Is international travel soon to reopen throughout the world?
Well, it’s anyone’s guess but no matter how long more it takes, it’s but a matter of time. After all, man has been exploring since antiquity. The desire to see more of our magnificent world will never go away.
When travel is finally possible again, how would you be traveling? Where would you head to? Would you also be using any of the apps and travel gadgets designed to make traveling more enjoyable?
Without further ado, here’s a list of apps and gadgets that can upgrade your next travel experience! Having some or all with you will make your next adventure far more memorable. In many cases, far more convenient too.
1. Get the Exclusive Scoop, Wherever You Are
For a lot of people, travelling is all about getting away from regular distractions and frustrations. For others, it’s about discovering hidden spots of the world that are less known or even forgotten.
In the case of the latter, it’s sometimes tough to know where to head to; every travel blogger seems to be writing about the same attractions sometimes. When that happens, an app like Uncubed can be incredibly useful.
Not only does this app highlights lesser discovered spots that are of the most interest to you, it helps determine the best sightseeing route too. It even provides useful context on the attractions you’re keen to enjoy.
In other words, it’s like a personalised travel consultant. Best of all, this consultant “talks” only when you want him to. The rest of the time, said consultant leaves you blissfully alone to enjoy the recommendations.
2. Make Downtime a Lot Better
No matter how seasoned a traveller you are, travel fatigue will hit, especially during longer trips.
If not, you might be caught in some sort of travel delay. No amount of planning or foresight can prevent these, regrettably.
When times like these happen, smart TV hardware like Roku and other devices that can plug into modern televisions will be a godsend. And no, you don’t need to lug around a whole suitcase of wires and boxes for these to work. All you need would be the remote control and a small receiver.
Hey, you can even connect them to your smartphone! And for some selections, watch in 4K!
Definitely a must-have for modern travel. After all, seeing the physical world doesn’t mean missing out on the digital world of accessible entertainment.
3. Enjoy a Whole New View
Are you a fan of travel photography? Or are you already an experienced travel photographer?
If you’re either, then I bet you already know bringing the right photo gear when you travel is imperative. Not just gear that’s hardy and easy to carry, but also tripods like those from Gorillapod, which can help you shoot from all manner of interesting angles.
Speaking of unusual perspective, have you ever thought about drones, such as those from Dr Drone? Drone photography has become a lot more popular in recent years due to its ability to help you see from perspectives that are otherwise nigh impossible to enjoy. So long as you are flying in accordance with local laws and restrictions, the skies and the view of gods will be open to you.
And oh, no worries about transportation. There are mini-drones nowadays. Traveling with your laptop is often more cumbersome.
4. Bring Everything You Need
Travelling light is a must for any adventure. After all, even the Terminator travels nude when traversing time.
…
I’m jesting, of course. What I’m saying is that it’s always beneficial to shave as much weight as you can from your luggage, especially when you’re backpacking or travelling alone.
With convertible backpacks such as those from Topdust, you do not have to worry about your bags doubling your load too because their bags are designed to be compact and slim.
Moreover, convertible backpacks can be shoulder bags, briefcases, and even backpacks when you need as much space as possible. In other words, one bag suits all purposes.
You might not even have to check in such a bag during a flight.
5. Stay Connected
Staying connected is a must for any modern travel. And I’m not just talking about entertainment or being in touch with friends.
Some of the apps and tools on this list require connectivity. Apart from that, you will desperately need connectivity for information and updates when facing travel disruptions.
Sad to say, though, roaming connectivity is often hugely expensive. Public WIFI can also be unreliable or inconvenient to use. Just try registering and connecting in a swarmed location like Tokyo’s Shibuya Station.
To minimise the pain of lost connectivity, consider using the gadgets recommended by sites like Too Many Adapters to secure local connections for your trip. Simply put, these nifty adapters allow you to pop in a local SIM card to take advantage of cheap local data rates.
Needless to say, they are lightweight and packed with robust batteries too. It is another gadget to carry but rest assured you’d barely notice it.
6. Enjoy the Soundscape That You Want
The sights and sounds of your destination are what you’re traveling for. However, there will still be times when you need to shut off the outside world.
For example, when you need to sleep on the plane. Or when noisy guests prevent you from catching much-needed rest at your hotel.
Or when you want to fully indulge in your audiobook or streaming movie during a 3-hour train ride.
As such, noise-cancelling headphones and earplugs at sites like What Hifi can be immensely beneficial for your trip, if not a must. If you’re wondering, such audio gear aren’t that much more expensive too, compared to conventional models. Not to mention, well, music enhances any visiting experience, right? You will want full immersive sound when standing amidst that location you’ve dreamed of visiting for years.
7. Finding Your Place
Last but not least, be familiar with accommodation apps before setting off.
I always pre-book my accommodation, but no matter how much flexibility I factor in, there will still be times when unforeseen circumstances force me to rebook my stays on the spot. When that happens, knowing which reliable site or app to head to is one less thing I have to be frustrated about.
Furthermore, accommodation apps like Hostelworld help with sticking to travel budgets too. Something that’s really important if you’re traveling on a budget.
Outside of last-minute changes, maybe you just want to be constantly aware of your options. To give an example, say you booked an apartment for a fortnight and it turns out to be a dump. Do you really want to “weather” the conditions throughout? Wouldn’t you want to know where else you can sleep at?
I’m sure you would.
Summary
To end, having the right set of tools at your fingertips can transform your travel experience.
From making certain aspects of your life on the road more convenient to giving you brand new ways of engaging with the places you visit, such transformation could be the difference between a nightmarish trek and a dream adventure.
Hopefully, the suggestions above helps you achieve the latter.
