12 Ways To Explore When You Can’t Travel

The truth is, we can’t always travel and two of the most common reasons are the lack  time and/or money. If you’re reading this in 2020, then you know we are in the middle of a pandemic and even those with unlimited time and financial resources cannot travel right now. If you’re wondering what to do when you can’t travel, I bring good news! Here are 12 things to do when you can’t travel. These ideas will temporarily cure your wanderlust

1. Read a Book Set In A Foreign Country

One thing I’ve done for years is intentionally read books set in different destinations. You can buy a book at a destination or buy a book at home and through the writers’ words, be catapulted to places you’ve never been. In the past two  weeks, I’ve bought two books set in vastly different destinations and I love it. 

I’ve just finished reading the third book in the Crazy Rich Asians series and at this point you really can’t tell me I have not been to Singapore! Next, I’ll be reading Abi Dare’s bestseller, The Girl with the Louding Voice set in Nigeria! Where would you like to go? Let your next read take you there!

2. Travel With Travel Blogs/Vlogs

I might be slightly partial, but travel blogs are a gold mine for insider tips about destinations. For years before I ever went anywhere, I travelled through the stories I read on my favourite travel blogs. 

My favorite travel blogs share guides, but go beyond that and share personal encounters, stories, and images that take the reader along for the ride. Plus, reading travel blogs during a pandemic means that you’re helping your favorite bloggers improve tanking travel blog traffic!

Thank you for being here and reading my blog, here are some of my most popular travel stories:

• Lamu: What a Vibe (Travel with me to Lamu, Kenya)
• If Heels Could Talk: The $400 Apple (the time I cried!)
• If Heels Could Talk: The Cockpit Situation
• If Heels Could Talk: Stuck in Maasai Mara (on being met with kindness)
• If Heels Could Talk: A Hostage Situation

If you’re not into blogs, then check out your favorite travel vlogs for video travel content!

3. Look Back at Pictures From A Previous Trip

It’s always a good idea to look back at pictures whether it is from your last vacation or from a trip you took a decade ago. Get out those pictures, printed or electronic. Let those images transport you to people, places, smells, and sounds and moments in time. If you went on a trip with someone or a group of people, reach out to them and reminisce together.

4. Watch a Movie or Travel Documentary or Travel Show

Another thing to do when you can’t travel is to watch an international movie, a travel-related movie, a travel documentary, or travel TV show. Yes, pick up your phone, log in to your preferred streaming device, or turn on the TV and let your screen take you to even the most remote corners of the world. Don’t forget that there are travel shows on YouTube and Netflix as well. This is an activity that can be done as a family. Looking for examples, here are a few;

 

Travel TV Shows

Here are someone of my old favorites:

1. House Hunters International – to daydream about buying a house and living abroad
2. Anthony Bourdain’s  Shows (Parts Unknown, No Reservations, The Layover)
3. The Amazing Race
4. National Geographic 
5. The Travel Channel – catch Kellee Set Go on there!

Travel Movies or Movies That Will Inspire You to Travel

1. EuroTrip
2. Up In The Air
3. Under The Tuscan Sun
4. The Bucket List
5. Eat Pray Love
6. Crazy Rich Asians
7. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
8. The Farewell

Netflix Travel Movies/Shows

1. Ibiza
2. Wine Country
3. Extreme Engagement
4. The Kindness Diaries
5. Street Food
6. Conan without Borders
7. World Most Extra Ordinary Homes

 

5. Explore Your City As A Tourist

Have you really seen everything there is to see in your city? Have you hiked or biked the nearby trails? If your city offers a walking tour, have you tried it? Have you visited museums, local festivals, theatre, parks, restaurants, and even other neighborhoods?

Need to be physically elsewhere? Book a staycation at a hotel in your city; enjoy a getaway with your partner and/or besties. Think sleeping in, brunch, a spa day, a dinner date, and a night out with great music and dancing.

6. Plan A Road trip to a Nearby Destination

If you’ve done everything there is to do in your city, or if you live in a crowded city then this suggestion is for you. Get in your car, or hop on a train and go for a ride. I’d suggest a medium length drive i.e. 2-3 hours each way at the most. The drive in itself is an experience on it own. Check out the nearby city/town or go for a long hike. Pack a picnic or grab a bite at your destination, but be back in the comfort of your home at the end of the day.

7. Go On A Virtual Tour

Did you know that several major sites all over the world offer virtual tours? You can visit Museums, Zoos, national parks, palaces, and world heritage sites virtually. The Taj Mahal, and even the Great Wall of China can be visited from the comfort of your home. Have kids that want to explore/learn about these sites? Consider adding these virtual visits to their home learning curriculum.

• Virtual Tour of Buckingham Palace
• Virtual Tour of Holyrood Palace Edinburgh
• Virtual Tour of Versailles 
• Virtual Tour of Taj Mahal 

8. Plan Your Next Trip

Whatever the reason for your current inability to travel, pandemic or not, this season will end and you’ll be on your way again. Why not get ready by planning your next trip? I can’t tell you how many trips I planned in my head and on paper before I ever set out on the trip. I still do so today. While you’ve got the time now, get to planning your dream trip. 

Buy or loan a guidebook from the library (Lonely planet is my go to), read your favorite blog (this one’s on the list I hope), hop on your favorite travel site, and you’ll have a variety  of resources at your fingertips. 

9. Listen To A Travel Podcast

Travel podcasts are on the rise and they make a great companion for a commute or as you get things done at home. I’ve recently started to listen to travel podcasts and I’m still in the gathering stage. Here are five podcasts on my list:

•      Passing Through Pod
•      Women Who Travel
•      Extra Pack Of Peanuts
•      Inappropriate Traveler

 

10. Stalk Your Favorite Travelers on The Gram

Let’s face it, not everyone will read blogs or watch YouTube videos religiously (shout out to those who do). Instagram might be your thing for images and bite-sized information. Why not travel through your favorite travelers’ Instagram feeds and highlights? 

Remember diversify your feed with a mix of travelers, airlines, and travel pages with different styles and perspectives. Don’t follow me on the ‘gram yet? Check out my feed, captions, and highlights and see if it’s something you connect with.

11. Let Your Belly Do The Traveling

You may not be able to go to Vietnam, but you could try out a Pho recipe in your home or just order take out from the Vietnamese restaurant near you. There are certain meals I’ve had while traveling that I’ve never been able to successfully replicate, but I check out a restaurant near me and the first bite takes me back! It’s a beautiful thing. 

I often ask for recommendation from others and read reviews to make sure the meals are not totally adapted to the western palate such that it’s barely recognizable. You know many Chinese restaurants abroad (for example) fall into this category, or they’ll have different menus for foreigners’ vs. locals.

If you’re up for it, make a recipe from any destination of your choice.  I went to Ghana once and fell in love with light soup, my friend taught me how to make it and now it’s a staple in my meal planning. I’ve been making it for years.

 

This is a great bonding and learning activity to try with girlfriends, a spouse/partner, or as a family.

12. Attend a Travel Meet-Up

Take the time to meet like minded travelers/individuals near you or via social networks. Meetup.com has thousand of groups and options for different interests, including travel. There are travel related meets up in most major cities around the world and there’s one for you! Beyond meet up, join a travel group on social media and your next travel buddy may just be right there. Many of these groups also offer the chance to meet virtually.

I hope this list of 12 things to do when you can’t travel gives you a few different ideas. Which one is your favorite? What else would you add? These ideas will temporarily cure your wanderlust until you can get on the road again.

Till next time, 

Dee (Ms. Heels)