It’s crazy how the world has been turned upside down in the past year. Now that most of us are at home, and it will take a while before we can freely go to places on our bucket list, travel shows are one of the best ways to feed our wanderlust. They’re also a great way to gain insights and ideas for our next trip, once we can travel safely and stress-free again.
A number of binge-worthy shows can curb your travel appetite for now. Netflix has some of the best documentaries and series to keep you occupied as well as inspire your next trip.
Here are some that we enjoyed and would like to recommend.
Our Planet
Our planet is Netflix’s venture into giving viewers a documentary about planet earth. It focuses on the diversity of habitat around the world. From the remote arctic wilderness, the mysterious deep oceans, to the vast landscapes of Africa, and the jungles of South America.
David Attenborough narrates the whole documentary and guides the viewer through the exploration.
So how does it measure up to other documentaries?
Right off the bat, it’s an unconventional docu series of a total of eight episodes, with each episode running for 50 minutes. The quality of production is top notch, and you could say that Netflix outdid itself with this documentary.
Each episode dives into a different topic, different animals and different landscapes. The high quality production, the wonderful sights, matched with the amazing narration, easily makes it one of the best travel shows you will sit through. You can even find yourself listing one of the places featured in your bucket list.
Pedal The World
If you’re into sports, or if the idea of traveling the world on a bicycle tickles your fancy, then this documentary of a young German, Felix Starck, who rode a bike across 22 countries, may just be the show for you.
Felix Starck’s documentary of traveling over 18,000 kilometers in search of life’s meaning, experiencing hardships and tough times that can make anyone think, “Why am I doing this?” and then, figuring out a way to keep pedaling and keep going, is an adventure that’s definitely worth watching.
Dark Tourist
If you’re into something different, more like macabre and horror, then “Dark Tourist” may just be the show for you.
Journalist David Farrier takes us into unusual tourist spots around the world, from nuclear lakes to haunted forests. It’s a great show for discovering cultures and traditions that are less known to the world.
“Dark Tourist” is also a great way to look into a different side of life. Even if you’re not into weird tourist spots and you’re not planning on visiting the places in the series, it’s good to know that through the show, it’s like you’ve gone out and experienced them for yourself as well.
Twogether
“Twogether” is a travel series with two celebrities from two different Asian countries: Korea’s top star Lee Seung-gi and one of Taiwan’s veteran actors Liu Yi-Hao. The two go on an unforgettable journey across Asia, meeting people and experiencing local cultures.
Lee Seunggi and Liu Yi-Hao have never met before the series and have only met once, which was when they were briefed on what they would be doing on the show.
The show is unique and interesting to watch because we follow two people from different countries (both speaking different languages, and who have never met before) being paired together to go and travel to different locations in Asia.
The two of them will be going to meet fans, and they will gather clues in different areas in order to find the fan who left them there. Another plot twist is that they’ll have a specific budget for the trip, that budget is so limited that it even got them spending their own money for accommodation and food.
It’s an enjoyable series to watch (as expected from Korean reality shows), and it’s also interesting to learn how different adventures can bond two people from different cultures.
Tales By Light
In “Tales by Light,” some of the world’s best filmmakers, photographers and storytellers travel the world capturing unseen angles and sights of people, places and cultures.
This is a relaxing show with amazing videography showcasing the majesty of our planet.
A show created by National Geographic in partnership with Canon, each episode follows a different photographer with different perspectives. These artists then explain what shot they envision and how they plan on getting that perfect shot, as well as what it means to them.
It’s a breathtaking series showcasing different artists’ passion for life, photography and getting that perfect shot.
The Dawn Wall
In this documentary, we watch as climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson take on the world’s most forbidding rock face, the legendary Dawn Wall area of El Capitan, the vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park. It’s famous for its 3,000 foot granite monolith surface, the kind that you’d think only superheroes would be able to climb.
The documentary did a great job in making the viewer feel as if they’re in the moment with the climbers. It’s like experiencing what the climbers are experiencing and feeling, like you’re right there with them and taking on the challenge too. Their record breaking success is documented in a way that makes you appreciate and be in awe at what humans can achieve. In a way, this is an inspiring watch that will make you feel like you can defy all odds and take on challenges yourself.
Inspiration from Travel Documentaries
It’s so easy to become overwhelmed with what’s happening in the world right now, add to that the new travel guidelines and safety measures some of us have to adhere to, it makes traveling not as much as it used to be.
However, travel documentaries like these remind us all just how amazing the world can be. It also inspires us to put ourselves out there and experience more of the world.
Whether you’re itching to go on to that next adventure or you just want a splash of beauty and art, then you’ll definitely get something out of the shows above.
