TECH CULTURE

Travel inspiration comes in many forms. This is the ultimate way to trigger wanderlust, says ALISON WESTWOOD

Step inside the world of virtual travel

In the space of a week, I lost my heart to the desolate beauty of the Faroe Islands (pictured above), strolled around the Eiffel Tower and dived to the bottom of the Antarctic Ocean with Javier Bardem. I also tried to race a catamaran from Vancouver to Alaska, but got seasick on day five. And all it cost was R99.

My secret? A cunningly folded piece of cardboard, my cell phone and a pair of earphones. Google Cardboard was launched in 2014 as a low-cost platform to inspire interest in virtual reality (VR). Although it’s nowhere near the level of the expensive Oculus Rift or the kit featured in the movie Ready Player One, it’s still surprisingly immersive. Spend a few moments in a Cardboard headset watching a well-made piece of VR, and the full 360 and 3D video will make you forget where you really are.

VR seems made for travelholics, and the good news is that you can now go, virtually, anywhere. Obviously, it’s no replacement for the real thing, especially when you’re just using a cardboard box with a couple of lenses in it! But, as a free and easy way to discover new places and be inspired to see more of them, it’s unbeatable.

Who knows? Perhaps the next time you hear from me, I really will have been to the Faroe Islands. Meanwhile, I’m off to dive with manta rays in Mexico. Back in five minutes.

All apps are free, available for iOS and Android, and work with Cardboardcompatible VR headsets – available on Takealot.com from R60.