Travel vlogs give viewers a first-person look at foreign locations through the lens of a creator and allow them to immerse themselves in a variety of cultures without leaving their homes.
After the pandemic changed travel forever, these videos allowed viewers to live vicariously through the creators, as well as experience what life is like in different parts of the world. The following YouTube channels stand out because they offer unique perspectives on foreign countries in an unbiased and raw manner. These creators not only spotlight the sights and attractions of these places, but also interact and connect with the people who live there. They grow their YouTube subscribers with engaging and authentic content. In their travels, these YouTubers highlight picturesque landmarks and go on irresistible culinary adventures. Some of them also offer travel guides, which come in handy when planning your next trip.
Joe HaTTab
Jordanian filmmaker Joe Hattab produces stunning documentary-style travel videos that offer insight into the wonders and distinctiveness of each country he visits. His YouTube channel currently has a staggering eleven million subscribers. His videos are brief, usually between 10-20 minutes long, and he tells stories in a captivating and interactive format. Although Hattab speaks Arabic in the majority of his videos, he also includes captions in English, Spanish, Indonesian, French, German and Turkish. His videos are not only entertaining and visually appealing but also quite educational, as he provides viewers with stories and perspectives from countries that are rarely portrayed positively in mainstream media.
He’s also known for telling unusual stories about the places he visits, such as The Giants of Egypt, The Land of No Men, the Hallucinogen Honey Hunters and even a video showcasing the rare animals of the Galapagos Islands. Some of the countries he has visited include Mexico, Kurdistan, Uganda, Denmark, The Philippines, Japan and Ecuador
Rick Steves’ Europe
Rick Steves, an author and television personality with four decades of travel experience, is known as America’s most respected authority on European travel. His videos aim to encourage people to have fun, culturally diverse travel experiences and visit less-touristy destinations. He provides insight into Europe’s top destinations, history, art, food and culture, and also shares tips to help travelers have a smarter and happier trip.
His channel also features a “Why We Travel” series where he discusses the various reasons humans travel, such as understanding history and culture and appreciating those who came before us. From the highlands of Scotland to the Swiss Alps, Rick takes viewers on a remarkable and enthralling visual tour of Europe. Aside from Europe, he has informative videos and travel guides on Cuba, Iran and Egypt.
Maryjane
This channel is run by Maryjane Byarm, a self-described nomad who left America at the age of 19 to travel the world. She has traveled to 116 different countries, including Kyrgyzstan, Bulgaria, Ethiopia, Laos, China, Macedonia, India, Lichtenstein and Belize. She creates incredible documentary-style videos and vlogs about her travels.
She recently visited Afghanistan and showed the beauty and hospitality of the people there in a way that is not usually portrayed in Western media. She also visited the tomb of Seth, Adam and Eve’s son, and had her photo taken by one of the country’s most famous photographers, who has never been allowed to photograph women in his 50-year career.
Cool Vision
This channel differs from the others in that their videos provide a detailed overview of the various cities and countries they visit. They typically begin with breathtaking aerial views of landscapes as well as brief geographical and historical information. The videos show outstanding architectural marvels and mundane sights from everyday life. Additionally, they highlight popular tourist attractions and local cuisines. They also conduct street interviews with locals to gain insight into what life is truly like, asking them questions about what they like and dislike about living in these places.
Yerevan (Armenia), Guangzhou (China), Zanzibar (Tanzania), Batumi (Georgia), Tashkent (Uzbekistan), New York (United States) and Busan (South Korea) are among the places showcased on the channel.
Indigo Traveller
Indigo Traveller’s Nick Fisher aspires to “travel to misunderstood areas of the world in order to reveal the human side of what we read in the news.” He has been to North Korea, Ukraine, Libya, Nigeria, Sudan, Haiti and Brazil in order to raise awareness about what life is like in these countries. His videos are about a half-hour long and feature unfiltered conversations with the local people.
He also usually gives a brief but comprehensive overview of the country and its current situation, and he talks to locals and listens to their stories. His videos provide firsthand information about daily life in these countries while also highlighting the spirit of the people.
Blackman Da Traveller
Amir, the man behind Blackman Da Traveller, is a British travel vlogger whose goal is to inspire people to travel in a backpacking style. He travels to less-visited areas to learn about new cultures and integrate into new communities. When he travels to popular countries, he visits lesser-known cities and towns and interacts with the people in a refreshing and authentic manner, all while respecting local customs and traditions. His confident and daring personality has led to an endless number of experiences in the most unlikely of places. His titles are consistently memorable, including videos such as “village life day1 why are you here” and “Avoid These Kids In Jhelum Pakistan – (Leave Me Alone Please ).”
His journeys are spontaneous, as evidenced by this video where he took a random train in Estonia to the Russian border. He has traveled to Bolivia, India, Argentina, Vietnam, Pakistan, Serbia and Sweden, as well as the United States (Ingelwood, Los Angeles and Harlem, NYC), just to name a few.
Eva zu Beck
Zu Beck began her channel with a tour of the best sights in Wroclaw, Poland and has since traveled to 60 countries, including Pakistan, where she lived for over a year. Her evident fearlessness combined with her storytelling skills makes for an enjoyable viewing experience. During her travels, she has had a variety of interesting experiences, including being detained at the American border, living in the mountains of Ukraine, horseback riding alone in Mongolia and cycling across Poland using only paper maps.
She has been to places such as Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Armenia, the Scottish Isles and the breathtaking Socotra Island in Yemen. She is currently driving through the Americas in a Land Rover Defender which has been converted to an off-road expedition truck
