While YouTube is a veritable treasure trove of travel inspiration, it can be daunting to figure out exactly what to watch. So, to help you sort the wheat from the chaff, here are eight fantastic channels that are well worth a follow. With more than 4,000 videos between the lot, you’re sure to find something that satisfies those travel cravings!
Drew Binsky
Drew has been travelling since 2012 and has visited a staggering 194 countries. He’s also broken two world records – the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites visited in 24 hours and the fastest time to pack a suitcase (35.59 seconds, if you want to put your suitcase to use and take him on).
Drew’s aim is to ‘shatter stereotypes that the world is unsafe’. His videos often focus on the people he meets on his adventures: from coffin dancers in Accra to Bernadette, the ‘queen of fabric’, in Bujumbura City Market, Burundi. If you’re a traveller on a budget, Drew’s got you covered; check out his playlist of What $10 can get you in… videos.
Kara and Nate
If you’re looking to settle in for some serious binge watching, Kara and Nate’s channel is for you. In 2016 the couple packed two carry-on bags and took a one-way flight to Tokyo, intending to spend a single year travelling before getting back to their everyday lives. Then the travel bug hit.
By 2020, they’d visited 100 countries, from Kazakhstan to Fiji and plenty more besides. If you want to watch their entire journey from the beginning you can, but be warned – you have over 700 videos to catch up on, so grab some snacks before pressing play!. More recently, the couple have been exploring closer to home – driving their converted van through the USA.
Alex Outhwaite
Backpacker Alex’s channel has recently featured a range of destinations, from Uzbekistan to East Yorkshire, so you’re bound to find something that makes you want to plan your next adventure. Her most recent video showcases her road trip across ‘one of the most beautiful places in the world’, Ladakh, where she immerses herself in local culture and takes in jaw-dropping scenery.
Her How are travel lovers dealing with lockdown around the world? video also offers comfort for those of us who just want to jump on the first plane to anywhere — we will get back on the road eventually!
GRRRLTRAVELER | Christine Kaaloa
‘It’s not a vacation until you survive it’ is Chrisine Kaaloa’s motto. Her aim is to give inexperienced solo travellers the confidence they need to take that first step out of their comfort zone and travel alone. On her channel you’ll find advice on how to navigate the countries she’s visited as a solo traveller, street food tours and practical tips.
Christine also recently shared her top travel vlogging tips, so after you’ve made your way through her videos you can have a go at creating some of your own.
Allan Su
Allan’s recent videos feature some serious long-distance hiking – 90 miles along the Italian Dolomites’s Alta Via 1 and a solo hike along Iceland’s Laugavegur Trail. How about that for a daily walk?! Watch them from the comfort of your sofa and feel inspired to lace up your hiking boots and get out there (even if the furthest you can venture right now is the corner shop).
Hiking aside, if you’re dreaming of visiting Iceland, the Faroe Islands or Japan, head to Allan’s channel to check out his video guides.
Samuel and Audrey – Travel and Food Videos
As their channel name would suggest, Samuel and Audrey’s videos are a must-watch for foodies.
Join them as they sample Korean street food, take a wine-tasting tour of northern Argentina, or attempt to cook authentic Italian lasagne and tiramisu at home (beats making banana bread for the 100th time!).
Backpacking Bananas
From sharing her biggest financial mistakes as a solo traveller to offering advice on how to successfully pack a carry-on bag for a six-month trip, Christianne’s channel is perfect for anyone who is dreaming of embarking on a backpacking adventure the second we’re allowed to travel freely again.
She’s currently living in Mexico, so her ‘day in the life’ videos are the perfect escapism.
Geography Now
So you’ve made your way around the world via vlogs and want to learn a little more about the destinations you’ve virtually visited? Geography Now, ‘the first and only YouTube channel that actively attempts to cover profiles on every single country of the world’, has you covered. Presenter Paul’s videos are informative, engaging and snappy – in the time it’d take for you to watch an episode of Coronation Street you could swot up on the geography, history, politics and culture of the Solomon Islands.
If you’re a keen vexillologist you’ll love Flag Friday which does what it says on the tin – explains the history of and symbolism behind each nation’s flag. The channel began in 2016 with an Afghanistan fact file, and the countries are being covered alphabetically; they’re now up to S, so there’s plenty to catch up on and plenty to look forward to.