25 things to do when you’re stuck at home

Thai Virtual Tour is now offering a virtual trip atop Mahanakhon Building for free. You will be able to get online access to The Peak 314-meter outdoor observation area and Indoor Observation Deck, as well as a virtual “work” on the iconic Glass Tray where you are offered a birds eye’s view of the Sathorn area down below. If you own a VR headset, you can amp up the fun by enjoying the VR mode that virtually transports you atop the building.

Since you’re spending so much time indoors, take this as an excellent time to improve your home environment with some houseplants. Apart from adding pops of color to your living space, plants create a more eye-friendly and relaxing environment. They also help purify indoor air by clearing it off irritants, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Here are the best indoor plants, plus the plant shops that can deliver straight to your doorstep.

Tons of tourists from all over the world missed out on seeing the sakura in full bloom in Japan this year. So as not to disappoint fans of this beautiful flower, the country’s Weather News site has released 50 VR videos that explore the best cherry blossom spots throughout Japan, complete with stunning 360-degree views and some very soothing background music. Ah, bliss.

Potterheads are well served in these weird times. The internet has recently exploded with virtual Harry Potter experiences, including the brand-new Harry Potter at Home site launched by JK Rowling, the online version of the British Library's "Harry Potter: A History of Magic" exhibition, and a marvellous Potter-themed online escape room. You can also go on this virtual Harry Potter roller coaster ride or take Time Out’s very own Sorting Hat quiz. Harry Potter newbies, meanwhile, can now listen to the first Harry Potter book on Audible for free.

At this time of year, the Netherlands is basically one enormous carpet of tulips. Or, at least, that’s what Keukenhof, the world’s largest flower garden and organizers of the annual Keukenhof Flower Exhibit, would have you believe. The event has been cancelled this year as the Dutch country—and much of the rest of the planet—practices social distancing. But you can still see the flowers at their blooming best as Keukenhof has decided to share its technicolor fields online via a series of stunning videos.

We all need peace of mind and little moments of zen to help us get through the day, more so in times of chaos. To keep your mind calm and your stress levels down—and just in case doing breathing exercises on your own don’t cut it—check out these meditation apps.

The whole world is dealing with anxiety and stress as well as the physical complications of home quarantine. Even in these trying, pandemic-tinged times, we find that laughter can still be the best medicine. At the very least, it can make things more bearable. Here are the stand-up shows on Netflix that, for at least an afternoon, will allow you to indulge in some comic relief. 

Famous museums and galleries across the globe have closed their doors because of the pandemic, but thanks to digital technology, you can now go online and get a glimpse of the pieces in their collections from the comfort of your couch—for free. From Paris’ Musée d’Orsay to New York’s MoMa to our very own MOCA, there are tons of museums worth visiting online. 

We don't need to tell you that streaming service Netflix is your friend during this crisis— you’ve probably got half an eye on it right now—but did you know you can have a Netflix party with your mates? The Netflix Party app, available on Chrome, lets you stream Netflix in unison with your pals. Anyone can play and pause the video for everyone else, and it comes with a chat window where you can all discuss what's happening on screen in real time.

Why not use all this home time to learn something new—and from some of the world’s educational institutions, no less. Eight Ivy League colleges across the United States—Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Princeton and Yale— are collectively offering 450 free online courses that are just the right amount of challenging to take our minds off the current state of affairs.

Being stuck at home is no excuse to stop working out. Many gyms and fitness studios in Bangkok are now offering live stream sessions for free. Exercise to your heart’s content, whether you’re doing yoga, mat Pilates, barre or HIIT, and come out of this quarantine fitter than ever.

MyFrenchFilmFestival, a concept that helps promote a new generation of French filmmakers, is encouraging people across the globe to discover more of French cinema. Log on to the site to watch more than 80 French short and feature-length films for free until May 25, 2020.

Just because you're stuck at home doesn't mean you have to miss out on some of the world's most beautiful natural wonders. Thanks to Explore.com, you can now live-stream the Northern Lights straight from your living room. The live cam is located at the Churchill Northern Studies Center in Manitoba, Canada, which lies directly beneath the Auroral Oval in the Northern Hemisphere.

