had that one time that you’ve never been able to forget about. Relive your travels and favourite cuisines by recreating your favourite dishes at home. The best bit? You get to make your cake and eat it too 😉 

Learn a Language

Have you always dreamed of being able to order a coffee and croissant in Paris in French? While learning to speak a second language fluently might not be too realistic, you can definitely get the basic foundations of another language down-pat during your extra time at home. There are many methods in which you can start your language learning from home too, from simple apps, like DuoLingo and Babbel to Youtube videos and even online courses – there’s plenty to choose from!

Cosy up with a good travel book

books-travel-fix-home
Pic by @passages.through.pages

If you’re anything like me, you’ll find cosying up in a big lounge and getting lost in a good book to be the ultimate indulgence! Now is the perfect chance to dust off the books that have been piling up. Some favourites include Jack Kerouac’s On The Road, Cheryl Strayed’s Wild and Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love.

Listen to a travel podcast

Whether you’re after travel-related entertainment, inspiration or ideas for your next adventure (when it’s safe to do so), there is a podcast for it! Some good listens include Armchair Explorer, The Rough Guide to Everywhere and Travel with Rick Steves.

Watch a travel movie

Whether you’re after inspiration or entertainment, film has always been a great conveyor of showcasing the world. Pop a bag of popcorn in the microwave and get a pot of tea brewing, as you won’t want to move from your lounge with a good selection of travel films set to play. Some of our favourites include Midnight in Paris, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Wild.

Go on a virtual museum tour

paris-louvre-museum
Pic by @raphaelmetivet

Inaccessible due to forced closures, Google has teamed with over 2500 museums and art galleries around the world to create online, virtual tours! From the comfort of your home, you can visit some of the best museums in the world, including the Louvre in Paris, the Vatican Museums in Rome and the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC to name a few.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing more posts on how we can all keep our traveller’s spark alight during these times of self isolation. Stay safe and #WeWillTravelAgain

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