Destination Isolation: Best Travel Shows and Movies for Major Inspo

Sitting at home staring at walls? Well, no more! We bring you the greatest list of travel inspiration possible (big call - we know, but when you only have your cat to speak to, you can make grand calls like this). Are you still with me? Yes, it’s true, you cannot currently travel with your feet, but that doesn't mean you can’t travel with your eyes people! We bring you the best travel shows and movies to watch, so you still get that dose of travel you have been craving. You’re welcome. 

One of the best things about travelling the world is all the incredible food you get to eat along the way - from super fancy Michelin starred meals to some of the most scrumptious and bizarre street food imaginable.

If street food is up your alley (boom-tish), then we recommend settling in to watch Street Food: Asia on Netflix. From the maker’s of Chef’s Table (you should watch this too), Street Food: Asia focuses on renowned chefs who cook cheap food on the streets, at markets and in modest, family-run restaurants. Each episode focuses on one destination - the first season takes you through Thailand, India, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, so you’ll have backpacked around Asia from the comfort of your couch. 

Our next travel and food recommendation is likely the strangest movie you will ever see, but you just can’t look away - TamPopo. It’s about two Japanese milk-truck drivers who help a restaurant owner learn how to cook great ramen. The movie is intertwined with little stories about the relationship between love and food, and well... that’s where the quirky begins. Overall, we love it because it's an interesting look into the world of Japanese culture, cuisine and the hard-core love of Ramen!

If Tampopo leaves you craving ramen - plan a trip to Japan and book the ultimate Ramen tour.

Ok, our next recommendation is straight-y one-eighty, feel good fun. Julie & Julia is a heart-warming movie about french cooking set between Paris and New York. It makes you want to fly to Paris immediately and eat allll the french food, but also equally inspires you to get out of your “isolation sloth mode”, and jump into the kitchen and cook up a french storm! 

If you’ve cancelled a beach holiday, put yourself in front of the TV with a Quarantini and watch Fool’s Gold on Netflix, Into The Blue on Stan or Forgetting Sarah Marshall on Youtube. They’re light-hearted and easy going, just like your holiday was supposed to be.

We’d also like to throw Entourage and into the mix, because it oozes summer vibes and makes you want to rent an epic beach house in Malibu for your next holiday. You can watch it via Foxtel, Google Play or iTunes.

You might think The Blue Planet on Stan is not quite the cocktail on a beach vibe - but seeing the immense beauty of our blue planet surely makes you want to dive, swim, float until your heart’s content, so add it to the list!

If you were planning to spend the Australian winter basking in the European sun or soaking up every part of Europe’s many cultures, we have a list for you too. You might need to turn the heater up a little bit to feel the balminess, but we’ll try our best to get your heart and mind over there with these picks:

While everyone else is out there sprouting how productive they are going to be during isolation - may we just say that it is ok to sit in your PJs all day and watch a trashy show until the cows come home. Embrace isolation! We bet you were running around like crazy before, so now take time to rest - a bit of #selfcare if you please, and what better way to do that than with a good ol’ show that transports you to one of the greatest cities on earth - New York!

Or perhaps your New York trip has been postponed? Never fear - we've wrapped up the best TV shows set in New York City.

Name a show or movie more iconically New York than Sex and the City, we’ll wait. 

Ok fine, there are some other great binge options -  Friends on Stan, Gossip Girl on Netflix and of course Brooklyn 99 (Netlfix and SBS). We better throw in a classic while we’re here too, so add the movie Taxi Driver to your list. 

Stuck between four walls has us seriously missing vast open spaces, fresh air, adventure, spectacular landscapes… we could really go on all day, but instead we’re sharing the best TV shows and movies about nature that will be a holiday for your eyeballs. 

First up, The Secret life of Walter Mitty. The scenery in this film is phenomenal. Like, seriously. It’s a feel-good movie, but it really is the natural landscapes that will blow you away. It's set mostly in Iceland, and fair warning now, if you watch this, it’s highly likely you’ll be booking a trip there as soon as you’re allowed out your front door. 

If you’re a bit of an adrenaline-junkie then The Dawn Wall is for you

The film follows the inspiring journey of rock climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson from January 2015 when they successfully overcame the seemingly impossible 3,000 foot rock in California's Yosemite National Park. It’s nail-bitingly good and will give you that adrenaline hit you’ve been missing. 

If, after #iso, you just want to go on a really long walk or road trip… here is your travel inspo: Into The Wild on Netflix, Wild on Youtube and Expedition Happiness on Netflix. Hit the road, the track, or go where it’s completely uncharted. It’s time for adventure.

Bonus - if you strangely can't get enough of infectious diseases, then watch Pandemic on Netflix, Contagion and Quarantine on Youtube, weirdo. 

Ok, that's a wrap and should keep you busy for at least a week, but if you need more Destination Isolation to-do's - check these out: