A week before leaving the UK I bought my first iPod. An iPod Touch 2nd Generation. This is by far the best decision I have made concerning my trip. It is utterly invaluable and indispensable.
Here’s why:
WI-FI
Find any Wi-Fi connection and the iPod comfortably accesses websites, provides world news, books tickets and does virtually anything else that the web can provide.
FACEBOOK
With Facebook’s intuitive app, it’s a doddle to keep in touch.
EVERNOTE & WORDPRESS
All my blogging – including this very post – is done entirely on my iPod. Evernote is a comprehensive text editor that synchronises with an online account whenever you fancy backing things up. Copying across to WordPress then provides an upload to my blog and lets me sort photos too.
RECORDER PRO
I spent a while hunting for this one, but the results should be worth it. With the addition of a microphone, I’ve been recording the sounds of my trip. Everything from songs to bustling markets to train announcements are in there. It’s been an enjoyably novel way to record a whole array of experiences. Once uploaded, I’ll be able to edit and mix them together.
EMAIL
All updates automatically with Wi-Fi.
TRIP IT
Although I carry a folder of tickets, itineraries and documentation, TripIt renders most of this redundant. Simply forward any journey confirmation email to plans@tripit.com and the website and app will plug all the information into a handy timeline.
CURRENCY MASTER
Ditch the calculator and use this automatically-updated world currency converter.
iTRAVEL
Although as yet unperfected, this app theoretically downloads WikiTravel’s worldwide archive of advice to read offline. It’s handy for the occasional browse, but in practice isn’t thorough enough to rely on.
MUSIC
As a side-note, the iPod also plays music.
The only reason for me to use any Internet cafe is to upload photos. If, like many other travellers, I chose to carry a small laptop, even this would be unnecessary. But the iPod’s tiny size and bus-journey-capable battery life make it, in my opinion, the best purchase any traveller could make.
