It’s been more than 400 days since I’ve been stuck at home, and I can still count on my fingers how many times I've gone outside. I can clearly remember that two years ago, I was itching to travel on my birthday, semestral break, and Christmas break, and I was looking forward to the year 2020.
We were supposed to visit Taiwan, Japan, and Siargao, but all plans had been canceled because of COVID19. This year, we tried domestic travel, but it was canceled too, so for now, I have put up the possibility of leisure travel. I have already conditioned my mind that there will be no travel trips for the next two years. I am just hoping that we can still use our passports and Japan visas before they expire.
Tripophobia (n.) the fear of not having any travel trips that are currently booked.
Even though our travel plans are on pause, it doesn’t mean that I don’t miss traveling. In fact, I find comfort in reminiscing about our past trips, and I’m thankful that I have pushed those trips even though our budget is limited. I also find joy in watching Korean dramas that were filmed abroad and some Korean travel variety shows. I like watching travel-related shows because they give me a glimpse of the places that I want to visit, including the places that are not on my bucket list.
“I heard an airplane passing overhead, I wished I was on it”
Sharing some Korean travel variety shows that I have watched so far…
1. Twogether
Twogether is a Netflix travel reality show released in 2020 starring Korean actor Lee Seung-gi and Taiwanese actor Jasper Liu. The two celebrities travel across Indonesia, Thailand, and Nepal to meet their fans. Before meeting them, they must complete various missions and challenges suggested by the fans themselves. Their journey takes them to destinations such as Yogyakarta, Bali, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pokhara, and Kathmandu.
What makes this series enjoyable is the genuine friendship that develops between Lee Seung-gi and Jasper Liu despite their language differences. The show is filled with funny moments, cultural experiences, and heartwarming fan encounters.
I really enjoyed this travel series, even though I am not a celebrity fanatic. Seeing how much the fans appreciated meeting their idols made me happy. I also loved the chemistry between Lee Seung-gi and Jasper Liu. Before watching
Twogether, I only knew Lee Seung-gi from A Korean Odyssey, but this show made me appreciate his personality even more. He is truly a multi-talented entertainer who can act, sing, and host. I was also unfamiliar with Jasper Liu, but after watching the series, I became curious about his work and ended up watching Triad Princess.
2. Trans-Siberian Pathfinders
Kim Nam Gil was my first Korean actor crush. I fell in love with him when I watched Queen Seon Deok, twelve years ago. Just recently, I finished watching “The Fiery Priest” and because of that, I started searching for his other drama series and movies, then I found this travel variety show “Trans-Siberian Pathfinders”.
Trans-Siberian Pathfinders was aired last September 26, 2019, starring Lee Sun Kyun, Kim Nam Gil, Ko Kyu Pil, Kim Min Sik, and Lee Sang Yeob. These five celebrities traveled from Vladivostok to Moscow, Russia via the Trans-Siberian Railway. Do you know that the TSR is the longest railway line in the world? It has 126 stations with a length of 9,288 kilometers, which was built in 1916.
Honestly, I have no idea about TSR, so I really enjoyed watching this show because I learned a lot. I know that Russia is the largest country in the world, but I was still surprised when I learned that they have 7 or 8 time zones, and as you travel from West to East Russia or vice versa, you will notice that the weather changes too.
Russia is not part of my bucket list, but after watching Trans-Siberian Pathfinders, I wanted to visit Moscow. I’m still contemplating whether I want to ride the Trans-Siberian Railway because I am not adventurous, and I don’t think I can endure the 168 hours of travel via train. The longest train travel that I’ve experienced is from Oslo to Trondheim. I experienced sleeping on a bunk bed when we rode DFDS Crown Seaways, but we had privacy and our own bathroom.
The series has only 9 episodes, so I felt sad when I already finished it because I like the chemistry of the 5 celebrities, it is nice knowing their personality outside the Korean drama series, especially Kim Nam Gil. How I wish, magkalovelife na siya. Hehehe!
Travitude (n.): when you start to feel grumpy and sassy because you miss traveling
3. Traveler 2
Traveler is about backpacking trips of different actors in different countries. I haven’t watched the first season yet, but I already finished Traveler 2. Ahn Jae Hong, Kang Hae Neul, and Ong Seong Wu traveled to Argentina for two weeks. They visited Buenos Aires, Puerto Iguazu, El Calafate, Fritz Roy, and Ushuaia.
