# Looking for escapist fantasy travel shows **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** reality-or-game-show\ **Created:** [October 7, 2020, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-escapist-fantasy-travel-shows/922399 "2020-10-07T08:46:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-escapist-fantasy-travel-shows/922399/21 "2021-07-13T06:18:29Z")
> [@galen\_ubal](#): > > Not sure if this is exactly what you’re looking for, but there are several _Top Gear_ specials with Clarkson, May, and Hammond. They get sent to various locations (Vietnam, Botswana, the Arctic, among others) and have to travel through them - usually with several conditions and challenges along the way. Pretty funny stuff, a lot of it. > The Vietnam special is my favourite, I think. Certainly it’s the most uncomfortable for Clarkson! 😃 Looks like they are available on Amazon Prime. I was going to mention _Top Gear_ just for the Vietnam episode alone. They do exaggerate a little for effect – for example, they did not really get on the train to Hanoi by mistake instead of to Haiphong, because you _do_ have to go to Hanoi first, then change for Haiphong – but it’s a fantastic travelogue overall. The wife and I have been to most of the places in that episode. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-escapist-fantasy-travel-shows/922399/22 "2021-07-13T10:12:01Z")
It’s architecture porn more than travel porn, but I’d recommend BBC’s [The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World%27s_Most_Extraordinary_Homes), which is on Netflix. Two wonderful presenters, very cosy, and also informative of what goes into some high-end houses. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-escapist-fantasy-travel-shows/922399/23 "2021-07-13T10:45:33Z")
I’d highly recommend any of Rick Stein’s series. He is a well renowned seafood chef and his various series are food and cooking based but he is also excellent company as a travel host and he is erudite, articulate and fascinated by the places he visits. ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-escapist-fantasy-travel-shows/922399/24 "2021-07-13T23:50:35Z")
One that Mrs Wallaby and I like is _ **Classical Destinations** _. The subject of each episode is a particular composer, but then they do a travelogue around the subject’s home town or city, with lots of detail on architecture (particularly concert halls), history and ‘culture’. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YdR-3maCk3s/hqdefault.jpg "Classical Destinations Trailer") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdR-3maCk3s) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2021, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-escapist-fantasy-travel-shows/922399/25 "2021-07-14T06:36:16Z")
Almost forgot this one: [Somewhere Street](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/somewhere/), broadcast on Japan’s NHK. We used to watch it a lot in Thailand but have not kept up with it since moving back here. It’s first person from the camera’s point of view as it walks through different cities all over the world. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-escapist-fantasy-travel-shows/922399.md?page=1)