10 Netflix Binges for Exotic Escapes

With COVID-19 there’s a pretty good chance your travels are limited to the local supermarket these days, but you can still discover foreign lands with some of the best shows on Netflix. So, let’s stoke the flames of your smoldering wanderlust with some Netflix binging.

Alice in Borderland for a Weird Trip to Tokyo

Take an intense trek to post-apocalyptic Tokyo with this recent hit about gamers who enter a parallel universe, and must play a host of super-violent video games in order to survive. While the alternative Tokyo here is fictional, the series was shot there, as well as in the neon-lit Japanese city of Osaka. Even though the first season has only been streaming since December, a second season is already in the works!

Chef's Table to Sample Global Delicacies

Has COVID ended or seriously limited your eating out? Why not check out restaurants all over the planet with the series that trots across the globe to meet some of the world’s best chefs? With six seasons in the queue, there are lots of places to explore, starting with the first season that takes us to eateries in Melbourne, Buenos Aires, and Modena, Italy. 

Giri / Haji Goes from London to Japan

The murder of a Japanese banker in London sparks a gang war and sends us on an adventure across two continents in this crime tale with a dose of absurd comedy. You've got romance, gangsters, detectives, a family drama, a gay teen's coming-out tale, a drug addict's dark journey, and even a ghost story in this genre-defying saga.

Tales By Light for Wondrous World Adventures

One of the most visually stunning shows streaming today, Tales By Light takes you on trips across the globe with top filmmakers and photographers looking to capture the wonders of the world. Get up close to the wildlife on the plains of East Africa, meet the indigenous Huli people in Papua New Guinea, and attend the Tigers of Bandhavgarh festival in the Himalayas, just to name a few of the adventures you’ll find across three seasons.

Street Food for Feasts from Asia and Latin America

The name says it all; Street Food takes you to eateries on boulevards, avenues, and lanes around the world to meet locals who specialize in curbside cuisine. The journey begins with a trip across Asia, with stops in Bangkok and Taiwan, then it's on to Latin America to discover street delicacies from Brazil to Buenos Aires.

Travels With My Father for Dysfunctional Family Globetrotting

Take an optimistic adventure-ready son. Add a gruff politically incorrect father. Set them off around the world and you’ve got one entertaining docuseries! Over its four seasons, Travels With My Father puts the pair on surprise-filled trips from Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia to Eastern Europe, Australia, and the American West.

Sense8 for Bizarre Trips to Top Cities

From the folks who created The Matrix, this sci-fi spectacle takes telekinetically-linked friends from different parts of the world on a wild ride with stops in Berlin, Chicago, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Nairobi, Reykjavík, San Francisco, and Seoul. Who’s up for a psychic orgy? Yup, it's that wonderfully weird!

Our Planet for the World’s Best Wildlife

A traditional nature documentary in all the best ways, Our Planet captures breathtaking landscapes and the wildlife that inhabits them with narration from famed natural historian Sir David Attenborough (Salma Hayek and Penélope Cruz narrate the Spanish-language versions). Explore the Arctic wilderness, South American jungles, North American grasslands, and the depths of Australia's Great Barrier Reef in this visually stunning series.

The Spy to Immerse in Morocco

The mustache may make him look a little like Borat, but Sacha Baron Cohen is deadly serious in this drama based on the life of a famous Israeli spy who went undercover in Syria in the 1960s. Syria’s civil war prevented filming in that country, and so Morocco stands in for the ancient locale.

Extreme Engagement Explores Love Across the Planet

The title may sound like an action flick, but the "extreme engagement" we’re talking about here is a literal one. Adventurous couple Tim Noonan and PJ Madam upend the concept of a romance reality show by putting their relationship to the ultimate stress test as they travel the globe to learn about different marriage customs. Their investigations take them from Indonesia, Cameroon, and Mongolia to Brazil, China, and Papua New Guinea. Will they marry at the end as planned? Tune in to find out! 

Where will your binging journeys begin? You’ve got thousands of hours and hundreds of locations to choose from. And, hopefully, when the Netflix binging is done we will all be able to discover these amazing places in person.

Written by William McCleary for Knockaround.