When I started watching the series, I had very low expectations because all I knew about Argentina was Evita Peron, an exporter of beef, and a stopover to Antarctica, but as I watched each episode, I became fascinated by this country. Wow, I was blown away and loved their travel adventures in Iguazu Falls, Perito Moreno Glacier, Penguins, and End of the World. In addition, I am a meat love,r so I was salivating while watching their food trips. I love steaks and crabs. And because of this, I wanted to include Argentina on my travel bucket list.
4. Jung Hae In's Walkumentary
Jung Hae In became a documentary producer and hosted his own version of Backpack Travels. He planned, filmed, and documented his travel in New York with his friends, Eun Jong Gun and Lim Hyun Soo. New York is a very popular city, so even though I've never been to the Big Apple, I'm quite familiar with the tourist spots, so I was having second thoughts about whether I should watch this show.
But because the star is Jung Hae-In, I gave it a chance. It is nice to know more about him through this show; he loves burgers, oysters, spicy foods, and beers. He is so kind, caring, and generous to his friends and family. I really like his smile. The highlight of this show is their trip to Niagara Falls, I have no idea that there were so many ways to enjoy these falls; no doubt that it is one of the world's best falls.
5. Youn's Stay
For the past few years, I have watched several episodes of Youn’s Kitchen where they went to Bali, Indonesia, and Tenerife, Spain, but this time, because of COVID19, no travel outside the country. So for the third season, it is now Youn Stay where they invited foreigners who are appointed in Korea because of business or school. Foreigners will experience staying ina hanok and eating Korean cuisine.
Still travel-related, although this is more of a staycation where you eat, sleep and enjoy the facilities and amenities of the homestay in Gurye County, South Jeolla. I miss doing staycation too, nakakasawa na rin yung bahay lang namin ang nakikita namain for the last 15 months. Hehehe! I love all the casts here especially Jung Yu Mi and Park Seo Joon, bilib lang ako sa pagprepare and pagluluto nila. Parang ako nga ang pagod na pagod sa kanila.
6. House on Wheels
When we went to Europe, I saw a lot of RVs, so traveling in a recreational vehicle is part of my bucket list. I got curious, so I watched this show to give me an idea of staying in a wheeled house. It is not easy, so I guess I can only do this for a few days.
House on Wheels is a Korean travel variety show featuring Sung Dong Il, Kim Hee Won, and Yeo Jin Goo. The three celebrities travel to different parts of South Korea in a wheeled house. They visited Ganwon, Jeju Island, Damyang, Gochang, Mungyeong, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, and Geojedo. They invited their own friends to stay in their House on Wheels for one or two nights.
You will also learn about the popular tourist spots and foods in each place. It is nice to know more about the different celebrities that I usually watch in Korean Dramas, especially Ha Ji Won and Lee Sung Kyung.
7. The Hungry and The Hairy
A few days before the end of Christmas Break, I decided to check The Hungry and The Hairy. I had no expectations because I was not familiar with these two celebrities. I know that Rain is really popular, but I haven’t watched any of his shows or series, even the famous “Full House,” but after watching this travel reality show, I understood why he is indeed popular. Aside from his talent, he has a good personality and is a good cook, too.
The Hungry and The Hairy is a travel reality show where Jung Ji Hoon “Rain” and Ro Hong Chul travel to different parts of South Korea on their motorcycles. They use different brands of motorcycles in Jeju Island, Gochang, Busan, Gangwon, Gyeongju, and Namhae. The two celebrities have opposite personalities, but surprisingly, they became close. I enjoyed this travel and food trip series, and my favorite place is Namhae.
Update: 2023
8. Europe Outside Your Tent
It's been a while since the last time I watched a travel variety show. I missed traveling so I'm happy to stumble on this travel show "Europe Outside Your Tent". Four actors went to Europe for a camping trip, they traveled from Switzerland to Italy, visiting different campsites. I enjoyed this show because of the amazing scenery as they explored different places. I learned a lot of things about Parmesan Cheese and Balsamic Vinegar. I also felt hungry when they ate T-Bone Steak, Pizza, and Lasagna.
