Andy LamWhether you’re someone who’s constantly dreaming of travelling year-round (but can’t because of obvious reasons) or are looking for inspiration on where to go for your next trip, travel shows have always presented us exciting new places to explore. And we love the fact that they shine a spotlight on previously hidden gems!
Beyond that, travel shows can give us a glimpse of humanity from other parts of the globe and showcase just how similar and different we all are without us having to leave our house. And a neat aspect of these shows is that there are pieces of information and a lot of entertainment for just about any kind of viewer. Lucky for us, such content is easy for us to access in this age we live in. If you have an internet connection and pretty much any kind of device, then there’s a way for you to watch, whether you stream, download, or watch shows on Netflix.
So, we’ve put together a diverse list of travel shows that we all personally love and we hope these can inspire your future travels too!
Also read: 14 Virtual Tours For Quarantined Travellers
1. For good old fashioned, down to earth travel with a heart
Image credit: Anthony Bourdain’s Official Instagram
Who else should be on top of this list other than Anthony Bourdain?
Bourdain never treated anyone with an air of superiority. He always saw the people he encountered in his travels as humans who simply live a little differently than he does. He never demanded to be the centre of attention and is a willing participant in almost every activity. If you want to see what I’m talking about, check out Parts Unknown. Watch out for the episode of his adventure in Manila (during Christmas, no less!) and his lunch with Obama in Hanoi.
2. For unique adventures with a side of funny
Image credit: Team Coco Official Instagram Page
While Conan O’Brien and Jack Whitehall aren’t exactly the first names that come to mind when you think of travel hosts, they sure know how to adapt their humour to a different context.
Conan without Borders is a series of segments that Conan does for his talk show, but believe me when I say that his own version of a travel show is absolutely hilarious and some of the best out there. From Haiti to Cuba, and from South Korea (with Steven Yeun!) to Israel, the series has never had a shortage of stories to tell and people to entertain. Jack Whitehall, on the other hand, takes his father Michael (who is the embodiment of the British stiff upper lip) on the gap year he never had through their travel show Travels with My Father.
Aside from making you laugh, both shows take the time to pay their respects and tell stories that are not often told. An example would be when Travels with My Father shone a light on the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime or when Conan went to Armenia to visit the Armenian Genocide Memorial with his Armenian assistant Sona.
Travels with my Father also gets props for visiting plenty of lesser-known destinations in addition to popular ones, while Conan sets himself apart by going to the streets and very hilariously interacting with locals. Both shows are currently available on Netflix but some of Conan’s more latest releases are available on YouTube.
3. For a dash of dry English wit
We would consider a travel host to be a genus of a man who is either highly knowledgeable or a curious creature craving for more. Regardless, they’re engaged, endearingly charming, and very much enjoy the art of travelling while learning new cultures. Richard Ayoade is none of that.
The deadpan English comedian would very much rather not travel, which makes his show Travel Man all the more hilarious with its 48-hour adventures. This is specially made better with the company of a different celebrity each week for Ayoade to bounce off of. The selection of celebrities is often a mix of fellow comedians from the UK or world-famous actors like Jon Hamm and Paul Rudd. The show features also the footage of unique travel experiences set against Ayoade’s witty commentary.
Outside of its entertainment value, the show actually lists down the different attractions, their location, and corresponding price in case you might actually want to go there (yes, even for the exceedingly expensive ones). Huge chunks of the show can be found on YouTube for the best binging experience.
4. When you want to torture yourself looking at food for days
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Oh, food, the joy of our existence. Of course, food and travel go together. Where can we even begin? You can start off with David Chang’s Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner and follow it up with Phil Rosenthal’s Somebody Feed Phil or Chef’s Table, all of which brings us to far corners of the earth to take a look at how the rest of the world lives through food.
Samin Nosrat’s Salt Fat Acid Heat, on the other hand, is a cooking thesis that travels around the world to prove it while looking at cooking techniques and the ingredients that make it. For a dose of diverse Americana, check out The Chef Show with Roy Choi and Jon Favreau, as well as some of David Chang’s other show, Ugly Delicious.
5. When you want your heart to race
Image credit: Jeremy Clarkson Official Instagram
If slow and leisurely isn’t your pace, then a heart-pumping adventure is just within reach. As if travelling itself isn’t hard enough, you can appease your adrenaline-seeking soul by watching Amazing Race’s around the world adventures where teams complete riddles, vie for transportation, talk to locals, and perform tasks. It’s been entertaining for close to two decades now and they still haven’t run out of things to do.
On the other side of the coin is the Top Gear trio with their new travel show The Grand Tour. This show takes them to far-flung areas riding the best and most unique kinds of transport available. Delight in the trio’s adventures and misadventures from riding boats in Vietnam and Cambodia to beach buggies in Namibia. All episodes of the show are available on Amazon Prime.
6. For morbidly macabre things
You already have your serial killer docs and your supernatural investigations, why not take dark tourism out for a spin?
From exorcisms to real-life vampires, ghost cities, and Voodoo, Dark Tourist takes you to the sites of famous murders like the Manson murders and Dahmer, as well as disaster locations like the Fukushima and Soviet Union nuclear testing sites to bring you up close and personal. It’s a great look at the world of those who partake in the supernatural and cult followings formed after atrocities, as well as a cultural peek into afterlife traditions around the world.
Also read: 8 Lessons I Learned from My Travel Hiatus (So Far)
At the end of the day, there’s never a shortage of travel shows. Whether you prefer full-length shows for entertainment, documentaries for education, or travel stories for inspiration, there’s content for you out there. It’s just up to you to find your niche. Which one of these shows looks interesting to you? Let us know in the comments!
