Comb Ridge spans almost 80 miles from southeastern Utah to northeastern Arizona, merging with the Abajo Mountains and the San Juan River. But its massive scope isn’t the only thing impressive about this monocline—its eastern side is a living museum full of long-abandoned homes and carvings created by ancient Pueblo people inhabiting the area. This video not only describes the history of the stone carvings from an Indigenous perspective, but it also allows viewers to zoom in and look around the area. Explore various corners of the rock simply by scrolling, and learn a little bit more about Pueblo tradition and artistry.
Stuck at Home? Try These 5 Virtual Travel Experiences
With uncertainty surrounding the pandemic’s end, many sustainable travelers are unsure of when they will be able to venture back out into the world. Sustainable travel is rooted in the idea that one’s trip leaves a positive impact on the community visited, and the risk of spreading COVID-19 to remote communities around the globe directly interferes with this principle.
However, many sustainability and social action travel companies have pivoted from in-person travel to offer a variety of virtual experiences which connect travelers with communities they would otherwise be unable to visit. Likewise, a number of tourism organizations, tech developers and travel lovers have created their own virtual travel offerings. This allows communities around the globe which have traditionally been reliant on tourism to maintain economic sustainability during this period of uncertainty. Here is our guide to five organized virtual travel experiences that you can do from the comfort of your home.
1. Learn to Prepare Mexican Salsas with ExplorEquity
Salsa is synonymous with Mexican cuisine. The delicious topping for chips, tortillas, tacos, burritos and enchiladas can trace its origins back to the Aztec, Mayan and Incan empires. Later popularized in Mexico and the United States throughout the 20th century, the salsa we know today can be made from combining an endless variety of ingredients. Given the regionality of Mexico’s cuisine, the country continues to innovate the popular dish in local restaurants, cafes, bars and homes.
With this unique virtual experience from ExplorEquity, travelers will learn to make a green creamy salsa, a red molcajete salsa and salsa macha. Led by chef Natalia from Mexico City, this virtual experience is perfect for salsa amateurs and connoisseurs alike. Each of the three recipes yields two servings, making this the perfect class to take with friends and family. ExploreEquity’s “Learn to Cook Mexican Salsa” class costs $39 per person and is generally offered every few weeks.
2. Practice Yoga in Sri Lanka, India and Portugal with Soul & Surf
The origins of yoga date back thousands of years, but the practice is most commonly associated with Hinduism as one of its six orthodox philosophical systems. While still commonly associated with India, which is home to the world’s largest Hindu population, yoga over the past few decades has gained worldwide popularity for its physical benefits and meditative and spiritual components.
Soul & Surf, a wellness travel company operating in India, Sri Lanka and Portugal, offers travelers at home a unique opportunity to practice yoga with teachers from around the globe. Unlike other virtual yoga opportunities which generally consist of an archive of prerecorded sessions, Soul & Surf’s at-home yoga experience involves videos that are created and uploaded on a weekly basis, allowing travelers at home to connect with their teachers and destinations around the globe. Soul & Surf’s at-home offerings are continuous, and are sold as subscriptions for around $33 a month.
3. Break Bread with a Faraway Family Through Two Point Four
One of the biggest casualties of sustainable travel throughout the pandemic has been the ability to connect with communities around the globe on a one-on-one basis. These intimate connections help to build lasting relationships, provide an opportunity for a mutual sharing of cultures, and foster a greater understanding and appreciation for the depth and complexity of the global community.
Two Point Four, a family-focused experiential travel company, has created a solution to allow intimate global connections to be made without risk of the virus’s spread. Through a free survey, the company will connect family travelers with others around the globe to facilitate community-building. Using a series of group calls, travelers will be able to learn from local guides and travel experts, break bread with other families, and allow folks to support one another on the issues of travel, sustainability and curiosity as the pandemic continues. What you do on the call is entirely up to you and the folks on the other end of the line—feel free to share favorite travel stories, have a meal together or discuss your lived experiences. The calls are free and vary in length based on the availability of the traveler and the other family or travel expert.