9. Traveler: Cuba
A few years ago, I watched the second season of Traveler, so this year, I tried my best to look for Season 1. Unlike Season 2, there are only two actors here; Lee Je Hoon and Ryu Jun Yeol traveled to different places in Cuba, like Havana, Vinales, Trinidad, Playa Giron, and Varadero. I've seen Cuba when I watched the "Encounter" drama series, but this travel documentary gives me more insights about Cuba.
Cuba is not on my bucket list, but I watched the show because I want to know more about the two actors outside the drama series. This travel series shows their struggle in looking for accommodation, looking for wifi or phone signals, and communicating with people. It also shows how they learn to haggle and say a few Spanish words. Food is a hit-and-miss, too.
10. Youth Over Flowers: Africa
Africa is part of my travel bucket list, but I’m not sure if I can fulfill this dream because it is so expensive, so I just enjoyed Africa by watching Youth Over Flowers: Africa. Reply 1988’s actors traveled to Namibia to start their 10-day road trip in Africa. Ahn Jae Hyong, Ryu Jun Yeol, Go Kyung Pyo, and Park Bo Gum's goal is to find Victoria Falls.
11. Youth Over Flowers: Iceland
Jung Sang-hoon, Jung Woo, Jo Jung-suk, and Kang Ha-neul traveled to Iceland to see the Aurora Borealis. It is one of their dreams to see Northern Lights, and Iceland did not fail them. It is also my dream to see Northern Lights, and I experienced that during our trip to Norway.
I’ve been to Iceland, so somehow nakakarelate ako sa feelings nila when they saw the Geyser and Gullfoss. Just like them, amaze na amaze ako noong nakita ko. We only stayed in Iceland for four days, so there are so many tourist spots that we were not able to visit, so I really love this variety show kasi nakita ko rin yung mga namiss namin, so parang nakapunta na rin kami. But I am crossing my fingers that I can revisit this country.
I like the camaraderie of the four actors, and we are all the same; we like traveling on a budget.
Update: 2025
Last December, my friend asked me if I had watched “Jinny’s Kitchen,” and I told her no. Out of curiosity, I researched it and I found out that this series is a spin-off of Youn’s Kitchen and Youn’s Stay. I watched Youn’s Stay before, so I wanted to watch Jinny’s Kitchen, but unfortunately, it is only available on Amazon Prime.
Anyway, I found some travel variety shows on VIU, so I spent my Christmas holiday watching the Korean Travel Variety Show. Even though, I was not traveling, feeling ko nakapagtravel na rin ako sa mga napanood ko.
12. Bros on Foot
Ha Jung-woo, Ju Ji-hoon, Choi Min-ho, and Yeo Jin-goo traveled to New Zealand for a road trip. The four actors needed to complete different missions to win vacation tickets and gifts for other people. The motto of this show is “I’ll suffer, so you can travel,” and true enough, these actors tried their best to finish the mission even though it was out of their comfort zones.
13. Europe Outside Your Tent: Romantic Italy
This was the first all-girls travel variety show that I watched. Ra Mi Ran, Kwak Sun Young, Lee Ju Bin, and Lee Se Young traveled to Italy, Austria, and Germany. I enjoyed this show because I was able to see Italy’s hidden spots, ang dami magandang places pero I am sure ang mahal puntahan.
14. Europe Outside Your Tent: Spain
I started watching this series in 2023 but lost interest, so I stopped watching. After two years, I finally finished the series. Actors Cho Jin Woong, Kwon Yul, Choi Won Young, and Park Myung Hoon went to Spain for a camping trip. It was supposed to be a fun trip, but the campers experienced a lot of weather challenges. Despite the challenges, their camping trip became memorable.
15. Rented in Finland
A travel reality show featuring Lee Je-hoon, Lee Dong-hwi, Cha Eun-woo, and Kwak Dong-yeon as they spend time in the remote countryside of Finnish Lapland. The four city boys adapt to a simpler way of life without internet, electricity, running water, or many modern conveniences.
Finland is already on my bucket list, so I was excited to watch this series. I was surprised by how isolated some parts of Lapland can be. I can survive without internet and electricity for a few days, but living without a proper water supply and toilet would be a real challenge for me. The show made me appreciate both the beauty of Finland's wilderness and the comforts of modern life.
