I may be a travel blogger but I don’t travel 24/7! I wish. In reality, I spend most of my days in my lounge wear, homeschooling Luke, working from home and doing errands. Sometimes, all at the same time.
But I’m a good girl (haha) and so instead of hopping on to the next flight and running away from my responsibilities, I instead reward myself with “quick trips around the world” from home. On this first edition on my blog of “Travel Without Leaving Home,” here’s a list of some of my favorite shows that allow me to travel to places and worlds at the comfort of my own couch.
Ready to binge watch travel with me via Netflix? Let’s go!
Travel to the Past (Specifically 1940’s London): The Crown
London has always held the top spot in my heart (in terms of places, that is!) One of the reasons I love it so much is because of its rich history and the romanticised pictures I had in my mind of the British monarchy. Everything about it has always been fascinating to me, both the good and the bad, so it’s no surprise that my absolute favorite Netflix show is “The Crown.”
The Crown chronicles the life of Queen Elizabeth II as a young monarch. Like mentioned, travel back to 1940’s London and get a glimpse of how life must have been like for The Queen and the people that surround her. The cinematography, costumes and sets are perfectly on point. One thing that is so wonderful about this series is how they really try to make sure that it is as historically accurate as possible.
RECOMMENDATION: Keep your phone within reach as I’m pretty sure you’ll be googling “Did this really happen…” multiple times in an episode. (For the ultimate immersive experience, watch while cuddling with your Corgi, if you have one, as you sip a cup of English tea.)
Travel to the Future: Black Mirror
Black Mirror shows us how technology can affect (or is already affecting!) our lives. It’s a preview of things to come, which makes it so intriguing. It features some wild and some entirely believable future technologies. But the beauty of the show is how the world portrayed in Black Mirror seems so similar to our own; it’s familiar and deeply relatable.
It’s a little hard to explain, so I suggest you go watch at least one episode to understand what I mean! Black Mirror features stand-alone episodes, which means, you can watch it in whichever order you like.
RECOMMENDATION: Read all the synopsis first and start with the one that interests you most. If you’re asking for my suggestion though, I recommend you start with “The Entire History of Us.” Not my favorite episode (though it ranks high up) but definitely one of my favorite “technologies!”
Travel to the Past, Present, Future and Other Worlds: Doctor Who
One of my favorite shows of all time simply because I get to “travel” to different eras and different worlds on each episode. It’s not a Netflix original but it’s available on Netflix!
Doctor Who isn’t that popular here in The Philippines so if you’re not familiar with the show, allow me to give a brief intro. Doctor Who is a show about a Time Lord called The Doctor who travels with a companion on his Tardis (the blue police box) through time and space, having crazy adventures as he fixes things and solves the problems of the universe. It’s perfect if you’re into sci-fi. If not, I’m not sure how you’ll take it (my husband didn’t enjoy it but he’s really what you’ll call a realist haha!)
RECOMMENDATION: My favorite episodes are “Blink” and “Vincent and the Doctor.” If you’re really not sure if Doctor Who is your kind of show, maybe it’s best to start with either one. However, if you’re on Netflix PH, Doctor Who starts at Season 5, which means you can’t watch “Blink” but that’s okay. My personal favorite Doctor+Companion team though is Matt Smith’s Doctor and The Ponds, which conveniently starts at Season 5 anyway!
Travel to Countries You Wanna Visit Soon: Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations
Okay, so if you’re not much into historical period dramas or sci-fi shows, then maybe Anthony Bourdain is your guy. Travel the world with Anthony Bourdain in “No Reservations” as he goes on a search for the best culinary hotspots and ultimate dining experiences around the globe. But this isn’t your usual food/travel show either. Get ready to visit countries you never thought you’d wanna visit (but now do!) Get to know countries a little more personally and see why places like Cuba, Mozambique and Baja deserve your attention.
RECOMMENDATION: Don’t watch when there’s a toddler in the room. Hahaha. Made the mistake of playing an episode while Luke was in the room and uh, let’s just say I’m thankful they bleeped what they bleeped.