4. Explore the Natural Beauty of Chile with Chile 360
Chile is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. The 2,653 mile ribbon-shaped country, which hugs the western edge of Argentina, is home to countless climates and cultures, offering travelers to the country a unique experience. Visitors can wander the Atacama in the north, the world’s driest desert, or the fjords and glaciers common throughout Chile’s southernmost regions. Santiago, the nation’s capital, is a cosmopolitan metropolis offering a wide variety of experiences, cuisines and cultural attractions.
While travel to the country may not be possible for most due to the pandemic, the Image of Chile Foundation, a private nonprofit which works closely with the Chilean government to promote tourism in the country, has released an app called Chile 360 which provides users with the opportunity to explore Chile’s vast natural and cultural heritage. Travelers stuck at home can visit the turquoise waters of Patagonia’s Torres del Paine, explore the Rano Kau volcano on Easter Island, and get up close with the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, a famous national landmark in the nation’s capital. The app is free and currently available on the Apple and Google app stores.
5. Visit Kyoto’s Historic Geisha District with Ken’s Tours Kyoto
Geishas, a class of Japanese women who are traditional performance artists and entertainers, have continued to maintain 17th-century Japanese traditions into the modern era. Common throughout the country, but most prevalent in Tokyo and Kyoto, geishas continue to captivate local and international audiences alike with their unique art, performances, makeup and dress. Many in Japan today regard geishas as some of the most successful Japanese businesswomen ever.
Ken’s Tours Kyoto, a small group of travel experts who normally lead guided tours throughout the city, offers travelers the opportunity to virtually explore Gion, Kyoto’s historic geisha district. Through 40-minute guided sessions, travelers from home will visit some of the most famous landmarks in the neighborhood, listen as guides share childhood stories from growing up in Kyoto and learn various Shinto rituals and traditions. This unique experience is offered for $39 a session through Amazon on a rolling basis.
Jacob is a recent graduate from the University of California San Diego where he majored in Political Science and minored in Spanish Language Studies. He previously served as the News Editor for The UCSD Guardian, and hopes to shed light on social justice issues in his work.
When Travel Stopped, These Sustainable Travel Agencies Pivoted
COVID-19 has disrupted virtually all facets of what used to be considered “normal.” Over a year into the pandemic, millions cannot safely work in person, children face difficulties with online education and governments struggle to develop and administer vaccines.
One area significantly impacted by COVID-19 is the sustainable travel industry. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization, air travel dropped by 60% in 2020 compared to 2019, with a $370 billion year-on-year loss worldwide.
But a broad array of sustainable and social action travel agencies, organizations which uplift the communities they bring groups of travelers to, have worked tirelessly to continue bolstering at-risk communities while weathering the many challenges of the pandemic.
Pivoting for a World Without Travel
As COVID-19 began to spread and governments imposed lockdown measures, travel agencies focused on sustainability and social action had to work quickly to pivot toward operating in an environment where travel was impossible.
“At first it was a ‘wait-and-see’ thing because it was uncertain how long it was going to last or how widespread it would be,” said Lindsay Booth, CEO of Off Season Adventures, an agency providing an immersive experience to empower travelers and destinations. “We were lucky we didn’t have anyone traveling when everything shut down … But obviously, everything got worse, so we touched base with our partners to make sure they were safe and see what their current situation was like. And then we talked to our travelers about postponing their trips.”
While some agencies initially canceled trips on a week-by-week basis, others, like G Adventures, a leading agency for small-group adventure travel, canceled or postponed all travel through the end of April 2020 without hesitation.
“We made the decision mid-March that we’re canceling until the end of April [because] there’s no reason to keep these tours if we don’t know,” said Casandra Rotunno, a consumer marketing specialist at G Adventures. “From there we kept it going on a monthly basis of canceling tours.”
