Pouring cats and dogs outside? We bring you stories that will inspire you to travel the world from your couch as you hunker down this weekend. Explore people's kitchens and see how folks are cooking under lockdown, watch women travellers discover offbeat places, read books that will change the way you look at travel, and more.
Oh the places you will go... read on.
Eat
The star of Netflix's Chef's Table, Asma Khan is the chef and owner of London's wildly popular restaurant Darjeeling Express where she runs an all-women kitchen and makes a biryani that has made people cry. Check out the recipe that she very generously shared with us.
In the mood for some authentic Italian? We asked Rome-based culinary historian, New York Times-bestselling cookbook author, and Emmy-nominated television host Katie Parla to share some recipes. Parla has written and edited more than 20 books, including Tasting Rome: Fresh Flavors and Forgotten Recipes from an Ancient City, and the New York Times bestseller - The Joy of Pizza, co-authored with Razza chef/owner Dan Richer.
Watch
Rainy days are the perfect time to binge-watch favourite shows. Here are five non-fiction titles about offbeat travel that we love. They aren’t your usual road-trip-and-discover-yourself stories, nor do they belong to the brand of exotic country hopping that’s sometimes tinged with colonialism. They all have one thing in common, though—incredible learning value. If you are a fan of classic Brit crime fiction, you would know that the British countryside plays an important role in the stories. A slew of shows with all the tropes of British mysteries are bringing the joys of the English lanscapes to your screens. Bingewatch these shows to get a glimpse of some of the most stunning regions in the UK.
Read
The lockdown is a great time to catch up on reading. There's a lot to choose from out there. We handpicked 5 books by women writers you must read for travel inspiration. Women travelling alone. Their stories are always different from the solo male traversing the world, which is why women travel writers have a very distinct narrative. These books open up whole new worlds, and change the way you explore different spaces.
Explore
The internet has exposed us to destinations across the globe. You can now go through the world without even stepping out of your bed, thanks to travel vloggers who capture the essence of locations, cultures, food, personal experiences and much more. And what better way to gather tips and tricks for your next adventure than by hearing about it from someone who has been there, done that? For Women’s Day, we wrote about 10 women travel vloggers who are killing it online, and giving us major travel goals. Another story we did was about Insta handles which reveal lesser known destinations. Add these to your post-pandemic bucket list.
If you are a culture and history junkie, how about virtual museum tours? Many museums and galleries around the world offer virtual tours of their collections and spaces. You could spend hours travelling around these from the comfort of your home.
