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Travel today is no longer limited to in-person experiences, thanks to technology and devices, there are numerous immersive ways to virtually discover new destinations. Our platform of digital experiences covers a wide range of interests and countries, providing everyone – from people with disabilities, caregivers who can’t get away, or individuals who are less mobile or not of age to travel independently – a chance to explore dream destinations without having to pack a suitcase or use their passport. Additionally, as top-rated expert local guides host them, these online, interactive encounters go into greater detail and background than the average visitor who visits for the first time, on a budget or a limited schedule. This month, join us for a first-hand experience of some unique destinations.
Hike Machu Picchu Without The Hassles Planning an in-person trip to see this symbol of the Inca Empire on the eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains comes with a few challenges. Not only are tickets hard to come by but the weather can be unpredictable and depending on the trail of interest, there are limited permits issued daily. For sustainably-minded travelers, the question of visiting an already over touristed destination also poses a quandary. We offer a private experience conducted in English or Spanish that will take you on a virtual tour broadcasted live from the highest viewpoint so you can drink in the beauty of its advanced architecture terraces with its giant rock walls and ramps at leisure, and without any altitude sickness. Visit the Great Pyramids & Ride a Camel in an Afternoon Built over 5,000 years ago, the Pyramids of Giza are truly a marvel of human ingenuity and imagination. The only Wonder of the World to remain largely intact, it’s a sight not to be missed. Unfortunately, making a trip to Egypt just to see the Pyramids of Giza is an extravagance. A country that warrants at least two weeks on the ground, for many, this is an experience that’ll be hard to juggle alongside work and family commitments. Our sightseeing tour however offers the chance to ride through the stark desert around the Giza plateau on a camel and observe the pyramids up close. Hosted by a local expert guide who will talk about the time it was built and the pharaohs who commissioned them, you’ll also have the opportunity to look at the great sphinx, all of this on the back of a camel! Join Venice Locals On a Stroll Without Dealing With Crowds The city of Venice is a bucketlist favorite of travelers for its charming, cobbled streets and footbridges. In a bid to conserve the city, daytrippers will now have to make reservations and pay a fee to visit the historic lagoon city. Skip these logistics and help preserve Venice by joining our virtual walking discovery tour across the Rialto Bridge. On this one-hour tour, you’ll explore the neighborhood of Rialto, once the banking center of Venice, and the inspiration for Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice'. Our guide will bring you to a bustling fish market and watch residents going about their day, and as the tour is offered between 6am-9pm (Venice time) you can opt to start the tour right before sunset so you’ll see the city bathed in a warm golden glow.
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Taking a vacation doesn’t have to be a once-a-year event, it can take place anytime you wish. Travel should be experienced at leisure and our wealth of virtual vacation experiences offers accessible digital opportunities to explore the world from the comfort of your laptop or mobile phone, allowing you to experience a world of destinations you’ve always dreamed about traveling to. FOR CORPORATE ACTIVITIES Is part of a company’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, consider planning team bonding activities that pair sustainable digital travel with a cultural and historical angle. Our robust platform of online experiences (from cooking classes and coffee farm tours to historical and religious presentations) can be enjoyed by team members from anywhere around the world, so everyone can select a tour or subject they’re interested in.  The Temple Mount in Jerusalem - The Holiest Place on Earth “We hosted about 20 colleagues on a virtual walking tour of Jerusalem as part of our diversity & inclusion initiatives. It was a great opportunity for our team to learn more about the roots of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Our guide was enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and he made an effort to interact with several locals during the tour to give us a real flavor of the region. It was a unique and enjoyable team-building activity and it received rave reviews from our employees!” - Brown & Brown Absence Services Group FOR SENIOR SOCIALS Walking tours are some of the best ways to explore a country and immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of a new destination. Our experiences are curated according to interest or type of experience, for instance, our “Live From The Street” unlocks a wealth of online walking tours from Auckland to Beijing, Venice, and Cape Town. Hosted by expert guides who know the ins and outs of their city, they’ll be more than happy to share their favorite spots and stories.  Live Virtual Walking Tour of Singapore's City Center “My group took its first trip with Edwin, from Singapore as our guide. It was a small group and we got to ask him many questions which he answered to our satisfaction. Edwin was funny, he repeated himself to be sure we understood what he was saying. We are all looking forward to future trips!” - Alford COA FOR SENIOR GROUPS Thanks to Beeyonder’s diverse online experiences, travel can take place anytime, anywhere, and in a group setting. Our Passport Club curates more than 350 tours across 50 countries featuring exotic locations like Siem Reap, Egypt, Croatia, and Argentina. Join other travel-loving individuals for a session of wanderlust exploring new and amazing destinations together.  Discovering Ushuaia, the Southernmost City in the World
