With a library as huge as Netflix, it’s hard to pick the best travel shows on Netflix, but we’re here to help you with that.
Of course, it is ironic that as the world opens up again after the pandemic, the cost of living has skyrocketed. We think that means putting off this week at the beach in Barcelona again. sigh.
Still, there’s always armchair travel… no, stay with us! Netflix (Opens in a new tab) It has an excellent inventory of shows to watch for those in a bad case of wanderlust; From food-focused and challenging excursions to mesmerizing views of other world cultures with some great scenery providing the backdrop.
Whether it’s mini European vacations or Southeast Asian vacations that make you dream of faraway places, here are 10 of the best things to inspire you on your next travels. Just think of them as additional research for your bucket list trip…
delicious ugly
A fast-paced travel story that combines food and travel together – well, why mess with a classic mix? – See David Chang, president of the noodle giant Momofuku, weighs in on all the most important nutrients and how different cultures around the world make them.
Obviously, this means pizza from Italy, but a raised slice of the pie in Tokyo; Tacos from a popular L.A. food truck, but a traditional Mexican twist from Noma’s. A good series of excursions drives the imagination and our views of the world and that certainly gives us a fill.
Waffle + mochi
On the face of it, this is a cute children’s show, which executive produced and stars Michelle Obama, no less, but it’s actually one of the best examples of a series that doubles down on being entertaining for kids and adults.
A show based on a moon-shoeed creature made of frozen waffles and a mochi ball might not make any sense at all, but who cares when that’s fun? The two blood buddies – who work in a supermarket, along with Mrs. Obama – learn about different foods and travel the world to do so; From hiking high in the Andes to try potatoes to sourcing the best herbs and spices from a market in Venice, Italy.
together
South Korean singer and actor Lee Seung-gi and Taiwanese favorite Jasper Liu are at the heart of this 2020 series; The couple are challenged by fans to missions across Asia, despite speaking different languages. challenge accepted!
In stunning locations across Indonesia, Thailand, and Nepal, the duo prove they’re more than just handsome faces as they conquer treasure hunts and toys like rocks, paper and scissors to end up in the final destination of Seoul. Kind of like a Squid game, on the road, but without all the death.
The best vacation rentals in the world
If your thumb ends up idle scrolling the Airbnb app at your leisure; This is the right offer for you. Three brave explorers—well, hosts with seemingly unlimited expense accounts—travel the world to find the best places to rest your head on vacation. Not all luxury cabins are on stilts in the Maldives, as the chain prides itself on catering to all budgets and all tastes.
At the top of our wish list is the area 55 ready-made futuro glamping pod ($225 per night), or the glass-domed eco-lodge—complete with sauna—in the heart of a Finnish winter wonderland ($500 a casual night). It’s time to save.
Down To Earth With Zac Efron
Zac Efron, you say? Twin Heartthrop from High School Musical, Zac Efron? Yes, but he’s now the poster boy for sustainable travel, making an unexpected career choice again in 2020 Down To Earth with Zac Efron.
With his big energy in the year, Zach travels to places like Iceland, Sardinia, Peru, and the Amazon to learn about eco-life and renewable energy, which is much more interesting than it sounds at first, and arguably the way we should all think about travel now.
Big Narstie’s Big Jamaica
“The Man on a Mission to the Motherland: Jamaica,” great rapper Paige Narsty told us at the start of our 2020 travel document, and we are honored to be able to join him. The rapper’s parents hail from Jamaica, and he leaves home once again with a candid and intelligent look at the dance floor culture and food scene.
Cut for some great munchies: a mix of Jamaican and Chinese food from the Jamaican equivalent of a ‘highway cafe’. “My stomach comes first!” Narsti says. Naturally.
traveling with dad
Love him or hate him, there’s just something so fun about Jack Whitehall traveling the world with his feisty old father who “hates being away from home.”
The father-son duo takes places like Thailand, Romania, and Australia in more than five series, and even if you fall into the “hate” side, it’s always fun watching Jack get reduced to size by his no-nonsense, sorry, “Babi” dad. Lots of playing with the “luxury Brits on the Tour” stereotype, this sometimes scripted series certainly won’t do much for our nation’s worldwide reputation, but it does make for a fun watch.
41 peaks
There are light leisure travel like The Adventures of the Whitehall Family above: then there are death-defying excursions that can only be described as an extreme vacation. The 14 peaks are certainly the last, as they follow the British-Nepalese high-altitude climber, Nirmal Purja, as he attempts to ascend all the 14 8,000 feet mountains of the world in seven months.
Hiking the very dangerous peaks — which require oxygen masks beyond 7,500 feet — across China, Pakistan and Nepal, this documentary also traces the high altitudes of human endurance. Does he manage what he plans to achieve? Well, we’ll leave that up to you to find out.
happiness happiness
A loving German couple decide to separate Berlin from life in this self-portrait documentary #Real Life. Mowgli — aka Salima — and her boyfriend Felix (who previously filmed himself riding a bike around the world for the Netflix doc Pedal The World) bought an old American school bus for $9,500, turning it into the largest number of apartments on wheels. Planning to fly from Alaska to Argentina.
After a moment when they feel that immigration to the United States will not give them a visa, they are soon on the road, traveling through gorgeous mountain scenery, turquoise lakes, and beautiful and lively small towns in Mexico. There are mishaps along the way – and they have to divert their trip at the last minute – but it’s nice to be along the way.
Dark Tourist
Still burnt can’t jump on a plane to heaven now? Honestly, watching this show, you might be very happy that your bum left a lasting imprint on your sofa.
Host, Kiwi journalist David Farrer explores the dark underside of tourism; From reenactments of border crossings in Mexico and the killing spree of the Manson family to a visit to the still-highly radioactive Fukushima nuclear power plant, its display—disturbingly—on the latest military weaponry in Phnom Penh. Probably else staycation isn’t too bad after all…