Virtual Travel Experiences Perfect For Christmas Gift Giving

If you can't go around the world, it's time to bring to world over to you. These virtual travel gifts are perfect for everyone on your Christmas wish list.

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One of the best in-person travel gifts is a cooking class, like Ryan experienced in Rome.

Have you ever had one of those crazy travel days where you wake up in one country, have lunch in a second, and go to bed in a third? I've been there, and more than once. What these days offer in exhilaration, they take away in exhaustion! However, ever since the advent of COVID-19, these multi-jurisdictional travel adventures are more accessible  - and rejuvenating - than ever, thanks to virtual tourism activities. 

There are now hundreds, if not thousands, of virtual activities and the travel world is the better for it. Alas, it would be impossible to list every possible remote adventure here but, with Christmas around the corner, I've rounded up some of my favourite selections to help you find the perfect cozy travel-inspired gift for everyone on your holiday shopping list. 

Gifting virtual travel experiences isn't just a great way to get your shopping done without stepping foot into a mall. Virtual gifts have a very low carbon footprint, they don't require standing in line at the post office, and they're a creative way to support small businesses. Plus, when you do get to travel again, you'll have a fun story to share if you meet up with these companies in person.

Connect with llamas over Zoom

I met these handsome dudes in Montana but you can see faces like this on your next Zoom call!

Fatigued by endless online meetings and Zoom social hours? Maybe you'd feel differently if you were joined by a cheery llama, or perhaps an alpaca or another barnyard companion. 

Many petting zoos, farms, and animal sanctuaries now offer you the option of adding one of their furry friends to your next online meeting for a small fee. They receive valuable funds and you get invaluable FUN, the kind that only comes when you're hanging out with a llama. Online. During work.

Perfect for: The office Christmas gift exchange.

​One place to try: Sweet Farm animal sanctuary in California. 

Take a trip to the zoo

The best place to see elephants is in the wild, like I experienced in Zimbabwe. However, well managed zoos and animal sanctuaries with an animal-focused mandate offer alternatives, especially in the pandemic.

Your typical classroom fieldtrip to the zoo involves smelly soil, allergic reactions, and endless bathroom breaks. The odorless alternative is a virtual zoo visit. Kids (and animal-loving adults) enjoy all the fun of an in-person visit, tailored to their exact interests, without being herded like, well, animals. The actual animals enjoy a quiet, gentle environment and the zookeepers can share their passion with interruptions.

Perfect for: Teachers who really, REALLY don't want a handmade ornament with your child's handprint on it this year and grandparents who don't know what to buy your kids and just ask you to choose something.

​​One place to try: Toronto Zoo's classroom connection.

Whip up some global flavours

Believe it or not, making homemade pasta like what you see here is much easier than you think.

Cooking classes are among my favourite travel activities. I've had outstanding experiences in Rome, Bangkok, and Prague, and I've enjoyed mini classes across Ontario. Now, you can easily do the same at home. Admittedly, it's not quite the same as hand-dying pad Thai noodles with blossoms and herbs you've sourced from Bangkok's flower market. But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a delicious, travel inspired experience and pick up some new skills along the way.

Perfect for: Your cruise ship loving aunt, who loves the flavours of different ports of call but never moves beyond cream of mushroom soup casseroles at home. 

Places to try: C'est Bon Cooking in Ottawa offers virtual cooking classes to hone specific skills, from improving knife techniques to marinating pork tenderloin.

AirBnB's Cooking With The Grandmas introduces students to authentic Roman pasta making techniques.

Culinary Backstreets is one of my favourite food tour companies. They offer online cooking classes inspired by the different cities they operate in. Their Athens class is at the top of my list, since I did their Athens food tour several years ago.

Stroll through Paris, London, or Rome

This view would be all but impossible in person. Photo by David Köhler on Unsplash

Ugh. Dealing with the masses is SO 2019. Let's face it, the sardine can-esque conditions on a Vatican City tour are pretty stressful, even without the pandemic. So why not tour it on your own, without a single pesky person pushing into you or - much worse - reaching into your bag. 

A personal or semi-personal virtual tour takes you to some of the world's best known sites with nary a soul around, just you and your guide via cell phone video link. I myself did a semi-personal tour of the Roman Forum and Colosseum and I am not exaggerating when I say that it was better than being there in person. My tour concluded at the Colosseum, at dusk, when no one else was around, and it was so perfect I had goosebumps.

Perfect for: You. Hello! Like anyone deserves an escape to Rome more. Bellissimo!

Place to try: LivItaly, which offers virtual and in-person tours of Italy, as well as France, Spain, and England.

Bring your game face to Wellington

What's going on here? I'm not sure? Sporty-sports? Photo by James Coleman on Unsplash

I'll be honest, I'm not sure I understand any of the following sentences but here we go...

