7 Inspirational Videos for the Bored Traveler

Inspirational Videos - bored traveler

I will say it right now: I love travel videos. They are a fascinating look into people’s personal, often life changing, experiences. Whenever I watch one, I find myself overcome with emotion and the desire to get back out there to explore new places myself. Even if I have only just gotten back from my own exhausting trip.

It isn’t easy for me to pick the ones I find most inspiring, as I would have to include pretty much everything from Lonely Planet, Michael Palin, Louis Theroux…well, the list goes on. But here are seven great clips I aore.

1. Where The Hell Is Matt?

Matt Harding originally made a video of himself dancing in a handful of countries during his world travels. Stride Gum ended up offering him a corporate deal to do it again, this time on a much larger scale. He went to 42 countries and danced in each one, with thousands of people joining him in each new place. Sometimes he was dancing alone, usually with a group of locals. But the video itself is sure to spark your wanderlust.

2. All You Need Is Love

 
Well known for their human rights work, Starbucks has been an example of responsible corporate policies for some time. But their charity campaigns are perhaps their most popular endeavors. In 2009, they invited musicians from 156 countries to sing for AIDS awareness. What they got was a beautiful video of people from all over the world singing ‘All You Need Is Love’, the classic Beatles tribute to peace. I dare you to watch this and not get a little choked up. I also dare you not to blink in confusion when they get to Denmark.

3. Vancouver Time Lapse

 
Vancouver is a beautiful city. If you need proof of that, check out this collaborative video between Innerlife Project and TimeLapseHD. It shows a moving cityscape that changes over the night. You will see the rolling waves of the coast, the mist and fog over the water and the sparkling lights of the city itself. Breathtaking and worth a look.

4. Most Dangerous Path In The World

 
This one will either inspire or terrify you. It is a first person video of someone walking along the most dangerous path in the world, the Camino Del Rey. Steeply moving along cliffs, this video shows death defying drops, crumbled regions that have been reinforced by poles and areas that should not be attempted by anyone (but are by the filmmaker). It shows the true commitment of some travelers to experience even the most thrilling and horrifying attractions offered.

5. Green Tunnel

 
Six months in the making, this is a time lapse video of a 2,200 mile journey across the famed Appalachian Trail. You can get the entire thing on DVD, but this is a five minute version that features scenes in stop motion that is really fun to watch. I have been obsessed with this trail since reading Bill Bryson’s experiences in A Walk In The Woods. So I find this one rather inspiring, and am hoping to one day make the trek myself.

6. The Longest Way

 
Think that walking around sightseeing is an incredible goal? From November 2007 to November 2008, Christoph Rehage achieved something really incredible by walking from one end of China to the next, including the the Gobi desert. As he did so, he took photos to show his progress (and his increasingly long beard). His original goal was to go to Germany, which was not one he was able to make. But he did walk an astonishing 4,500 kilometers during his trip.

7. Lost In Tokyo

 
Probably my favorite timelapse video, this one was made by Mark Bramley. It shows his two days spent in the city. You see the city streets themselves in beautiful lights, some of the people (including some very serious transportation workers) and just get a general glimpse at one of the most fame locations in the world. Well made, interesting an inspiring, you will be sure to love it.

Conclusion

There you have it, seven fantastic and inspiring travel videos. I am sure you have your own list, so why not share them? Link your favorites in the comments!

Annie is the inspired traveler working for Dobovo, the free app for picking apartments in Odessa for your next beach vacation.

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