8 August 2012

8 August 2012

Bali villa for rent, travelmob

Live like a local with travelmob’s unique accomodations New SceneSpotter App for traveling in Europe

Top 10 Travel Apps

8 August 20122

Publisher Raymond Wong • [email protected]

Editorial James Chen • [email protected] Tay • [email protected]

Web Sam Soh • [email protected] Leung • [email protected]

Sales SupportEve Wee • [email protected]

ContentsLive like a local with travelmob’s unique accomodations 4

Top 10 Travel Apps 5

New SceneSpotter App for traveling in Europe 9

• Published by Asia Xclusives Pte Ltd10 Ubi Crescent, #05-60 Ubi Techpark Singapore 408564 TEL: +65-6635 3173 | FAX: +65-6635 3174

Editor’s Note

In this issue, Asia Travel Exclusives bring out the tech-savvy in our readers as we check out how to travel smart with our smartphones.

With an endless array of travel apps built to make travelling easier and more efficient, we take our pick of top 10 travel apps worth

downloading whether for business or leisure to make the experience more enthralling. Check out the list!

Also, fancy living like a local in your expeditions? Try out travelmob, an online social stay portal that is bound to have the kind of

accomodation you’re looking for. As Lufthansa’s SceneSpotter steps into the, well, scene... we discover new ways of exploring European

destinations via their new Facebook app.

Happy reading!

James ChenEditor, Asia Travel [email protected]

Parliament house, Budapest, Hungary

Subscribe to our

FREE magazine

4 8 August 2012

Looking to live within the streets of HongKong instead of luxury hotels? Or thinking of staying in a private villa the next time you visit Bali? Check out travelmob.

Instead of big hotel names and staying in the ordinary town accommodations, global travelers can now choose to go for a more ‘social stay’ concept with travelmob (www.travelmob.com).

The newly launched travelmob is an online marketplace platform that allows travelers to book quality accommodations that boasts the comfort of homes for their next holiday.

The concept is simple: travelers can now live like a local via accommodations that are offered by Hosts by booking with the online marketplace. The portal offers accommodations ranging from normal housing rooms to luxurious villas.

Founded jointly by Turochas Fuad , ex Managing Director of Skype Asia Pacific and Prashant Kirtane , former Senior Director of Engineering at Yahoo! Inc, travelmob’s vision is to allow travelers around the globe to experience Asia like a local.

Ideal for both business and leisure travelers, travelmob helps users to find from a range of spare rooms, studio apartments, to vacation villas for short-term stays.

Turochas added, “Travellers today are

increasingly looking for authentic travel experiences and as part of that, are seeking social stay options, which allow them to meet local people and experience true local hospitality and culture. With this in mind, travelmob has made it easy and safe for Guests to book and share their one-of-a-kind travel experience.”

The entire booking process is facilitated by the site itself, providing a secured messaging platform for the Guests and Hosts (property

Live like a local with travelmob’s unique accomodations

Bali Villas for rent, one of the types of accomodations travelmob offers

owners), allowing contact between Guests and Hosts with a safe payment system whereby travelmob safekeeps payments for 24 hours after Guests have checked in.

This ensures a secure financial transaction between both parties, giving both Guests and Hosts a smooth and satisfactory experience.travelmob also has a transparent review system whereby both parties are able to feedback to one another for the recent stay, allowing them to share their experiences.

5

8 Au

gust

201

2

Top 10 Travel AppsWith more globetrotters picking up the on-the-go technology while overseas, we check out 10 must-have apps that can turn your Smartphone into a

pocket-sized marvel to help make your trip more enthralling.

Subs

cribe

to ou

r

FREE

magazi

ne

6 8 August 2012

TripIt

The one-stop app that combines your itineraries, flight confirmations, hotel bookings and even dinner reservations. TripIt is one of the most raved about must-have travel apps because of its genius capability to detect confirmation numbers that comes through your e-mail, be it for flights or hotels – basically anything that has a confirmation number.

One of the most easily integrated travel organizer app, it pulls together all your travel information to be easily consolidated and is able to prompt a effective and convenient itinerary. All these information can also be shared within your LinkedIn and Facebook networks, connecting your travel experiences with family, friends and colleagues.

Cost: Free

Jetsetter

One of the first apps to support the brand new iPad’s hi-res Retina Display, Jetsetter is a treat for the eyes with their 360-degrees panoramic photo displays of holiday destinations and hotel listings. Think visual-oriented travel magazine. Providing ‘insider’ information for some of the best hotels and tour packages, it includes personal reviews and allows travelers to purchase hotels, villas and tour bundles. We love the ‘flash deals’ section presented in a calendar form whereby upcoming deals and sales are updated for easy look-through, exclusive to members up to 50% discount. Bookings are also efficiently tap-and-go model. Although most destinations covered are U.S and Europe based, a few listings from other countries are also available and we look forward to see any expansion coming from Jetsetter’s end.

Cost: Free

Packing (+ TO DO)

For the list-makers of the frequent travelers, this app is perfect for any kind of trips. Packing (+ TO DO) allows users to make lists and check various kinds of items off as they pack, with sample lists and templates created for extensive types of trips. Ideal for any form of pre-trip preparation, the app also has a ‘save’ function such that previous lists can be used for future reference. Travelers can be sure to never forget any important items such as their passport, toothbrush or even extra nappies. Purely devoted to the organizational need of packing, there is also a Pro version that enables Expert Help, which allows users to pack for a number of people, the temperature at destination and even directions to how you’d end up washing your clothes. Lists include a variety of vacation types such as business, leisure, for couples, families and even campers.

