With a heavy heart, a lot of us had to cancel our travel plans during the COVID-19 crisis. Maybe you were looking forward to a graduation trip with your pals, or a sweet getaway with that special someone, or a fun and exciting family trip.

And now you’re cooped up at home during quarantine, with not much to do. The days seem endless and you’re dying of boredom, wallowing in your sadness over those cancelled flight tickets. Fret not, you can now travel the world from your couch! Thanks to the internet, we are now able to attend virtual tours all around the world.

Take a hike around Yosemite National Park, explore the ruins of Angkor Wat, walk around the Pyramids of Giza… the possibilities are endless. If you’d like, grab a family member to tour the iconic wonders of the world with you. It might not be the experience you expected, but these virtual tours are bound to lift your spirits and cure your boredom.

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK TOUR

Located in California, Yosemite National Park is one of America’s most popular tourist destinations and breathtaking natural environments. Take a virtual Yosemite tour, which allows online visitors to experience over 200 locations within the famous National Park. You can even explore the surroundings as well, in all seasons!

The virtual Yosemite tour was created and photographed by a virtual reality (VR) photographer Scott Highton who lives just outside the park. He has specialised in VR photography for 30 years now. The 360° interactive panoramas are all in high resolution, so you can zoom in to admire all the intricate details. Pan around and take in stunning views from cliffs and waterfalls, and well-known areas of Yosemite Valley.

Explore Yosemite National Park here.

LOUVRE MUSEUM TOUR

The Louvre Museum in Paris, France, is the world’s largest art museum and a historical monument. It is also the world’s most-visited art museum, with tourists visiting to catch a glimpse of art collections that span work from as far as ancient civilisations to the mid-19th century.

Due to COVID-19, the museum is now closed until further notice, with no visitors allowed. However, thanks to the official Louvre website, you can now tour 4 famous exhibitions: The Advent of the Artist, Egyptian Antiquities, Remains of the Louvre’s Moat, and Galerie d’Apollon online for free.

Go on the tour of the Louvre Museum exhibitions here.

THE PYRAMIDS OF GIZA TOUR

Travel back in time to the ancient Egyptian civilisation and take a walk around the highest pyramids ever built, and the oldest of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. Standing proudly at 145 metres high are the Pyramids of Giza. Until now, how the Pyramids of Giza were built is still one of Egypt’s greatest mysteries. They were constructed 4,500 years ago, built to last an eternity. So far, they’ve succeeded in this impressive feat.

In this virtual tour offered by Google Maps, you will be able to learn about the complex history of these pyramids while exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can even view other Egyptian sites, such as the necropolis of Saqqara, the Citadel of Qaitbay, the Cairo Citadel, the Hanging Church and the remains of Abu Mena. It doesn’t matter which part of the world you’re at – just drag the cursor and embark on this journey.

View the Pyramids of Giza and other Egyptian sites here.

ANGKOR WAT TOUR

Deep in the remote forests of the Siem Reap province of Cambodia lies the ancient Angkor Wat temples, ruins of a time long past. The Angkor Archaeological Park includes remains from various capitals that existed during the time of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to 15th centuries. The famous Temple of Angkor Wat and the Bayon Temple at Angkor Thom with its countless sculptural decorations are part of the remains.

The virtual tour is a collaboration between Virtual History Specialists, Archaeologists and Historians who want to bring the history of Angkor Wat to life. It explores several magical temples, including the five towers of Angkor Wat itself; the pink sandstone Banteay Srei; and Ta Prohm (as seen in the 2001 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider), where nature has reclaimed the ruins.

Take a virtual walk around the Angkor Archaeological Park here.

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA TOUR

In northern China resides one of the world’s most jaw-dropping wonders: the Great Wall of China. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, the Great Wall is an ancient fortification that stretches more than 3,000 miles across Chinese provinces. It is also the longest wall, and one of the greatest sights in the world. Boasting a history of over 2,000 years, it is easily one of the most impressive ancient structures on earth today.

A tour agency called The China Guide was kind enough to create a free virtual tour of the Great Wall, after their business was completely halted due to the current situation. They have all sorts of information on their website, which you can have a read while exploring the virtual tour.

Hike along the Great Wall of China here.

IKEA and meatballs. That’s probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Sweden. We don’t blame you, both are great. But, Sweden is much more than that. Enter fika, Swedes’ favourite pastime.

What is fika, you may ask? Essentially, it translates to “coffee”. However, it goes beyond just that – it’s a lifestyle, a culture, a ritual. It can very well be considered a social institution or even a phenomenon.

The concept of fika is simply to appreciate the slow life – something we desperately need in this fast-paced society. Acting as both a noun and a verb, to fika or to have a fika is to take a break with a coffee, or tea, and a sweet treat.

It might sound just like any other tea time, but having lived in Sweden for a while, we can safely conclude that it is not. It’s fika time any time.

In Sweden, it’s seamlessly integrated into daily life in various ways. For instance, at work, there is designated fika time in the morning and afternoon. You can fika solo or with your friends, at home or at a cafe, with coffee or tea. It’s all up to you to decide.

Convinced that you should partake in fika? Here we introduce some desserts that you can pair with your coffee (or tea) for your fika.

PRINSESSTÅRTA

Layers of sponge cake, vanilla custard, cream and berry jam encased in a bright green marzipan shell – it’s hard to miss. Prinsesstårta or Princess Cake is a classic Swedish cake named as such because it is said to be particularly liked by princesses. And we totally get why — fluffy cake and cream, and the bite from the marzipan — it’s a mouthful of royal goodness.

Loved so much by the Swedes, a whole week in September is dedicated to this cake. For every cake sold, 10 SEK is donated to a charity run by Crown Princess Victoria. You can get a slice of this delectable cake at almost any cafe for your fika.

SEMLA

Semla (plural: semlor) is a sweet cardamom-flavoured bun filled with sweet cream and almond paste. It’s so popular it has its own day in Sweden: Fat Tuesday. That’s right, Fat Tuesday. With traditions rooted in fettisdag (Shrove Tuesday, or in this case Fat Tuesday), it’s usually eaten before the Lenten fast.

On this day, the semla is traditionally baked and eaten. But Swedes adore the semla so much that they start eating it on Tuesdays starting from Christmas till Easter. Soft and creamy, we’d eat it every day if we could.

Photo Credit: nightborntravel

PANNKAKOR

Something more familiar, pannkakor are Swedish pancakes usually served with whipped cream and jam. Despite being called pancakes, they are thin and resemble crepes. Pannkakor are lighter, fluffier, and airier as compared to the usual pancakes. They are also traditionally eaten after pea soup on Thursdays. So tender and moist, it goes extremely well with a cup of coffee for fika.

The next time you find yourselves in Sweden, do enjoy some fika goodness!