Travel Apps you’ll actually use.

Packing, booking flights and arranging an itinerary (if you’re that way inclined) can be a nightmare. A nightmare which most people would prefer to skip so we can fast forward straight to the fun bits after all travelling is supposed to be a low stress high fun activity. This post is dedicated to handy travel apps that I use that I think everyone else can benefit from too.
 
Packr

Packr is a traveller’s best friend. You may have packing down to an art form but it’s still pretty time consuming to consider every factor in the decision making process. However with Packr all you have to do is enter your travel information (destination, dates and activities you might be keen on while you’re there) and it will tell you what to bring along while it takes into account whether you’re going for business or leisure, the weather of your intended location, the type of accommodation you’ll be staying at, transportation you’ll be using and the kind of things you’ll be getting up to from a list of 24 predefined categories of activities. Basically, it does the thinking for you so you can focus on more important things. 

​Sidekix

This app is an urban route planner which will give you curated suggestions of things to do based on your interests and preferences –while you go from your chosen start point to your final location. Perhaps you’re looking for an art gallery on the way to lunch or the best coffee shop on your way to a meeting in a foreign city. This app has it all based on the recommendations of locals in the know from that specific city. Pretty handy right?
 
Happy Cow

Happy Cow is for all the vegans and vegetarians out there. As if it’s not hard enough to find vegan and Vegetarian spots in your own city, I’d imagine that navigating your needs in a foreign city would probably present quite a challenge unless you spent ages googling it before or during your trip. Happy Cow takes the hassle out of the process by recommending restaurants in the area along with a description of what you can expect from the menu as well as user generated reviews.

Binaural

I’ve been raving about meditation in my self-care posts for ages so you already know how I keep preaching that “its not just for hippies” - Binaural beats is something I’ve had a similar experience with. A few years ago I was visiting my best friend and his girl at their apartment - I had just flown into Dubai two days prior. I was exhausted but determined to make our lunch plans. However when I arrived I could not keep my eyes open. I just couldn’t anymore, I needed a nap right there and then. When I explained my dilemma, my bestie suggested I try binaural beats and I might’ve rolled my eyes at him. But I gave it a shot in any case. After listening to it for maybe ten minutes in a relaxed environment I was “healed” of my exhaustion. I couldn’t believe it. I felt so..rested. It was unreal. And from that moment on I never doubted the power of Binaural beats again. So I highly recommend this app for jetlag or even improving focus and relieving anxiety.

Google Maps Offline

This isn’t exactly an app but I’m surprised at how many people aren’t familiar with this nifty travel hack. If you’re planning on being in an area where the internet signal might be weak or perhaps Wi-Fi is super slow / roaming bandwidth is pricey then you can simply save an area on Google Maps which allows you to navigate offline. It has made life way easier for me.
 
Hopefully you’ve learnt something new and if you have anything to add, let me know!

​Check out Travel Apps that you'll actually use part 2 here.

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