Maybe you're not interested in the natural beauty of the earth and the rainforests. You don't want to take a trip to Australia to dive the Great Barrier Reef you would rather take a trip to Australia to learn more about the lifestyles of Australia's indigenous people, the Aborigines. You don't have to book a flight to the other side of the world and suffer through jetlag when you can just turn on the television and watch tribal interactions on your HD TV. You could probably learn more about the native people of Australia by watching the National Geographic Channel than you would by flying to the other side of the world, booking a hotel in the city and losing money on the exchange rate every time you want to eat a meal. There is no true replacement for traveling if you can afford to spend the money and time, but you can see and learn more about this world from your living room with satellite TV.