The Coronavirus pandemic. Yes, another article that starts with these three words. Like everyone else in the world, I am tired of this entire pandemic situation. In the language of the youngsters these days, I wish I could cancel Coronavirus! But I suppose we all need to accept the reality and figure out ways to live with this virus because it isn’t going anywhere any time soon. One of the areas of our lives that it has affected the most has been travel. Our lives have been put on hold with lockdowns and masks and social distancing. Our lovely Instagram travel pictures with #wanderlust have become a thing of the past. But this does not mean that we need to be deprived of all aspects of travel. While physically going somewhere has become difficult, new ways of virtually experiencing places have now become possible. Here are a few places around the world that you can visit virtually now and plan to visit in person when all the restrictions lift.
The world-famous art museum, The Louvre in Paris has a beautiful virtual tour of its Petite Galerie, its collection of Egyptian antiquities, the remains of the Louvre’s moat and the Galerie d’Apollon. From the comfort and safety of your home, you can explore the works of Delecroix, Rembrandt, Tintoret and many more. Click here to see all the virtual tours available. And if the Mona Lisa is your reason to visit the Louvre then there is an amazing subsite called The Louvre Focus where you can view and understand the Mona Lisa, The Winged Victory of Samothrace and The Portrait of the Marquise de Pompadour in great detail.
The prehistoric monument of Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England is a must-see on the itinerary of every tourist visiting the UK. While it’s currently not possible to drive up the A303 and see the magnificent stone circle loom up in front of you, you can instead visit them virtually through the English Heritage website. The tour lets you explore the stones up and close with pop-up videos of historians talking about the stone you are interested in. Since the monument was built with astronomical connections, there is also an option on the page that shows the night sky above the Stonehenge in real time.
The Yosemite National Park in Sierra Nevada, USA is a designated world heritage site whose beauty is incomparable. Currently, there are some restrictions in place if one wants to visit this national park. However, there is a way to see its lakes, mountains, glaciers, giant sequoia trees and waterfalls from where you are sitting right now. The website Virtual Yosemite lets you visit all the places of interest at Yosemite with pertinent information at the tips of your fingers. While researching this article, I spent a good 15 minutes just admiring the beauty of Yosemite virtually and I dare you to visit the website and not be mesmerised!
One of the seven wonders of the world, The Taj Mahal in India, can be visited virtually through the website AirPano. While it is not an official virtual tour, you can view beautiful, aerial 360-degree exterior shots of the monument. It will definitely make you want to see the mausoleum in person and get your Insta-worthy pictures in front of this symbol of eternal love.
The San Diego Zoo, USA, that houses more than 3500 animals and 650 species/subspecies, is the most visited zoo in the United States. While the zoo has opened up for the public, Covid safety regulations mean that the waiting times for entry is more than one hour. You can cut this waiting time and visit many of the zoo’s attractions remotely. The zoo offers live camera footage of many of the animals housed there. So sit back and watch their Hippopotami laze around or their Penguins waddling about or the antics of their Baboons from the comfort and safety of your home.
The Vatican Museums, Italy is one of the largest museums in the world. It houses works from the vast collections of the Catholic Church including many prominent Roman sculptures and Renaissance-era masterpieces. Currently, the Vatican Museums are closed to the public. However, one can marvel at Michelangelo’s frescos from the ease of one’s home through the Musei Vaticani’s Virtual Tours page. The official website of the Vatican Museums has a tour of the Sistine Chapel, Raphael’s Rooms, Pio Clementino Museum, Salone Sistino and many more collections.
Machu Picchu in Peru was a city constructed during the heights of the Inca empire. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The Machu Picchu cannot be visited currently as it is closed to the public. But with the help of Google’s online platform, Google Arts & Culture, we can explore the art, culture and history of the Machu Picchu. Apart from information from experts about archaeological findings from the area, the page also features some virtual tours with breathtaking panoramic views.
While travelling physically has become difficult, that in no way means we need to be deprived of enjoying the arts, history and cultural experiences of travel. Technology has made it possible to enjoy far-flung locations from the convenience of our homes and we should take advantage of that. Today, we might be sitting at home and watching these places on our screens but that too will prove to be excellent research for when we are able to visit these sites in person. If research is not your cup of tea, then just relax and view these places on your screen for the fun of it. And when it is time to travel, engage the services of a travel consultant like DMC Leisure who specialise in bespoke holidays and will make that travel dream of yours into a reality!
