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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.
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More than just a virtual tour company. We provide accessible, inclusive travel experiences for all individuals to discover the world. 53 million Americans are providing unpaid care for relatives and friends – Source: AARP Benefit: Caregiver burnout is real. Gift them a virtual getaway that they can schedule at their own time as a way to say thank you or as a convenient avenue to practice regular self-care. In the US, 74.6 million people have some type of physical disability – Source: Monsido Benefit: Having easy access to immersive travel experiences hosted by experienced tour guides allows those with a physical disability to continue traveling and discovering the world. Beeyonder’s tours can also be used as a pre-trip research tool to allow travelers to get a “lay of the land” and ask an expert questions about a specific experience or area of interest. 36% of caregiver households have a net income of less than $50,000 – Source: AARP Benefit: Taking a vacation can be expensive, especially now with the rising cost of hotel rooms and air flights. A virtual travel experience easily accessible on a mobile phone, tablet or computer allows one to explore a new destination for a fraction of the cost, and as it’s hosted by an expert local guide, guests are likely to get local insights and insider tips to learn more about a destination or area of interest. Many UNESCO Heritage Sites Aren’t Handicapped Accessible. – Source: Wheelchair Travel Benefit: Gaining access to Hoi An and the Luxor Temples assumes a certain level of mobility and physical fitness. There’s also the issue of cost and time away from home and work to be factored in. Given the option of a quality, immersive interactive tour, the experience can be as good, if not better than one taking place in person. Caregivers feel physical, emotional, and financial strain, with 2 in 10 caregivers reporting feeling alone. – Source: Caregiving.Org Benefit: Gifting a caregiver an online travel experience they can attend on their own or together with friends and family is a lovely way for them to create bonds and memories with their close ones. It allows easy access to a regular social event to look forward to without having to coordinate backup care and can be incorporated into the daily caregiving routine as Beeyonder’s experiences span historical presentations, cooking lessons, walking tours, and tours to religious sites. Ever wanted to go on an adventure, but never got around to actually doing it? Sometimes it's just not possible to travel far from home. You might not have enough vacation days or you’re saving up for other expenses. Even if you can't get away, access to a travel escapade is still possible with our platform of on-demand digital experiences. Led by local expert guides they’ll bring you on fascinating trips to explore destinations you’ve always wanted to visit. Here are a few tours perfect for travel enthusiasts to enjoy from anywhere!  Walking Tour of Arenal Volcano National Park With an almost perfect conical shape and a crater about 1,700 feet wide and 2,000 feet deep, Arenal Volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Our walking tour experience takes you on trails formed out of lava through a beautiful rainforest as you learn about the history of the volcano, geology, and ecology of the area.  Ride In A Hot Air Balloon Over Luxor Take to the skies and admire the ancient city of Luxor, once the site of ancient Thebes, from a hot air balloon. An immersive, interactive experience where you’ll watch the inflation set-up where bright gusts of air are thrust into the canopies of the hot-air balloon before you ride along on a sunset tour over the majestic Theban mountains.  In the heart of the Iguazu Falls
Straddling Brazil and Argentina, be wow-ed by the impressive Iguazu Falls by joining our interactive live-streaming tour. Your guide will get wet for you, and take you to the footbridges to go as close as possible to the falls so you can experience this New Wonder of the World as if you were there in person. 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. Kia Ora! Welcome to New Zealand, the land of the long white cloud formed by volcanoes and cooled by glaciers. For avid travelers with a great love for the outdoors and unspoiled nature, New Zealand is a dream destination with popular spots like the powdery ski slopes of Queenstown, the glaciers of Fjordland, Tongariro National Park’s active and extinct volcanoes, and the golden sand beaches of Coromandel. This November, join us as we explore one of the most pristine, beautiful places left on earth through our collection of virtual experiences.
