When I published the post about travelling in times of coronavirus (in Polish) on the 8th of March, we were almost in a different reality. Borders of all countries with a couple of exceptions were open. Furthers trip were discouraged – but the decision was ours to make. Nobody was looking for fun things to do at home, everyone followed the rapidly changing situation.
Now we are in a different reality. Borders of many countries are closed and it is our common responsibility to isolate from others and stay home as much as possible.
Not an easy task for a traveller 😉
So is it possible to discover the world and satisfy your wanderlust from your own couch? I will show you 10 ways how to do it 🙂
10 Travel-Related And Fun Things To Do At Home
1. Sightseeing online
There was a time when the only way to travel without leaving home was wandering your finger around a paper map. Today we can accompany a yellow figure on a walk around Google maps and street view 🙂
But I not only recommend you to take a virtual walk along other city’s streets – but also to explore some very surprising places Google offers us to see online. You can walk along the trails in Grand Canyon, go inside of the White House, visit CERN – and many more.
Also many museums move their operations online. Here you can find a list of world-famous places you can now visit via a virtual tour.
Careful – this is one of travel-related and very fun things to do at home so once you start, it may take you all day 😉
2. Prepare a trip plan for the future
One thing is for sure – even though we don’t know when, the pandemic will come to an end. Why not to have a plan of interesting trips for that time? Even if you don’t use it this year – you will be able to do so in the upcoming years! 🙂
So what are the fun things to do at home now? If you don’t have your bucket list yet – it is a great time to make it. Then choose one, or a few of your dream destinations and prepare an outline of a plan. Save in a safe place and get back to it when we can travel responsibly and safely again 🙂
If you are in the lucky group of people whose income wasn’t influenced by COVID-19, it is a great time to save money for your next trip. I bet you save some money on not eating out with friends or on cultural events. This money can go for savings for your next trip.
3. Read books written by authors from countries you like
Reading books is a great way to spend time during quarantine. But it’s even better if you choose a book written by an author from a country you like 🙂 Or perhaps from a country you wanted to visit this year but due to the virus, you couldn’t. It broadens your horizons and transfers you to a different reality which you may be missing now.
Example? Here you go 🙂
Orhan Pamuk, a Turkish author writing great stories based in Turkey, Svetlana Alexievich writing about USSR or Haruki Murakami writing stories based in Japan.
I also recommend you to get inspiration from the list of Nobel Prize in Literature laureates. You can find a lot of great authors there.
4. Read books about countries you visited or want to visit
Approach from the other side 😉 I am sure you can find interesting non-fiction books about each and every country in the world. It is another way to learn more about the countries you visited or are going to visit without leaving home.
5. Watch documentary series / movies about the world
I bet that in normal times, watching series is one of your fun things to do at home. But now, instead of seeing another fiction series, discover the world of documentaries 🙂 They can show you any place on Earth.
For a start, I recommend you a Netflix documentary “Our Planet”. It is the most beautifully made documentary I’ve ever seen. I could watch it over and over again just for the frames.
6. Watch movies made in countries you like
Many of us don’t know any movies which are not an American production or one from our own countries. Maybe you’ve seen a couple of French or Spanish movies, or an Japanese anime.
But what about the rest of the world?
As you can see from a recent success of the Korean movie Parasite (great one, by the way!) – the world has a lot to offer in movies so go ahead an explore 🙂
You can find inspiration from the list of movies nominated to Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (Best Foreign Language Film).
7. Listen to music from countries you like.
Just like with movies – we rarely know music which is not in English or in our native language. Yes, we know some popular artists like Rammstein, Enrique Iglesias or Stromae.
But have you ever listened to Portuguese fado music? Do you know music from Ukraine, India, Albania, Thailand, South Africa, Brazil…?
Try to google for example “Best rock bands from X” and listen to some songs that show up. You will not like everything – and it is ok. But you may discover gems – while broadening your music horizons and learning more about other countries’ culture.
My great discovery is AtmAsfera which plays ethnic, folk music. Sometimes they sing in English but also in Ukrainian or ancient languages. Listen to them here.
If you prefer a different note, you can check out a Thai rock(ish) band Bodyslam 🙂
8. Cook something typical for another country
Pasta and rice are gone from your local shop? Don’t worry – I am sure that rice pasta is left. Or the one to make lasagne 🙂 It could be a great opportunity to get to know some new flavors from other parts of the world or to try to re-create a dish you tried while traveling.
9. Have a themed evening
You can connect the above ideas and have a themed evening. Cook bacalhau or bake pasteis de nata while listening to fado music, drink Porto and finish the day with a good Portuguese movie or book? You can feel like in Lisbon 🙂
Or how about French wine, cheese and watching “The Untouchables”? How about eating home-made pad thai while listening to Thai music or to an audition about the country’s history? Your imagination is the limit 🙂
10. Reading travel blogs and engaging with bloggers
Most travel blogs had their statistics plummet in the last weeks. Those who earn money from the blog, lost all income. It’s not surprising. We all try to stay home and nobody thinks of traveling.
But it is a great time to appreciate the bloggers, instagrammers, youtubers you like. Leave them a comment. Give a few likes, engage, share. If you were planning to buy a product from a blogger or another small business – do it now.
We need your support now in order to come back with even more and even better content after the time of pandemic 🙂
Thank you for being here. Stay safe and I hope I will be able to wish you happy travels very soon!
If you would like to follow advice number two and prepare for a trip in the future, check the below guides 🙂
- A Complete Guide To Spending Two Weeks in Thailand
- The Most Stunning Iceland Attractions For First Timers
- What To Do in Saint Petersburg? Full Guide With Printable Materials
And if you liked this post, share it in your social media or send over to your friends. Thanks in advance! 🙂