Catarina Rivera, co-founder of ExplorEquity, an agency supporting local communities and connecting travelers to social justice issues, explained how shortly after the onset of the pandemic, her agency shifted its focus to creating virtual spaces for travelers to connect and talk about the recent loss of the ability to travel.
“We hosted [a series called] ‘Travel Lovers Happy Hour,’ where we invited people to come and share together,” Rivera said. “We invited a mental health expert to give tips at each one for how [travelers] could process what was going on and how they could approach planning for the future. [The expert] would respond directly to the sentiments people were sharing.”
Rivera also noted that ExplorEquity held a panel with the company’s partners in Brazil and Honduras, two countries where trips were canceled, to talk about how the countries were dealing with the uncertainty of the pandemic and how their travel partners’ communities were doing.
ExplorEquity was not the only agency to shift to completely virtual offerings. Beginning in April 2020, G Adventures launched virtual tours hosted by guides around the globe in countries like Italy, Costa Rica, Thailand and Japan.
“[The tours are] an hour on Zoom hosted by one of our [guides] and they remake a complete tour through Zoom and Google Earth and they include their own photos, they give you a welcome meeting and they hit all of the stops on the way—they condense this seven- to 10-day trip within an hour,” Rotunno explained. “And it's great because it allows our [guides] to work while they aren’t able to work within their country.”
Occasional Opportunities for Travel
As the pandemic continued into the summer, the spread of COVID-19 was uneven. While the United States maintained high case numbers, Europe saw significant declines, presenting opportunities for limited travel on the continent.
James Willcox, co-founder of Untamed Borders, a United Kingdom-based agency partnering with local communities in inaccessible parts of the world, explained how after the U.K. began permitting limited international travel without a mandatory quarantine, the agency was able to look into regions it had previously worked with to offer some in-person travel.
“There was a time where the U.K. had this list of countries where you didn’t have to quarantine upon return, and Turkey was one such country, and we [already] work in Syria, Iran and in Kurdish regions, so we [discussed] putting on a trip to Turkey in September,” Willcox said. “There’s a couple of areas which are stable where the [government] has some travel warnings against. Not that that’s what we look for, but [Turkey] looks like somewhere we could add value to and ensure people have a good experience where they can travel safely.”
Adventures also hosted several in-person experiences beginning in the summer when able to do so safely. The agency implemented new rebooking and cancellation policies to allow for greater flexibility given the pandemic’s uncertainty.
“We took our time in deciding to move forward with that,” Rotunno said, “and in the summer and fall Europe was able to travel within Europe. We had sailing trips for Europeans [with] everyone wearing masks, there’s extreme sanitation, the groups are smaller than usual, and it's all private transport as well. And then Costa Rica started to open up to travelers, then Tanzania and Egypt. So now it's dependent on if travelers are able to go.”
Focusing on Social Consciousness When It's Needed Most
At the core of each of these agencies is a mission rooted in sustainability and social action. While COVID-19 has for the most part disrupted the in-person travel component of these agencies, they have continued to uplift and support the communities they work with.
“There’s something [Untamed Borders is] trying to push at the moment which is that travel has always been a privilege, and in these days you should kind of be appreciative and have some thought about it … consider where you’re going, consider what the impact is and the benefits are,” Willcox said.
Untamed Borders has followed suit through a number of projects it has been able to hold throughout the pandemic. In Afghanistan, the agency helped to organize the Marathon of Afghanistan, and started a tree-planting initiative to help combat deforestation.
ExplorEquity continues to engage with its travelers and the communities it supports through a shift in the online content produced. Rivera discussed how the agency’s social media platforms have been used to shed light on issues including racism in travel, climate change, equity issues for Indigenous communities and decolonization.