Travel in Style: Luxury Travel Show
For something more chill, relaxing and absolutely stress-free, watch an episode of The Luxury Travel Show. Visit the Ice Hotel, Lake Como, Barbados and other beautiful destinations around the world. Nothing more to say about this show because it literally tells you what it’s all about just by its title!
RECOMMENDATION: Perfect for date night as you plan your next destination together!
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Stay tuned for more of this series called “Travel Without Leaving Home!” Next time, I’m featuring my favorite books, movies and more! Let me know if you have suggestions in mind.
PS. I’m Moving In with Netflix
Some of you might have caught it already on my Instagram but I’m announcing it here on the blog for the first time! We are moving in with Netflix! We’re now officially part of Netflix’s Stream Team and what can I say? I literally have one of the best jobs in the world: who else gets to say they have to binge watch for work? Haha!
Netflix has really changed our dynamics at home. Luke wasn’t allowed any TV before this but now I let him watch “Storybots” on Netflix because they have this wonderful episode about the solar system, which he LOVES. It has also changed my “date nights” with Mor. We now usually just end up staying at home and watching shows we both like together (hello, Designated Survivor and The Crown!) Lastly, traffic is also now something I look forward to because it’s the only time that I get to finish my Black Mirror episodes. Haha! (Did you know you can download episodes offline? Pretty awesome!)
I wanna know what your favorite shows in Netflix are! Let me know in the comments below!
42 Comments
Diandra Araja
January 30, 2018 at 11:37 amI love Black Mirror!! Though I don’t know if I can really binge watch all seasons cause it takes me hours to absorb one episode HAHA
Sheena Sy Gonzales
January 30, 2018 at 1:12 pmHaha!! I know what you mean!! That’s why I watch when I’m in the car lang when it’s traffic. Hahaha!
Stella
January 30, 2018 at 6:28 pmWasn’t the Philippines featured in No Reservations last year? Of course the show about food caught my attention. Haha I don’t watch much series but I’ve been eyeing on Black Mirror for some time now.
Sheena Sy Gonzales
January 30, 2018 at 9:18 pmYes I think so! I have yet to watch that episode though! And oooh Black Mirror, you should go watch a few episodes!! You might like it!
Zunera Mazhar
January 30, 2018 at 10:11 pmStarted watching Black Mirror and I am hooked
Sheena Sy Gonzales
January 30, 2018 at 11:00 pmI can totally relate!
Jennifer
January 31, 2018 at 12:34 amLove the Crown and Black Mirror!! Still need to watch the new season!
Sheena Sy Gonzales
January 31, 2018 at 9:27 amOf which one, The Crown? It’s awesome, you should get started! 😉 Haha!
Analyn Yae Cue
January 31, 2018 at 9:16 amHubby and I got hooked with Designated Survivor as well! Great recommendation by a friend. But I have to be honest, I get stressed out watching it specially on scenes with Agent Wells in them! Haha 😀
Sheena Sy Gonzales
January 31, 2018 at 9:27 amI loooove Designated Survivor!! That’s my husband’s favorite too. Haha.
Maryam
January 31, 2018 at 1:16 pmThese are all great shows. I am hooked on black mirror!
Sheena Sy Gonzales
January 31, 2018 at 2:08 pmThat makes two of us!
Rach
January 31, 2018 at 9:10 pmThank you for sharing this! I love watching movies/shows that feels like I’ve transported elsewhere! I heard so many great things about The Crown!
Sheena Sy Gonzales
January 31, 2018 at 9:18 pmThe Crown is awesome!
Valerie
February 1, 2018 at 5:00 amWow, this is such a fun post! I love how you connect travel with watching movies/shows! Black Mirror is definitely one of my favorites!
Sheena Sy Gonzales
February 1, 2018 at 8:52 amYaaay thanks Valerie! Black Mirror is awesome!
Yara Mel
February 1, 2018 at 6:47 amPerfect ideas for the weekend! Thanks for sharing Sheena
Sheena Sy Gonzales
February 1, 2018 at 8:51 amHave an awesome weekend getaway!
