The digital age has literally changed the way we experience life, and now, thanks to virtual reality (VR), even travel has changed! 

Many people enjoy traveling but perhaps now have circumstances that prevent them from going very far or even at all. 

Camarillo Health Care District’s new VR Travel Club can help!  This new program offers virtual travel to places all around the globe as a six-week series, for a group of six people at a time, to virtually “explore” the world together.  The group has a lot of fun coming up with their own group name and each week is a new adventure, including locations in Asia, Europe and popular U.S. destinations, Cuba, North Africa, South America and other places around the globe.

In the VR Travel Club, participants are in the same virtual place at the same time, which makes for a lot of fun, camaraderie and conversation. Between each destination, the group pauses briefly to share some laughter, connect with each other and build relationships. Each “travel day” ends with an awe-inspiring virtual excursion, like the Rise of the Lantern Festival, or a tour of Buckingham Palace, and on the last day of the series you’ll experience special encounters such as "Surrounded by Elephants," "Toucan Encounter," "Wild African Animals" and "Swimming with Whale Sharks".

“The District's award-winning virtual reality program continues to evolve, and this is the next exciting expansion,” says the District’s Program Officer, Blair Barker.

According to the study “Impact of Virtual Reality Experience on Older Adults’ Well Being” published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Design and Management and MIT AgeLab, "VR is believed to be beneficial to older adults due to its immersive interaction capabilities.” Virtual reality helps improve quality of life and a sense of well-being in older adults by reducing loneliness, addressing depression, and reducing barriers to socialization through common experiences. "Participants who used the VR system reported being less socially isolated, being less likely to show signs of depression, experiencing positive affects more frequently, and feeling better about their overall well-being.”

Over the course of the six-week series, participants really get to know their travel companions and the feedback from participants has been rewarding.  “It was fun to see places that we had already been to and to relive those memories,” said Rima, a participant in the “Global Trips” VR Travel Club. “Everyone has such an interesting background and different (real-life) travel experiences.”

“The beauty of this program is that it can bring up memories of past travels,” says Mariana Gutierrez, the District’s health promotion coordinator and “travel” facilitator, “and provide an opportunity to visit places you’ve never been. You may have a ready-made friend group, or you may make new friends,” she says.  “We can’t wait to meet you!”

Call 805-388-1952 to join a travel club. Cost is $30 for the six-week series. Find dates and times here.