“Barbara was extraordinary! She really went the extra distance to make the tour enjoyable and fascinating for me and my friends. It’s the second tour I’ve done with her and I look forward to going on another. I highly recommend her and her tours!” - Mike Passport Club membership costs $60 per month for a group of up to 50 people. Available as well as a 3, 6, 9 month, and annual membership. Tour schedules are available three months in advance and take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Not sure which experience to book? Drop us a line or buy a gift card that can be used at leisure. Who doesn’t dream of spending some time embracing the joys of a simpler life in Costa Rica, or as the Ticos say: “La Pura Vida”. Located on the cusp of Central and South America, Costa Rica may be a short three hours flight from Florida, but feels a world away with its abundant beaches - the country has 11 times more marine territory than land - and verdant, Jurassic forest like national parks and wealth of tropical bird species and exotic wildlife. This month, join in on live, interactive tours showing off the best of this Latin American country without losing any of your creature comforts. Enjoy the Wildlife and Nature of Cahuita National Park National parks are everywhere in Costa Rica - there are over 30 of them - and each consists of lush primary virgin rainforests and an abundance of unique floral and fauna. The raw beauty of Cahuita National Park located on the southern Costa Rican Caribbean coast though is exceptional. The park was created in 1970 to protect its coral reefs and our guide will bring you on a jungle trek that weaves through some of the most pristine Caribbean beaches. Along the way, you may spot some two and three toed-sloths, colorful snakes, or even a restless group of monkeys and monitor lizards playing about. It’s a treat for the senses. Come explore with us. Visit Manuel Antonio National Park Howler monkeys, furry-tailed squirrels, mischievous raccoons, and sun-baking sloths, you’ll likely see them all on this live interactive tour of the jewel of Costa Rica. Located off Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast, Manuel Antonio National Park may be the smallest national park in the country but it’s packed with white sand beaches, lush tropical forests, and beautiful coral reefs. Join our guide as he takes you through a rainforest walk till a pristine beach is reached where you can sit back and soak in the gorgeous scenery. Join the tour here. Trek Through Arenal Volcano National Park One of the most visited attractions in Costa Rica, the famous Arenal Volcano is home to the Instagrammable Lake Arenal and La Fortuna Waterfall. One of the few active volcanos in the world where you can still walk on trails formed out of lava, it covers 290 square miles and is a rich conservation area with eight of Costa Rica's 12 life zones and over 850 species of birds found there. Our guide will explain more about the history of the volcano, geology, and ecology of the area - and as always, in Costa Rica, expect to spot a few animals along the way! If you’re lucky, you might even spot puffs of steam from the volcano and hear a few deep rumbles. Sign up for the tour here. Explore Downtown San Jose A world away from the San Jose you might be familiar with, the capital of Costa Rica is a vibrant Latin American city packed with art galleries, parks, museums, and historical buildings with pockets of beautiful greenery like La Sabana Park and San Gerardo de Dota looking out to the Cordillera de Talamanca mountain range. Join in a walk through the city and observe how Costa Ricans (Ticos) go about their daily business and learn about the medicinal plants that have been used for centuries in Costa Rica. Join the walking tour here. Walk Through A Costa Rican Coffee Farm Here’s a fun fact: Did you know that a law was passed in Costa Rica in 1989 prohibiting the planting of low-quality beans. The only country in the world where it’s illegal to produce any type of coffee other than 100% Arabica, Costa Rican coffee is widely regarded as the best coffee in the world. Naturally blessed with ideal soil and climate for coffee beans to grow in abundance, our guide will bring you on a tour of a local coffee farm to learn all about coffee, the plant, the history, the production, even the chemistry of caffeine, and the preparation of a delicious cup of coffee in the old fashion way using a unique brewer called a chorreador, or coffee sock. Join the tour here. February may be the month we celebrate the Hallmark holiday of Valentine’s Day but there’s no reason you can’t plan something special all year round with these interactive, virtual experiences. Whether you’re looking to spice up your regular date night, out of ideas for a fun way to connect with someone you’ve just met, or organizing a virtual get to know your friends and family meeting, these virtual experiences will provide all the necessary spark, fun and romance. Explore Amsterdam on a Bike Now that you’ve done the dinners and weekday drinks, it’s time to test the waters if your romantic interest could be a potential traveling partner. Stoke his or her travel lust by exploring a new city together virtually. Hop along on a walking tour bike ride with That Dam Guide who’ll explore Amsterdam’s winding cobbled stone streets as you take in the sights of crisscrossing canals, historic houses, and picturesque bridges that dot the city center. Join the tour here. Gawk at Bolivia’s Salt Flats Together Bucket-list trips may have taken a backseat the past couple of years but that doesn’t mean you can’t surprise your love with an adventure. Follow our guide and explore "El Salar de Uyuni" the largest salt flat in the world located in the southwest of Bolivia. He’ll give you a tour of this unique semi-desert and volcanic region pointing out the rock formations, volcanic wells, and spectacular geysers that make this landscape truly one of a kind. Depending on your visit, expect to see the intense blue of the sky contrasted with the brilliant white of the salt crust, or on cloudy days, experience the “White-out” effect