Travel the Home Exchange Way

Neighbourly love: heartwarming photos from Italy ❤

As families around the world bunker in amid the Covid-19 pandemic, we've seen so many uplifting examples of neighbourly love. Be it the thousands of people volunteering to help the vulnerable in the community, neighbours coming to their windows and doorsteps to cheer on our heroic healthcare workers and, of course, the wonderful heartwarming videos from Italy where people of all generations have taken to their balconies to sing and play musical instruments.

The wonderful scenes in Italy were nationwide from Sicily to Milan and provide a beautiful insight into the Italian spirit. We were sent these two lovely photos from Home Base Holidays member, Valeri Walsh, from her home in the Medieval hillside village of Ceriana, Italy.

 

"Dear friends. During the Coronavirus outbreak you may have seen pictures of Italians singing from their balconies. Unfortunately my neighbours and I don't have balconies and we don't sing either but every evening around 6pm we open our windows and chat to each other across the alley while enjoying a glass of wine. We talk about what we have been doing that day, what we will cook that evening and how much we hope and pray that we will soon get through this terrible time. I hope you like these lovely photos taken by my neighbour across from me. Many regards to you all, Valeri." - Valeri Walsh (Ceriana, Italy)

 

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Meet the member:   Valeri is an experienced home exchanger and lives in a beautiful 800 year old home in the charming hillside village of Ceriana, Imperia, Italy. - View Valeri's home swap offer in Ceriana, Italy

Home swaps postponed? Take a virtual vacation

With most of us now on lockdown and many home exchange travel plans postponed, we're all having to adapt and find ways to keep our spirits up. Our home exchanges may be on hold for now, but there are still ways to scratch that travel itch without leaving our homes. Shown below are some of our favourite virtual tours and wildlife cams - they're great for all ages and can be an excellent educational way to entertain the kids while schools are closed.

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Go on a virtual museum and gallery tour

Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash

Get a little culture fix without leaving your home by taking a virtual tour of some of the world's top museums and art galleries. Google Arts & Culture have teamed up with over 2500 museums and galleries around the world to provide virtual tours and online exhibits.

Included are exhibitions from The British Museum, Van Goh Museum, Rijksmuseum, Museum of London, Hermitage Museum, The National Gallery, Guggenheim, Tate Britain, The White House, Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, Global Street Art Foundation, The Victoria and Albert Museum, The J. Paul Getty Museum, Musée d’Orsay, and many many more!

• Browse the museum and art gallery tours available through Google Arts & Culture

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US National Park virtual tours

Photo by Ryan Stone on Unsplash

We're stuck indoors but you can still experience some of America's best national parks by taking a virtual tour. There are five US national parks to explore through Google Arts & Culture so that you can still enjoy the great outdoors from the safely of your sofa.

• Browse the US national park virtual tours available through Google Arts & Culture

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Virtual tours of some of the world's most famous landmarks

Photo by Emily Passmore on Unsplash

Love to travel but stuck indoors? Enjoy some escapism by checking out these virtual tours of some of the world's most famous landmarks. Click the links below to start the tour.

• Stonehenge, UK
• Taj Mahal, India
• Angkor Wat, Cambodia
• Colosseum, Rome
• Eiffel Tower, Paris
• Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
• Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro
• The ancient city of Petra, Jordan
• Machu Picchu, Peru
• Chichen Itza, Mexico

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Live zoo, wildlife and safari webcams

Photo by Alexander Ross on Unsplash

Enjoy live streams from around the world from the comfort of your home. Everything from penguins to pandas, African safaris and English countryside cams.

• Animal cams around the world (African safari, bears, birds, sea life + more!) 
• Edinburgh Zoo's 'panda and penguin cams'
• Folly Farm, Pembrokeshire, Wales
• 'Badger cam' from Wildlife Trust, Cumbria, England
• 'Elephant cam' from Dublin Zoo, Ireland
• San Diego Zoo's 'polar bear cam'

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Virtual tours of theatres, concert halls and opera houses around the world

Photo by Peter Lewicki on Unsplash

Google Arts & Culture have teamed up with iconic venues around the world. Step inside some of the most beautiful theatres, concert halls and opera houses. Includes The Balshoi Theatre (Moscow), Carnegie Hall (New York City), National Theatre of Korea (Seoul), Theatro Municipal (São Paulo), Burgtheatre (Vienna), Sydney Opera House (Sydney) and many more.

• Browse theatres, concert halls and opera houses around the world

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Space Center Houston interactive app

Photo by NASA on Unsplash

Space Center Houston have an excellent free app that provides interactive tours, selfie filters, augmented reality experiences, virtual reality and more!

• Go to the Space Center Houston's website to download the app

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Stay in touch: pencil in your future home swaps In these unprecedented times, communication is more important than ever. Make sure to stay in touch with other Home Base Holidays members to check how they're doing. We've seen many members penciling in home swap plans for later in the year and in to 2021 - we may not be able to travel now but it can be uplifting to plan our future getaways! Stay safe. Stay home. Stay in touch ♥

Lockdown stories: send us your 'home base' experiences

My home office view: can't slack with a cat!

These really are the most extraordinary of times and we just hope that everyone is keeping safe and well. With much of the world now on lockdown and travel plans postponed, we are all having to adapt and find ways to keep our spirits up.

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Please share your experiences: Whether you now find yourself working from home, home schooling or spending your time learning a new skill (perhaps learning a new language ready for your next home swap or recreating some foodie favourites from your travels?)... we'd love to hear from you! Please share your 'home base' experiences with me at: [email protected] We'd especially love to hear from any healthcare professionals and people volunteering in the community - you really are our heroes! ♥

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Keeping in touch: this will be extra important for all of us in the coming weeks and months, so please feel free to contact me any time, even if just for a chat. Please make an effort to reach out to other Home Base Holidays members for a chat and to see how they are doing - we are one home swap family.

