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Keep the holiday spirit alive this month as you join in the fun and revelry around celebrations focused on the beginning of Catholic lent (Carnival), a celebration of feasting (Mardi Gras translates as Fat Tuesday) and love (Valentine’s Day). Join us and soak up all the fun and festivities!
Mardi Gras The lively city of New Orleans is especially vibrant in the month of February in the run-up to all the festivities around the highly anticipated Mardi Gras Parade, typically taking place at the end of the month. Learn more about the city’s history, architecture, and cuisine on this tour around the French Quarter where you’ll sneak a peek into some of the beautiful Creole courtyards and walk past some familiar movie locations. Other sights include Jackson Square, Café du Monde, Bourbon Street and Pirate’s Alley so you get a real feel of the New Orleans “magic”. Walking Tour of the Eiffel Tower Did you know that the Eiffel Tower was once yellow and its radical design so disliked by 300 prominent Parisian artists and intellectuals that they took out a manifesto in the Le Temps newspaper on Valentine’s Day in 1887? For a novel Valentine’s Day “date”, join in on this lively tour with our expert tour guide who will unveil all her secrets while you get a personal close-up view of the Iron Lady and feel like you’re right there in the City of Love. Carnival If you’ve always dreamed of attending the famous Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, now you can with our local Brazil guide who’ll share all about how the celebration started in Brazil in 1723 and its evolution into the “biggest show on earth”. Be immersed in the colors, music, and energy, via beautifully filmed videos of this spectacular event celebrating the beginning of Catholic Lent involving more than two million people on the streets every day during the five-day celebration.
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The start of any new year is the perfect time to sit back, take stock, relax and plan the year ahead. We’ve put together three wellness and regenerative tours to enjoy that’ll bring you on an exploration of unique places that may inspire your own internal discovery.
A Walk Through the Wild Orchid Botanical Gardens in Ecuador Did you know that Ecuador is considered the country of orchids? There are over 4,300 registered species of monocotyledonous flowering plants. Join this live, interactive tour of the botanical garden in Quito, Ecuador's capital, home to almost 2,000 different species of orchids. Let our guide share more about this unique bloom, which species are native to Ecuador, and bring a close-up view of these beautiful flowers so you can admire their beauty and variety in a calm, peaceful setting. Cherry Blossoms and Zen Garden Immersion Every year, the Japanese look forward to cherry blossom season as a symbol of human life, transience, and nobleness. Learn more about the symbolic flower of the spring as you virtually travel to Japan and immerse yourself in cherry blossoms and a mystical Zen garden. Guided by an American Japanese garden specialist, you’ll stroll through pristine, immaculate spaces and come across a major Japanese Zen temple, a shrine dedicated to a powerful samurai, and a miniature moss forest, making it more than just a tour but a chance to contemplate and reflect. Explore The Medieval Town of Sakamoto Walk in the footsteps of monks and come away enlightened and enriched. Our expert guide will bring you on an immersive tour of the medieval town of Sakamoto where the monks from Mount Hiei would rest and recharge between bouts of intense spiritual training. This online experience will bring you to see ancient rice fields, and a medieval village with 1,000-year-old stone walls while showing you the exquisite gardens of an Edo-period villa, an ancient cemetery, and one of the most important shrines in Japan. This year, give the people in your life an experiential present that they can choose and customize exactly to their liking. While giving a gift card to their favorite coffee shop says you’ve been paying attention to the java of their choice, a Beeyonder gift card presents them with a lifetime of memories.
