Explore the world from the comfort of your own sofa as these spectacular must-watch shows take you on a journey like no other. From California to the Congo, Italy to Israel, France to Fiji, these visually stunning shows are certain to inspire your next holiday adventure. So settle down and take a virtual trip deep into the ocean to swim with dolphins, set sail across the Atlantic and surf the big waves!

HUMAN PLANET

Image Source- BBC EARTH

We may design our cities to keep out the jungle, but the animals are never very far away. As humans, we must learn to collaborate with the natural world and BBC’s stunning documentary series Human Planet - narrated by John Hurt - shows us just that as we embark on an unforgettable journey around our magnificent world. Watch as falcons swoop from the spectacular skyscrapers to free the modern metropolis of Dubai from its pigeon population, experience a battle of wits at sea with a whale during a harpooning challenge and even meet a shark-whisperer. Complemented by its award-winning cinematography Human Planet will immerse you with images of bountiful oceans resplendent in technicolour, the evolving landscapes of the shifting deserts and the sheer majesty of earth's glorious rainforests. Prepare to be amazed!

Where can I watch Human Planet? Available to stream on Netflix

ANTHONY BOURDAIN: PARTS UNKNOWN

Image Source- https://www.facebook.com/PartsUnknownCNN/

Gear up for the tasty trip of a lifetime as we accompany Anthony Bourdain on his culinary adventures across unknown (and some known) parts of the globe. Discover intriguing cultures, history and local traditions as he travels to the likes of Shanghai, Peru, Spain, India and Thailand in search of the finest gastronomy and the most tempting of treats. From touring the farms of Lyons in France to sample family-forged traditional dishes, to exploring the sprawl of Shanghai seeking deliciously authentic street delicacies to teasing the tastebuds with Jamaica's famed jerk chicken, Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown is the perfect programme for those wanting to combine their love for cooking and travel. It really is a feast for the eyes and the senses!

Where can I watch Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown? Available to stream on Netflix

TALES BY LIGHT

In this National Geographic series, these remarkably driven photographers take the audience through a kaleidoscope of images, capturing nature and lesser-known terrain like never before. Australian marine photographer Darren Jew dives deep to explore shipwrecks in Papua New Guinea and immortalise whales in the clear waters of Tonga, while adventure sports enthusiast Krystal Wright paraglides over the salt flats of Bonneville in Utah and landscape photographer Peter Eastway beckons us fall in love with Antarctica. Sit back and enter this brave new world!

Where can I watch Tales by Light? Available to stream on Netflix

THE GRAND TOUR

Men will be boys…and love anything on wheels! That’s the theme as old friends Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May take their arguments around battery-operated cars that belong to the future and hatchbacks that should be relegated to the past, on their epic globe-trotting adventures. Check out Dubai, where ATMs dish out gold ingots and buses that cost $7million pick you up from your doorstep, zoom with jets in a sunny California desert, enjoy the grandest of Italian holiday tours at the wheel of a lavish Rolls Royce, all accompanied by the irreplacable trio. Tighten your seatbelts, it will be quite the journey!

Where can I watch The Grand Tour? Available to stream from Amazon Prime

BELLA VITA

It’s family bonding time for surfer Chris Del Moro, who returns to explore the surfing scene in Italy, where he spent summers with his grandmother as a child. This fascinating documentary goes beyond simply waiting for the big waves to strike though, with Del Moro offering a tempting insight into Italy's world renowned food and culture.

Where can I watch Bella Vita? Available to stream on Netflix and Red Bull TV

SOUTH PACIFIC

This stunning six-part nature documentary narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch introduces you to the South Pacific, home to thousands of islands and a natural landscape like no other. Traverse the paradise islands of beautiful Hawaii, still one of the most volcanically active areas on earth, get up close and personal with the iconic inhabitants of the unique Galapagos Islands and marvel as cameras capture the languid yet destructive flow of lava from undersea volcano Kavachi in the Solomon Islands. 

Where can I watch South Pacific? Available to stream on Netflix

GIVEN

The documentary, directed by Jessi Bianchi, is narrated by a six-year-old boy who accompanies his surfer parents Aamion and Daize Goodwin, along with his baby sister, from their home in Kauai, Hawaii across 15 countries in search of the perfect waves. The family travels to Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Thailand, along the coastlines of Australia, Peru and beyond. From surfing in the sun-lit early hours of the morning in Iceland, to being introduced to the land of milk and honey in Israel to meeting a man who warns the family about choosing who to fall in love with before jumping into the ocean, this documentary is a pleasant reminder of simpler times and how travel can get you back to the basics and the things that truly matter.

Where can I watch Given? Available to stream from Amazon

A YEAR IN CHAMPAGNE

Wine importer Martine Saunier takes us on a tour through independent and large wineries and cellars that lie beneath the world-famous French region of Champagne. Making champagne is an art and a science, a technological breakthrough, so much so mere 'sparkling wine' can only be labelled champagne if it comes from this particular region. As this documentary explains, the local people are easy-going and love a good joke, but behind all that, the French are serious about their wine, whether they are drinking it or making it. Highlights include a visit to Maison Bollinger, which has been producing the champagne of choice for the British royal family for over a century, the sacred grounds where the bottles are stored and turned at regular intervals, and the spectacularly beautiful vineyards themselves.

Where can I watch A Year in Champagne? Available to stream on Amazon