Another common question I get asked is “What is the one tech item or gadget you can’t travel without?”. Hands down my iPhone (any model applies). I have a love-hate relationship mobile phones, but during my travels, it was all love. It’s a phone, it’s a mini computer, a fantastic camera. If I had to pare down and only take one tech item or gadget, this would be it. As much as I hate my mobile phone sometimes, it was my command center.

I was a Blackberry person prior to my trip. My job entailed writing long emails and press releases and fingers on a screen is not so fun. Plus I hate typos! I prefer keyboards. My friends had Blackberrys and we would BBM each other all day. I got my hands on an old model iPhone because I didn’t want to invest in the latest, greatest and pricey. And while doing travel reconnaissance I learned that most of the world is on a different system than my mobile company here in the USA so I wanted a phone that was unlocked. I also heard that there were amazing travel apps. Since then I have never turned back until I had my iPhone stolen at a gay bar in Hanoi Vietnam but that’s another story for another day.

I used the note app regularly to take down notes, phone numbers, and airline information when I didn’t have a pen handy. I found transportation apps that worked offline that let helped me figure out foreign subway systems. There were free walking tours of different cities. There are photo and editing apps to make your pictures even nicer. There are apps for different airlines so you can buy your ticket on the fly. There are music apps and apps for reading books so you can beat boredom on long bus or train rides. And of course, communication apps like Skype or Viber so I could call home when I needed to hear a familiar voice when I was homesick. The list is endless and I will also review my favorite travel apps that helped me along the road.

To buy a factory unlocked phone so you can put sims from different countries, click here.