Battery charger? Check! Memory card? Check! Extra charger? Check, you may well be on your way to your holiday destination with a smartphone that won’t disappoint but how about adding some apps that might make holiday life a little bit easier?
1. TripAdvisor
Nothing ruins a holiday more than having to scramble to book accommodation at the last minute. Most of the time, hotels are fully booked and one has to find other means for shelter. With TripAdvisor, you can plan, book or read up on different holiday destinations from over 225 million reviews and opinions by travelers, you can also find the lowest airfare, best hotels, great restaurants, and fun things to do, wherever you go.
Download here.
2. Uber
Many of us have heard murmurs of Uber and how convenient it is for finding a cab service in any major city around the world. The app lets you register with your debit or credit card and uses GPS to locate your Uber cab, tells you how long it will take and allows you to track the distance and estimate how much your trip costs. It also available in cities like Durban and Port Elizabeth. Another alternative around the country is taxi app service Taxify.
Download here.
3. Airbnb
If you’re looking for something a little more homely and authentic, the Airbnb app for Android might be the perfect option for you. AirBnB has 3 million listings in more than 65 000 cities and is perfect for those we would like to sign up as a host and rent out their homes during the festive season. Just make sure that your Airbnb host in cities like Cape Town is registered with municipality or they might get into trouble with the municipal by-law.
Download here.
4. Skyscanner
Finding a flight at any given time during peak holiday season can cause a major headache. Instead of waiting in line at packed airports, downloading an app like Skyscanner allows you to look and compare millions of flights and travel specials across hundreds of airlines all at your fingertips.
Download here.
5. HostelWorld
For students and adventurers alike, another great accommodation app is HostelWorld where you can book a bed, or your own room, in one of over 33 000 hostels around the globe. This option is great for backpackers and also has millions of reviews of different hostels across the globe.
Download here.
6. Couchsurfing
If you’re on a budget or traveling alone, why not couch surf by downloading the Couchsurfing app? The app offers you access to local listings of available couches all over the world and lets you manage your notifications and private messages. You can also return the favour and open up your couch for travel enthusiasts.
Download here.
7. PriceCheck
Shopping and finding the best deals on all your favourite products can be a nightmare during the festive season. Who has the time to visit every shop comparing prices and specials? With PriceCheck, you compare millions of products across thousands of categories and hundreds of stores. You can also read reviews on various products.
Download here.
8. Healthy in a Hurry
Cooking major feasts have become a staple during the holidays, but no one wants to spend most of their holiday cooking away on the stove. With Eatwell.com’s Healthy in a Hurry gives you access to so many recipes, ingredients as well meals that take 45 minutes or less. The best thing about the app? It offers recipes that won’t make you regret those festive feasts.
Download here.
9. Aweza
If you’re traveling locally and would like to get the hang of some of the languages spoken at your holiday destinations around South Africa, then Aweza is the app for you. It is still in beta phase but Aweza is the first truly multi-lingual South African language phrase translation app with crowd-sourced audio entries in all 11 official languages in SA.
Download here.
10. Wifi Map
Finding wifi hotspots is a necessity during the holidays. One thing that many smartphone enthusiast constantly seek is free wifi. Wifi Map lets you wifi hotspots all over the world and also gives you all the passwords.
Download here.