Around the world in 2 minutes or less: The best of P.E.I. armchair travels

With the COVID-19 pandemic curtailing Canadians' travel plans for the foreseeable future, perhaps you're dreaming of or planning a trip when restrictions ease.

Imagining where you might go? Maybe some of the destinations from CBC P.E.I.'s armchair travel series will help fill your bucket list.

Sit back and enjoy a tour through some of your neighbours' recent adventures abroad, complete with stunning photos.

Nicole MacKay and her dad do South America

Some people can't fathom taking a road trip with their parents from P.E.I. to Moncton, let alone halfway around the world.

But in 2017, seasoned traveller and P.E.I. resident Nicole MacKay took a four-week trip to South America with her then 54-year-old father, Al MacKay. 

Check out their hikes to Macchu Picchu and more, here.

Chris Marshall's stunning South Africa

Chris Marshall is an avid traveller and photographer from Cornwall who shared his 2016 trip to South Africa.

A highlight for Marshall was visiting the national safari park at Pilanesburg, where animals including elephants, lions, rhinoceros, leopard and buffalo — the "big 5" — roam free.

The Marshalls also took a memorable bus tour to the township of Soweto, where some live in extreme poverty while others are well off. 

Check out the people and animals of South Africa here.

Mike Wheeler's breathtaking China and Cambodia

Wheeler took an epic trip to China in 2016 — his main destination for a work event.

Already halfway around the world, he decided to stay a few extra days to see Cambodia, which was on the already well-travelled Islander's bucket list.

He visited the 'heartbreaking" killing fields there, spent a day at Angkor Wat temple complex — the largest religious monument in the world — and sampled street food including rat. 

Check out the full story and photos here.

Rachel Hershfield visits the Chelsea Flower Show

If your idea of travel includes stunning scenery and gorgeous gardens, you'll want to check out Rachel Hershfield's 2018 visit to the famous Chelsea Flower Show in in England, as well as several other gardens managed by Britain's National Trust.

"When I walked into the Great Pavilion, I almost cried," she said of finally visiting the show, which had been on her bucket list for years. 

After the show, the tour headed on to other famous gardens throughout England — each stop providing Hershfield with inspiration and marvel — including Sissinghurst Castle, Wilton House and Stourhead Estate, described as a "living work of art."

See Hershfield's beautiful photos of England's lush, incredible gardens here. 

P.E.I. chefs' 5-week Thailand adventure

Chef Chris Colburn and Karen Henry, chefs at Dalvay-by-the-Sea in 2017, took a five-week culinary adventure to the southeastern Asian country that spring. 

The couple was excited to learn some culinary secrets from chefs at top Thai restaurants, to influence and inspire their cooking at the resort. 

Check out the couple's photos of glorious white sand beaches, visits with baby elephants and an encounter with a naughty monkey here.

Teresa Doyle's journey to the 'heart of India'

Veteran P.E.I. folk singer-songwriter Teresa Doyle calls herself a "vocal" explorer — her annual travels to expand her musical horizons have taken her to Kenya, Japan and Ireland.

In 2017, as Doyle turned 60, she spent a month at a remote ashram in India, learning Vedic chant — the oldest songs on the planet, she said. 

She visited temples in South India and a small monastery run by female yogis, where she was invited to help decorate a cow. Sacred cows were everywhere, she said, even on freeways.

For more of Doyle's "life-altering" experience in India, click here.

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