“Instead of talking on Instagram and Facebook about our upcoming trips, we’ve been talking about equity issues and highlighting different themes,” Rivera explained. “We’ve seen a lot of engagement and a lot of learning. People who are connected to us on social media have been commenting and sharing the content, and I think they’ve been enthusiastic about being exposed to new concepts or things they weren’t aware of. Even though we can’t travel the way we used to, I still think it's important to create better travelers.”
Promoting social consciousness within the travel community is not limited to sustainable travel agencies. Planeterra, a community tourism nonprofit seeking to reduce global poverty, has worked throughout the pandemic to support many of the same communities the sustainable travel industry works with.
“We looked at what our partners needed and what they’ve been requesting, what support they need that we would normally give in person,” said Rhea Simms, a program manager at Planeterra. “We built an online learning hub … for no budget. Our team compiled a hundred years of [combined] experience on what are the key opportunities, challenges and instructions we bring a community through when we launch and start a tour.”
Simms discussed how these virtual webinars and trainings have served as a way to work directly with partners around the globe, and noted how the pandemic has given the organization the opportunity to reevaluate its approach to volunteers.
“Planeterra’s never had the time or the right projects for volunteers to work with our partners, but having the time now, we’ve got volunteers working with us all around the world,” Simms said. “One just finished designing an e-cookbook for our partner in Jordan … We’re just completing a project with the Canadian High Commission in Sri Lanka, where we got funding from a partner we have there … It's a handicraft shop where over a hundred women from various backgrounds create beautiful handmade goods … and we’re finishing a project in Peru … doing some technical training with communities hoping to launch a tourism program in the coming years.”
Planeterra and G Adventures had been partners before the pandemic, a relationship made stronger as the two have collaborated on recent initiatives. Rotunno said G Adventures worked with Planeterra to raise over $100,000 at the beginning of the pandemic to fund some projects which were impacted by the inability to travel abroad.
“This time has allowed us to reflect on what works best, what has created the most impact … and begin to create the strategy of how we scale this and do it bigger, with the right people, with different organizations,” Simms explained. “This is a huge opportunity for us to facilitate this space for socially minded community enterprises that are trying to empower women or break down barriers for at-risk youth or celebrate Indigenous culture.”
Looking Toward a Post-Pandemic World
While there is no concrete timeline for the formal end of the pandemic and the beginning of a “new normal,” the distribution of 10 different vaccines worldwide as of March 17 signals the pandemic’s end will eventually become a reality. As countries receive and distribute COVID-19 vaccines to their citizens, international travel is expected to return.
But just because travel will be possible does not mean it will look the same as it did in the pre-COVID era. ExplorEquity ceased all group travel throughout the pandemic, a change made permanent going forward.
“We are shifting entirely away from group travel, so we’re not going to be offering those kinds of trips anymore,” Rivera said, noting the agency would be pivoting to an online store in March 2021. “What we’re going to be offering is [locally made] products as well as virtual experiences … The two experiences we’re starting with are both live, so you can still have the magic of a travel moment, creating a memory in a community with other people, through these experiences in a different way. And the benefit is that local communities can still earn income from this type of experience without receiving travelers in person.”
Other agencies are working to schedule prospective trips in 2021 and beyond, anticipating possible delays in the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. Off Season Adventures has begun planning new trips, taking into account the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s guidelines and safety measures from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We have people planning to travel in June of this year, and we’re still keeping that open because we’re really still not sure what’s going to happen,” Booth said. “They’re planning to go to Tunisia. Tunisia has been closed to Americans for most of this, so we’ll just have to see.”
Given how far in advance most of its offerings need to be planned, Off Season Adventures is also working on coordinating with travelers who reach out to them to plan trips to Asia and Africa in 2022 and 2023.
Every agency interviewed expressed optimism for the future. While travel has been a temporary casualty of COVID-19, it has also brought folks together around the issues of sustainability, social consciousness and justice. The unique ways in which every agency pivoted to continue serving communities around the world show how versatile this industry is, and how vital the cause of uplifting marginalized communities remains today.