Our variety of interactive, accessible, and inclusive online experiences hosts an extensive array of curated tours and classes hosted by expert local guides who inject that all-important personal touch that’s impossible to replicate. Best of all, the giftee can schedule our tech-light interactions to take place at their leisure and choose to go solo or bring along other friends and family to join in the fun. For this holiday season, fulfill someone’s bucket list travel dream or bring them back to an old favorite vacation spot, an experiential gift that they will cherish forever. Eat & Drink Their Way Around The World The beauty of food and drink experiences is that it translates across all language barriers. All you need is an appreciation for a particular culinary art, or curiosity to learn about a favorite cuisine or ingredient, and viola! With experiences that span the globe from Argentina to Japan, South Africa to Peru, choose from fascinating experiences like preparing Patagonia dishes, touring a working coffee farm in Costa Rica to learning how to prepare authentic Turkish Halva. Cultivating A Love For Wine Everyone has that one friend, family member, or colleague who is a budding wine connoisseur. Deepen his or her love for the grape with our exclusive wine-centric experiences. Let them choose from experiences like uncovering the nuances of Malbec wines by joining on a walking tour of an Argentinian vineyard, or attending a special Malbec virtual tasting. Give them new ways to build their wine knowledge with experiences hosted by wine experts where they have access to wine experts and fellow wine connoisseurs. Go Sightseeing Across the Globe For the avid traveler, there’s nothing better than experiencing a new destination, immersing themselves in a foreign country, and learning about its history and culture as they take in unforgettable sights and picturesque sunsets. This year, give the wanderluster an opportunity to go on luxury tours around the world affordably and doing so in a climate-friendly way. Choose from a wide range of walking tours, expert presentations and cultural experiences to charming destinations like Venice where you’ll learn more about the art of glass blowing, or enjoy a private gondola ride. Or perhaps the tour goer will prefer to go to far flung destinations to climb the summit of Machu Picchu, ride a hot air balloon over Egypt’s Luxor or visit the set of “Emily in Paris”; the opportunities are endless. With Beeyonder, there truly is an experience for everyone. Just choose the destination, and let us unlock the adventure. Easy to book and easy to go. The year-end holiday season is fast approaching and if your calendar is filling up fast and you’re starting to feel some work burnout, worry not. We have three fun, no hassles, online travel experiences to suggest as employee gifts, or as a new and inclusive way to enjoy the festive season, be it with friends, colleagues, or amongst senior individuals living in a community. Give these three a spin this season and enjoy the holiday cheer!
Holiday Tours Treat your staff and their families to a virtual trip to Germany’s Christmas markets at their leisure. They’ll soak in all the festive vibes with a live walking tour of Berlin’s famous Christmas market located near the iconic TV Tower and the Alexanderplatz. A beloved German holiday tradition, Berlin’s beautiful fairy-lit markets are famous all over the world as one of the prettiest and busiest, offering everything from mulled wine, to beautiful hand-crafted decorations and lots of delicious winter foods on display. Our local guide is more than happy to share stories about Germany’s unique holiday traditions like Krampus Night (Krampus Nacht), the symbolic meaning of advent calendars, and why they celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. Fun Year-Round Tours What’s more fun than exploring a new city altogether? One done virtually and riding through the pretty cobbled streets of Amsterdam with our expert local guide Mark on his bike. He’ll tour you around all the city’s great views, drop fun nuggets of history and local quirks and show you firsthand how the locals do everything on two wheels. Best of all the route changes according to the weather but what you can be sure of is you’ll take in some beautiful views of the canals, houses, and bridges and come away feeling like you’ve visited Amsterdam in person. Unique Team Bonding Tours Did you know that the purpose of the Japanese tea ceremony is to create a closer bond between host and guest in pursuit of gaining inner peace? Explore the wonderful virtues of a Japanese tea brewing ceremony altogether as a team, as you individually brew an aromatic cup of green tea altogether. An insightful session where the host shares more about green tea’s special and highly symbolic place in Japanese culture. You’ll learn the easy brewing techniques to produce a perfect cup of green tea, how to make sure it isn’t bitter, what makes for a good green tea pairing, and learn more about life in Japan. If you prefer to leave the tour choice up to the individual, you can still purchase a gift card to share a unique Beeyonder tour at their leisure. The end of the year is the perfect time for corporate groups to celebrate a year of achievements. Studies show that holiday parties help inspire a positive work culture and forge stronger bonds internally and with external business partners. What better way than to ditch the conventional office holiday party for something unexpected? This year, give your celebrations a virtual and interactive twist with an online tour experience to learn more about the holiday traditions celebrated in places like Edinburgh, Portugal, and Japan!
