Apr 9

Apr 9 Exploring the world without leaving home

I am standing gazing up in awe at the 40m high, carved rose stone facade of The Treasury, in the ancient Nabataean city of Petra in Jordan, arguably one of the greatest archaeological sites in the world.

The monumental entrance to The Treasury in the ancient city of Petra

Looking around, the huge craggy rocks that seem to guard and protect this astonishing landmark in this astonishing place, tower above me with their pinky-hued, compacted layers and intriguing crevices.

A lot less monumental is the cafe and gift shop that sits in the rock-cast shade opposite the entrance to what historians are still undecided was either a library or a huge tomb.

Towering rocks peppered with tombs in the remains of this once-thriving trade city

I set off along a steep sided gully, occasionally turning round and glancing up to contemplate the monumental rocks that form a part of this once-thriving trade city which was three times bigger than Manhattan and home to 250,000 people.

And then I pop downstairs to make a cup of tea.

Virtual tours like this one of Petra are not just a remarkable way to see the world, but in the current circumstances, confined as we are to our homes, the only way.

There are, of course, any number of beautifully shot video tours of, well, pretty much any city, tourist site or museum that you care to think of. And they’re certainly terrific ways to experience those places. But for me, the tours that hit the nail on the safe-at-home-explorer head most perfectly the street view style ones where you can control where you go and what you see using your mouse, key pad or screen.

This one of Petra is the best I’ve found so far, with its fully 360 degree views accompanied by an informative guide. I spent well over an hour strolling between and exploring the various sites in the city. It was marvellous.

Another day this week I took a virtual trip to the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park which included a ‘flight’ over an active volcano. (The same site offers tours of various US national parks including Bryce Canyon and Yellowstone National Park.)

The volcanic shore edge in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park

And I revisited magnificent Pompeii in frankly far more comfortable circumstances than the searing heat I experienced when I saw (and loved) it in person more than a decade ago.

Exploring the ruins of Pompeii without having to cope with the searing heat

I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy many great times in New York which have often included walks through Central Park, but I discovered all sorts of new corners and facts about it I didn’t know on this informative vitrual tour

The Imagine mosaic at Strawberry Fields in Central Park

Closer to home, I’m ashamed to say that other than Dublin, I’ve never visited either Northern or Southern Ireland, so I was delighted to find this site which offers virtual tours of lots of cities and tourists sites around the island. I’m looking forward to settling down to some virtual Irish adventures in the weeks to come.

For a slightly more limited view, but broader scope experience, you could do a lot worse than this virtual google tour of seven travel wonders of the world including the Great Wall of China and Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu as seen with information click points on the google virtual tour

This time of confinement may be frustrating in many ways, but thanks to the amazing technology that makes these virtual tours possible, it’s also a golden opportunity to visit and discover places and parts of the world you’ve never had the chance to.

And then to make plans to see them in person when that’s possible again.

I’m discovering new virtual tours all the time. I’d love to know if there are any you recommend.