We live in an age of unprecedented access to digital technology, maybe this is one of the few good news we experience these days. The recent Coronavirus pandemic makes us take a social distance while border closures. These measures reveal new ways of exploring the world around us.
Some of the world’s most popular and remote destinations have created libraries of online images and video, as well as 360-degree virtual tours that let you stroll remotely through galleries and even national parks although the sensation is not the same as it would be if we could visit Mona Lisa or Christ the Redeemer in person.
Wander the world with these virtual tours:
Discover the seven wonders of the world
The ancient the Great Wall of China, the ancient city of Petra, the Taj Mahal, the Colosseum, Machu Picchu, Christ the Redeemer, and Chichen Itza, all these 7 wonders will surely be whetting your appetite for world travel. Each of them could be visited using The New York Times, AirPano, Google, and Panoramas.
The last standing wonder of the ancient world—The Pyramids of Giza can be seen with the miracle of modern technology.
Alhambra, Seville’s La Giralda, and even Easter Island are worthy of your digital attention too.
Visit the museums online
In order to upload high-resolution versions of millions of pieces of art Google has partnered with over 2,5000 art museums in recent years. Highlights include New York’s MoMA, DC’s National Gallery of Art, Chicago’s Art Institute, the Casa Battló, and Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum to name a few.
In addition, The Louvre offers a virtual tour, as do The Vatican Museums, many of the Smithsonian Museums, the Russian Museum, the top-rated British Museum, the Minneapolis Museum of Russian Art, and the Palace Museum in Beijing.
Explore national parks from the comfort of your home
Don’t need to miss out on the scenery of National Parks although you have travel restrictions at the time. Virtual Yosemite is absolutely stunning and one of the best, replete with audio. Both Yellowstone National Park and Mount Rushmore offer virtual tours as well.
You can take audio-visual tours of five select national parks, using Google 360 degree: Kenai Fjords, Hawai’i Volcanos, Carlsbad Caverns, Bryce Canyon, and Dry Tortugas, as well as 31 more on Google Earth.
Do you fancy a safari?
Whether it’s sighting some of the Big Five in Africa, glimpsing whales in North America, or introducing your children to new animals in person on a family safari, wildlife is a big draw for travelers. The good news is many zoos and aquariums have created digital access to their habitats if you foray into the bush are grounded for now.
Keep moving – take a virtual hike
You can get a really good idea of what a hike looks like well before you arrive at the trailhead thanks to panoramic video. For example, you can experience all of the following top-rated hikes right now from your computer or tablet: Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, GR20, Inca Trail, and the death-defying Angel’s Landing.