Edinburgh Holiday Tour Did you know that Christmas Day only became a public holiday in 1958 in Scotland? Not that this has stopped the city of Edinburgh from transforming itself into a winter wonderland every year. Soak in the holiday spirit with your colleagues as our local guide brings you to explore popular festive markets and stalls. Revel in the over-the-top light displays as he explains more about Scottish Christmas traditions like burning a rowan twig to get rid of any bad feelings between friends or family. Lisbon Holiday Lights & Traditions Take a virtual tour of Portugal with your colleagues. See a different side to the City of Light as our guide walks through downtown Lisbon filled with beautiful colonialist-style buildings as she regales everyone with local Portuguese Christmas traditions (Santa is called Pai Natal , presents are left under the Christmas tree or in shoes by the fireplace) and shares more about festive foods like consoada (salted cod served with green vegetables, boiled potatoes, and boiled eggs) that’s eaten on Christmas Eve. Holidays in Japan Explore the history and culture from a locals point of view with this team bonding tour. Full of stories, fun facts, trivia, and even, make your own Japanese style holiday decoration this tour will engage remote and in person teams. The changing leaves and the scent of pumpkin spice are sure signs that the holiday season is soon upon us. Before the year-end busyness sets in, this is an opportune time to organize team bonding events and cultural activities that encourage diverse conversations amongst teams. For seniors, these online experiences blending history, culture, and travel make for a fun, interactive way to welcome the start of the holiday season.  Diwali The festival of lights is India’s most important holiday marked by five days of celebrations involving prayers, feasts, fireworks, family gatherings, and charitable giving. To celebrate, families go all out, cleaning and decorating their homes, cooking up festive foods, and shopping for new wardrobes. Join our guide Komal as she takes you into the heart of a bustling Delhi market to go Diwali shopping while explaining the different rituals and experiences associated with this holiday.  Halloween Gather everyone in their best Halloween costumes for a live virtual tour of Plymouth's spooky Burial Hill. The 17th-century cemetery is the final resting place of many Pilgrims and Native people who perished from disease and hunger and is regarded as one of the most haunted places on the South Shore of Massachusetts. Be entertained by our guide Vicki who has a treasure trove of spooky stories and will share more about the Revolutionary War era mass grave and how it came to be the final resting place of a Revolutionary War general and his wife.  Thanksgiving Walk off the turkey dinner with a virtual stroll around the original site of Plimoth Plantation, a living history museum founded in 1947. The 40-minute stroll starts at Plymouth Rock and proceeds up the oldest street in America. Along the way, be regaled by tales of the first settlers who came over on the Mayflower, take in sights like Plymouth Rock, Burial Hill, and other points of historical interest. Mother's Day is just around the corner. A special day for mother figures to celebrate their special bond with those they hold close and dear, to make this year’s celebration more memorable, organize a virtual tour to a place she’s always dreamed of traveling to. She'll get the best of both worlds: to experience an unforgettable live experience, all while doing so from the comfort of her home. From vineyards and city tours to adventures sailing the River Nile or scaling Machu Picchu, we are your digital passport to the world offering tours and experiences that cater to every personality and interest.
Scenic Tours Mom Will Love She loves to go on long walks and dabbles in a little photography, she snaps scenic memories to draw and paint when she’s home and treasures all her travel memories. Our selection of scenic tours offers her a chance to be fully immersed in travel experiences like strolling along Venice’s Rialto Bridge, sailing down the River Nile, or joining a sunrise tour of Auckland’s scenic Waitemata harbor and Viaduct Harbour, watching the bustling city center come to life as the sun rises. Book An Experience Here Virtual Tours for the Foodie Mom For the mother who holds a passion for learning more about global cuisine and exotic ingredients, our food and beverage experiences will expand her culinary repertoire. Follow along as expert chefs explain the nuances of Tuscan olive oil, make Turkish home specialties and gourmet Argentinian cuisine live on camera. Our guides will host an interactive session showcasing a working coffee farm in Costa Rica and delve into the Malbec winemaking process, from plant to bottle, on a walking tour of a traditional, working vineyard located in Lujan de Cuyo, the heart of Mendoza wine country. Book An Experience Here Virtual Tours for the Adventurous Mom She never says no to a hike or a mountain bike ride through the forest and she has nurtured a lifelong love and appreciation for the great outdoors. She finds peace and joy being amongst majestic mountains and stark desert landscapes. Treat her to an outdoor-indoor adventure with walking tours that explore Boliva’s unique Moon Valley or Costa Rica’s Arenal Volcano where the trails are formed out of lava. Take her to see the Iguazu Falls in all its splendor and make good on that promise to finally hike the Canadian Rockies with this immersive Banff experience where an expert local guide brings you through Canada's most famous national park nestled in over 6,000 square kilometers of majestic wilderness. Book An Experience Here Virtual Tours with other Moms The social glue of the family, she’s the first to volunteer for PTA and lead the neighborhood bake sale. She knows all your friends (and their Mom’s) names and has standing coffee/brunch dates with her own girls. Indulge her outgoing nature with these interactive tours to far-off destinations like South Africa’s Bo-Kaap neighborhood and Egypt’s Luxor Temple. Satisfy her love of history with a tour of Croatia’s Sibenik, the oldest native Croatian city on the Adriatic with charming winding streets and Saint James’ cathedral (the first renaissance building outside of Italy). It was also the first city in the world to receive public lighting on alternating electricity in 1895. Book An Experience Here Not sure which experience Mom would love? Why not buy her a gift card so she can use it at her leisure to travel to a fascinating place she has never been before! 