Jacob is a recent graduate from the University of California San Diego where he majored in Political Science and minored in Spanish Language Studies. He previously served as the News Editor for The UCSD Guardian, and hopes to shed light on social justice issues in his work.
An 8-Day Tour Around the World, Virtually
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused many to experience FOMO, or the fear of missing out, for travel plans which have otherwise been canceled. That said, with a little creativity and a socially distanced trip to the supermarket, not all travel plans have to be lost.
If you’re interested in taking a more in-depth virtual visit to an international destination, check out our guide on international staycations. However, if you’re looking for a DIY brunch in Milan, a virtual afternoon in Cape Town, or an evening in Singapore, then continue reading on for a list of eight international destinations that you can (briefly) visit from the comfort of your home.
Day 1. Have Brunch in Milan
Milan is truly an international city. The capital of Italy’s Lombardy region boasts an eclectic blend of Milanese cuisine, innovative fashion, and museums which are second to none. In planning a stay-at-home brunch in Milan, one need look no further than the numerous menus of the city’s 8,785 restaurants for inspiration.
Consider making Sarpi oTTo’s famous quadrotti, the Italian equivalent of avocado toast; one just substitutes avocado for any number of toppings from their menu including hummus, chicken pate, or ricotta and asparagus. Or try your hand at making some pastries like vegan almond and carrot cake, chocolate croissants, or a homemade brioche inspired by the California Bakery. Likewise, taste coffees inspired by Biancolatte with recipes including bicerin, an Italian-style mocha espresso, caffe shakerato, or a simple caffe americano.
Day 2. Visit the Museums of Cape Town
Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa, is one of the most historically rich and culturally diverse cities in all of Africa. The second-most populous city in the country, Cape Town is home to a number of popular destinations such as Table Mountain, Cape Point, and world-renowned beaches.
Another popular attraction of the city that can be enjoyed virtually is its excellent museums. The Iziko South African National Gallery is known for its contemporary South African, Dutch, British and French paintings, and offers several virtual tours from exhibits within the Iziko museum system. Likewise, the District Six Museum is home to collections documenting and memorializing the forced removal of 60,000 residents from the District Six region of Cape Town during apartheid in the 1970s. Offering a number of virtual educational resources, one can learn more about the history of apartheid and the movement for restitution.
Day 3. Dine at a Hawker Center in Singapore
Hawker centers are food markets featuring a blend of cuisines reflective of Singapore's status as a global city. Known for their unique food culture, they draw millions of tourists to the country annually. Famous food halls include the Newton Food Centre, which was featured in “Crazy Rich Asians,” the Chinatown Food Complex and the Tai Hwa Eating House. The latter two are home to the first and second street food locations to ever receive Michelin stars.
For those curious to try out some of the best that Singapore’s hawker centers have to offer, Spice N’ Pans has a list of 20 recipes with how-to videos straight from the city-state’s food stalls. Popular favorites on the list include Hainanese chicken rice, chicken satay, and Teochew fish porridge.
Day 4. Travel Throughout the Middle East
In the Western world, the Middle East is often overlooked as a travel destination. However, this region is home to a variety of diverse cultures that would be a pity to overlook. Sites such as Petra, Jordan, the Isfahan mosque in Iran, and the Kadisha Valley in Lebanon continue to captivate audiences to this day.
To get a taste of what the Middle East has to offer, consider taking a virtual tour in one of the 16 countries in the region. The travel and culture blog Where Sasha Went offers a great guide to a variety of tours available to anyone. The ancient port city of Jaffa in Israel, flashy Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and the rugged country of Tajikistan are just a handful of locations which can be toured from your computer.
Day 5. Experience Australia’s Natural Diversity
The land down under is home to some of the most unique and beautiful natural landscapes in the world. Whether it be the Great Barrier Reef off the eastern coast, the vast desert regions of the interior, or the tropical forests in the far north, Australia is truly home to something for every nature lover, regardless of what they may be interested in.