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How are you staying safe at home?

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Love and best wishes,

Mark Sealey | Home Base Holidays / Travel the Home Exchange Way

Australian bushfires & home swap travel advice

Our thoughts are with everyone in Australia in areas affected by the terrible bushfires, and for all concerned for family and friends in Australia. We have lots of Australian Home Base Holidays members, many of which have been members and friends for many many years - we're thinking of them all and sending our best wishes at this very worrying time. 

What to know before home swapping in Australia

At the time of writing there isn't advice against travel to Australia in general - but if you do have a home swap planned soon, please get in touch with your Australian hosts to check that they are safe and well. With the temperatures set to rise again in many of the affected areas, you’ll need to keep a close eye on the ever-changing situation and stay in touch with your hosts in the lead up to any travel dates.

Always confirm flights with airlines before departure. Airlines cancelled several flights in NSW due to low visibility from bushfire smoke. Etihad Airways announced it would waive change fees for Australian residents affected by the fires. The waivers will apply for travel to or from Australia. Virgin Australia is also waiving change fees.

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How to help

You can donate to the Australian Red Cross through The Intrepid Foundation (100% of all donations are being donated to these efforts).

As many as 800 million animals, including koalas and kangaroos, have been killed or hurt in the bushfires. You can donate to the New South Wales Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) emergency fund. The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital and Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park have both created GoFundMe pages to help search for injured animals, pay for veterinary assistance and help animals recover.

Swap stories: Autumn and new year home exchanges

This Autumn update was sent in by Home Base Holidays member and very experienced home exchanger, Marguerite.

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"Autumn is here and I am looking forward to yet another home exchange holiday.

My last exchange was in Stroud, which I fell in love with straight away! I've visited the Cotswolds many times but never Gloucestershire, though I felt I knew it well thanks to reading books by Laurie Lee. Stroud is beautiful and more than lived up to expectations. Overlooking the Slad valley, Ruth's home is beautiful, warm and comfy - with wonderful sunset views, making a G&T in the conservatory a must every evening!

The town of Stroud is one of the friendliest I have come across, and every little cafe or restaurant seemed to have wholesome and tasty food, there is a great little market too. We enjoyed wonderful walks... for example along the canal, which was so clear and with more fish than I have ever seen.

Our next venture is Sheringham in Norfolk in December, I am really looking forward to Christmas shopping and festivities in a different town, not to mention the walks and bird watching; we exchanged in Suffolk last December and saw a marvelous murmuration of starlings, fingers crossed for the same.

The New Year is on it's way, with one exchange fixed, and the exciting prospect of another with Waiheke Island, Auckland. We're already planning more exchanges for the new year, with the Scottish Highlands and Islands being high on our list! ...but first to Norfolk and hopefully more lovely sunsets!"

- Marguerite

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Marguerite's home swap in Stroud:

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Meet the member:   Marguerite (in photo) is a retired Teacher and avid traveller. Having lived in France many years, she speaks fluent French. View Marguerite's home swap offer in Harrogate, Yorkshire

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Swap homes: enjoy free vacation accommodation

Slash the cost of your next getaway by arranging a home swap through Home Base Holidays and enjoy free accommodation. 

• Search thousands of home exchange vacation offers

Happy St David's Day! Home exchanges in Wales

 

It's the 1st of March which means St David's Day is here, with daffodils beginning to bloom and celebrations taking place in honour of the Welsh patron saint. 

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Visit Wales: Offering awe-inspiring scenery, breath taking coastlines and vibrant cities, Wales really does have something for everyone. I've spent many a family holiday in Wales and it's a country that I return to time and time again. In fact, my very first home exchange holiday was in a beautifully rustic Welsh cottage!

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Holiday home swaps in Wales: If you're interested in arranging a home exchange in Wales, check out some of these tempting offers:

	Talbenny, Pembrokeshire (HE31272) This renovated barn is situated in Talbenny, just under 2 miles from Little Haven in the heart of the Pembrokeshire National Park. It offers a wonderful holiday for the wildlife enthusiast; the walker and cyclist; the surfer; sailor; as well as those just looking for a variety of beaches. View this home swap offer
	Tenby, Pembrokeshire (HE36502) Only metres from beach, this contemporary top floor apartment is located within the old medieval walled town. A former pub. Stunning town setting on a rocky crag overlooking the ocean. Sitting astride the Pembrokeshire coastal path - hundreds of miles of beautiful coastal walks. View this home swap offer
	Llanberis, Snowdonia (HE23677) Ripon House is a lovely 1830's, restored house in the centre of a small Snowdonia village. It is only 3 mins walk from the lake, close to facilities, numerous tourist attractions, and at the start of paths to Mount Snowdon. Castles, beaches & coast are 20 mins drive away. View this home swap offer
	Llanfairfechan, Conwy (HE20511) This home swap offer looks across the Irish sea towards Anglesey, Puffin Island, and the Great Orme. The views are amazing both out to sea and at the rear of the property across the Snowdonia mountain range. Dolphins/Porpoise are sometimes seen from the window! View this home swap offer
	Three Cliffs Bay, Gower Peninsula (HE35400) Rosedale is a secluded detached cottage nestled behind the dunes of Three Cliffs Bay close to the village of Parkmill. This charming cottage, built around an original 1920’s holiday chalet. The property sits on the edge of Pennard golf club. View this home swap offer

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Arrange free vacation accommodation: search home swap travel offers