If you want to get to know a country and its culture, the best way to do so is, of course, by packing your bags and going over there. There are so many details you can only get by being physically present. What does it smell like? What language do people speak? Do they have an accent? What’s the mentality like? Do you feel welcome or are people remarkably unfriendly? We could go on and on, but you get the gist. Discovering a destination asks for all your senses and can’t be beaten by any virtual experience.
However, that doesn’t mean that a bit of technology can’t come in handy when you’re planning a trip, whether it’s within your own country’s borders or outside of them. Something we ourselves use quite frequently when planning a vacation is Google Street View. For example, when you’re booking a hotel, checking its surroundings can be very helpful to prevent any unwanted surprises. Because, after all, a simple written address only tells you so much. Maybe there’s a train station just in front of you (which can be pretty loud) or maybe the neighbourhood just doesn’t inspire confidence in you. No matter what you find out by going on Google Street View, it’s always better to be prepared.
And apparently, we’re not the only ones to be checking out the views online. To celebrate the fifteenth birthday of the Street View functionality, Google has just released a ranking of the ten most virtually-visited countries. Indonesia comes in first, which shouldn’t come as a big surprise given its undeniable popularity amongst travel-goers. The United States can be found on the second place – we can imagine Google Street View to be a handy little helper when planning a nationwide road trip. Third comes Japan, which definitely is a destination we all fantasise about.
When looking at the top ten, the most popular Google Street View spots are clearly located in Asia, America and Europe. Oceania and Africa are the big absentees, which can probably be explained by the fact that countries there are relatively poorly-mapped on Street View. On the upside, you’ll be able to let your imagination roam freely before visiting!