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. This year-end rather than cancel the highly anticipated Christmas/New Year party, keep the date and level up festivities with a virtual event that’ll bring everyone (and perhaps even your sister offices) altogether in an online party. Now that you’re not limited by venue capacity or team location, expand your creative chops and uncover which virtual experience best suits your work setting, and will leave everyone feeling appreciated, rejuvenated, and connected to their colleagues. To help kickstart the party planning, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite thematic virtual tours and experiences.
INDULGE CULINARY ASPIRATIONS Celebratory year-end affairs aren’t complete without something delicious to nibble on. Rather than having a meal together over Zoom, learn to make a unique dish from a foreign land. This virtual workshop experience from Singapore teaches all parties to make ondeh ondeh, one of Singapore’s more popular desserts. Bite into delicious glutinous rice and sweet potato balls filled with palm sugar and coated generously with shredded coconut, it’s a sweet treat with a distinct Peranakan influence that’s sure to delight. Another exotic dish that’ll whet all appetites is this Sri Lankan Curry cooking class where you’ll learn how to make your own curry paste ground from fresh curry leaves, a truly local Sri Lankan practice. A fully customizable experience, adjustments can be made to cater for vegetarians or to explore other signature Sri Lankan dishes. UNCOVER HISTORICAL SECRETS Learn something new while satisfying everyone’s travel lust with an experiential “outing” to far-flung historical sites. Explore the archaeological zone known as the great pyramid of Cholula in Mexico City established almost 3,000 years ago and dedicated to the deity Quetzalcoatl. Fun fact: It’s four times larger than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. Equally impressive, sneak a peek of the 2,300-year-old Great Wall of China in this live virtual private tour that walks the steps towards the first watchtower (one of 22 built along its 21,196 km length) and admire this marvel of construction and the stunning surrounding scenery. GO OUT INTO THE WILD How’s this for a team bonding experience? Get up close and personal with a pride of lions in this virtual wildlife encounter that brings South Africa’s Kruger National Park to a screen near you. Hosted by an ecologist and conservationist, he’ll share real-life experiences with these majestic creatures and bring you so close to them, you’ll hear their growls loud and proud. Ever wondered which creatures glow in the dark? Witness this unusual occurrence on a virtual tour that’ll head out into the bush and shine a light on bioluminescent (lights up on its own) and some biofluorescent (lights up with UV light) creatures. Spoiler alert: You might catch a bossy possum in action. EXPLORE AN EXOTIC DESTINATION When an in-person team incentive trip isn’t possible, there are still options to enjoy a destination together. Schedule this immersive virtual experience that tours the city of Siem Reap and the UNESCO heritage site of Angkor Wat. Led by a local guide who’ll show off the hidden gems and cultural landmarks not often seen by visitors, it’ll leave everyone with a deeper understanding of the rich culture and history of the Khmer people. In a vastly different continent, not many individuals realize that the city of Ohrid, Macedonia is one of the oldest human settlements in all of Europe dating back over three million years old. This live streaming tour will tour major sites like the fortress of Tsar Samuel from the XI century, an ancient theatre from 2 B.C, home to historic gladiator battles, as well as the lake of Ohrid, one of the largest and clearest natural tectonic lakes in Europe. TOUR SOME VINEYARDS For a more inclusive office gathering, rather than organizing a wine tasting, why not sign up for a virtual walking tour of vineyards in Argentina or Chile. Learn more about Argentina’s Mendoza wine heritage on this walkabout of a working vineyard located in Lujan de Cuyo where our host will explain the wine-making process, from plant to bottle, and why the country’s most highly rated Malbec wines originate from this region. Another compelling option is this excursion through the best Chilean wineries of the Maipo Valley to learn about their history of the “Bordeaux of South America”, the grapes, terroir, and what makes their cabernet sauvignon wines so highly desired by wine connoisseurs. This year-end, plan some virtual holiday experiences as part of your festive celebrations. A great way to come together with co-workers, family members, and friends regardless of location or time zone, experience Beeyonder’s limited-time festive tours where you’ll visit holiday markets in Europe, learn how the Japanese celebrate the New Year, and explore the deeper meaning behind holidays like Hanukkah and Christmas.
