Friday, December 13, 2024
Travel & Destinations

5 Apps to Help You Explore a City like a Local

Every traveler knows that there is no better way to explore their destination than acting like the local people. According to Mr. Mart, of Martz Roofing & Construction, when traveling to a city, you want to explore it like a true local. You want to enjoy its nightlife, taste local delicacies, and taste wine if possible. But, some people find venturing past the tourist spots intimidating.

Although some travelers are curious to venture beyond the tourist spots, they don’t do it for varied reasons. Major among them is lack of adequate and accurate information to guide them. Fortunately, modern travel apps have made things easier for travelers.

If you wish to dive into the local city scene, here are some of the apps that you should use to find the best restaurants, bars, and activities that many travelers have not tried out.

Spotted by Locals

This is a great travel app for any traveler that needs a local joint where they can spend some time. It is an app that recommends local spots that are close to the current location of the user. Use it to find eating, drinking and sightseeing places. It’s an awesome app for anybody looking for food and restaurants recommendations.

Localeur

This is a great travel app for anybody in need of a specific vibe. It provides a community of the locals. Essentially, it offers hand-picked city advice. People in a city can use this app to organize different places into their preferred categories. Travelers can search these places with ease.

Like a Local

This is a great app for anybody looking for a unique experience. It puts hidden city parts at the center and front. Even if you have visited a city in the past, use it to find hidden gems.

Lonely Planet Guides

This app is available for about 38 cities across the world. It provides advice from experts with in-depth knowledge of a city. The app suggests places to eat, see, shop, sleep, play and drink on the basis of the current location of the user.

Sit or Squat

This is an awesome app for travelers that want to enjoy a truly authentic experience. The local people know the most ideal places where you can duck into the bathroom. That’s what makes this app great.

If you want to enjoy your trip to a city in the most excellent way, use these apps when you travel.

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Travel & Destinations

How to Travel with Dietary Restrictions

Anybody that is following a special diet or is allergic to some foods knows how tricky sticking to a food regimen can be. This is particularly the case for people traveling overseas or having difficulties explaining their dietary needs to waiters and waitresses that do not speak fluent English. However, dietary restrictions should not chain you to your home. With careful planning and communication of your dietary needs, you can travel the world with ease. Here is a guide for traveling with dietary restrictions.

Plan Your Trip

Conduct some research in advance to learn about the food-related challenges that you are likely to face at your destination. You can even call ahead to ensure that proper arrangements are made to cater for your special dietary needs. Alternatively, book your trip with specialty outfitters. These will cater for your special dietary needs.

Get Food Allergy Translation Cards

If the local people at your destination do not speak proper English, carry food allergy translation cards. There are cards with a wallet size that explain your dietary restrictions or allergy in a local language. You can customize the cards to include several food restrictions or allergies.

Research Local Restaurants

Find out more about the local restaurants. You can talk to the hotel concierge or innkeeper to find out about the nearby grocery stores or restaurants that may cater for your needs. Contact them in advance to allow them time to prepare to cater for your needs. You can also find recommendations online depending on your travel destination.

Accommodation

To take control of your diet, book accommodation at a place that allows you to prepare your meals. Home exchanges and vacation rentals are particularly great choices. You can also get a hotel that features kitchenettes. Alternatively, chose a bed and breakfast. Such establishments tend to accommodate the special needs of their guests.

In addition to these tips, carry your medication and have medical insurance cover when traveling. You can also have a travel insurance plan that will cover you at your destination. Follow these tips when you travel with dietary restrictions to make your experience better.

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Travel & Destinations

Medications to Pack When Traveling

Whether you pack a sleeping pill for a long-haul flight or a motion sickness patch, travel mediations form an important part of the tricks’ bag of a savvy globetrotter. It’s obvious that you will carry prescriptions that you might be taking on a regular basis. However, a great selection of herbal supplements or over-the-counter remedies can make all the difference between an awesome trip and a trip disrupted by traveler’s tummy, jet lag or other travel maladies. Here are some of the travel medications that you should pack when traveling.

Deep Vein Thrombosis Medications

Deep vein thrombosis is a potentially fatal medical condition that entails development of blood clots in the leg. For a long time, this condition has been called the “economy class syndrome”. However, it’s common among people that take long-haul flights with restricted movement. Aspirin is a great medication to carry if you have a history of developing this medical condition. Even if you have a medical condition like active cancer, estrogen use, or blood clots, you should carry this medication.

Motion Sickness Medication

This condition is caused by abnormal and irregular motion. This disturbs balance organs in the inner ear and the discordant signals from the eyes and the balance mechanisms. Dizziness, nausea, cold perspiration, and headaches follow this disturbance. Bonine and Dramamine are the most common medications for motion sickness. Transderm Scop can also be used to reduce motion sickness.

