Being a world traveler, striking out into new, unexplored territory and learning and experiencing all you possibly can, has never been more accessible to so many people. And yet, unless you think ahead and plan out ways to make your journeys safer and more convenient, you could encounter unexpected snags along the way.
Whether planning an African safari, an adventure in the Alaskan wilderness, a tour of the great castles of Europe, or an excursion to see the unique flora and fauna of The Land Down Under, here are five tools and tips to make your trip more pleasant:
1. Take a Private Jet
One of the potentially most trying parts of any trip abroad is fighting your way through crowded airports and sitting long hours in compact seats on an airplane. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With private jet rental, you can fly in luxury and on planes that are far less crowded.
You will find that scheduling is far less hectic and more convenient with private jet flights, and that you can find routes to well over 100 countries and access both remote areas and the world’s great metropolises.
2. Protect Your Mobile Data
First of all, you should consider buying a local SIM card upon arrival since you can often get better and cheaper service that way. But there is more to think about than simply whether or not your smartphone or other mobile device will function – there is also the issue of protecting your mobile data from theft.
Use the Lookout Mobile Security app, and all your phone data is backed up on the Web. Plus, you can track your phone online in case you lose it, and you can even remotely erase all your phone’s data to keep it out of the wrong hands.
3. Use WhatsApp Messenger
Worried about getting charged a lot extra for texting while roaming? One convenient solution is to use WhatsApp Messenger to text for free from far away places. As long as you have Wifi, it’s free, and WhatsApp can search your address book, so you don’t even have to type in the phone number (which can be confusing sometimes when international country codes are involved.)
4. Use Vocre to Communicate With Locals
Another great help for international travelers is Vocre, which can translate between numerous languages based on audio input.
Simply speak into the phone and it will translate the text into the other language. Then show it to your conversation partner.
5. Be Ready for any Emergency
The final two apps we mention together because they both help you in a medical emergency situation. Help Call locates you by global GPS and then brings up local numbers for ambulance, police, and fire department assistance. And it even lets you call “by shaking” instead of dialing in case you can’t manage the latter.
Also get hooked up with the Pocket First Aid and CPR app from the American Heart Association. This gives you quick access to potentially life saving video and text instructions on CPR and other vital first aid procedures. And you can even add a profile with your medical history, prescription medications you’re on, emergency contact numbers, and other information needed during an emergency.