By
June 17, 2021
Imagine strolling through the streets of Paris or taking in the spectacular view at the top of Mt. Everest. Well, most Kiwis may just have to keep on imagining for a bit longer as it seems COVID-19 has messed up most of our overseas travel plans indefinitely.
But what if we could do all of this without leaving our living room? Thanks to virtual reality we may be able to get our sightseeing fix and be transported to tourist hotspots across the world through the internet or more aptly in this case, the world-wide-web.
So pack your bags, here’s where virtual tourism can take you:
Conquer the Great Wall of China
Have you always wanted to walk the great wall of China but were unsure if you had the fitness to do it? Well walkers of any ability can now take it on thanks to this virtual tour.
The online tour takes you across several sections of the world landmark which stretches for 21,196 Kilometres and is the only manmade structure that can be viewed from space. Unfortunately, those steps just won’t be recorded on your fitbit!
Visit the Colosseum
With its 2000 years of history, the Colosseum will bring you back in time to discover the way of life in the Roman Empire.
Once seating an estimated 80,000 spectators, most of the original building has since been destroyed, though the scale is still huge!
You can take a walk inside around the various levels and see what it was like to be a gladiator waiting to fight, or fly overhead in these 360-degree images. Better yet, you won’t have to battle the crowds like you would if you were visiting it in real life!
Explore Ancient Egyptian Tombs
The Egyptian Tourist Board has invited the world into the 5,000-year-old tomb of Queen Meresankh III.
The tour has been beefed up with 3D modelling by Harvard University and offers in-depth information and computer reconstructions as you click through.
If you’re after more, there’s the option to explore three other tombs and for the full desert experience – crank the heating up on high and remember to walk like an Egyptian.
Climb the Eiffel Tower
Pick up a croissant from the local French bakery and say Bonjour to one of the world’s most visited monuments, the Eiffel Tower through this interactive tour.
Additional immersive digital exhibitions explore its construction from 1887-89 and if you’d like to explore the tower in style, check out the 360-degree shots showing a helicopter’s view of the tower against the city skyline.
Mystery Destination
Confident that you’re a seasoned traveller? World Traveller VR is a geo guessing, hidden object VR game that challengers players to figure out which city they’re in.
On each level of the game you are “teleported” to an unknown street or location somewhere on earth and you then need to uncover the mystery. This game was nominated for the Best VR category at the Indie Prize USA back in 2016 but could be argued to be far more relevant today considering recent travel restrictions.
To ensure your virtual travel experience seems as real life as possible, the last thing you want is slow, buffering internet. Check if fibre’s available at your address through our broadband checker and upgrade to a fast and reliable fibre broadband plan today!