March 26, 2020, by Maria Benedetto Mozo
Around the World in 8 Virtual Days (from the safety of your own home!)
For many of us, it feels like the world has collectively come to a sudden halt and life has been put on hold for the moment – prospects of weekend getaways, end of exam celebrations and graduation ceremonies have been either postponed or cancelled, and the Coronavirus has forced many of our favourite attractions to close. It is more important than ever to stay at home, but that doesn’t mean you are confined to the view outside your bedroom window. Here at the DTH, we have taken the time to put together some of our favourite virtual tours from around the world, from museums and archaeological sites, to zoos and national parks. It may not be the same as experiencing these amazing places in person, but virtual reality is enabling us to make the best out of a bad situation. The virtual world is at your fingertips. You may even be inspired to start planning a trip for when we can all travel freely again!
1. MUSEUM
So, let’s jump right in with our first stop to the National Museum of Natural History in London. This is a great way to keep yourself entertained (and educated!) whilst self-isolating. What’s more, you can even explore the exhibits in VR, either with the full headgear at home or on your phone.
2. ZOO
Next, we’re flying over to California to visit the San Diego Zoo. Have a look through the range of Live Cams they have – from penguins and polar bears to apes and elephants, you can visit ten enclosures all in one sitting. And if you want to learn more, you can check out the extraordinary lives of each member of the elephant herd underneath their live stream.
3. HISTORICAL SITE
Moving on to one of the greatest wonders of the world…the Great Wall of China. Now, it’s no secret that at the height of the tourist season the Great Wall of China has a tendency to get a little overcrowded. But if you take a virtual tour, you will be rewarded with spectacular 360° views with barely another tourist in sight!
4. NATIONAL PARKS
Let’s continue with the spectacular views for a little while longer as we head over to Alaska to explore one of the more interactive tours on this list – the Kenai Fjords National Park. Sit back on your couch and listen as you’re guided round by one of the park rangers. You’ll be climbing down crevasses and kayaking through icebergs, so grab a blanket (maybe even a hot chocolate) while you watch!
If that gets a little too chilly for your liking, you can check out the other tours google has to offer, including a walk round the volcanoes in Hawaii and a tour around the shipwrecks and coral reefs in the Dry Tortugas Park!
5. PERFORMING ARTS
As we’re now halfway through our trip, it’s fair to say we deserve a rest. So let’s have a relaxing evening or two at the Metropolitan Opera. In their words, they are hoping to ‘brighten the lives of their audience members even while their stage is dark’ and we couldn’t have said it better ourselves. You can find live streams of their performances here every night!
And if that festival you had been looking forward to all year has been cancelled, you can now enjoy ‘The Social Distancing Festival’. This site has combed the web to find and showcase amazing talent all over the world so you don’t have to! Keep an eye on this site for an updated calendar of all upcoming Live Streams including theatre, storytelling, music and comedy.
6. AQUARIUM
Back to the travels, and our next stop is the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. If you haven’t already seen Wellington the penguin roaming around the aquarium and meeting all the other sea creatures, then you are missing out on some quality content. Wellington proved so popular, ‘Where’s Wellington’ is now a much-loved video series, with new updates on his whereabouts every week. Stay tuned, surely there is a children’s book deal coming out of this one.
7. SPACE
Next, we’re heading over to NASA to explore the virtual tours of their Mission Operations facilities including the Supersonic Wind Tunnel, the Zero-G facility and Glenn Hangar. With a range of interactive videos and Hubble Space Telescope Mission Operations, space lovers are sure to be over the moon with this one!
8. UNI CAMPUS
And finally, we’re finishing back at Uni of Nottingham campus – the last week at Uni for a lot of us was a bit chaotic and rushed, so now you can return and Take a virtual tour of all your favourite spots and relive your favourite memories on campus! And whilst you here, don’t forget to come check us out in Humanities.
We hope you enjoyed this quick tour around the world! Even in 8 virtual days there isn’t enough time to see everything – so keep an eye on our social media channels for more exciting links to come.
By Selena Burfield and Maria Benedetto Mozo
No comments yet, fill out a comment to be the first
Leave a Reply