WE all need a little escapism right now. Comparison site mylatedeals.com has rounded up a host of great travel shows – all available to stream now and perfect for anyone with wanderlust.
So pick up your passport (OK, the remote) and witness the world from your sofa.
SACRED WONDERS
Many of the world’s best-known landmarks have been inspired by faith. In this series, the amazing things people do in the name of faith in some of the most spectacular places on Earth are revealed.
Pictured is Shi Yandian,a student monk at the Shaolin Temple in China, who on the show is training to become a warrior monk. The series is narrated by Sue Perkins.
Stream on: BBC iPlayer
Series: One
Total episodes: Three
Visited: Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Great Mosque of Djenné in Mali, the Golden Temple in India, Nachi Falls in Japan, The Shaolin Temple in China, Masada in Israel, The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
JACK WHITEHALL: TRAVELS WITH MY FATHER
Part travel documentary, part road trip comedy hosted by the stand-up comedian and his dad Michael. In the first series, the pair go on a gap year-style trip across South East Asia. Series two follows them on a European road trip and in series three they see America.
Stream on: Netflix
Series: Three
Total episodes: 13
Visited: Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Turkey, the US.
DARK TOURIST
David Farrier visits locations associated with death and destruction, such as Medellin, Colombia, once one of the world’s most dangerous cities, thanks to its association with drug lord Pablo Escobar, and the town of Tomioka, which was evacuated during the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Stream on: Netflix
Series: One
Total episodes: Eight
Visited: Latin America, Japan, United States, Europe, South East Asia and Africa.
OUR PLANET
This landmark series transports nature lovers from deserts to grasslands to the depths of the ocean and everywhere in between. Narrated by David Attenborough, the documentary features footage of rarely seen animals and highlights humanity’s impact on habitats and species. The series was filmed across 64 different countries.
Stream on: Netflix
Series: One
Total episodes: Eight
Visited: The Arctic wilderness, Africa and South America.
AN IDIOT ABROAD
With no interest in travel, Karl Pilkington is out of his comfort zone when Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant send him on once-in-a-lifetime trips. Series one documents Pilkington visiting the New Seven Wonders of the World. He is on a bucket list tour in the second series and travels Marco Polo’s route to China with Warwick Davis in the third.
Stream on: Now TV
Series: Three
Total episodes: 19
Visited: Alaska, Russia and Macedonia, among other places.
THE GRAND TOUR
Technically a motoring show but Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May visit loads of glamorous locations. At each – including Johannesburg, Lapland and California – they attempt extraordinary things, from training with the SAS in Jordan to saving coral reefs in Barbados and road tripping on the “Romantic Road” in British SUVs.
Stream on: Amazon Prime
Series: Four
Total episodes: 39
Visited: USA, Portugal, South Africa and Jordan, to name a few.
TRAVEL MAN: 48 HOURS IN . . .
The quirky series with Richard Ayoade follows the comedian and film-maker to a major city in each episode along with a celebrity guest. The show is useful for anyone planning a trip to one of Richard’s destinations. Every episode is sure to make you laugh, thanks to the IT Crowd star’s dry sense of humour.
Stream on: All 4
Series: Ten
Total episodes: 43
Visited: Barcelona, Istanbul, Iceland, Marrakech, Vienna and Paris, to name a few.
FRANKIE BOYLE’S TOUR OF SCOTLAND
According to the man himself: “There comes a time in every comedian’s career when they decide to do travelogues.” This is his. As he travels across Scotland on his stand-up tour, Frankie meets a mix of people in all sorts of places. He asks unusual questions and, as you would expect from the comic, there is adult content and sarcasm.
Stream on: BBC iPlayer
Series: One
Total episodes: Four
Visited: Aberdeen, Oban, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Ayr.
ANTHONY BOURDAIN: PARTS UNKNOWN
This series focuses on other cuisines, cultures and politics and was presented by the late celebrity chef, author and traveller. Viewers can follow Bourdain, who died in 2018, as he eats and chats his way around less explored countries such as Libya and Myanmar. The series finale sees him back in his home town of New York.
Stream on: Amazon Prime
Series: 12
Total episodes: 104
Visited: Myanmar, Libya, Colombia and Congo to name a few.
JAMES MAY: OUR MAN IN JAPAN
James embarks on a journey across Japan in a bid to understand the Land of the Rising Sun. In this documentary he travels from the icy north to its balmy south, seeing the sights, meeting locals and eating noodles along his way. Highlights include a visit to the Kanamara Matsuri penis festival in Kawasaki City.
Stream on: Amazon Prime
Series: One
Total episodes: Six
Visited: Cape Soya, Tohoku, Fukushima, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Shikoku.