Technological advancements over the past few years have certainly changed the way many people travel. I still enjoy spontaneous trips without electronic gadgets from time to time, but I also appreciate the valuable and often fun uses of modern technology. For instance, we now have near limitless information available at our fingertips through mobile applications designed to help every step of the way, whether it’s organizing your flight, exploring your surroundings or sharing your experiences with people at home.
...App in the Air: Enter your flight/route details and get access to flight-tracking data and airport guides, as well as a reminder when it’s time to check in. The app also includes a checklist to make sure you are ready to go, including "check visa", "book a hotel" and "cancel your papers and milk"!
...XE Currency: A good currency converter is so handy when travelling around the world. Keeping track of different currencies can get quite confusing, especially when visiting multiple countries. Personally, I had a lot of different figures in my head after travelling through Colombia and the US on my way from Mexico to Malaysia (without a smartphone), and completely forgot to check the local currency. Arriving past midnight, I realized I had no idea how much I was actually withdrawing at the airport in Kuala Lumpur and just crossed my fingers it would be enough to get my into the city – luckily it was, phew. I don't want to make that mistake again though, so I have already checked how many Ethiopian Birr I can get for a Norwegian krone!
...The World Factbook: It's always a good idea to take the time to learn a bit about the country you want to visit before heading there. The CIA World Factbook is a great source of information about more than 250 countries and locations around the world, including some geography, history and demographics. For example, did you know that Moroni is the capital of the Comoros? Or that Togo celebrates its Independence Day on April 27th and that Indonesia has the highest number of volcanoes? This app isn't free, but well worth the small cost if you ask (a geek like) me.
...DuoLingo: Knowing some of the local language can be very useful when travelling, and showing that you have made the effort to learn some phrases is also often appreciated by people you meet along the way. DuoLingo is a fantastic tool for learning languages completely free, and it even sends you reminders to make sure you complete your daily goal. So far the app only offers a few languages - I am using the Spanish version at the moment - but more will likely be added in the future. It is also surprisingly fun and addictive!
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| Duolingo |
...AroundMe: Although it is definitely fun to explore your surroundings and find your own way in a new country, this app can be very useful when feeling a little lost (which almost inevitably will happen at some point or another). It provides a great overview of everything you might need around you, be it an ATM, a taxi, a pharmacy, a cinema, a hospital or a bar!
...Foodspotting: This is a great app for finding recommendations from locals and other travellers, as well as sharing your own. Instead of providing an overview of restaurants, it focuses on the actual dishes near you and often includes photos and comments from others who have had a taste. A quick look at my current location (our office in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur) reveals that I can find delicious crème brûlée, wild mushroom fettuccine, the apparently best chicken biryani in town, banana leaf rice and a passion fruit martini - all within walking distance. Yum!
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| Foodspotting |
...TuneIn Radio: Add a soundtrack to your travels with music and pod-casts from anywhere in the world! I love being able to check out local radio stations in the city I am visiting, or alternatively listening to Norwegian radio when I’m missing home. When feeling a bit more adventurous, I randomly select one of the around 100.000 other stations available from across the globe.
...Instagram: There probably aren't many people left in the world who haven’t heard of Instagram. With or without the fancy filters, it really is a great way of sharing some photographic evidence of your experiences abroad, whether choosing to do so privately with your contacts or publicly with the whole wide world. With such a wide variety of users, it's also a great source of inspiration for both travel and photography. Check out our Dream Year photos here!
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...Postagram: Letters and postcards are, sadly, becoming a thing of the past for many people. Nowadays, there’s just no need to find your way to a post office since you can easily keep in touch with family and friends through e-mail, video-chats and social media (although of course some of us still like to send a card now and then). It is, however, actually possible to combine these traditional and modern methods of travel communication. The innovative Postagram app lets you send personalized postcards from your phone using your own photos. It’s pretty cheap too. I love this idea!
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| Postagram |
...Been: When you return home, fill in all the countries you've visited in this app to see how much of the globe you've covered. Personally, I've apparently been to 15% of the world’s countries, so I still have quite a bit left to explore! Maybe 50% is a manageable lifelong goal? PS: Stopovers at airports do not count, so no cheating!
Any other recommendations? :)
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