9 Ways You Can Travel Without Leaving Home (…and become an armchair traveller)

Posted on March 28 2021

How To Become An Armchair Traveller - Cat Turner London


9 Ways You Can Travel Without Leaving Home (…and become an armchair traveller)

 
 
With all of us getting a little stir crazy during this lockdown and pretty desperate for a holiday, we thought it would be the perfect time to share some ways we can all “travel” without leaving home.
 
You might have heard of the term virtual travel? But do you know how to do armchair travel and what it means to be an armchair traveller???
 

Below we share some of our favourite ways to safely experience other cultures and feel transported to other places through apps, websites and things you can do…

 

1) Take A Virtual Tour Of Spain

Discover Spain from the comfort of your sofa with free virtual travel from Google Arts & Culture. You’ll be able to virtually visit some of Spain’s cultural icons, like the spectacularly unique Sagrada Familia or the fairytale Alhambra Palace as well as be introduced to writers such as Cervantes or artists such as Picasso and Dali.

 

2) Watch A Travel Show, With A Difference!

Lighthearted, travel shows combining spectacular cities and landscapes with a sprinkling of comedy…

The Trip To Italy; Rob Brydon & Steve Coogan

The Italian edit follows the first series of The Trip, based in the UK and has Steve and Rob playing fictionalised versions of themselves, discussing life, love and the universe, as they make their way through Italy from Piedmont to Capri. Aside from the stunning landscapes, it's a great watch for foodies, as one of the characters is a restaurant reviewer and the duo spend lots of time enjoying meals together in beautiful venues.

Asian Provocateur (with Romesh Ranganathan)

For those of you unfamiliar with Romesh, he's a well-loved British comedian.
This show is all about his mother forcing him to explore his Sri Lankan heritage, meet eccentric family members and be introduced to all kinds of local traditions including an ancient martial art, a barefoot pilgrimage and auditioning for a Sri Lankan soap opera. Take it from us, it's very funny.

 
The Misadventures Of Romesh Ranganathan

In this series Romesh helps us to discover some of the world's more unusual and adventurous travel destinations, like Mongolia, Colombia and Zimbabwe.

James May: Our Man In Japan

Although not officially a comedian, the former Top Gear presenter has a very likeable style and takes us on a fun tour of Japan from Hokkaido in the North to Nagoro in the South. Expect quirky local guides and unusual activities, such as competitive snowball fighting, giant robot duels and coverage of the penis festival in Kawasaki City.

 

9 Ways You Can Travel Without Leaving Home - Cat Turner London

Photo Credit; Alex Knight / Unsplash

3) Brush Up On Your Language Skills, Explore New Cultures And Meet New People!

Speaky is an online language exchange platform that can connect you to 110+ languages across 180+ countries. If you’re wondering how to practice a language and fancy improving that rusty French you learned at school, Speaky can help you find someone from another country who has similar interests to you, so that you can connect through chat or video. Merci Speaky!

  

4) Be Blown Away By Art...Without The Crowds.

Get lost amongst the stunning selection of virtual museums available online. We fell in love with the gallery from MOMA New York and with the painting, The Evening Air by Henri-Edmond Cross at Le Musée d'Orsay in Paris. You can click on individual works for further information on pieces.

 

5) Drift Away To Different Places Through The Power Of Music.


Joao Gilberto

I defy anyone not to have a smile on their face listening to Joao Gilberto and in particular, The Girl From Ipanema – one of Brazil’s most famous musicians and also known as the “father of bossa nova”.

TSF Jazz

A French radio station I discovered during my first trip to Paris with my husband - it was being played in the taxi from the station to our hotel. I don't think I had ever considered myself to be a jazz lover until that point. TSF Jazz is one of those rare channels that reminds you how special it is every time you put it on. We recommend you put it on and find yourself a comfy chair to wind down and relax in.

Listen To Jazz And Travel Without Travelling - Cat Turner London blog post

 Photo Credit; Konstantin Aal / Unsplash


Eros Ramazzotti

If you’re missing trips to your favourite Italian restaurant, then you need to close your eyes, listen to Eros and conjure up images of Penne Arrabiata with a large glass of Montepulciano (or whatever it is that you tend to lust over on an Italian restaurant menu). You can be pretty sure that Eros was playing in the background at most of the Italian restaurants you've ever been to.

6) Get Pretty Much Any Travel Question Answered By A Vibrant Community Of Women Who Share A Passion For Travel

 Join the Facebook group “Women Who Travel” by CondeNast Traveler.


7) Films…Here Are A Few That We Love…

Martin Sheen film – The Way (mainly Spain)

Eat Pray Love (Italy, India, Bali)

Crazy Rich Asians (mainly Singapore)

Midnight in Paris (As the name suggests…)

Under The Tuscan Sun (ditto)

Lost In Translation (Japan)

The Beach (Thailand)

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (India)

 
8) Be Inspired By A Good Read

Goodreads is the world's largest site for readers and book recommendations. It’s not only a great resource for inspiration, but also has many different groups or virtual book clubs to join. Decide on a paperback that will help you discover a new part of the world, or buy an audio book and have it read to you.

Magazine inspiration can be found in CondeNast Traveller, National Geographic Traveller, Travel & Leisure Magazine. Buy copies online or subscribe to Readly and read a whole host of your favourite magazines for a small subscription fee.

 

Bowl Of Asian Pho - How To Travel Without Travelling Blog
Photo Credit; Sharon Chen / Unsplash



9) Tickle Your Tastebuds.

Recreate favourite holiday meals or discover new dishes. It can be as simple as enjoying pains au chocolats, croissants and baguette with café au lait in one of those big mug bowls that the French use. Or ordering in curry and trying a new dish you wouldn’t normally choose. Why not finally have a go at making that incredible soup you had in Cambodia or those tacos you had in Mexico? Exploring and enjoying new types of food, especially when they have unusual herbs and spices, can easily transport you to another place and other memories. (In reference to point 6), when I asked the Facebook “Women Who Travel” group what foreign food they liked to enjoy, I was met with a deluge of responses and dishes I had never heard of before, like Cullen skink soup and cranachan from Scotland and shrimp with grits, corn bread, gravy and biscuits from the Southern United States.

Discovering new types of food is possibly one of the most exciting things when you travel – and it’s good to inject this excitement into “normal life”, especially when life only allows us to travel virtually.

With Covid restrictions being what they are, we truly hope this has given you inspiration to explore the world of online virtual travel and find more ways to travel the world from home.

It might not be quite the same as the real thing…but it can help us expand our minds, experience something different, get excited about new things and most definitely work towards perfecting that travel bucket list...



Make sure you get your travel wardrobe ready for when you can travel again… Our boutique dresses will make you look effortlessly stylish from day to night, whatever the destination or occasion.

Comfortable, flattering and exceptionally versatile, these ethically made dresses will make for the perfect holiday.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP THE COLLECTION.

 

You can share the blog post by clicking on the icons below.

 

Summer Maxi Dress With Pockets

More Posts