To get a glimpse into the biodiversity of the region, a number of virtual experiences are available for free. The famous Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park has a number of 360-degree views of the most popular sites in the park. Likewise, one can tour the Great Barrier Reef with David Attenborough, one of the world’s most famous natural historians. Additionally, the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary offers 18 live webcams so viewers can get up close and personal with the sanctuary’s koalas, dingoes and collection of reptiles.
Day 6. Taste the Tacos of Mexico
Mexican food, and more specifically tacos, have been a staple of the American food canon for decades. However, what is often lost when one visits their local taqueria is the history behind the recipes, culture and heritage of favorites such as tacos al pastor and pescado.
Enter “Taco Chronicles,” a visually engaging docuseries on Netflix which centers around the history, traditions and varieties of tacos found throughout Mexico. Each episode highlights a type of taco, then showcases interviews with families, experts, food writers and restaurant owners as they discuss the process and history of their personal recipes. If you are going to sit down for a couple episodes, it is highly recommended that you have a taco in hand; the stunning cinematography and in-depth descriptions make any mouth water for guisado and carnitas.
Day 7. Visit the Best Museums of Europe
Europe is world renowned for its museums. Each country on the continent can boast its own collections of art, history, science, technology and cultural innovation. Several of these museums, like the Prado Museum in Madrid and the Galileo Museum in Florence, Italy, have been featured in the article, “8 Museums from Around the World to Visit Virtually from Home.”
That said, countless other European museums are deserving of recognition and worth your time if you have a couple of free hours. The British Museum currently offers the Museum of the World digital collection, self-described as an “experience through time, continents and cultures, featuring some of the most fascinating objects in human history.” The Vatican Museums offer virtual tours of a number of rooms from the Holy See, including the iconic Sistine Chapel and the halls of the Chiaramonti Museum. Finally, the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, offers an extensive online catalog of art and cultural artifacts from Europe’s largest country.
Day 8. Viva La Habana
For many, the sights and sounds of Cuba’s capital city are lost, largely due to the ongoing tensions between the island nation and the United States. That said, Havana’s unique history has shaped it to be one of the most fascinating and culturally vibrant cities in the world. Featuring sites like the Paseo del Prado, institutions such as the International School of Havana, and foods like fried sweet plantains and cafe cubano, the city holds something for everyone.
To enjoy Havana from the comfort of your home, consider trying your hand at cooking Cuban recipes. Saveur offers a great starting point for recipes, including popular favorites such as ropa vieja, a Cuban-style shredded beef, fricase de pollo, a type of chicken stew, and the ever-famous cubano sandwich. Additionally, a budding film industry has begun to take hold in Havana, offering films that showcase beautiful shots of the cityscape. Movies like “Four Seasons in Havana” and “Wasp Network” are both available on Netflix.
Jacob is a recent graduate from the University of California San Diego where he majored in Political Science and minored in Spanish Language Studies. He previously served as the News Editor for The UCSD Guardian, and hopes to shed light on social justice issues in his work
Visit Mexico and Germany on a Virtual Visit Staycation
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and winter fast approaching, many who traditionally would take a holiday vacation are stuck at home in an effort to curb the spread of the virus. That said, one can still enjoy a nontraditional vacation while following proper safety precautions. Here is our guide to taking an international “staycation” featuring two different destinations, as well as tips on how to design your own trip abroad from the comfort of your couch.
Explore the Sites and Bites of Mexico City
Mexico City is renowned for its vibrant culture, world-class cuisine, and easy access to some of the best museums on the planet. In planning a staycation to Mexico City, it is imperative to hit each of these qualities that make the city so unique.
You Visit, a virtual reality company, offers stunning photos of some of the most popular sites in the city, which can be viewed either on a computer or with virtual reality goggles for an up close and personal experience. Similarly for an immersive experience, 360Cities has a free database of panoramic images from throughout the city, featuring popular destinations such as the House of Tiles, El Caballito, and views from Chapultepec Lake.