Sleeping Medications

Some people find sleeping during a flight challenging. That’s because of cramped seats, cabin noise, and constant interruptions. To deal with this challenge, some travelers use medications that keep them asleep during the flight. Nevertheless, try out the medication at home first to know your body’s reaction towards it.

Prescription Drugs

There are prescription drugs like Ambien with sleep-inducing power. These work without causing a groggy feeling upon arrival. Ambien is also less addictive.

These are just some of the travel medications that you may want to try. Nevertheless, remember that every medication has its side effects. Therefore, talk to your doctor before you try any travel medication.  

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Travel & Destinations

The International Languages to Learn to Travel the World More Comfortably

When you can speak multiple languages, traveling the world becomes easier and comfortable. That’s because you can communicate with more people easily. You can also interact with people that you come across during your trips to different places. Here are some of the international languages that you should learn to travel the world more comfortably.

Spanish

This is the second most spoken language across the world. It’s the official language of many countries across 3 continents including Argentina which is in South America, Equatorial Guinea in Africa, and Spain in Europe. More than 400 million people globally speak Spanish. When you learn Spanish, you become more marketable during travels. You can also land a job when traveling to Spanish-speaking countries. That’s because there are jobs that need bilingual Spanish speakers.

Portuguese

This is the official language in Brazil and Portugal. Portuguese is also the official language in some places in Asia. Countries like Japan and Macau have Brazilian immigrants that use Portuguese. There are also ten countries where Portuguese is the official language and many more where it’s spoken. When you learn Portuguese, learning Spanish becomes easier. That’s because these languages are quite similar. What’s more, Portuguese is among the fastest growing languages and it is quit distributed.

French

Since France is among the most popular travel destinations, every seasoned traveler should learn French. France has some of the best beaches globally. What’s more, French is among the official languages of Canada. It is also spoken by more than 7 million people. About 89% of Quebec population communicates in French. There are also French speakers in the Americas, Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean as well as Pacific countries. French is the future language because it is used in many African countries as the schooling language.

To become a seasoned traveler, you need to learn other languages. That’s because not everybody will understand English and this can make communication difficult for you. Consider learning these languages to enjoy a more comfortable and satisfying travel experience. For good deal on travel check out one of my favorite sites for bookings.

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Travel & Destinations

Tips For A Safe Trip When She Is Pregnant

Whether it’s a trip to visit your family or having a photo shoot at the beach, it’s evident that many women will travel even once in the nine-month period. Travelling is safe for pregnant women who have low-risk pregnancies, but it is safe to consult your doctor first. Still travelling when pregnant can be hard and that is why it is good that you plan ahead of the trip. Tips that can make a comfortable vacation include:

Time wisely for the holiday

During the first trimester, most women experience rampant nausea and morning sickness. The third trimester they start getting a little bit bigger and the second trimester is the easier one that a pregnant woman is safe to travel. It is not a universal rule because pregnancies are different for different people. The second trimester is the ideal stage for many women to have some fun moments before the arrival of their baby.

Choose the destination with a lot of care

When travelling with a pregnant woman, it is crucial that you ensure the destination place is safe for her. You should get a place that has good air; clean water to drink and the risk to contract airborne diseases should be low among others. Consulting her doctor can be one way to ensure that the destination you are going to choose is safe for her. Another rule that you must observe is to avoid any country that has compulsory vaccinations.

Carry healthy fluids and snacks

Whether you will travel by air, road or train, carrying fresh drinks and snacks is mandatory. An expectant woman is likely to be extremely hungry and easily dehydrated as a result of their condition when they stay on for long hours. It is crucial that she can get what she requires every time anywhere. It is apparent that she might need to visit the restroom frequently, so you can request that she gets a seat near the room in a plane.

Pack as light as possible

The body of a pregnant woman is already going through a lot as a result of carrying the little one, so getting exhausted very fast is a likely option. Packing light can save her the agony of pulling cumbersome luggage and dealing with loads of dirty laundry once she is back from the trip.

It is acceptable for her to dress in light and comfortable clothes and repeat wearing them during the vacation. At this critical time, ensure she relaxes and maintains low-stress levels. She should fit some of her outfits before leaving to avoid a scenario where she will have to squeeze an outfit that isn’t her size anymore.

Conclusion

Travelling is fun even when pregnant but always remember that the risk to have blood clots is higher at this period. You should avoid sitting for many hours, and you can stand up to stretch a bit or walk along the aisle. When you are driving, you can have many stopovers to relax a bit and move on with the trip. When you are choosing activities that you can participate in, let common sense prevail.

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