Learn the Meaning of Hanukkah Deepen this year’s Hanukkah celebrations with this virtual tour that explores the story of the Maccabees, the group of Jewish rebel warriors who took control of Judea. Our guide will tell you more about who they are and where they came from and why they were fighting with the Greeks. Through a mix of virtual site visits to see the landscape and the archeological evidence uncovered over the years. You’ll visit Modi'in, Maresha, Mitzpah (known as the Tomb of Prophet Samuel), the City of David in Jerusalem, and much more to gain a new perspective and understanding of Hanukkah. Join this experience here. Visit Christmas Markets in Norway If you’ve got Netflix’s Home For Christmas queued up on your playlist, add this virtual experience to your fun holiday list. Join this online tour and follow along as a local guide takes you to Norway’s most popular markets and events happening during Christmas time. If you’re lucky you’ll catch sight of a Christmas concert, kids making their own snowmen and market stalls selling gløgg (mulled wine using aquavit), Christmas cookies like goro (traditional butter Christmas cookie) and krumkaker (traditional wafer-thin cookie), and gingerbread houses. Join the tour here. Walk in the Footsteps of Baby Jesus If spending time together in person is proving challenging this holiday season, there are still ways to bond bond and share as a family. This virtual session delves into the story of the early life of Jesus using videos, 3-D models, photospheres, and evocative imagery. Travel back to ancient times and visit Nazareth, Bethlehem, and Egypt, the Temple in Jerusalem (just like Jesus did when he was a baby and 12 years old) and our guide will also show you the location on Jordan river where he was baptized. Join this experience here. Visit Buzzy Lisbon during Christmas Break out the egg nog and your favorite Christmas tunes for a virtual walk around buzzy Lisbon. A live experience that’ll take in all the sounds and sights of the city center decorated with thousands of colorful lights, arty installations, and Christmas trees, keep your eyes peeled for market stalls selling festive treats, mulled wine, and hot chocolate. Our guide will also share about local Portuguese Christmas traditions, what dishes make up a typical Christmas feast, and scrumptious cakes like bolo rei (king cake) they make to mark special occasions. Join the tour here. Visit Plimoth Plantation this Thanksgiving Gather together virtually before/after your roast turkey dinner for a virtual walk around the original site of Plimoth Plantation, a living history museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts, founded in 1947. A 40-minute stroll starting at Plymouth Rock and proceeding up the oldest street in America, you’ll hear all about the tales of the first settlers who came over on the Mayflower, take in sights like Plymouth Rock, Burial Hill, and other points of historical interest. Join this experience here. Learn How the Japanese Celebrate Christmas The Japanese celebrate Christmas a little differently and now you can experience it first hand without getting on a plane. Join this virtual session and get crafting with our expert guide who’ll show you how to craft your very own Nengajo (New Year’s card) out of origami paper and other quirky new year traditions (hint: it has to do with heralding in good luck) including the practice of Christmas date nights, and how KFC’s fried chicken party barrels is regarded as a substitute for the traditional American turkey dinner. |