By now, most people must be itching to go outside and explore the world. Museum and theatre hopping, visiting memorable landmarks, or even just dining with friends.
While all that sounds like a good idea, let’s be mindful that we are still observing the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) which effectively means that it’s better for us to stay inside in order to contain the spread of the virus…but that doesn’t mean that we can’t still experience what the world has to offer!
Digital travel platform, Agoda, shares exactly how you can reap the benefits of today’s technological advancement by going on virtual tours across the globe based on your travel motivations starting with these places of interest.
1. Museums and Galleries
Getting your daily dose of history and culture from books or online articles doesn’t quite cut it for all your knowledge-hungry people. Why not visit the museums instead? (Virtually, of course!)
Located right in our backyard, dive into the wonders of Islamic history with a virtual walk-through of the Islamic Arts Museum in Kuala Lumpur, which showcases the rich cultural history of Islamic influence on art, architecture, clothing and calligraphy dating back 1400 years.
Photo: Islamic Arts Museum
Fancy going a bit further? Skip the long queue at the Lourve in Paris and get a close view of world-famous paintings such as the Mona Lisa and The Wedding at Cana or Venus de Milo with a virtual tour around the gallery without leaving home.
Photo: The Lourve
Any visit to New York is not complete without a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and what better way to whet your appetite for a future visit than with a virtual tour. The Met 360 project has released a series of six short videos inviting viewers to virtually visit the Met’s art and architecture in a fresh, immersive way.
2. Theatre and Music
There’s nothing quite like the trip to the theatres for plays, musicals or dance performances. While you can physically go to the Royal Opera House or watch your favourite play on Broadway, they can come to you.
If dance is more your scene than West End musicals, the Royal Opera House and the Royal Ballet are offering theatre and dance performances such as The Swan Lake and The Winter’s Tale, along with the hashtag #OurHouseToYourHouse.
You can also indulge in your musical obsession and check out Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘The Shows Must Go On’, which includes the song-bursting The Phantom of the Opera, and toe-tapping Joseph’s Amazing Technicolored Dream Coat.
Pop stars and singers might not be able to fill stadiums right now, but they are doing their best to perform for you at home too. Artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga and even Backstreet Boys have all performed at home for us. We just have to be on the lookout to catch them on live stream or their social accounts.
3. Landmarks
Has your Instagram been looking a bit dry lately? Well, get ready to be in your Pajamas and visit these mesmerizing Instagram worthy destinations – online.
They say there is nowhere like Paris in the springtime. Enjoy a virtual trip of, The Eiffel Tower, the most-visited paid monument in the world, which welcomes 7 million visitors every year.
A trip to London is not complete without a visit to Buckingham Palace. Now, you can even have a nose around, as the Royal Collection Trust is showcasing the palace and sharing its rich history through virtual tours.
If there was one destination that everyone is dying to go to, no matter how old they are, it has to be Disneyland. Now’s the time to finally realize your dream and keep the child in you alive with virtual tours of some of the best Disneyland rides! Not only that, be blown away with front row seats of Disneyland Paris’s breathtaking nighttime spectacular ‘Disney Illuminations’.
4. Food and Dining
Just because you can’t travel doesn’t mean you can’t explore the vibrant flavours of the world’s cuisine.
Put that quarantine snack down and try replicating Michelin-star dishes with famous Italian chef Massimo Botturo, the man behind #KitchenQuarantine, who encourages chefs and people from around the world to recreate food they love and travel for.
If you think that’s too advanced, try relishing some of the dishes from your favourite movies and cook alongside American filmmaker turn chef Andrew Rea on Binging with Babish.
Whereas, if local flavours is more your cup of tea, tune in to homegrown celebrity chef Anis Nabilah’s social accounts for some hearty Malaysian recipes.
There are plenty of places you can visit online. Stay tuned as we help you discover more places that you could enjoy in the comforts of your own home!
By: Siti Farhana Sheikh Yahya
