Are you dreaming of that next adventure? We all need to get away at some point. It’s hard to decide where to go, when to go, and why to pick one destination over another. Luckily television (teacher, mother, secret lover) is here to help. Netflix has a long list of travel shows to stoke the fires of your wanderlust.
Here are some of the best travel shows on Netflix streaming, available to watch right now.
8) Expedition Unknown
This is your classic premise. Send dude to crazy places with some semblance of historical, or mythical significance. Hijinks and growth ensue with the locals and their culture. Josh Gates is your adventurer filling in gaps from our popular history and culture as he travels every corner of the world. He’s not reinventing the wheel here, but he is fun to watch. And sometimes that’s enough to get your wanderlust in gear and get you headed out the door.
7) Rock the Park
Jack Steward and Colton Smith adventure across the United States aiming to visit, trek, explore and experience every National Park in the country. It’s pretty awesome. They seem like two pretty cool guys to share a pint with after a long trek through Denali. The pace of the show is pretty fast and they cover a most of the USA in just two seasons. The show also reminds us that we don’t always have to break the bank, or travel insane distances to travel and grow — there’s an amazing world to see within the United States.
6) I’ll Have What Phil’s Having
This is another travel show that’s anchored in food as the gateway to new cultures. Eating local food prepared by people who’ve been doing it for centuries has always been one of the greatest aspects of travel. You find yourself truly enjoying this series as Phil happily bounces around the planet, even though he isn’t going anywhere crazy or dangerous. He’s hitting a well-worn traveler’s trail and that’s okay. It makes the show and his travels very accessible to travellers new and old .
5) Human Planet
This companion piece to the Planet Earth series is every bit as captivating as the original. What makes this docuseries stand above the rest is its unflinching view of humanity. There are people out there living almost unfathomable lives to the average westerner. Yet there they are. Realizing there is so much more to humanity than what your life represents is a cornerstone of travel, life, and personal evolution.
4) Parts Unknown
Anthony Bourdain has spent the better part of the last two decades perfecting our age’s travel show. Parts Unknown is the gold standard for which all others grasp. Our own Vince Mancini has given you a reason to watch for the food aspects. I couldn’t agree more. However, the real heart of Parts Unknown is travel and people. The food is often tertiary.
Bourdain realized long ago that going to a place is more about walking around and eating food than having a canned experience. Sometimes he misses the mark (Peru, Libya, Congo episodes, I’m looking at you). More often that not Bourdain gives you an insight that takes real balls to find.
3) Planet Earth
This is the show of shows. BBC spent years filming the wild world and, wow, did it pay off. This series single-handily set a new bar in what is possible in worldwide, nature based documentary cinematography. Touching on each geographical area the world has to offer, Planet Earth is a feast for the eyes. It also offers a glimpse into the natural soul of the planet in an intimate and brutal way. It may seem a little odd for a travel list. I’ll counter that if this series doesn’t make you want to travel the wonders of the natural world, nothing will. If film crews can go, you can, too.
2) Long Way Down & 1) Long Way Round
Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman’s circumnavigation is the stuff of legend among travelers. London to New York on an off road. Then they did it again a few years later traveling from John O’Groats in Scotland to Cape Town, South Africa. Oh, did I mention, they did these trips on motorcycles. What really makes these series stand out is that they show you what it takes to plan, prepare, and execute a massive worldwide adventure. Early episodes even serve as a short film school course in travel documentary filmmaking with the series’ directors. More importantly, they do not shy away from embarrassment and failure. And they fail a lot. They always get back up. They always work together. They always find solutions. They always embrace the wild and crazy world around them. That is what travel is all about.
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