16. Actors on the Road – Scotland
Actors Jung Hae-in and Yim Si-wan travel across Scotland to experience its history, culture, and natural beauty. During their journey, they visit famous castles, learn about golf, explore whisky distilleries, and even try fishing. The show combines sightseeing with meaningful conversations, allowing viewers to see a different side of the two actors outside of their drama roles.
I started watching this show because I like both Jung Hae-in and Im Si-wan. Scotland has always fascinated me because of its castles, rugged landscapes, and whisky culture, so I enjoyed learning more about the country through their journey. What I liked most was the relaxed atmosphere of the show and the friendship between the two actors. It felt less like a variety show and more like traveling with friends. The series also reminded me that there is so much more to Scotland than Edinburgh and Glasgow.
17. Europe Outside Your Tent: Norway
In this season of Europe Outside Your Tent, actors Yoo Hae-jin, Jin Seon-kyu, Park Ji-hwan, and Yoon Kyun-sang travel through Norway on a camping adventure. They visit some of the country's most beautiful destinations, including Flåm, Stavanger, and Lofoten, while experiencing Norway's stunning fjords, mountains, and coastal scenery.
This is the fourth Europe Outside Your Tent season that I watched, and so far, it is my favorite. I really enjoyed the camaraderie of the cast because their friendship felt genuine and natural. Since I have visited Norway several times, I could relate to many of their experiences and travel challenges. Watching them explore familiar places brought back wonderful memories of my own trips. At the same time, they also visited destinations that I have not seen yet, especially Lofoten, which made me want to return to Norway in the future.
18. My Name is Gabriel
My Name is Gabriel is a unique travel reality show where celebrities temporarily step into the lives of ordinary people from different countries. For 72 hours, they live as someone else, following their routines, jobs, and daily activities. The series takes viewers to destinations around the world and offers a glimpse into different cultures and lifestyles through a more personal perspective.
I enjoyed this show because it is different from traditional travel programs. Instead of simply visiting tourist attractions, the celebrities experience what it is like to live as a local. My favorite episodes were set in Ireland, Guadalajara in Mexico, Georgia, and Italy because they provided interesting insights into everyday life and culture. The show reminded me that travel is not only about seeing famous landmarks but also about understanding how people live in different parts of the world. These episodes made me appreciate the diversity of cultures and experiences around the globe.
Update: 2026
19. Ready or Not: Texas
A travel variety series featuring veteran actor Lee Seo-jin and producer Na Young-seok as they explore the vast landscapes, culture, food, and attractions of Texas. Since Lee Seo-jin is a longtime fan of Texas, he takes on the role of guide, sharing his enthusiasm for the state while introducing its unique character, history, and larger-than-life reputation.
Lee Seo-jin's love for Texas made the trip more interesting because you could see the destination through the eyes of someone who genuinely enjoys it. Before watching this series, I knew very little about Texas. I was surprised to learn how economically powerful and wealthy the state is, in addition to its famous cowboy culture, barbecue, and wide-open landscapes. The show gave me a better understanding of why Texas has such a strong identity within the United States.
20. Kian's Bizarre B&B
A quirky travel variety show where artist and entertainer Kian84 runs an unconventional guesthouse on a remote island. The accommodations and activities are intentionally unusual, creating unpredictable and often hilarious situations for both the hosts and guests. The show highlights lesser-known coastal and island destinations in South Korea while focusing on adventure, spontaneity, and human connections.
I don't think I would enjoy staying at a place like this since I prefer comfortable and relaxing travel. However, I like that the show introduces a different side of South Korea beyond the usual tourist destinations and gives viewers a glimpse of its beautiful islands and rural communities.
21. Chef of Antarctica
A travel and culinary variety show following Korean chefs and celebrities as they journey to Antarctica, one of the most remote places on Earth. They prepare meals in extreme conditions while experiencing the breathtaking landscapes, wildlife, and daily life of researchers stationed there. The series combines food, adventure, and documentary-style exploration of the frozen continent.
Antarctica has always been on my bucket list, but the cost of visiting is far beyond my travel budget. Watching this show lets me experience the stunning scenery and unique environment from home, making it a perfect way to explore a dream destination vicariously.
22. House on Wheels Season 5: Beyond the Ocean
23. Fresh of the Sea in Calape
24. Unplanned Trip
25. Three Idiots in Kenya
26.
Unfinished Series
Summer Vacation
Take a Hike
Getaway and Go with Jangdobari