where the horizon is blurred until it disappears into the salt flat. Join this tour here. Shake up some Cocktails in Hoi An If you’ve missed going on random cocktail bar crawls while traveling, sign up for this storytelling/cocktail class experience hosted live in Hoi An. Enjoy a fun, interactive session where you’ll shake, mix and stir through a menu of vodka or rum-based tipples curated by professional mixologists and bartenders. All the while the host will regale you with stories from Hoi An and share evocative images of this historic trading port known for its wooden Chinese shophouses and colorful French colonial buildings. Join the experience here. Cook Some Turkish Food Together Some of the best bonding moments happen over food - after all, this might be the person you’ll be having dinner with for the rest of your life. Forge a deeper connection by learning how to cook a meal together. This live, interactive class will teach you both how to make some traditional Turkish dishes like Imam Bayildi (stuffed aubergines), Cacik (cucumber yogurt salad), and Halva (a traditional sweet pudding made with toasted flour and browned butter). End the class with the host on her terrace overlooking the quaint village of Sirince, located 12 km from the ancient city of Ephesus. Join the experience here. Join A Japanese Happy Hour Instead of popping out for a sushi/ramen date, why not treat your date to an online cocktail happy hour experience live from Japan. Aside from learning how to create two Japanese-style cocktails, you’ll pick up some professional bar basics and get to quiz the host on anything cocktail or Japan-related in terms of culture, travel, or food. As a bonus they’ll also dish on their best-kept Tokyo tips and tricks, so you won’t be lost in translation when you next visit that buzzing metropolis. Join the experience here. Picture this, you’re sipping a freshly brewed coffee to the soundscape of bustling Piazza San Marco admiring the passing gondolas and watching the busy Venetian shopkeepers haggling at the morning market. Later in the day, you sit face to face with a conservationist who takes you on a tour of Kruger National Park while regaling you with stories of his close encounters with the big five.
You’ve experienced all this through a virtual tour that's taken place in your comfortable living room. By doing so, you've sidestepped the minefield of rapid tests, ever-changing country entry restrictions, and without a thought if your travel plans will be derailed by staff shortages or bad weather. While virtual tours rose to popularity during the early days of the pandemic, it’s clear that it’s a way of travel that’s here to stay. Accessible, affordable, and sustainable, it’s a supplemental (and sometimes exclusive) way for many to keep exploring while also contributing to local communities around the world. It’s A Way To Give Back The tourism industry has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic and on-ground tour guides have been one of the most impacted individuals. Beeyonder provides an online space for local authentic experiences (by independent guides and tour operators) to be accessed remotely by anyone with an internet connection, regardless of location or time zone. In addition, by supporting live options like Namaste Delhi by Women for the World and the Walking Tour of Arenal Volcano National Park by Alejandro Cano Ospina it directly contributes to the livelihood of expert guides and the communities and local economies they support. Travel Without Contributing To CO2 Emissions According to the International Council on Clean Transportation, greenhouse gas emissions from commercial flights makeup around 2% of the world's total carbon emissions, and are expected to triple by 2050. For individuals committed to not using air travel, or reducing their reliance on it to make climate change a priority, virtual tours are a way to satisfy their wanderlust at no cost to the environment. As a bonus, virtual experiences often offer once-in-a-lifetime closer encounters and experiences that would not be easily accessible to the masses otherwise. Unlock Exotic, Immersive Experiences, Sustainably From the icebergs of Antarctica to the salt flats of Bolivia, Beeyonder’s virtual tours offer a convenient way to experience unusual encounters with wildlife or visit world-famous attractions that’s both affordable and inclusive. By choosing to visit a place virtually, it alleviates over-crowding from popular hotspots and vulnerable heritage sites that are in danger of being ruined by over-tourism. It also helps environmentally-conscious nature reserves, conservation centers, and wildlife foundations like the Royal Albatross Centre attract visitors to participate in their mission without overly stressing the animals. It’s Accessible, Affordable, and Inclusive Planning a big family vacation is a logistical nightmare. From having to juggle everyone’s work and school schedules, putting in for vacation time, and then there’s the daily hurdle of deciding what to do as a group that’s interesting and inclusive of all ages and physical capabilities. By organizing a group virtual experience, families can pick-and-choose different experiences, and still forge meaningful bonds together, without much fuss and within a budget. Beeyonder hosts a variety of shared experiences: from touring Pablo Picasso’s birthplace, exploring the Great Wall of China and City of David, or admiring the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu from 7,000 feet above sea level, regardless of the choice/choices, beautiful shared memories are assured. It Can Be Better Than The Real Deal Who doesn’t want to visit Bolivia’s Moon Valley in person or trek Brazil’s Savanna, Chapada dos Veadeiros, a national park full of waterfalls, canyons, and great nature? In theory, in-person experiences may appear more memorable but they could be a total wash as well if weather conditions are not on your side, or if something unfortunate happens en-route. By choosing a curated virtual experience led by local experts it can be as impactful, immersive, and entertaining as being there itself. |