We’re all experiencing some form of anxiety as facts, figures and opinions regarding this virus change on a daily—almost hourly—basis. Yale University is offering some form of reprieve by sharing its most popular course, The Science of Well-Being, online and for free. Psychologist Laurie Santos’ ten-week seminar shares the many ways to be happy, debunks myths on what makes us content, and helps us create better and more productive habits.

Instead of absorbing fake news and listlessly scrolling through your social media feed, why not take this time to enrich your mind with some much-needed inspiration. We’ve listed some of the best motivational podcasts to keep your mind entertained and productive while isolating at home. 

Cooking can be comforting to both body and mind, and there’s no better time to up your kitchen game than now. There are tons of cooking apps and online channels offering recipes that cater to a whole range of dietary preferences—carnivore, vegan or special diets like keto, you name it. Whip them up in your own kitchen, whether you’re after a quick dish or a fancy meal for a special occasion.

The folks at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium are streaming aquatic magic straight to our homes. A live cam in the aquarium’s "Underwater Beauty" exhibit provides relaxing and mesmerizing views of angelfish, wrasses, tangs and butterflyfish gliding through water. Or you can also take a virtual tour of Europe’s largest aquarium, the Oceanogràfic, in Valencia.

If you’re the kind of person who likes to escape from reality into an audiobook, you’re in luck. Audible has just opened up a huge chunk of its collection to booklovers for free. Visit their website to access audiobook versions of works by literary greats such as the Brontë sisters, Jane Austen, William Shakespeare and F Scott Fitzgerald—a real all-star squad—as well as less highbrow reads. Who couldn’t use a comforting night-in with Winnie the Pooh and Tigger right now?

Online dating has become essential for modern-day lovers and loners. Many singles have interpreted this whole “alone together” sitch by amping up their swiping game. (For sure, the matchmaking app industry won’t be filing for bankruptcy anytime soon). Here are the best dating apps in Bangkok. You’ll find there’s something for everyone—Tinder’s got competition, baby. 

You know that pile of books—or those Kindle downloads—that you haven’t quite managed to get into? There’ll never be a better time to conquer it. We asked nine authors for the books that they’ll be finally finishing during lockdown. You can probably find them and more titles on National Emergency Library. Set up by non-profit org Internet Archive, this comprehensive collection offers 1.4 million digitized books, magazines and other reading material donated by libraries and universities around the world. Usually you’d have to join a queue before being able to “borrow" anything from its collection. But now, you can just dip into whatever you want, whenever.

Frankly, animal-assisted therapy is just what we need right now. So let’s hear it for those zoos and aquariums that are streaming real-time feeds of their most popular animal attractions. From baboons to beluga whales, these six amazing live-streams are giving us so much life and light in these dreary days. You can also watch adorable penguins explore a Chicago aquarium or tune in to an Australian zoo's live broadcast of koalas, 24/7. You’re very welcome.

An incredible online art exhibition has been dedicated to everyone’s favorite monobrowed modern art master. In Faces of Frida, Google Arts and Culture brings together works of the Mexican artist from 33 museums around the world. The virtual exhibition also includes biographical elements such as personal objects, letters and journal extracts.

Sick-humored saints be praised! You can now play this popular fill-in-the-blanks “party game for horrible people” online and for free. To do so, simply nab a link at playingcards.io, send said link to each of your pals, then play together remotely from your respective PCs. That’s just one of the many party games you can play remotely with your friends. Your move!

The 22nd Sydney Biennale has adapted to the new normal by going digital. Working hand-in-hand with Google, its organizers have created a virtual biennale that includes podcasts, Q&As, curated tours and artist takeovers. This year’s edition plays up the theme “Nirin” (which means “edge in the aboriginal Wiradjuri language) and showcases more than 700 artworks by 101 artists.

Here’s the thing. At Time Out, we’re normally all about helping you squeeze the absolute best out of city life. We want every second you spend to be spent well: eating the best food, soaking up the best culture, dancing at the best parties. But right now, things have been turned on their head a bit. Everyone is having to stay in and do less. And actually, we’re kind of relieved at having a bit more time on our hands. Time to dream, doze and do absolutely nothing. So by all means try and pack as much into your lockdown time as you can. But don’t forget to take some time, every so often, to switch off and drift—at least until we’re all out in the world again.