Traveling Solo? 10 Tips for keeping safe & having fun.

Sabrina — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 21:46:17 +0000

After being introduced to few solo travel blogs this week, I was inspired by the topic and wanted to share some tips for those independent travelers out there. Solo traveling is a great way to experience a city. Here are a few tips for stay safe while doing it.

Buy a Guidebook geared toward solos

There are a slue of guidebooks out there, all that appeal to different types of travelers. Pick one that can help you plan your trip itinerary and guide you around the city with suggestions of places to visit. If you happen to be a savvy traveler, opt for a guidebook on your phone that can give you directions and maybe even take you around the city in Augmented Reality!

Plan Ahead

Find out how long it will take and how much it will cost to get from the airport to your accommodation or city centre. Taxi drivers more often than not will take you a longer route than necessary.

Check out Independent Travelers Meeting Places

There are a lot of cities that have well-known meccas for solo travelers – these include cafes, bookstores and youth hostels with bulletin boards and calendars of events. You can find inexpensive tours, cheap or free lectures, social gatherings to join and more

Choose your first nights accommodation

At the very least, have your first nights accommodation worked out. Even if you are one of those ‘of the moment travellers’, it’s important while traveling alone to at least have a defined start point.

Keep your identification & money safe

Whether it be your purse or wallet, always be mindful of your belongings. Certain cities are known for pick-pocketers and if you look like a tourist, you are a perfect target.

Don’t look like a tourist

Exude confidence and walk purposefully. If you look lost or confused you are a perfect target. Instead of carrying a huge map and paperback guidebook, opt for a travel guide app on your phone. This is much less obvious and will be an even better resource for getting you around the city.

Keep to open, public places

Especially at night you will want to stick to safe places where there are lots of people around. Be smart about where you choose to go.

Do talk to strangers!

While traveling solo, you want to meet new people and make connections with other independent travelers and locals. Keep your wits about you but don’t be afraid to engage in conversation with people in cafes, hotels and other safe places. You might make some good connections. If you choose to stay at a hostel you are sure to meet lots of like-minded travelers that could even become new travel buddies.

Enjoy your solo experience

Learn to eat alone comfortably and happily. Choose lively bistros and cafes where you are likely to meet interesting people. Try to find places that locals or tourists frequent. Whether you meet tourists or locals they are both great experiences for different reasons.

Be open-minded but safe

People travel alone because its an adventure and a great way to meet new people. Scam artists can be very charming though so you have to be careful who you engage in conversation with, who you trust and where you go. Being open-minded but smart and safe at the same time are the most important things to keep in mind for your solo trip!

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The iPad for Business Travelers & Backpackers

Sabrina — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:19:05 +0000

The Apple iPad hit the market last week with much anticipation. What does this tablet mean for business travelers and backpackers? Will it replace the laptop for on-the-road computing needs? Here are a few key features to take note.

Size & Shape – The iPad is .5 inches thick, only slightly thicker than the iPhone 3GS, and measures 9.56 x 7.47 inches. It weighs 1.5 pounds without 3G, and 1.6 with 3G.

Camera - There isn’t one. ‘Nough said.

Touch Keyboard - It’s a bit awkward to use with a very large touch screen keyboard.

Battery Life – Ten hours of constant use, with a one-month standby rating.

Email – Similar visual signals as the iPhone but better. You can preview your mailbox from any message with a pull-down menu, and preview any message from within the mailbox, with a pop-up window.

iPhone apps – The iPad is great for apps. Plus any apps you have downloaded to your iPhone can be automatically synced for free to your iPad.

Music – The music player is even more combined and exciting, a mix between the iPhone’s iPod interface and desktop iTunes.

Maps – Very similar conversion and interface from the iPhone but way better. You can view maps from above with high-resolution satellite imagery, up close with street view or with topography in new terrain view. You can also get directions from your current location.

Calendar & Contacts - The calendar app is desktop-like, until you open contacts and calendars, which look a lot like actual contact books and organizers.

iWork – A completely new version designed specifically for iPad. Each application has a great user interface. You can create slides, documents or spreadsheets with ease. Each App also integrates the Media inspector for easy access to photos and music.

Ebooks – Apple has developed an ebook to store for the iPad called iBooks. It greatly resembles iTunes.

So how do the iPad features translate into benefits for business travelers and backpackers?

The business traveler can now travel light, check emails, view contacts and work on docs, presentations and spreadsheets with ease all from the airplane, hotel or on the go. If you are seeking an intermediate mobile device that takes up little space, offers budget priced 3G connectivity, and provides all-day battery life the iPad might be your best option.

The backpack traveler will find some of the iPad features handy such as the maps, which are more interactive and easier to view than on the iPhone. No need to break out the giant paper map anymore! While checking email and IMs from the hostel or hotel is useful is this really a priority for the backpacker? And lets face it – the camera has become an integral part of our travel experience. The fact that iPad doesn’t have a camera could be a deal breaker for the traveler who seeks an all-in-one device.

So what are your thoughts on the iPad? Will it be your next travel tool of choice?

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