In our ‘9 International Travel Tips for Travelers’ post, we suggested doing research before visiting a new place. While this may be a given, you can have more fun than just rudimentary research with the aid of virtual reality (VR). The idea of virtual tourism has been around for a while, allowing aspiring travelers to get a taste of a certain experience or tour prior to doing so in real life. This is an even more popular thing to take part in now that we’re living in COVID-19 times. Initially, this proved better in theory due to poor graphics, glitches, and unprecedented feelings of nausea overwhelming the senses. However, developers have stepped up their game – quite literally – and now, a number of these VR experiences actually integrate games to put users into the role of an adventurer, giving them the reins to control and experience travel like a pro.
History
photo source: pexels
Just last year, artifacts from Egyptian King Tutankhamun’s tomb were displayed in London’s Saatchi Gallery, and the famous exhibit featured a seven-minute narrated VR experience by CityLights where visitors sat in egg-shaped chairs that moved in time with visuals as they cruised around the tomb. Viewers were guided around the confines of the tomb, witnessing wall carvings and other paraphernalia firsthand with photogrammetry and volumetric capture in which objects were captured three-dimensionally. CityLights are now actually working on a VR app to bring this experience to people at home.
This is unsurprising, as destinations like this have long been used by gaming companies looking to tap into the public interest surrounding the famous tombs. From Tomb Raider to Assassin’s Creed companies have helped people explore the ruins of Ancient Egyptian tombs. Even mobile gaming platforms have tapped into this demand. Among Cheeky Bingo’s library of games that transport you to far-flung places, there are six dedicated to exploring ancient Egypt. From Loot’enkhamun and the Dead Sea Scrolls, which is a play on words of ‘King Tut,’ to the Vault of Anubis dedicated to the Egyptian god of mummification – you can choose your own adventure and learn a little bit of history while you’re at it. Yet nothing will compare to the experience of actually seeing the artifacts from Egyptian King Tutankhamun’s tomb or walking around the real tomb, which is why VR is a huge step forward.
Nature
If you want a little teaser to the outside world, there are several nature-themed VR experiences that bring you to the great outdoors. The Grand Canyon VR Experience is both a visual tour and game that allows its players to choose a mode of transportation. Whether you are on a standup paddleboard or motorized kayak, you can control the speed while exploring waterfalls, cliffs, rock formations, and animals in the wild in your preferred night or day setting. For an illusion of a tropical vacation without a scuba license, World of Diving is a multiplayer VR game that brings you to the depths of the ocean. You can discover hidden treasures and shipwrecks, accomplish missions with other divers, while swimming amidst colorful marine life and snapping pictures. Although it’s not quite realistic compared to an actual dive, it still elicits the same feelings of awe and relaxation from being underwater.
Fantasy
For a hint of fantasy to amplify a travel experience in ways that aren’t humanly possible if you were to visit them yourself, Trek: Travel Around the World combines elements of magic realism that up the ante of your average travel tour. With the goal of challenging how people see and interact with the world, this game allows you to do things out of the ordinary. You can step into the shoes of a giant and move buses and buildings in Helsinki, trace constellations in the sky, or even set off fireworks at the Taj Mahal.
For another travel experience – one that is out of this world, Adrift launches you into outer space, or more specifically, to a space station in ruins. Embarking on a first-person adventure, players need to attempt to stay alive and navigate the disaster while uncovering the reason behind its explosion and learning about former inhabitants – all while conserving air supply.
The world is your oyster! These VR experiences give you the opportunity to tick off more places on your bucket list than you ever thought possible – and even be in two places at once. In the meantime, swap out your passports for headsets, computer screens, or smartphones and let these be your tickets to seeing the world.
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