Even before humans rode horses or created cars they have been wandering and exploring for thousands of years. Perhaps it’s a primal instinct within many of us to hit the open road and see what we discover. From street parties right on your doorstep to a festival of lights thousands of miles away, events can stick with you and remain in your memory for the rest of your life.
Unfortunately, there is this little thing called life that commonly gets in the way of our need to explore and experience new things. Not to mention, the world is huge, and while regular air travel has made it seem smaller, the fact is that experiencing everything, everywhere is next to impossible.
From only having limited holiday days with work and the fact that travel is expensive, we can’t all be carefree ramblers. With record queues at airports causing missed flights, not to mention the environmental impact, jetting around the world certainly has its downsides and limitations.
Fortunately, if the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that we can be pretty resourceful when it comes to entertaining ourselves at home! People unleashed their inner artists, rekindled their love of hobbies long forgotten to stay busy during lockdowns. That spirit of home entertainment lives on and there are great ways to experience some of the world’s best-known events from the comfort of your home.
Virtual Vacations and Explorations
There is a lot of the world that we probably won’t experience in our lifetimes in the flesh but thanks to the art of the virtual vacation, we can still get a feel for these places. From taking a stroll down the Champs-Élysées to virtual tours through the Palace of Versailles and a walk along the river Seine, virtual tours offer a lot.
With many destinations free of charge, you can immerse yourself in museum tours, drop yourself in the middle of a national park or virtually hike a mountain. Some virtual tours even allow you to travel to outer space or go on a safari from the comfort of your sofa. Virtual safaris are commonly broadcast on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube or through the webcams of national parks, such as Tau Lodge, South Africa and the popular app, explore.org.
The Boat Race
Perhaps one of the most famous boat races in the world, the annual tussle between Oxford and Cambridge universities takes place on the River Thames. The Boat Race is a battle between teams of eight in the water but you can test yourself against these elite rowers in your home. All you need is a rowing machine with a monitor, or you may choose to race along with the two university teams by placing a TV in front of you.
The teams race 6.8km along the Thames, but to replicate the same distance and conditions as a solo rower, 5km is a better target. This is because The Boat Race rowers are aided by rowing with the tide. Also known as The Boat Race Challenge, fitness enthusiasts looking to test their endurance can push their limits in this time trial.
Play Golf On the World’s Best Courses
Typically, golf is a sport that requires a lot of outdoor space but thanks to the development and success of golf simulators, it can be played from the comfort of your own home. Modern golf simulators offer a comprehensive experience that feels just like swinging a club on a real course. From accurately projecting your ball’s movement through sophisticated tracking technology to presenting analysis and feedback to improve your game, simulators offer a lot.
If you are a golf fan you may have a wishlist of courses to enjoy from around the world. From the comfort of your own home, you can enjoy many of the best and most challenging courses, from the historic St. Andrews in Scotland to the Masters’ venue, Augusta, USA.
With some of the world’s top courses available on a golf simulator, you can put your skills to the test against the real-world pros during live events. You could even buy yourself a green jacket to award yourself for conquering the course at The Masters to celebrate.
A golf simulator requires some space in your home for swinging a club but can provide hours of fun. They also make you better at golf and allow you to experience courses you may otherwise only dream of playing.
Oktoberfest
The great thing about beer is that you can drink it just about anywhere, especially in your home. The official Oktoberfest is celebrated in Munich, Germany, where beer lovers commonly make a pilgrimage to enjoy endless steins of sweet nectar and dress in traditional Bavarian garb.
If you can’t visit the iconic beer halls of Munich, you can still replicate a great atmosphere with your friends. Order your 2-pint steins and Bavarian costumes online, invite over as many people as you can think of and indulge yourselves in a day of drinking beer and eating sausages.
Unleash Your Inner Lewis Hamilton At The Monaco Grand Prix
The life of a Formula One driver is the envy of many, with constant thrills and a race calendar that takes them around the world. Perhaps the most famous F1 race in the world is the Monaco Grand Prix, filled with glitz, glamour and as many yachts as can fit into the principality’s harbour. It is an exclusive event and one that the average race fan may have to shell out thousands for.
Perhaps a better approach is to experience the track for yourself, virtually. Video games are now a huge part of society and they are the ideal way to experience sports like Formula One that are otherwise out of reach for the average person.
With the improvement of graphics and processing powers, video games like Gran Turismo, the Forza franchise, and the F1 game series are ideal for race lovers. There are also racing simulators, such as iRacing and Assetto Corsa, that offer increased realism, especially when combined with a racing wheel and a virtual reality headset.
Music Festival Broadcasts
If you have ever tried getting tickets for festivals like Glastonbury or Coachella, you will know that it feels like a lottery and the chances of attending are slim. The fact that festival tickets are growing more and more expensive means finding alternative ways to enjoy them is a viable option for music fans.
TV broadcasters do a great job of bringing these important festivals into our homes, allowing music fans around the world to experience iconic moments together. From a live broadcast of the headliner at Glastonbury’s famed Pyramid Stage to a YouTube live stream from Coachella, you can put yourself right in the crowd.
