After this horrendous COVID period, all most of us want to do is take a break from it all and get back to what we used to do. In this case, travelling is one of the things I miss most. So when the opportunity came to go and tour Cairo Egypt with Google, I could not help but pack my bags and get on the first taxi to the airport. Unfortunately that was not the trip that was scheduled. *Sigh

Google Tour of Egypt: The Virtual Way

While packing to leave and checking if my passport is still valid (lol), Google called to schedule a virtual trip of Cairo. I was bummed at first but the virtual adventure had me intrigued.

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During the virtual trip, alongside other creators, Google representatives showed us through the streets of Cairo. They took us through museums and into pyramids. Through the Arts and culture app, which is available for download here,  Google is able to walk you through anywhere in the world. For a better visual, it’s just like street view. In this case, we took a trip from south to North Egypt and it was quite fun.

With this feature, you can also take 360 walks through museums, exhibition halls and right into the pyramids. The experience is quite inclusive. You could go in and:

• See artefacts up close
• Read about their history
• Experience art as if it were your own.

Google also notes that in Egypt you can go into the tombs and go indoor bird watching all from your app. It works not only for African countries alone but you can also go to the likes of Paris and climb the Eiffel tower if you wish or walk down to the Champs-Élysées. The choice is yours.

Why do you need a virtual trip?

Through out the experience I kept wondering to myself, why do I need a virtual trip? Well Google and I came up with some pretty good answers to that.

1. It’s cheaper. In as much as you are not physically going there, this is a much cheaper way to experience these new places.
2. It’s educative: Say you have a child or a need to keep learning. This experience teaches you a lot as all the history is embedded into the platform. All the facts and figures you could ever need are right there at the palm of your hands.
3. It’s a good trip planner. Assuming you have never been to Egypt, this would be a good way to see before hand where it is you want to go and plan accordingly for it.

I may have not gone to Egypt but this experience has me looking at plane tickets and planning trips for a later date. It’s important to note that The virtual trip is not as immersive. You can’t hear the sounds, taste the food or touch the pyramid walls. That is what makes it a great visual planner. Maybe it’ll work for you too.