How to explore the world from home during coronavirus lockdown including virtual cliff-diving


The Armchair Traveller reveals how to explore the world from home: Discover breathtaking cliff-diving locations and Europe’s best cycle tours

  • Red Bull’s YouTube channel has a 20-minute tour of stunning cliff-diving spots
  • Bike firm Freewheel Holidays holds weekly webinars about cycle tours in Europe 
  • Access a playlist of Portuguese-themed music heard in five-star therapy rooms  

From cliff-diving to cycle holidays and even five-star spas, Neil Simpson reveals how you can still explore the world from home during lockdown.

If you have a head for heights, take a 20-minute tour of some of the world’s most stunning coastlines and paradise islands in the Eleven Breath-taking Cliff Diving Locations travelogue on Red Bull’s official YouTube channel.

Cliff divers, including Britain’s Blake Aldridge, reveal their favourite places, from the ‘lost world’ of Palawan Island in the Philippines to the craggy coastlines and sparkling waters of Mexico, Beirut, the Azores, Denmark, Italy and more. Other videos on the channel include mini-travel guides filmed by people lucky enough to make a living skiing, surfing, climbing or kayaking amid some of the world’s most beautiful scenery.

Flight of fancy: Blake Aldridge leaps for glory during the Red Bull cliff-diving world series event at Wadi Shab, Oman

There’s more sporty inspiration in weekly webinars held on Zoom by bike firm Freewheel Holidays. In each chat, staff highlight different cycle tours in Europe and beyond. Start times and log-in links are at freewheelholidays.co.uk – the next talk describes the Danube Cycle Path and bike trips to Innsbruck and Salzburg in Austria.

Other trips include small group tours along the coast of Croatia, ‘bike and barge’ trips in Provence and e-bike holidays through a ‘secret gorge’ in Poland.

If that sounds a bit exhausting, you may prefer to focus on the best places to relax after some post-lockdown sightseeing. A flick though 300 photographs in glossy hardback The World’s Sexiest Bedrooms gives plenty of ideas, from the Soneva Jani resort in the Maldives to the remote Outpost hotel in South African’s Kruger National Park. The book, published by luxury travel club mrandmrssmith.com, includes reviews from Stella McCartney and Raymond Blanc. The club website also has a spa collection including 100 private villas from Tuscany to Thailand, all with pools and spa access.

Bike firm Freewheel Holidays holds weekly webinars about different cycle tours in Europe and beyond – the next talk describes the Danube Cycle Path (above) and bike trips to Innsbruck and Salzburg in Austria

Bike firm Freewheel Holidays holds weekly webinars about different cycle tours in Europe and beyond – the next talk describes the Danube Cycle Path (above) and bike trips to Innsbruck and Salzburg in Austria

Spa-lovers can bring the sounds of summer into their homes as therapists from around the world rush to put their playlists online. The Longevity Wellness Worldwide Playlist on Spotify and elsewhere gives two hours of relaxing, Portuguese-themed music heard in five-star therapy rooms on the Algarve.

For the equally soothing sounds of nature tune in to The Sounds Of The Amazon, with two unique, hour-long recordings of the water, weather and wildlife of the jungle, one by day, the other by night. Listen for free by clicking on The Experience at delfinamazoncruises.com, where you can also read about pink river dolphins and daydream about one of the world’s most incredible river cruises. 

An equally endangered rainforest lies across the Atlantic in West Africa. The Guinean Forest is home to 330 species of bird, 600 varieties of butterfly and 1,000 different plants. A £26 donation with goodgifts.org helps preserve half an acre from illegal logging and other threats.