I knew Google Maps was pretty amazing – Google Maps Street View is both fascinating in offering a 3D view and slightly creepy when you Google your own address and see your house standing right there.
So it seems obvious that you could check out various famous locations from around the world as well – I had the pleasure of visiting the local Google office and they demonstrated using Google Earth and Street View to locate the Sphinx out in Egypt, I was pretty blown away!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZg8FTi5_Os]
I’ve only just discovered the Google World Wonders Project, which documents some of the more famous historical sites and world wonders using Google Street View technology. You have a 360 degree, 3D walk-through experience of the sites: Check out Tenryuji Temple – I visited it in in Arashiyama on my Kansai trip in July, and while it was not so eerily empty, this was almost like walking through the temple again.
[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps?layer=c&cbll=35.015721,135.673587&panoid=F1lm17TX3MrZxZGRVDarFw&cbp=13,270.32,,0,2.98&hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=h&source=embed&ll=35.01493,135.673589&spn=0.002759,0.00603&z=17&output=svembed&w=562&h=314]
What’s even more amazing is now they’ve even ventured underwater and documented the ocean itself, check out the map below of Australia’s famous Great Barrier Reef, so non-divers now have the chance to see what they’ve been missing out on!
[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Wilson+Island,+Great+Barrier+Reef,+Australia&hl=en&sll=41.486939,-96.009179&sspn=0.022568,0.045362&oq=wilson+island+great+barrier+&hnear=Wilson+Island&t=m&layer=c&cbll=-23.303391,151.914955&panoid=TNE1NPAnEUNYhGk9kFWyJw&cbp=13,281.68,,0,10.15&ie=UTF8&hq=&source=embed&ll=-23.310474,151.914997&spn=0.024751,0.048237&z=14&output=svembed&w=562&h=314]
Seriously, you could spend all day just checking out these locations, but nothing beats actually being there and seeing these wonderful places for yourself. Hopefully these maps are more inspiration for you to get up and travel rather than become replacements of proper trips.
So if you’re in the mood for some exploring but can’t get away from your desk, just spend a few minutes everyday checking out a new place – it’s both educational as well as wanderlust inspiring!