Okay, you don’t need us to tell you yet again that travel is a mindset. But, in the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen many places create and share some amazing initiatives to inspire us as we stay at home. A couple of weeks ago, Puerto Rico hosted a virtual vacation weekend with dancing, cocktails and dinner.
Likewise, other countries like Jamaica have also led the pursuit for virtual vacays – yes, you heard it here first – kicking off their “Escape to Jamaica” campaign on Friday, April 3rd. If you didn’t catch the live classes, there are still lots of ways to get your daily fix of travel from home.
Thanks to 5G, live social media and the age of virtual experiences, having a vacation from home is fairly simple and easy to do. We’ve definitely jumped on board with virtual travel!
From discovering #greecefromhome to spa dates with Jamaica, some countries are really stepping up their online game, and it’s working because we can’t wait to visit them once it’s safe to do so. Until then, here are some of the best virtual vacays you can, and should take right now!
1. #greecefromhome
Google and Greece come together to bring you a way to discover this spellbinding country from your couch. With #greecefromhome you can watch and learn how to make authentic recipes, explore their culture and do a spot of wine tasting. There’s something for every kind of traveller and the whole family, they even have Greek make-up tutorials with a skilled YouTuber.
2. Jamaican spa and dinner date
Visit Jamaica kicked off their virtual escape last week via Instagram live, offering cooking demos and wellness sessions. Follow along to get a taste of Jamaica in your living room, but we also found a traditional recipe for a Blue Mountain Coffee body scrub online.
Smarter Travel shared the recipe for this fragrant scrub courtesy of Playa Hotels & Resorts: “Mix half a cup ground coffee, a quarter cup cold-pressed coconut oil, and one drop of your favourite essential oil. Apply a quarter cup of coffee oil to the entire body, using strong circular motions to assist the stimulation of blood flow. Use drops of the coffee oil under the eyes and place iced cucumbers on the eyes for added benefits. Rinse and enjoy.”
Follow it up with some delicious jerk chicken or pork chops for a lovely Jamaican spa and dinner date aka the ultimate virtual vacay!
3. Explore Puerto Rico with Lin-Manuel Miranda
Bomba classes, cocktail-making and their delicious cuisine, over the last couple of weekends Puerto Rico has been sharing important parts of their culture with the world via Zoom. Don’t worry if you missed Puerto Rico’s weekend extravaganzas, they will adding activities week-by-week, so keep your eyes and ears peeled.
For additional ways to keep exploring the island, you can check out actor Lin-Manuel Miranda’s adventures to Old San Juan, visits to coffee farms, and Isla Verde, a culinary community with beachside escape.
4. Take a “trip” to Japan
2020 was going to be the year of the Olympics in Japan – and while officials hoped they wouldn’t have to postpone this global celebration of athleticism – in the end, there was no other option. Still, the Land of the Rising Sun was high on our list highlights for this year, which is why this 360° movie from Visit Japan is such a treat.
If you have a smartphone and Google Cardboard (or something similar) you can take a virtual reality trip to Japan. We tried it out, it’s really fun and feels incredibly futuristic. Use your headphones and pair this experience with your favourite Japanese dish and some sake for good measure.
5. Turn your home into a St. Lucian retreat
Thanks to St. Lucia, you can now turn your home into somewhat of a retreat. For the next few weeks, @TravelSaintLucia plans on sharing yoga, mixology, and Caribbean cooking classes live over on their Instagram feed.
If you’ve always hoped of visiting this country, take a virtual vacay there right now by tuning into these experiences twice a week! But if you just need to let your hair down, they are also hosting live DJ parties.
Our favourite travel stories are the ones that you share with us. We want to know about how you’ve been travelling from home. Share your virtual vacations with us below!
