Now that travel is out of the question, many institutions, game parks, opera houses, personal trainers around the world are coming up with ingenious ways to let you visit them from the comfort of your home. Here are a few to start with.
around the World
The Google Arts and Culture site is a terrific way to go places you always dreamed of, and plan your next trip after COVID-19. There are so many choices! One example is The Bogd Khaan Palace Museum in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Not only can you take a virtual tour, but the site takes you through the exhibition itself. Famous sites across the globe, from the Eiffel Tower to the Brandenberg Gate in Berlin to Macchu Picchu to Ipanema Beach to Tower Bridge in London to the Pyramids of Egypt – they are all there.
Rome
In Rome, the Vatican has 7 virtual tours that include the Sistine Chapel and the Chiaramonti Museum. Visit them here.
New York
The Metropolitan Opera House is streaming past operas, a different one each day, starting at 7.30pm New York time and running for 23 hours. These include this week’s offerings, all Wagner operas, “Tristan und Isole,” “Das Rheingold” and “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.” Check here for details.
Johannesburg and Cape Town
Now is the time to visit the much underviewed yet spectacular Johannesburg Art Gallery, the Robben Island Museum as well as a story about “Wild Rooibos.”
England
Well-known personal trainer Joe Wicks, also known as The Body Coach, with 1.6 million subscribers to his YouTube channel, has started a “P.E. with Joe” daily session during the lockdown that millions around the world have already started watching, and it’s only in its third day. He’s also doing it despite a wrist injury. Thanks, Joe.
Amsterdam
While Google has partnered with the Rijksmuseum to give a brilliant virtual tour, professional local guide Sabry Amroussi has started videotaping his own accounts, and here he talks about one of his favourite sketches by Rembrandt, “Ecce Homo.”
In the African Bush
WildEarth streams videos of safaris. There are numerous previous videos on WildEarth’s YouTube page.
Washington, D.C.
At the Smithsonian, several of the permanent, current exhibitions and even past exhibitions, including “Against All Odds, Rescue at the Chilean Mine,” “Cyprus, Crossroads of Civilisation,” “African Voices, to Deep Time,” can be viewed here.
London
The British Museum has, like the Louvre, partnered with Google Arts & Culture to create a virtual tour of its exhibits. View your vast array of choices here. There is everything from “Social Fabric, African Textiles Today” to “Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo” “to “Four Funerals and a Wedding, the Life and Death of the Ancient Maya.”
Paris
The Louvre in Paris is offering several tours online, including one of its Petite Gallerie, titled “The Advent of the Artist,” with works by artists like Rembrandt and Delxacroix. Visit the online tours here.
World opera
Get a look inside 9 extraordinary opera halls around the world, from Sydney to Russia to London, by viewing here.
The Wonders of Italy
Google has put together tours of a wonderful array of sites across Italy, the Western country worst hit so far by the Coronavirus, but the best has to be a tour along the canals of Venice.