Get Close to a Royal Albatross Did you know the average royal albatross flies an estimated 190,000 kilometers a year? Endemic to New Zealand, these magnificent feathered giants are quite a sight to behold. Weighing approximately 9 kilograms with a wingspan of 3 meters, get close to them through our Virtual Albatross Experience hosted through the Royal Albatross Centre in Dunedin, New Zealand. The world's only mainland breeding colony of royal albatross, our guide will delve into the conservation work being conducted at Pukekura "Taiaroa Head" to look after the Toroa/Albatross, its unusual biology, and perhaps even treat you to the sight of one of these seabirds taking flight! Join our tour here. Walk The Streets of Auckland Picked by Lonely Planet as one of the world’s best cities to travel to in 2022, Auckland is New Zealand’s most vibrant city with a thriving art, dining, and culture scene and stunning nature spots a mere ferry ride away. At the heart of it is the ongoing redevelopment of Auckland's waterfront. Feel the vibe and energy of this popular spot as you embark on a walking tour of the area. Our local guide will bring you to famous landmarks such as the historic Ferry Building, the Waitemata harbourfront lined with hip restaurants, and home to superyachts, all the way down to the infamous Sky Tower and the two drawbridges of Wynyard Quarter. A great introduction to Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland’s Maori name), this tour will give you a peek of what to expect in Auckland and might prove compelling enough to book your flight over. Join our tour here. Be a Dairy Farmer for a Day New Zealand’s fertile soils and temperate climate make it pastoral heaven with a lush farming landscape that’s home to grazing cattle and sheep. Dairy farms are particularly prevalent (there are almost as many dairy cows as there are people) with most farms averaging at least 400 cattle. Join our unique dairy farmer virtual experience where a local farmer will show the ins and outs of manning a milking shed seven days a week while learning why dairy farming is a big business and how it’s slowly pivoting to be more environmentally sustainable. An excellent experience for families and friends who love animals, corporate events, and virtual team building, join our fully interactive and personalized tour here. Learn The Story of New Zealand Planning a trip to New Zealand can be a daunting experience, so it helps to have some expert insights beforehand. Our local guide has been showing off New Zealand to the world for the past two decades and has put together this educational experience to throw more insight into this island country in the South Pacific. A fully interactive and personalized experience, she’ll talk about the stunning landscapes, the culture of its people, the diverse flora and fauna, and some unique tidbits that make New Zealand, New Zealand. Join our tour here. There are many things we do to ensure our health. We eat right, we exercise regularly, we schedule regular check-ups, but how many of us are making a conscious effort to keep our mental well-being in check.
Research has shown that meditation is one of the best ways to manage stress and the onset of negative emotions. When used properly, it holds the power to enhance the flow of constructive thoughts and positive emotions, leading one to live more peacefully in the present. A simple and inexpensive practice, it can be performed as an individual (or in a group, or virtual setting), and can be done anywhere, even if you’re cooking, hiking, or on your daily commute. The beauty of meditation is there’s no right or wrong way to practice. Instead, the focus is on finding a style that motivates you to build a consistent practice (even 5-10 minutes daily helps) and by doing so helps relieve tension, quiet the mind and foster a deeper mind-body connection. Here are five popular meditation styles to try. Walking Meditation This is a form of meditation that many perform but aren’t aware they’re doing so. If you’ve ever gone on a slow walk and emerged feeling renewed, there’s a good chance you’ve just completed a session of walking meditation. Elevate your practice with a virtual meditation experience conducted in a local temple in Chiang Mai. Led by local host and former Buddhist monk Kit, he’ll give a mini-tour of the temple and lead a session teaching the six practices of walking meditation before introducing a monk to give a virtual blessing. Find out more about this experience here. Sound Healing Meditation There are many ways to use sound - through crystal bowls, gongs, Himalayan singing bowls - to facilitate a meditative state. Gong therapy, in particular, has been growing in popularity and while skeptics might scoff at using a gong to improve one’s well-being, there’s proof that the therapeutic sounds and vibrations are highly rejuvenating and can help to steady one’s nerves. Sessions usually start with pranayama (breathing exercises) before the gong meditation portion kicks in where one sits in a meditative state as a gong is played softly. While reactions vary from emerging relaxed to being more emotional, the common denominator seems to be a deeper sleep experienced for the following 48 hours. Mobile Meditation In the 1980s, the Japanese invented a form of mobile meditation called forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) as part of a national health program. Far from it being a simple walk in the woods, the art of “taking in the forest through