The Armchair Traveller

We all find ourselves in strange times. It’s the first time for many of us that we are unable to hop on a plane, train, boat or even in the car to explore lands far away as well as closer to home. These anomalous times do however give us the time to travel from our armchairs, to take a virtual journey to previously unexplored lands and to dream of where we want to journey to once this is all over. In a series of blogs, we explore what to watch, read and listen to, to channel our inner traveller and take our imaginations out of the confines of our living rooms. This week, we’ve highlighted some travel documentaries that are worth tuning into.

Joanna Lumley’s Hidden Caribbean: Havana to Haiti

If you missed Joanna Lumley’s two part series on the Hidden Caribbean: Havana to Haiti, you can find it on the ITV Hub. It is well worth tuning in to watch Joanna Lumley, as an absolutely fabulous inquisitive tour guide, taking us on a charming yet insightful tour across these two fascinating islands.

With Simon Reeve

For fans of Simon Reeve, BBC iplayer lets us indulge in his many documentaries shot across the world from Colombia to Australia, immersing ourselves in his very human journey across the destinations he explores. In a repic quests to unknown land Simon Reeve gets to the heart of each destination when on so many holidays we take, we simply scratch the surface.

National Parks Adventure

Over on Netflix, narrated by Robert Redford, National Parks Adventure takes you on a wondrous journey of the National Parks across the United States of America. These immense areas of natural beauty were declared protected for eternity over 100 years ago. This documentary follows a team of modern day explorers through the parks showcasing the beauty of these parks at its best.

Sir David Attenborough

No digest, large or small, of travel documentaries would be complete without Sir David Attenborough. Fabulous viewing from ages 0-100, many of Sir David Attenborough’s documentaries are available in BBC iplayer. Seven Worlds One Planet; 7 episodes revealing extraordinary wildlife stories and unseen wilderness across 7 individual and unique continents are breathtaking. Each episode of course carries an important environmental message.

Jack Whitehall’s Travels with my Father

For Jack Whitehall fans, an amusing watch is his Travels with my Father series on Netflix. Amusing and lighthearted, jovial Jack and his a stuffy father Michael air an interesting dynamic as they embark on several journeys around the world.

For movie night, there are many films to watch which transport us to amazing destinations. The Lord of the Rings trilogy was shot on location on both islands in New Zealand and showcases these incredible landscapes beautifully. We can always rely on a good Bond film too for incredible destinations, whether it be Siena, home of the Palio di Siena (Quantum of Solace), the Bahamas and the famous Pink Sands Hotel (Casino Royale) or the pyramids, Luxor and the Nile (The Spy Who Loved Me).

Wherever you want to go, you can journey there from the comfort of your armchair and make plans for the real thing sometime soon.

We are at the end of the phone and email for a chat about anywhere you would like to go in the future so do get in touch. Follow us and keep up to date on Instagram and Facebook for further inspiration.

Finally, stay home and keep well and keep travelling from the comfort of your armchair.