“Go somewhere you know nothing about and see what happens.”—Karl Ove Knausgård
WHAT do you do when you are alone in a foreign country, without any money, no credit card and no roaming service—and you got your room booked on the wrong date?
That was exactly what happened during my first trip to Malaysia a few years ago, when my host mistakenly booked a room for me on the wrong date.
I had been with a group of writers from different Asian countries, and we had just finished covering a four-day event in Miri, which was a two-hour flight away from Kuala Lumpur.
All of us had different flights to catch, so when we arrived at the Kuala Lumpur airport, we all went our separate ways. But because there was only a flight back to Manila, I had to spend the night in Kuala Lumpur. My supposed hotel was just near the airport; a mere 15-minute walk, so I told our guide that I’d just check myself in, as he had other guests to attend to.
That was my biggest mistake.
When I arrived at the hotel—after fending off some really big black birds along the way (I was carrying my lunch with me so they kept swooping down!)—I was told that my room was booked for the next day and, since they were full, they wouldn’t be able to accommodate me.
I didn’t have roaming service for some reason, and there was also no Wi-Fi service, so I had no way of calling my guide immediately. The staff tried to make the call for me but they said they got no answer. After telling them my story, they finally gave me a 30-minute Internet access so I could try and contact my guide via Facebook Messenger. By the time he got my message, though, he was already far from the airport, and had to drop off a couple of the other writers to their hotels, which were in Kuala Lumpur. To make matters worse, it was a Sunday, so he couldn’t contact anyone else from his office to help me.
I ended up waiting for three hours at the hotel lobby, tired and very frustrated. And, when he finally got back to bring me to another hotel, it was already starting to get dark.
He found me a hotel, which was only a 10-minute drive from the airport; unfortunately, at that time, the entire area was just starting to be developed and it looked like a ghost town with just a few other establishments open.
I was already very hungry but, since all the restaurants were closed and the only store that was open was a mini-grocery, I had no choice but to settle for some biscuits for dinner.
Although it left me more upset than scared, it taught me a valuable lesson: Never leave the country unprepared, without any roaming service, and don’t rely on your guide even if it is a sponsored trip.
So, if you’re leaving the country for a trip this holiday season or anytime soon, and you don’t want the same thing to happen to you, make sure to download this new app and save you a whole lot of trouble.
Smart Communications recently introduced their new RoamFree app, which lets subscribers enjoy access to 21 of the most crucial apps you need when traveling abroad, such as Uber, Google Maps and Booking—free, without any data-roaming charges.
RoamFree is a one-stop portal, that gives you free instant access to up to 21 partner apps at your destination, even if you haven’t subscribed to a roaming-data package. These partner apps are determined by their popularity in the country.
The RoamFree apps allow you to book rides via Uber, reserve your accommodations through AirBNB, Agoda or Booking; and, perhaps most important, navigate your way around the city using Google Maps. You can also check in on your flights ahead of time on PassnFly; get valuable local tips on Musement; pore over recommendations from fellow travelers on TripAdvisor and Triip; and even make use of the app to make new friends who share the same passions via Meetup.com.
You can also book tours on Klook and Tiqets; order food or reserve a table in top restaurants via Foodpanda, OpenTable and TheFork; and snag deals on Groupon, KeyFlow and Viator. You also have practical travel apps at your fingertips, such as Google Translate, XE Currency Converter and ATM Finder.
To use the portal, simply download the RoamFree app on Google Play Store or the App Store. Once you’re abroad, all you need to do is turn on your mobile data and open the RoamFree app to access your accounts on various partner sites and services—without having to worry about data charges.
The app is now available for use in 26 destinations, including the United States, Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. It’s also accessible for free in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Albania, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Malta, Portugal, Romania, and the United Arab Emirates.
“Staying online while traveling abroad makes for a hassle-free travel experience but, unfortunately, many travelers still choose to go offline out of fear of racking up enormous data-roaming charges. The RoamFree app addresses this by allowing you to freely connect to relevant content and services that make for a travel experience like never before,” Kat Luna-Abelarde, PLDT Global Corp. president and CEO, told us during the launch.
Another Smart World innovation is the Data Roam Manager, a one-stop portal that lets you buy data-roaming packs, and keep track of your data usage while on the go. Accessible to all Smart Prepaid and Postpaid subscribers traveling in over 130 countries, the Data Roaming Manager pops up when you open your mobile browser, such as Google Chrome or Safari, after turning on your mobile data and data roaming. It lets you monitor your active subscription, so you never have to worry about going over your set data package and racking up unwanted charges. It gives you specific details, such as your running data volume consumption, as well as the start and expiration of your subscription, so you can take full control of your roaming experience.
Finally there’s GigaRoam, Smart’s biggest data-roaming pack, providing 1GB data valid for seven days for only P999. To give travelers utmost flexibility, the RoamFree App and the Data Roaming Manager also allow users to register to data roaming packs perfect for their needs—whether its GigaRoam, Surf Abroad or Chat Abroad.
Surf Abroad lets you enjoy 24-hour data roaming for a flat-rate of P550 per day, while Chat Abroad, lets you stay connected to chat apps like Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, Line, WeChat and Viber for only P150 per day.
TECH ROUNDUP
Amihan Global Strategies and Hyperledger, an open source consortium hosted by The Linux Foundation, launched the Philippines’s first-ever Blockchain Week. The series of events kicks off a long-term partnership to unlock the potential of blockchain, the distributed ledger technology that powers Bitcoin.
A blockchain is a distributed ledger that allows people around the world to link their computing power to create permanent records of exchange and build systems that have trust, accountability, security and transparency at their core. The implications go beyond finance. Blockchain technology has the potential to solve problems that run the gamut, from storing health records to tracking ethical consumption, monetizing digital content, tackling voter fraud and more.
Amihan is a leader in turning large enterprises into digital pioneers. Among their innovations is the Nimble Wallet, a unified platform for holding digital assets including cash, points, vouchers, and digital currencies. Along with payments and remittance, the wallet enables businesses to incentivize customers by unifying disparate loyalty programs into one connected marketplace.
****
EVERYONE knows that no Christmas season in the world could ever compete with how Filipinos celebrate Christmas. In addition to celebrating Filipino traditions centered around the themes of family and sharing, Shopee Philippines aims to make festive gifting more convenient and fuss-free.
This season, Filipinos can check off their Christmas shopping lists from the comfort of their homes with Shopee’s free delivery and cash-on-delivery options. To add to the festive cheer, ongoing until December 25, the Shopee Super Christmas Sale will be featuring huge discounts across popular gift categories, including Health & Beauty, Home & Living, and Mobile & Gadgets. On December 11 and 12 shoppers can also look forward to nonstop exciting promotions, including P12 deals, discounts up to 90-percent off, giveaways, flash deals and many more. Participating brands include Cosmetique Asia, Unilever, Timeless Manila, Coca-Cola, Polaroid, Imarflex, Indoplas and Infinix. To start your Christmas shopping, visit www.shopee.ph/christmas-sale.
****
IF online shopping isn’t your thing, you might want to check out the first anniversary of Greenfield District’s Sunset Fair. A star-studded celebration awaits shoppers on December 10, at Central Park, Greenfield District. Twenty-one of the most famous personalities in the country—some of the most followed actors, models and influencers—will be opening their own booth at Sunset Fair’s Celebrity Bazaar. Shopping with the family is bound to be full of thrilling meets and mega finds.
Greenfield District’s Sunset Fair Celebrity Christmas Bazaar will be open from 4 pm to 12 midnight. To know more about this event and other Greenfield activities, visit www.facebook.com/GreenfieldDistrict.