our senses” consciously calls upon one’s presence in nature to connect with it all: the sights, smells, and textures, to bring about feelings of positive wellbeing and relaxation. To experience a session of forest bathing, try this virtual experience hosted at Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari Shrine and its lush green surroundings. There, a guide will lead you in a compassion meditation in front of the gratitude god and guide you on a “forest bath” to the soundscape of a flowing waterfall. Find out more about this experience here. Zen Meditation If you’ve ever observed monks deep in meditation, they were likely practicing the ancient tradition of Zen meditation. A practice that started 1,500 years ago, it involves sitting upright (crossed legs is optional) and following the breath’s movement in and out of the belly. Where the challenge lies is in blocking out any distractions and focusing solely on letting the mind still and “just be.” The aim of Zen meditation may not seem apparent at first but it brings real mental and physical well-being benefits, and by fostering a sense of presence and alertness, bodes well for anyone looking to live life more “in the present”. Focused Meditation A form of meditation, where your attention is trained on a single object for some time, this style can take many forms, from Loving Kindness meditation, Chakra meditation to the creation of a mandala. Regarded as a sacred symbol for healing and prayer, the practice of drawing a mandala helps to clear the mind, build patience, and give one a sense of peace and positive energy. Our guide will lead you on a virtual mandala art practice and meditation experience where you’ll learn to draw a mandala (the patterns, relevance of different shapes, using the grid for symmetry) and use your breath meditatively while creating patterns. Find out more about this experience here. Undergoing surgery is no one’s idea of fun. Sometimes it is accidental, but most often it’s inevitable (C-section, gallbladder removal) or unavoidable in pursuit of a longer-term health goal. Just as you research your doctor and the pros and cons of surgery, similarly take time to plan your post-operation downtime so the healing process is enjoyable, less stressful, and a time you look forward to. Here are some ways to make convalescing a fun and fruitful one.
Learn to breathe again Channel your downtime at home towards re-learning a new skill: breathing. Believe it or not, there is an art to inhaling and exhaling, and when you discover the power of your breath, you’ll unlock a series of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits. There are many breathing exercises to explore: pranayama (breath control) commonly used in yoga practice, circular and rebirthing breath, SOMA Breath that combines breathwork and meditation to the rhythm of the music, or simply becoming more conscious of one’s breath and the thoughts that accompany it. Color your way to relaxation Recovery takes all forms and refocusing one's attention on a simple but specific task over a period of time can bring about an elevated sense of peaceful mental stillness. No wonder, the trend of adult coloring books has taken off in recent years. By reverting to a familiar childhood activity - albeit a more complicated version - where the only goal is to leisurely fill empty patterns of florals, mandalas, or animals, it’s a form of meditation, and for a spell, leaves our brain focused on nothing more than a pleasurable task that can eventually decorate your four walls for a splash of color. Adopt a gentle exercise regime Depending on the type of surgery you’ve undergone, a doctor or physical therapist will advise how best to ease back into a gentle exercise regime. Still doing simple stretches in bed, or getting outdoors to walk slowly will aid your recovery and prevent issues like constipation and deep vein thrombosis from developing. Subject to your mobility and pain tolerance, consider chair yoga, leg raises, or even walking around the garden to actively improve overall blood flow — you’ll be surprised at how these low-impact exercises can quicken your recovery. Eat and drink to heal It’s tempting to use the post-surgery period to indulge in sugary, comfort food, and you should, but in moderation. This is the perfect time to look at what you eat and drink as recovery fuel. Consider supplementing your diet with antioxidants and vitamins A, C, E, and zinc, and possibly vitamin D if you’re not able to get outside for direct sunlight. Focus on eating anti-inflammatory foods like salmon and green leafy vegetables, drinking healing bone broths to reduce inflammation, sipping veggie and vitamin-rich smoothies for a healthy sweet treat, and ensuring you’re having adequate proteins (animal or plant) to help rebuild your muscle so you emerge post-op, stronger and healthier. Explore the world from home with Beeyonder While travel may not be on the cards for your short-term future, there’s nothing like a bit of wanderlust to make your time recovering a lot more enjoyable. Beeyonder offers a wide range of immersive virtual tours; transport yourself to the streets of Moscow as you join a walking tour of iconic sites like the Red Square and Lenin’s Mausoleum, learn about the aboriginal Arakwal people of Byron Bay and the native flora and fauna of the area, visit the holiest place on earth to view the Western Wall from a different angle, or simply sit back and enjoy learning about the adorable penguins in Antarctica. |