Travel is a much awaited subject but there’s a side to travel we don’t often see. It’s the untouched and oftentimes sad side of travel. Here are 5 travel documentaries we think you should watch to get a better appreciation of the different cultures and places around the world.

The Endless Summer (1966)

This is a surf movie directed and produced by Bruce Brown. Bruce Brown followed two surfers, Mike Hynson and Robert August, as they go on a surfing trip to the coasts of Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa. The film wants to show how it would be possible for someone who has enough time and money to follow the summer up and down the world (northern to southern hemisphere and back), making it endless.

Baraka (1992)

Baraka is a documentary film directed by Ron Fricke and shows natural events, life, human activities and technological phenomena shot in 24 countries on six continents over 14-months. It features locations such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the Ryoan temple in Kyoto, Lake Natron in Tanzania, burning oil fields in Kuwait, the smoldering precipice of an active volcano, a busy subway terminal, tribal celebrations of the Maasai in Kenya, and chanting monks in the Dip Tse Chok Ling monastery.

The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

The Motorcycle Diaries is a great road trip movie based on Che Guevara’s journey across South America. His journey together with his friend Alberto Granado, uncovers secrets, beauties, and struggles of Latin America. The movie apart from showing what South America has to offer, is also an example of how traveling can affect one’s views and decisions.

South Pacific (2009)

South Pacific is a British nature documentary series from the BBC Natural History Unit with six episodes. The mini-series is co-produced by Discovery Channel and surveys the nature and culture of the numerous islands in the South Pacific region. The film was shot for 18 months in a variety of remote locations around the Pacific including: Anuta (Solomon Islands), Banks Islands, French Frigate Shoals, Papua New Guinea, Palmyra, Kingman Reef, Tuvalu, Palau, Caroline Islands, Tuamotus and Tanna Island in Vanuatu.

Human Planet (2011)

Human Planet is an 8-part BBC produced documentary series about human species and its relationship to the natural world. It was filmed in the deserts, jungles, forests, urban metropolises, oceans, high mountains, riversides, and grasslands of over 70 locations in 40 different countries. The film also features subjects such as camel herders in the Gobi desert, African fertility dances, and Hunters from Greenland, divers in the Philippines, Hawaiian surfers, untouched tribes in Brazil, and bee-keepers from New York.

Every year, on or around May 18; International Museum Day is celebrated in coordination with the International Council of Museums (ICOM). Created in 1977, IMD serves as museum professionals’ opportunity to reach the public and alert them of the challenges that museums are facing. It is therefore a platform for public awareness on the role museums play in the development of society today on an international level.

The event theme changes yearly. This year’s theme of International Museum Day is – Museums and contested histories: Saying the unspeakable in museums.

This theme focuses on the role of museums that, by working to benefit society, become hubs for promoting peaceful relationships between people. It also highlights how the acceptance of a contested history is the first step in envisioning a shared future under the banner of reconciliation.

In 2016, 30,000 museums from 145 countries have participated. The number is expected to grow this year as this international event is gaining popularity among cultural institutions from around the world.

Scavenger Hunt began to be popular in the United States in the early 1930’s. It was the American gossip columnist, author and songwriter Elsa Maxwell who introduced the scavenger hunt as a party game. National Scavenger Hunt Day is observed annually on May 24.

In a scavenger hunt game, teams are challenged to “scavenge” for a list of odd items. Participants are not allowed to buy the objects. They have to barter, beg or work for them. The first team to complete the list or the one with the most items from the list wins.

There’s a variation of the game where players take photos of listed items or the participants are challenged to complete the tasks on the list in the most creative manner. In some scavenger hunts, riddles are added to each item making the game more difficult.

There’s also an internet and media scavenger hunts, wherein invited participants visit different websites to find clues and solve the puzzle, sometimes for a prize. It was in 1992 when the first internet scavenger hunt was developed by Rick Gates.

Actor Misha Collins currently holds the Guinness World Record for organizing GISHWHES, the world’s largest media scavenger hunt with 14,580 participants in 972 teams from 90 countries; while the town of Provo in Utah currently holds the Guinness World Record for organizing the world’s largest scavenger hunt with 2,079 participants.

Mother’s Day is one of the most important celebrations in the world. This is the day we give honor to our mothers for all their sacrifices to the family. It’s just a week before the celebration but do you know how it started and how the world celebrates it?

Here are some quick facts about Mother’s Day:

The modern Mother’s Day celebration began in 1908. It was Anna Jarvis who initiated a campaign to make Mother’s Day a recognized holiday in the United States.

Although some countries observe Mother’s Day on different dates, it is officially celebrated every second Sunday of May, worldwide by almost 50 countries.

In the Czech Republic, Mother’s Day started in 1923, Alice Masaryková was the promoter of the celebration.

In Paraguay, Mother’s Day is celebrated to honor the role played by Juana María de Lara that led to Paraguay’s independence.

In Samoa, Monday after Mother’s Day is a national holiday.

Mother’s Day celebration in Egypt was first introduced by journalist Mustafa Amin and was first celebrated in 1956.

In South Sudan, the first Mother’s Day was held in July 2, 2012.

In Sweden, the first celebration of Mother’s Day was initiated by the author Cecilia Bååth-Holmberg 1919.

In Taiwan, Mother’s Day is celebrated together with Buddha’s Birthday and Tzu Chi Day.

In the United States, Mother’s Day is one of the biggest days for sales of flowers and greeting cards and it yields the highest church attendance after Christmas Eve and Easter. Many worshippers celebrated the day with carnation, colored if the mother is still alive and white if deceased.

Mother’s Day celebration in Australia was started by Janet Heyden in 1924. Traditionally, chrysanthemum is given to “mums” for Mother’s Day.

In Belgium, children make little presents for Mom a week before Mother’s Day or Moederkesdag. Fathers typically buy croissants and other sweet breads and pastries and bring these to the mother while she’s still in bed.

In China, carnation is a very popular gift during Mother’s Day and the most sold flowers during the celebration.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement based in Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded to ensure respect for all human beings, to protect human life and health and to prevent and alleviate human suffering. It has approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide nowadays.

Every May 8 of each year is the World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day. It is the celebration of the principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and also the birthday of Henry Dunant, the founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The first Red Cross Day was celebrated in 1948. The official name for the celebration has changed over time and it became “World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day” in 1984.

People all around the world show support for the work of around 17 million volunteers by wearing red. Also on this day, local heroes that have made invaluable contributions in life protection are being recognized. It is also celebrated through blood donations and fund raising.

This year’s theme is the same as last year’s “ Everywhere for everyone,” which reminds people anywhere on Earth, that the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is working all around the world, every hour of every day.

Show your support on social media by using #RedCrescentDay #RedCrossDay on all your posts and updates in connection with the celebration.