Image by skeeze from Pixabay
Cover (Image: skeeze/Pixabay)
With travel restrictions put in place and staying home becoming the new norm, some of us are experiencing a bout of cabin fever in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak. While nothing can replace the thrill of travelling to exotic destinations, consuming a foreign culture and meeting new people, these virtual alternatives are the next best thing
Tatler Asia
Above (Image: skeeze/Pixabay)

1. Go on a guided tour in the beautiful national parks of United States

Missing the great outdoors? You can still visit five of the United States’ national parks from the comfort of your home, thanks to Google Arts & Culture. Teaming up with Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska; Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii; Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico; Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah; and Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, you can take a virtual tour to see these beautiful landscapes. You’ll also be guided by a park ranger as you explore the terrain, so you can learn some interesting facts along the way.

Tatler Asia
Above (Image: Shedd Aquarium)

2. See animals in their habitats

Many zoos and aquariums in the United States and Europe have had to close temporarily as a measure to contain the coronavirus outbreak. However, some are taking it in their stride by offering live streams of their animals online.

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden in Ohio took to Facebook with a Home Safari live stream every weekday at 3pm (EDT) to highlight an animal from their park and lead children in interactive activities. It kickstarted the series with their famous hippo Fiona on March 16. San Diego Zoo also offers live cams of their baboons, penguins, koalas, tigers and more.

For those who prefer the marine life, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium, and the National Aquarium feature soothing live cams of their creatures, while Shedd Aquarium in Chicago recently took social media by storm with adorable videos of its penguins taking a field trip around the aquarium.

Related: 5 Yoga Poses For Stretching And Relaxation

Tatler Asia
Above Image: Edi Nugraha/Pixabay)

3. Stay in touch with art and culture

As several major art and culture events—including Art Basel, Salone de Mobile and the Met Gala—have been cancelled or indefinitely postponed, many museums around the world have also temporarily closed their doors. But you can still access over 2,500 museums and galleries virtually from Google Arts & Culture.

The collection includes the British Museum in London, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Guggenheim in New York City, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul and more. The Louvre in Paris offers its own virtual tour on its website, where you can explore the Egyptian antiquities, remains of the Louvre’s moat, and the Galerie d’Apollon.

Tatler Asia
Above (Image: The Met Opera)

4. Immerse yourself in live music

If your plans to go to the opera house or concert hall have been thwarted, operas and orchestras are taking their music online with virtual concerts. Maestro Ivan Fischer and his Budapest Festival Orchestra launched Quarantine Soirees on March 16, with chamber music concerts streamed nightly at 7.45pm (CET) or 2.45am (Manila time). The Malmö Symphony Orchestra and Principal Conductor Robert Trevino are also putting up an hour-long concert that includes pieces from Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Mozart, streamed on their website on March 19 at 7pm (CET).

Opera-enthusiasts can tune into twice-weekly streams of Mozart operas until the end of March from OperaVision, Royal Swedish Opera’s Short Operas series on its digital channel, as well as the Met Opera’s with Nightly Met Opera Streams, featuring performances from its Live in HD series.

Tatler Asia
Above (Image: AirPano)

5. Tour famous destinations from around the world

Forced to cancel your travel plans? If your wanderlust has you yearning to visit the awe-inspiring monuments and sites from around the world, the next best thing is to take a virtual tour. AirPano offers 360-degree aerial views of the Sahara Desert, Algeria; Great Pyramids of Giza, Egypt; Taj Mahal, India and more. The high-definition panoramic images are so detailed, it feels almost like you are taking a tour in a helicopter.

If you would prefer more freedom to explore however, Google Earth is integrated with Google Street Views, allowing you to venture into new terrains on ‘foot’.

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