Experience the world from your sofa | Part 2

The world may feel out of reach, but there are countless ways to let the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of our planet into your home – whether it’s sampling a home-made curry or losing yourself in a piece of music.

In the spirit of sharing inspiration, positivity, and joy amid these uncertain times, here’s another round-up from our team, of our favourite ways to escape the madness and experience the world from your sofa.

The best travel programmes, films, music, books, recipes, games and more

Arts and culture

Take a (virtual) trip to the theatre

Just because we’re in lockdown doesn’t mean we can’t be entertained with some dramatic theatrical performances (and no, we don’t just mean from the kids at bedtime!) Many theatre companies and institutions have opened up their archives to audiences online. This includes the National Theatre in London, which arguably has the best bank of cinema-quality recordings than anywhere else. With no cinemas open to broadcast, they’ve switched to their YouTube channel instead – hurrah! This means that from the 2nd of April, you can watch a new National Theatre play every Thursday at 7pm GMT (2pm EST)  – available for free for one week.

Here’s a peek at what’s coming up:

• April 2 ‘One Man, Two Guvnors’ by Richard Bean, starring James Corden. 
• April 9 ‘Jane Eyre’, adapted by Sally Cookson. 
• April 16 ‘Treasure Island’, adapted by Bryony Lavery. 
• April 23 ‘Twelfth Night’ by William Shakespeare, starring Tamsin Greig. 

Radio

Listen to radio from around the world

“The sun is always rising somewhere.” That’s the motto of Global Breakfast Radio; an online radio streaming site that lets you listen to radio stations around the world as each place wakes up to a brand new day. 

The website works by aggregating radio stations from across the world, and continuously streaming broadcasts from wherever it’s breakfast-time right now. They describe it as  “a plane flying west with the sunrise, constantly tracking the chatter and music of people across the planet.” So while it’s dinner time in Dakar, you can experience breakfast time in Brisbane. We love this.

You have to take a leap of imagination. But just think about it, for a short while you might be humming the same tune as a butcher in Memphis, a taxi driver in Jerusalem or a lawyer in Jakarta. If this doesn’t whisk you off somewhere else, then we’re not sure what will!

Games

Test your geography

If you think of yourself as a bit of a geography nerd then this next one’s for you. BBC Travel’s Geoguessr is a game that’ll show you how well you really know the world. It’s the perfect distraction to wile away the hours and put your knowledge to the test. 

All you have to do is visit the BBC’s website to sign up, and you can begin playing as a single-player or in a team. You’ll be shown various Google Street View scenes which you have to navigate through to guess where in the world you are. Look around at the landscapes, street signs, cars and houses to hazard your guess and see how far across the world you get.

Wildlife

Spy wildlife from your home

Seeing wildlife in natural habitats is up there as one of our best reasons to globetrot. But just because we’re stuck at home doesn’t mean we can’t see creatures and critters, hundreds of thousands of miles away, right at this moment.

There are lots of sites dedicated to virtual wildlife viewing, and they prove that we can be awestruck, no matter where we are. Explore.org is an organisation that documents leaders around the world who have devoted their lives to extraordinary causes. Their growing library consists of more than 250 original films and 30,000 photographs from around the world. Founder Charles Annenberg Weingarten says, “We strive to create films that allow the viewer to join us on our journey as we go on location and experience what unfolds. It’s like the viewers are traveling with the team.”

Watch cranes awaken in Nebraska, elephants gather at a waterhole in South Africa, hummingbirds nest in California or orcas play off Hanson Island, British Columbia, Canada.

TV

Anthony Bourdain: Parts unknown 

For lots of people, Anthony Bourdain was more than just a foodie. He was a passionate traveller, a wry and opinionated storyteller and a magnet for human connection. Parts Unknown is  food travel show with a gritty edge, following Bourdain’s journey around the world as he delves into the dark underbelly of lesser-visited places. It’s also a favourite watch for our resident foodie and Indonesia travel specialist, Miles:

“I love the way that Anthony Bourdain delves into places and really explores the local way, showing how food and culture are intrinsically linked. And he does it in a down-to-earth way; making genuine connections with people, and always promoting local restaurants and individuals too.”

If you’re a curious explorer with a penchant for cooking, then this TV series will catapult you into pockets of foodie communities around the planet. From the Congo to Lyon, Tokyo to Hanoi, and even Bourdain’s home state of New Jersey,  prepare to get hooked.

Sadly, this series no longer available on Netflix in the UK, but there are a few other sites – including Amazon Prime video – where you can rent or buy episodes.

Film

Buena Vista Social Club

Get ready to be transported back into Cuba’s rich and colourful past! This is an award-winning documentary that follows the massively influential Buena Vista Social Club phenomenon.  

This is how the story goes. A group of (almost) forgotten Cuban musicians are brought out of retirement by American musician and producer, Ry Cooder. Cooder’s mission takes him to Havana to unite this dream team of musical veterans. The result? Extraordinary musical performances, and the resurrection of the musicians’ careers.

Snippets of interviews give you an insight into what Cuba’s music scene was once like, before Castro’s takeover; when the rich and famous travelled from all over the world to listen to these musicians play.

This album is still the best-selling world music album of all time, showcasing the talents of some of Cuba’s greatest music legends, including  Ibrahim Ferrer, Ruben Gonzalez, Eliades Ochoa, Omara Portuondo, and Compay Segundo.

Foodie favourites

Why not bring a taste of India into your home? Here’s a favourite recipe from our India travel specialist, Kate.

Matar Paneer:  North Indian curry with paneer and green peas

Ingredients:

250g paneer
2-3 ripe tomatoes (or 1 can)
40g clotted cream or yogurt
2 tbsp tomato paste if using fresh tomatoes
100 g (or more if you like) garden peas – frozen are fine, don’t use canned
1 red onion
2 garlic cloves
1-inch fresh ginger
1 tbsp garam masala
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 cube veg stock
Salt
Veg oil

How to make it:

• Peel and chop onions, garlic, ginger
• Heat up the pan with the oil and add the chopped onion and salt, cook until soft (3-5 min)
• Add the spices (garam masala and cumin, chopped garlic and ginger) and veg stock cube. Cook for a couple of minutes.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste, a pinch of sugar and 200 ml boiled water. Cook on medium heat until the paste thickens.
• Add the peas and clotted cream or yogurt and let it simmer on low heat another 5 mins.
• Season the paneer with salt on both sides and chop into bite-sized cubes, then cook in a pan with a drizzle of oil until browned/crispy on all sides.
• Add paneer to the curry paste, add more seasoning if you like.

This dish goes perfectly with rice or pitas/chapatis – enjoy!

More inspiration, coming soon

Liked our travel-inspired round-up? Pop back next week for another round of inspiration, with our top picks of the best film, TV, books, music and more to keep you entertained.