Ask an Orbitz Expert: How to be a tech-savvy traveler

World traveler and Orbitz Worldwide’s Chief Technology Officer Roger Liew shares tips on how a few clever travel gadgets and tech tools can help you get the most out of your next vacation—without letting it get in the way of it.

1. Get a good translator.

“There’s this really cool translation app, iTranslate Voice, that’s easy to use. It has 42 languages—you speak to it in one language and it’ll translate it instantly, repeating your message back in whatever language you’ve selected. And you can get people you meet to talk into it, and it’ll translate for you, so you can have an actual conversation with almost anyone, whether or not you speak their language.

2. International SIM cards are more complicated than you think.

“So this is something that should be way simpler than it is. The easiest way to ensure you’re always connected is to buy a SIM here that’s designed for international travel. Tell the sales associate every country you’re planning to visit, in order to ensure that you stay connected. You can also ask for help setting up the SIM—there are often codes you have to plug in to get it to work.”

3. You don’t need to ask for directions.

“So, as a male, I obviously pride myself on being able to navigate really well without ever asking for directions. But I have to admit there were a couple of times when I was completely turned around, and was rescued by my phone’s compass. It can be a very disturbing feeling to suddenly realize that for the last hour you’ve been going in the completely wrong direction. So even if you think you know where you’re going, check that compass, just to be safe.”

4. Keep an eye on your home remotely.

“I have a device in my house called Canary. It’s basically a home security system. It has a camera, and texts me alerts if it detects motion in the house. It also tracks the temperature, air quality and humidity in case of emergencies. It’s kind of cool, too, to see your house in HD when you’re halfway around the world.”

5. Take time out to look at the stars.

“My family likes looking at stars, so the Sky Guide app is a big one for us. It allows you to clearly see the stars and constellations wherever you are, no matter what time of day. And it’s great when you go to places like Hawaii or Colorado where you don’t have all this light pollution and can really see the stars. It uses GPS, so it’s pretty accurate. And it’s cool because the sky just looks so different on the other side of the world.”

6. Finally, put the phone away.

“One of my team members went to Burning Man this year, and before he left he was like, “I can’t be contacted,” which is a fantasy of mine. One of the best things about travel is how it exposes you to other cultures and other ways of life, and you shouldn’t hide from that—certainly not from behind your smartphone screen. Having gone on so many vacations while being fully connected with work, I seem to always want to go somewhere that doesn’t have cell service. I’m thinking for my next vacation, I’ll go to a South Pacific island where thehotel is on stilts, over the water, like in Bali. And, yes, it helps that it’s paradise.”

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