Some of the best Mexican food that one can have can be made from the ingredients found at your local grocery store. Food magazine Saveur offers a list of 80 authentic Mexican recipes, with popular dishes including Mexican street corn soup, carne adobada and fish tacos. For those interested in investing in some quality cookbooks, “My Mexico City Kitchen: Recipes and Convictions” and “Eat Mexico: Recipes from Mexico City’s Streets, Markets and Fondas” both offer an extensive selection of recipes straight out of the heart of Mexico’s capital city.
No staycation to Mexico City would be complete without a virtual visit to one of the city’s countless museums. Art lovers should definitely check out virtual collections of the Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes and the Frida Kahlo Museum. For those interested in learning more about Indigenous Mexican culture and history, the National Museum of Anthropology offers 148 historical artifacts within its digital collection. Virtual Field Trips offers an immersive visit to Teotihuacan, one of the largest and most well-preserved pre-Columbian cities.
A Traditional Christkindlesmarkt from Home
One of the most iconic traditions of the German Christmas canon is the Christkindlesmarkt. The pop-up holiday market, which has inspired the creation of similar events in cities like Chicago, Shanghai and Vienna, sees one of the largest turnouts worldwide in the city of Nuremberg, drawing nearly 2 million visitors annually.
While the event has been canceled this year due to the pandemic, it still provides inspiration for a Bavarian themed staycation.
A Christkindlesmarkt at home would not be complete without the traditional German food that is often served at the market’s vendors. Spoon University provides a good starting point for finding recipes, offering details on foods like Wiener schnitzel with sauerkraut, currywurst and potato pancakes. Likewise, no Christkidlesmarkt would be complete without Gluhwein, the iconic German mulled wine which is often served in a mug shaped like a boot in some of the Christmas markets.
For cinephiles who either speak German or enjoy a good set of subtitles, no holiday-themed staycation in Bavaria would be complete without watching a Christmas film. The 1973 East German film Drei Haselnusse fur Aschenbrodel, or “Three Wishes for Cinderella” in English, remains one of the most popular holiday films in the country. For a more contemporary film, Alles ist Liebe, or “Everything is Love” in English, is a popular 2014 episodic movie which is similar to the American film “Love Actually.”
Germany’s vast history has produced a number of holiday traditions which can be practiced at home. Advent calendars, which serve as a physical countdown from Dec. 1 to Dec. 25, are widely popular in Germany and can be found in most stores, online, or can even be assembled at home. Culture Trip provides a comprehensive list of 15 German Christmas traditions for further inspiration.
Tips for Crafting Your Own International Staycation
While planning an international staycation may seem like a daunting task, with a little bit of patience and research, anyone can plan a memorable “trip” from the comfort of their home.
Research, research, research. Especially if you are unfamiliar with the area you will be “traveling” to, it is important to do your homework on the culture, food and virtual attractions you are considering participating in to ensure that your staycation is as authentic as possible.
Don’t be afraid to treat yourself. While being budget conscious is as important now as ever, considering that you will be forgoing traditional travel expenses such as flights and lodging, you most certainly can allow yourself to splurge on one ingredient which you will never use again or on a pay-per-view documentary.
Get your friends involved. Travel is always more enjoyable with friends, and doing a staycation holds the same truth. While it is important to maintain social distance, consider inviting your friends to join you on a Zoom call as you explore virtual museums and cook from home, together.
Travel around. There is no reason that your staycation has to be tied down to one spot. Consider allocating a day of the week to be reserved for a new destination. While this will require a bit more research than choosing one country, you will be able to maximize your staycation and fill up your “virtual passport” with new stamps.
Jacob is a recent graduate from the University of California San Diego where he majored in Political Science and minored in Spanish Language Studies. He previously served as the News Editor for The UCSD Guardian, and hopes to shed light on social justice issues in his work.