5 Useful Apps/Websites That You Definitely Need For Your Next Big Trip

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1. Findery

Remember when you were a kid and loved going on treasure hunts and finding clues stashed all over the place? Findery lets you do exactly that. Except, now that you’re all grown up, your treasure is in the form of experiences you have at your destination. The clues? These are left for you by other travelers who’ve been using the app. Gone are the days when you’d land up in a strange  town on a whim and try to figure out where you can find the best street food. Findery allows you to see where others have been, what they’ve done, and the tips they’ve shared about the place and you can do the same. You can literally plot a ‘Treasure Map’ of your travels and share your own tips on the different locations. Hell, you can even point out the street corner where you got drunk and broke into an impromptu performance of ‘Light my Fire’ with a band of street musicians.

2. Onavo Extend

Mobile data is like fresh air. It’s no big deal unless you’re not getting any. For most travelers, the only thing stopping them from uploading that beach selfie is the fear that you might run out of precious bandwidth. Well, fear no more. Onavo Extend is an app that helps you save on data using their own compression technology. Keep it running in the background and it gives you real time updates on how much data has been used/saved on Safari, Instagram, Facebook etc. They might not tell us exactly how it works but hey, as long as it does, we’re cool with it guys.

3. Penroads

Of all the travel apps and websites out there offering a buffet of services from flights to toilets (Yup-you read that right), there’s one aspect of travel that has been largely ignored- basic human interaction. This is where Penroads joins the party. A social platform connecting travelers from around the world, Penroads helps you find travel buddies before you even step out of your home. After you’ve signed up on the website, all you have to do is enter your destination along with your travel dates and you’re immediately presented with a list of all the other travelers who are going to be there within the same time frame. From here, you’re just a mouse click and a “Hi!” away from making a new friend. It’s as simple as that! You can even join in on conversations happening around your destination via dedicated chat rooms on the site. This one’s especially for all you solo travelers out there!

4. Hostelworld

With a database of 30,000+ hostels in 180 countries, Hostelworld will make sure you never have to worry about finding a bunk to crash on ever again. The simple interface helps you book a hostel by entering your destination and dates with just a few taps on your screen. With a user review system in place, you also never have to worry about spending the night in a rat-infested dormitory in a shady part of town. A really cool feature of the app is the “Current Location Search” function which will map you from well, your current location to the hostel of your choice. Very handy for when you find yourself in a strange city after an all-night bender and desperately need someplace to sleep it off.

5. Travelog

Before you hit the road, it’s always good to know what’s there to do at your destination. But spending a lot of time googling them can get a bit exhausting. Enter Travelog. Key in your destination at their landing page and you’re hit with a barrage of information on the sights, sounds and various cultural activities at your destination. It’s as simple as that. With an effective rating and user review system, you can figure out what activities you’d like to spend your time and money on. Don’t be disappointed if you didn’t find exactly what you were looking for. They’re growing, and they’re growing fast. Stay tuned for more awesome updates here. This is one app you definitely want to keep an eye on.  You’ll never be bored on your travels again.

While this list isn’t a complete compilation of must-have apps, you can expect nothing short of a good time when you use them. Fair weather my fellow vagabonds! May the Gods of the internet keep you safe on your travels!