Tech tips that help you travel better!

Access your maps offline and never get lost  

Your phone’s battery and internet probably become the two most precious resources at hand when you’re in a new city by yourself.

If you’re aiming to use both sparingly, it might be a good idea to look up the neighbourhoods, restaurants, attractions you aim to explore beforehand on Google Maps and save it to your ‘Offline Maps’.

Google Maps will tell you how much storage this will take up, (and a city map usually takes up quite a bit) so make sure you have some storage freed up for this. 

Stay entertained, no matter where

There’s nothing like plugging in to your favourite tune as you explore a new place and have some uplifting experiences. Streaming services such as Spotify (Premium - the paid version) and Amazon Music Prime (again, a paid subscription) let you do exactly that although most of us use those online. There’s a download/offline mode in both that make sure you can listen to all your favourite tracks and access them without connecting to the web as you travel. Depending on the city you’re in you could even look up the name of the country you’re travelling to and select playlists curated specifically for that country. ‘Turkish Party’, ‘Asian TikTok’, ‘Indie India’ and ‘Best Korean Drama OST’ are just some of the cool playlists Spotify threw our way! 

And, in case you haven’t already, you can download and save your favourite shows on your smartphone from Netflix, Hotstar and Prime Video, and watch those as you commute.

Explore unique, local experiences - 

Apps such as Urbanaut - launched just before the pandemic hit - help you explore a new city through the eyes of someone local. The app has well-curated categories of where to eat, what to shop for and where to stay in a city, but what really stands out is that they also work together with local businesses to curate experiences such as personalised food pairings by experienced chefs, swimming in secret quarries, kayaking, yachting and hiking through wildlife sanctuaries.

Nothing lost in translation

Politely ask locals to speak into the Google Translate app so it can translate information in real-time for you, in a language you easily understand. You can also use it to scan menus and make a choice, translate signage as you make your way through a new city or even find the right medication for you in the local pharmacy.

Quick tips

- If you want to charge your phone super quickly, enable flight mode and charge it.

- Uninstall unnecessary apps and delete media you don’t need before you travel, so you don’t run out of space while recording a video or taking photographs. 

- Scan your passport, identity cards, hotel booking and flight details and mail a copy to yourself and a friend/family member as well. If you’re travelling solo, make sure to share your itinerary with a close one as well.

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