20 Exciting things to do for travel lovers
Most travel plans are on hold for a while during the coronavirus pandemic. The corona virus has people staying at home and cabin fever may be setting in. To pass the time after working from home, take a vacation without ever leaving your couch. Numerous world-class destinations and museums offer virtual tours that you can take online while you are social distancing. The other benefit? It’s free.
Here is some expert advice on 20 things to do for travel lovers while being in coronavirus quarantine.
Test your travel knowledge with a travel quiz
Do you know the name of the world’s third-highest mountain? Or in what country guinea pig a local delicacy is? Or maybe you know the capital of Moldova?
Do you like to test your knowledge with a good travel quiz once in a while?! I love the occasional challenge of travel related questions. Putting countries and sights on a map and finding the correct capitals, languages and flags of a country – love it! So strap yourself in and prepare to put your world knowledge to the test. Some possibilities are the Loney Planet’s Ultimate Travel Quiz, The world’s hardest Geography Quiz or the quiz of Rough Guides.
See the life of wild animals
I love watching Elephants drinking water in South Africa, grizzly bears catching salmon in Alaska and Panda bears playing around in China. Thanks to live webcams you can watch animals live. Just search on live webcams on Youtube.
Read a story to feed your wanderlust
There are plenty of stories to feed your wanderlust. I love reading and like books that inspire me to travel and dream about new adventures. This literature list will provide you with a good overview of books about travelling.
Visit a museum online
Almost all museums are closed, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the art treasures they house during coronavirus quarantine. Museums around the world are letting people take in art and history while practicing social distancing through virtual tours. For example, the Rijksmuseum has a number of online exhibitions that you can view, but also the British Museum in the British capital London, the famous Museé d’Orsay in Paris and the famous Guggenheim Museum in New York. Also the Vatican Museums Have Free Virtual Tours, Including One Where You Can See the Sistine Chapel.
Another fun thing to do is to step inside and explore the beautiful Buckingham Palace State Rooms. On behalf of Her Majesty The Queen, Head of the Commonwealth and some others, a reception was held in the Buckingham Palace State rooms to celebrate and showcase designs, designers and artisans from across the Commonwealth’s 53 countries.
Improve your language skills
While sitting at home you can also improve your language skills. Install a useful app like DuoLingo. It is also fun to listen to some audio clips from around the world and to guess the spoken language. Can you tell the difference between Portuguese and Spanish? Farsi and Arabic? What about Mandarin and Cantonese?
Explore numerous world-class destinations and landmarks
Explore the World by Google Street View or the Google Arts & Culture app. A trip to India’s majestic and romantic Taj Mahal is a major money investment. Or how about a visit to the Antelope Canyon (Arizona), Napali Coast State Wilderness Park (Kauai, Hawaii), The Eiffel Tower in France, or Spitsbergen National Park? Go online or download the app and wander all around the stunning structures and landmarks. Maybe you can even do some workout on the Great Wall of China or by hiking to Machi Pichu. It’s a great way to explore the intricacies of one of the most mesmerizing places on earth.
Sort your travel photos (and make a travel photo book)
You must have taken a lot of pictures over the years. Sit down together for a while and pick out the photos of the most enjoyable moments. Delete the blurry ones, organize them into albums, and create a slideshow for your friends and family. You can also turn them into a beautiful photo book. There are several websites to easily create such a photo book online.
Identify world cities from their street plans
Another way to test your travel knowledge is to identify world cities from their street plans. The Guardian has stripped out the street names and lost the labels so you can try to recognise the cities from their aerial views. I got 10 out of 13!
Buy yourself a travel gift
How nice would it be to buy yourself, loved one or friend who loves traveling, a Travel Gift during this difficult Corona time?! This Travel Gift Guide with 30 Travel Gifts all under $25 will help you to find a gift that you or your traveling friend will actually use!
Learn about international cuisines
The corona virus has people staying at home. Why not learn about international cuisines and improve your cooking skills. Europe is home to some distinctive and amazing dishes, some honed over centuries. Spend your time off learning about other international cuisines.
Listen to some travel related songs or podcasts
Music can help you relax, but I also think it can help you pass time during the Coronavirus quarantine. I often hear songs that bring me back to past travel memories. Maybe you like one of these 50 travel songs. Another option is to listen some travel related podcasts.
Guess and place at the correct spot on the map
This geo game is one of my favorites! This game challenges you to guess all of the countries, provinces, or neighbourhoods and place them at the correct spot on the map. Africa is a huge continent with many different countries and ethnicities, but do you know their distributions? Or can you place all the European countries or States/territories at the correct spot on the map? The faster, the better! After a few attempts, I am proud to say that I managed to identify Africa’s and Europe’s countries and all their correct locations.
Find out what inspires your wanderlust
Everyone has a different reason why he or she loves traveling that much. The BBC created a Travel Quiz to find out what inspires your wanderlust. What inspires you? Take the quiz to find out! According to the BBC, I am a documentarian. For me, the only thing better than seeing a jaw-dropping view is capturing it forever. They say that I thrive on finding the beauty around me, and showcasing it in stunning, unique ways. After all, there’s a big, beautiful world out there. It’s practically my duty to capture as much of it as possible! Kind of true!
Watch some travel movies and travel documentaries
I love inspirational movies and documentaries. The type of movies and documentaries where you feel great after or that cause a great wanderlust into me. Find some inspiration in this list with the 60 best travel movies ever or the best 40 travel documentaries ever! These movies and documentaries will definitely help you pass time during the coronavirus quarantine and will open your eyes to secrets, adventure, new ways of life and a lot of wanderlust!
Warning: these documentaries will trigger serious wanderlust and severe travel envy, which can only be treated by planning a new trip.
Look up the internet for travel inspiration
Do you love to look up the internet and social media for travel inspiration and beautiful travel photos? We do! Especially looking at Instagram and all the travel accounts we follow.
Listen to TED videos and understand the value of traveling
TED organizes conferences around the world where motivating participants are invited to deliver a short and powerful talk. During the last years, many interesting participants shared amazing stories about travel related subjects. In this article, I selected 20 TED talks I feel very passionate about. I hope they will increase your wanderlust or help you to understand the value of travelling.
Write a bucket list
Places you still like to visit? Dishes you still like to try? Use your coronavirus quarantine time to write a bucket list! You can also write a bucket list regarding a specific subject like things you still want to do in a certain town or a food bucket list.
Give your home a travel makeover
I make no secret of my love for travel. I love to collect stamps in my passport and to decorate my room with travel attributes. My walls are decorated with old maps and I have a scratch map. Take these days off during the corona pandemic to give your home a makeover. You may want to use some of these travel interior design ideas!
Research volunteering opportunities
Research volunteering opportunities in your city or country and mark down the most interesting ones. When the coronavirus quarantines and isolation ends, we’ll still be in a pretty precarious situation. Making a personal contribution is the best way to show the world you care.
Draw your own travel tattoo
If you’re a major wanderluster, it’s only right to get a travel related tattoo! Maybe you can find one in this list with 100 Amazing- and inspirational travel tattoos!
I hope you enjoyed some of these activities! Any other recommendations?
Please share them with us below!
Thank you for reading.
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