As summer is in full swing, more and more people are flying off to enjoy their time in the sun. Seeing friends enjoying the beaches in Croatia and backpacking across Thailand made me realise that I wanted to have my own adventure abroad. However, to my dismay, one look at my bank account meant that I had to quickly abandon any idea of embracing a new culture in real life. What was I to do? I turned to the wonderful world of cinema to quench my wanderlust, and the movies below helped me take a holiday escape from the comfort of my couch.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)

“Me and this fat kid,

We ran, we ate and read books,

It was the best.”

The main thing I miss about going on holiday is the sense of adventure. The thrill of exploring places, seeing sights you could have never imagined, is a rush that cannot be matched. Hunt for the Wilderpeople has that sense of adventure in bucketloads, and that’s what makes it one of my favourite movies of all time. After a tragic event, recently adopted troubled teen Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) runs off into the New Zealand bush to avoid juvenile detention, leaving his begrudgingly adopted father, Hec (Sam Neill), to rush after him as the pair become fugitives.

As someone who loves hiking, watching Ricky and Hec navigate the bush scratches a real itch in my brain. Trekking up steep rocks may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but this film captures the beauty of nature, especially with its wide, overhead shots of trees stretching as far as the eye can see. As the characters delve deeper into the bush, we are pulled into New Zealand’s fascinating ecosystem like a third character on their journey. Holidays don’t usually have as much stress as Hec and Ricky’s adventure, but the warmth they find in the bush and in their relationship may give you a newfound appreciation for the varied ways of experiencing the nature of a different country.

“Every culture has their own traditions, and embracing them can show you a whole new side to a place you thought you knew, a side that sweeps you off your feet in unexpected ways”

Letters to Juliet (2010)

No holiday should be complete without its own romance, but few can match that of Letters to Juliet. When Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) goes to Verona with her neglectful boyfriend, she discovers a tradition of people leaving letters about their love stories, addressed to Shakespeare’s Juliet Capulet. When one of these letters leads Sophie on a quest to reunite long lost lovers, she begins to find out about the power of true love – both through watching others and experiencing it herself.

Every culture has their own traditions, and embracing them can show you a whole new side to a place you thought you knew, a side that sweeps you off your feet in unexpected ways. That is the beauty of exploring places on holiday, and Letters to Juliet captures that feeling perfectly. Through Sophie’s journey to help people find romance, she embraces the local attitudes and customs as manifested through the tradition of letter-sending. Not only does she become a part of how the city experiences love, but she discovers more about her own life, while drawing us into the traditions of Verona along the way.

“It’s no secret that holidays can be the best time for self-discovery”

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Wes Anderson always uses his unique directing style to fill the screen with colour, and that is something he does incredibly well in The Darjeeling Limited. Three estranged brothers, Francis (Owen Wilson), Peter (Adrien Brody) and Jack (Jason Schwartzman) embark on a train journey through India, aiming to reconcile their fractured relationship. Led by Francis, the brothers navigate the corridors of their train and the villages of India, each being pushed to their personal limits. As the brothers eventually discover the true reason for their reunion, their relationship may never be the same.

It’s no secret that holidays can be the best time for self-discovery. Losing yourself in a new place can help you see things in a new light. As the brothers experience India through their train system, the people they meet, and the rich local landscape, they each gain perspective on their own issues. Travel can help people to detach from everyday life, but watching The Darjeeling Limited most definitely allows you to do that from the comfort of your home. When you allow yourself to detach from life with these characters through embracing Wes Anderson’s colourful world, your perspective really will change – and that is the beauty of this cinematic getaway.

Movies can take you across the world. No matter where you want to go, the truly global reach of cinema will find something just right for you. From New Zealand to India, there is a whole world to explore. All you need to do is to turn on the TV.