Alessa
February 1, 2018 at 3:08 pmCool posts I would like to see the crown sounds interesting for me!
Sheena Sy Gonzales
February 1, 2018 at 5:32 pmHey Alessa, you should try! It’s really nice!
Freeoversea
February 2, 2018 at 7:07 amNot everything is about work, we deserve this time to get lost in movies and series! 😀
Sheena Sy Gonzales
February 2, 2018 at 9:26 amAmen to that!
Simone
February 2, 2018 at 5:10 pmNo reservations would definitely be something for me! I totally love to travel the world.
Sheena Sy Gonzales
February 2, 2018 at 6:09 pmIt’s a great show!!
Corinne
February 2, 2018 at 5:54 pmI love black mirror but Ive not seen them all yet. We watch them every so often as they don’t follow on you don’t need to watch them close together!
Corinne x
Sheena Sy Gonzales
February 7, 2018 at 10:14 pmYes same here! I haven’t finished it all yet either!
Jessica
February 3, 2018 at 10:24 amThese are really cool shows. I love Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. It’s a culinary journey show, which is really fascinating as you discover other culture.
Sheena Sy Gonzales
February 3, 2018 at 1:00 pmI’m not a foodie but I enjoy this show a lot too!
Susie | Mile High Dreamers
February 4, 2018 at 7:48 amBlack Mirror looks so good! I’ll have to start that one. Ben and I have LOVED getting to watch different documentaries on Netflix. We’re obsessed with food ones (Food Inc, Forks Over Knives, Cowspiracy, etc) but when I’m in the mood for mindless guilty pleasure, I watch Hart of Dixie haha. Especially when Ben is away for a weekend, I love to snuggle up in bed and watch girl shows!
Thanks goodness it’s the weekend so I can check some of these out!
Sheena Sy Gonzales
February 4, 2018 at 2:30 pmI have to check out the food ones! So far I’ve watched an episode of Rotten. It’s pretty interesting!
Cris
February 4, 2018 at 11:39 amLove this post. Gorgeous. Have a lovely weekend. xoxo Cris
Nancy
February 4, 2018 at 1:31 pmI like the idea of traveling without leaving home XD. I heard about The Crown yesterday, and I seriously need to jump on board with this show! I know I would try to investigate on Queen Elizabeth II’s history XD.
I’ve heard of Doctor Who for years but still haven’t watched an episode. I need to give this and Black Mirror a watch as well!
Oh my goodness, Luke looks so adorable! Hope he’ll appreciate the pictures when he’s older and looking back XD.
Sheena Sy Gonzales
February 4, 2018 at 2:31 pmHey Nancy! Try an episode each and see how you’ll like them!! Hehehe.
the adventurer
February 5, 2018 at 6:28 amI love the crown! Such a great show and it has been so interesting learning about the history of england =o)
Sheena Sy Gonzales
February 5, 2018 at 8:26 amYes!!!! It’s amazing!
Ken Patricio
February 5, 2018 at 8:13 amMs. Sheena, I never read the entry yet, I just browsed and I was shocked with the last picture, happy new hair Ms. Sheena. It’s my first time to see you in short hair.
Sheena Sy Gonzales
February 5, 2018 at 8:26 amHi Ken! Hahaha!! Do you like it? That was literally the day I chopped it off. My hair now is a little longer than that! 😀
Selina
February 7, 2018 at 2:56 pmWhat would we do without Netflix?? Haha, love the honesty! Keep up the lovely posts my dear!
Sheena Sy Gonzales
February 7, 2018 at 4:19 pmI know, right? Hahaha.
Kathrin
February 10, 2018 at 11:24 amI love Doctor Who and most of the rest of these are my to watch list. Being part of the Netflix Stream Team sounds like a fun job!
Sheena Sy Gonzales
February 10, 2018 at 8:04 pmIt really is! You should go watch the others too! 😉
Zorica
February 16, 2018 at 5:58 amGreat post.
xx