Wellington, New Zealand is a cool city. Super cool. According to International Traveller: "The Welltown VR game, which saw Wellington become the world’s first gamified virtual city, is made up of six short interactive travel experiences."

It goes on to say "Welltown also includes an added section that connects you to experiences via 360-degree video. Sit front row at an All Blacks rugby test match or grab a special glimpse of a Weta Studio Tour at the Oscar-winning Weta Workshop."

See what I mean? I'm mystified. Which must mean it's awesome. 

Perfect for: People who talk about things you don't understand. Nieces and nephews. Sports fanatics. 

Place to try it: Download the platform for free from the Steam and Oculus VR stores.

Get a glow on in Las Vegas

Photo by Evan Fitzer on Unsplash

If there is one tiny silver lining to the COVID-19 pandemic, it's that museums the world over are offering virtual experiences. 

There's a museum out there for every imaginable interest but if you're not sure what to choose, go for Las Vegas's Neon Museum. This is the place where the glow of old Vegas goes to die and it's part junk yard, part anthropological treasure trove. What's really cool about this program is that the $10 fee gives you indefinite virtual visits, allowing you to explore in small stages if you're short on time.

Perfect for: Anyone in a Secret Santa gift exchange that has a $10 limit (or a $25 limit when paired a Vegas-inspired cocktail kit from a local restaurant.) Also: Anyone who says that they love to travel but, in reality, they just go back to Vegas again and again. 

Place to try it: On the Neon Museum's online portal. 

PS: While I haven't tried any myself, I've seen a lot of virtual cocktail making classes advertised during the pandemic. See if a local bar offers one - that would be the perfect gift for anyone who's a fan of old-Vegas glam.

Enjoy year round romance

I took this shot in 2018, on a perfect September day. Does Paris get any better?

So many of the small businesses that make the world a cozy place have spent 2020 with a black cloud over their heads instead of being in the black, in the financial sense. Fortunately, many have pivoted to keep their loyal fans engaged. To that end, you can now engrave seats in playhouses, put personalized signs on cinema marquees, and sponsor bookstores in exchange for exclusive content.

You can always make one-time purchases to support your favourite travel-related small business but becoming a sponsor is a unique way to ensure that your special spot abroad will still be there when you travel again. 

Perfect for: Your spouse or best friend.

Place to try it: Paris' Shakespeare and Company. Yes, the world's most famous independent bookstore is feeling the pinch like anyone else. The Friends Of Shakespeare and Company deliver quarterly online content, which includes author readings, exclusively for supporters.

Escape the pandemic, for a little while

It's, like, really hard to find an image of an "Escape Room" that doesn't reveal hints about said escape room. My thanks to NeONBRAND via Unsplash for this suitably mysterious yet vague shot.

The more I visit escape rooms, the more I love them. They're the perfect travel activity. It's something fun to do in the evening if you're not exactly into nightlife and its a neat way to discover a new neighbourhood, as many escape rooms set up shop in the most unexpected of places.

Alas, you can't visit in-person escape rooms with anyone other than your immediate social bubble. But virtual escape rooms are a different thing altogether and you don't even have to be in the same country to participate. Plus, let's face it - you're sick and tired of jigsaw puzzles, aren't you? It's time for a real mystery.

Perfect for: You and your college roommates, the cousins you won't be able to see over New Years, your favourite neighbour.

Place to try: Escape Manor, which has locations across Canada, has some great online packages.

Take time for tea

Photo by Marco Secchi on Unsplash

Is there anything more cozy and comforting than a hot beverage on a cold winter's night?  A virtual tea tasting is the perfect way to take that snugness to the next level.

Tea tastings work similar to wine tastings. You learn about the leaves and ingredients, how to identify different tasting notes, and how to prepare and pair your drink. It's fun, it's interesting, and it makes the snug ritual of preparing a warm cup of tea all the more meaningful.

Perfect for: Anyone who's participating in "dry January", anyone who has a New Year's resolution to be healthier, and anyone who would appreciate a physical gift to go along with the virtual component. 

Place to try: Monarch Tea Co has virtual tea tastings, tea and chocolate tastings, and tea blending workshops. Supplies are mailed in advance so you have everything you need to fully participate. 

PS: For those interested, virtual wine tastings are indeed a thing. And a delicious thing at that! However, wine availability is a very regional thing and it's hard to recommend just one or two. If interested, I suggest Googling "virtual wine tastings" + your area and see what pops up.

Who says that travel requires planes, trains, and automobiles?

Me and Raffi, hanging out in Montana.

I'm hopeful that, before we know it, we'll be back to the kind of travel we know and love, strolling around museums, cooking with new friends, even hanging out with llamas in person, like I did in Montana. But until then, virtual travel experiences are a wonderful way to spread a little holiday cheer and discover the world in a memorable way. Merry Christmas!

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