Traveling is a treat for the soul, and if you are a true wanderlust, no film can give you the right amount of enthusiasm than a well compiled and thoughtful travel documentary. Therefore, for the wanderlust in you, here is a compilation of ten documentaries on traveling that will keep you hooked to your couch and make you feel a longing to travel.
- The Grand Tour:
One of the most successful documentaries web series is The Grand Tour that gets featured on Amazon Prime. This travel show has high ratings on IMDb and is similar to the British show Top Gear. In each episode, the characters travel to a new city and cover various sites in a top-end car, with the episode also involving a guest celebrity.
The hosts travel around the world to places like Dubai, Johannesburg, Stuttgart, California, etc., with unique activities like training with special forces, traversing crocodile-infested waters in beach buggies, traveling in the Mekong in boats, traveling Scotland in classic American cars, etc. In the Madagascar episode, the hosts also covered a waterside holiday park. If you are a fan of traveling in fast cars and on adventure trips, this documentary is a must-watch.
- James May: Our Man in Japan:
A travel documentary series by host James May, Our Man in Japan, covers the host’s journey from north to south in Japan. May engages in several cultural activities of Japan like Japanese Samurai sword-making, road, rail, and air transport to cover Japan, trying Japanese noodles, attending Japanese festivals, bathing in the hot pools of Japan, snowball fighting, eating octopus and sushi, and visiting Japanese countryside. This show is a must-watch for anyone planning to travel to Japan.
- Ethiopia by TukTuk:
If you want to travel to a country in Tuk Tuk, Ethiopia by Tuk Tuk is a must-watch travel documentary film. This film has 11 travelers using 3 Tuk Tuks to traverse over 1550 miles in Southern Ethiopia, spanning over 18 days. The documentary covers the ethnic groups on the banks of the Omo river and several social projects, including one on road safety awareness.
- Clarkson’s Farm:
Jeremy Clarkson from the Top Gear show fame hosts this legendary documentary called Clarkson’s Farm, which showcases farm life in Britain. The show is a must-watch for any travel enthusiast who likes spending more time in the countryside alongside the farmers. Clarson, a novice at farming, tries to run a farm in rural Britain amidst a series of problems like bad weather, taming animals, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
- The Last Great Climb:
This 2013 documentary is a must-watch for any adrenaline rush-seeking mountaineer. The Last Great Climb is about climber Lea Houlding and his team attempting to climb the northeastern ridge of the Ulvetanna peak in Queen Maud Land in Antarctica. The documentary shows how difficult climbing can be in extreme environments.
- Unbounded: A Journey through Patagonia
This 2018 documentary covers the less traveled areas of Chile. If you are looking forward to a journey through remote areas of South America, then Unbounded is the proper travel documentary for you. The Great Patagonian trail is the longest continuous trail in South America. The documentary covers a crew of four people traveling through dense forests, deserts, snow-capped mountains, and active volcanoes over four months.
- Around the World in 80 days without money
This 2021 documentary takes inspiration from the famous Jules Verne novel with an added flavor of traveling without money. For all the budget-conscious travelers who keep postponing their travel plans for the excuse of money, “Around the World in 80 Days without Money” is a must-watch. The documentary shows how two travelers traveled 47000kms, 19 countries, and four continents in 80 days without any funds and with only a camera.
The journey started from Europe and then into Russia, entering India via Iran and Pakistan. From India, they went to Thailand, Malaysia, the Americas, and back to Europe. Through this documentary, the travelers were able to prove that good people exist all around the world.
- The world’s most amazing vacation rentals
This web series on Netflix is for all kinds of travelers who need advice on vacation rentals across the globe. “The world’s most amazing vacation rentals” covers three travelers who, irrespective of budget, explore several vacation rentals at top tourist destinations worldwide and share their expert reviews on them. The episodes cover beachfront villas in Bali, cattle ranches in the US, igloos in Finland, B&Bs in Mexico, bungalows in private Caribbean islands, Japanese ski resorts, medieval gothic homes, cozy forest cabins, and many more.
- Somebody feed Phil
Somebody feed Phil is an excellent travel documentary web series that is a must-watch for every traveler who wants to check out the local cuisines at a destination. In this show, Phil Rosenthal travels the globe to try out local authentic cuisines and cultures. The show covers the street food of Bangkok, crawfish in New Orleans, tacos and tortillas in Mexico City, tteokbokki in Seoul, bagels of Montreal, ostrich and antelope at Cape Town, a steak at New York, fruit and feijoada at Rio de Janeiro, hawker markets of Singapore and many more.
- Dark Tourist
Dark Tourist is a unique travel documentary show meant for only the strong at heart and brave enough to travel to some weird and unsafe destinations. Journalist David Farrier travels to unusual and dangerous destinations worldwide like drug-infested areas of Colombia, nuclear radiation spots in Japan, a World War 2 reenactment museum in Cyprus, a voodoo festival in Africa, a haunted house in the US, etc.
Conclusion
To summarize, the above ten documentaries are just a drop in the ocean of documentaries, but the list will help you plan your next trip well as per your preferences. Apart from the documentaries listed above, do check out youtube videos of tourism offices of various cities. You will find many good vlogs associated with the channels that will delight you.