Cost: $0.99

7

8 Au

gust

201

2

Kayak

One of the favourite travel search engine made, Kayak helps organize your trip even before it begins, all the way until it ends. Designed to meet the requirements for globetrotters anywhere in the world, users can find buzz deals, book hotels and flights, rent cars and even manage their itinerary – basically an online travel agent on its own. Our favourite use of it is the Flight Tracker and booking engines, which is one of the fastest and most efficient we’ve tried. It also links to TripAdvisor, also one of our top 10 apps, and gives miscellaneous entertainment options for various budgets. Users can even access airport information such as baggage fees, airline numbers and airport information. The Pro version also includes airport maps, lest you get lost in a foreign country.

Cost: Free

TripAdvisor

One of the most successful travel review websites turned into an app? What more do we have to say? The TripAdvisor mobile app allows users to detect location based on their GPS coordinates, matching them to content available on the TripAdvisor website. An endless pool of resource for all kinds of travelers, it enables users to find hotel listings with ratings and reviews given by fellow vacationers, and also check out current airfares of the region. Users can find various kinds of activities to do based on recommendations, from spas to shopping to unique landmarks. Use the ‘Near Me Now’ function to locate hotels, restaurants and different kinds of activities wherever you are.

Cost: Free

Simply Declare

A budget-savvy app that allows users to put in a fixed spending limit in foreign currency at the beginning of each trip, Simply Declare makes sure that users keep within the duty limit. Travelers can enter purchases in foreign currency and keep a tab on the trip expenditure, all automatically converted into home currency with real-time currency exchange rates. The simple but effective interface also allows users to take a photo of receipts and invoices to include in the tab, as well as email a copy to you as a document. The number of travelers with different budgets can also be added and toggled. With this app, vacationers and business travelers no longer have to worry about tax declaration while crossing borders.

Cost: $1.99

Hipmunk

For the last minute and impulsive travelers, Hipmunk is an app that measures the agony of transiting flights and its worth. We all know the hassle of airport transit and the reality of “time is money”, and with Hipmunk, travelers are now able to compare costs of connecting flights easily at a glance. With different modes such as ‘Agony’, ‘Cost’ and ‘Length’, users are able to search for ideal flights and filter them based on different variables all on a relevant timeline. For those on a tight budget, calculate the amount of ‘Agony’ that you’d have to go through – basically the length of time and number of stops you’d have to endure before finally making it to your final destination. For users who’d prefer not to be stuck at the airport for more than 24 hours waiting for your next flight, Hipmunk also displays hotel listings, and ‘heatmaps’ that show the most vibrant areas of the vicinity.

Cost: Free

Subs

cribe

to ou

r

FREE

magazi

ne

8 8 August 2012

Omaps

Ever received a shocking post-vacation mobile bill? Omaps is here to help you dodge it – by allowing users to download maps pre-travel and view them offline. We all know that travelers love their Smartphone too much to let them stay home while on vacation, and the temptation of data-roaming can be too much sometimes when one is out of range of Wi-Fi services, which is why this is one of the many effective apps available without the use of 3G. We are impressed by the functionality of this app, considering its offline properties – users are able to experience multiple zoom levels, search functionality, map bookmarking and even GPS. Based on OpenStreetMap instead of the much-used Google Maps, it is accurate and detailed, including ATMs, landmarks, and restaurants. Useful for first-time travelers, it is a must-have in the traveler’s app collection.

Cost: $1.99

Yelp

The king of user-review sites, Yelp is a travel-handy app that tells users what’s the best around the vicinity, be it a burrito or a relaxing bar. Leveraging on the GPS system, Yelp enables users to search for anything in the area and read reviews by locals. This app made it to our list because it’s easy to use, effective and tells tourists where to find the best burrito in the district. Flooded with mainly food reviews, the app ensures a happy tummy for all tourists by the end of the day based on local recommendation instead of simply heading towards any fancy-schmancy restaurant.

Cost: Free

PocketGuide

The first application to give audio guided tours, PocketGuide covers more than 60 cities around the world. Users can now use PocketGuide’s voice tours to explore the city by themselves and hear interesting stories and useful information about the city. Think about the app as a thick city guidebook – except now users can access it offline after downloading the maps. The app also enables users to record all their activities and even record 3D videos via the amalgamation of Google Earth, photos and user’s voice recordings. The app itself is free of charge, however, users have to pay for each city guide download, or alternatively view it online.

Cost: Free

9

8 Au

gust

201

2

Need inside traveler tips while basking in Europe’s breathtaking sights? Check out this app form Lufthansa!

With the launch of SceneSpotter (http://apps.facebook.com/scenespotter) by Lufthansa, travelers now have a new app to explore Europe. Featuring personal travel tips from locals and insiders, SceneSpotter covers over 20 of Europe’s destinations.

New SceneSpotter App for traveling in Europe

SceneSpotter provides all kinds of information for travelers, from sightseeing destinations to dining must-tries – all bundled into one Facebook app. Whether travelers choose to go on an art expedition through Barcelona, or simply a nights’ out in Amsterdam with friends, users can easily plan their itinerary easily beforehand, and share them with their Facebook friends as well.

The best part of the app is the personalized touch to it – users are able to add and recommend tips to other friends, based on

their own travel experience. In addition, users can also book Lufthansa flights as well as selected private accommodation via Airbnb.The 20 European destinations include Barcelona, Bergen, Berlin, Birmingham, Bologna, Budapest, Geneva, Helsinki, Istanbul, London, Milan, Manchester, Moscow, Paris, Reykjavik, Rome, Stockholm, Tel Aviv, Vienna and Westerland (on the island of Sylt).

Additionally, Lufthansa also offers a 24/7 customer service on Facebook for their customers.

Dine along the streets of France

Check out landmarks of Rome

Walk down pathways of Rab Croatia

Subs

cribe

to ou

r

FREE

magazi

ne