Wanderlust is a brilliant and terrible thing. Brilliant, when you’re on a boat in the Med plotting your next destination, and terrible, when you’re sat in an office mashing out articles all day. We get it, and that’s why we love 360 degree video.
Essentially, 360 degree video encapsulates a scene in its entirety, and isn’t simply limited to the scope of a forward-facing lens.
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The new phenomenon came to prominence in late 2015, but this year, we’re seeing more and more companies build devices to record them. And people have taken full advantage of this.
If you need to get out a bit, have a look at these five beautiful 360 degree videos of the world’s prettiest and most famous landmarks.
Pro tip: you can view these videos on your phone and tilt it around to get the complete 360 degree experience. More, if you happen to have one lying around, now would be a good time to whip out that Google Cardboard VR headset.
New York City, USA
It’s been sung about by Sinatra and Jay Z, immortalised by Hollywood and etched itself into the hearts of many. I’m talking about New York, of course. Arguably the heart of the Western world, the city has been called home by over 18-million people.
This video courtesy of the New York Times shows an average day in the Atlantic coast’s biggest city. Artist JR talks about filming the video for the publication and notes that the city is more than just a bunch of buildings and yellow taxi cabs.
Biddlecomb Cascade, Australia
The land down under is often thought to be a vacant dust bowl with strange hopping animals on its surface (mainly thanks to Mad Max), but this video depicts the country in a totally different light.
Rich with ambient noise and gorgeous lush greenery, Northern Australia’s Biddlecomb Cascade is definitely one of the prettiest places in the land, and possibly on the planet.
Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo, Japan
If you’ve seen Tokyo Drift, you’ll know this world famous zebra crossing. Shibuya, in the heart of one of Tokyo’s busiest areas, sees scores of people darting between the shopping district, train station and meeting spots around the square.
This video doesn’t quite depict sweeping vistas and unspoiled nature of Japan, but rather the everyday hustle and bustle fueling one of the world’s most fascinating places.
Mont Blanc, Italian/French border
The tallest peak in western Europe, Mont Blanc is somewhere you definitely don’t want to go without a coat. The peak is perpetually covered in snow and is almost as vertical in ascent as a pencil tip.
That doesn’t stop people from climbing it though. This video, courtesy of Google Maps, is probably the snowiest 360-degree video you’ll see today.
Dubai International Airport, UAE
This is one enormous airport and one that almost every long-haul traveller has visited. Dubai International is the busiest airport based on international travellers, which also makes it the third most trafficked in the world.
This timelapse however, shows the beauty behind the organised mayhem and the seamless operation of a human-created marvel.
Grand Canyon, USA
Arizona’s most famous landmark is a chunk of earth carved by the force of water over millenia. That’s right, I’m talking the Grand Canyon.
No list would be complete without this natural wonder’s inclusion and 360 Labs’ 360 degree showcases really depicts the beautiful peace inherent in the Colorado river valley.
Amelnryggen, Svalbard
If you having trouble pronouncing that, don’t worry, we did too. Svalbard is a Norwegian island chain deep within the Arctic Circle, close enough to the North Pole to see Santa’s back yard. Although it’s seriously cold, it also happens to be a great place to watch solar eclipses.
This video, published in 2015 by Stargate Media, shows the transformation of the day time sky when the moon passed in front of the sun on 20 March 2015.
Feature image: Anupam_ts via Flickr
