Travel Tag

Why you need it: The AirFly Pro is a tiny dongle that plugs into that old airplane jack and transmits the audio via Bluetooth to your wireless earbuds. No more using the cheap, painful headphones the airline hands out. You can watch the latest blockbuster movie using your own premium noise-canceling gear.

Real-world win: It also works on treadmills at hotel gyms.

Why you need it: This is passive insurance. If your bag doesn’t appear on the carousel in Cairo, you don’t have to wonder where it is. You can open your phone and see exactly where it is (e.g., “It’s still sitting in London Heathrow”).

Real-world win: It gives you leverage when speaking to airline staff. Instead of saying “I think my bag is lost,” you can say, “My bag is located at Gate B42.”

Why you need it: The new generation of adapters uses GaN (Gallium Nitride) technology. This means they are smaller, don’t get as hot, and can output massive power. The Epicka models (and similar competitors) have a universal plug for the wall, but they also feature multiple USB-C and USB-A ports.

Real-world win: You can charge your laptop (MacBook Air/Pro), your phone, your watch, and your camera all from one outlet in a hotel room that only has one free socket.

Why you need it: It’s essentially a fleece scarf with a hidden internal support structure. You wrap it around your neck, tilt your head, and it holds you upright. It prevents the dreaded “head bob” that wakes you up every 20 minutes.

Real-world win: The “Cool” version uses breathable fabric, which is essential because airplanes can get stuffy and hot.

Why you need it: These cubes have a second “compression zipper.” You pack your clothes, zip the first zipper, and then zip the second one to squash out all the excess air. It’s like vacuum sealing your clothes without the vacuum.

Real-world win: It separates your clean clothes from your dirty ones. Keep a “laundry” cube that expands as the trip goes on.

Why you need it: This battery snaps magnetically onto the back of your phone. No wires, no dangling cables. It just sits there and charges while you use the phone.

Real-world win: It has a little kickstand on the back, so you can prop your phone up on an airplane tray table to watch movies while it charges.

Why you need it: This is a simple metal device that installs in seconds on almost any inward-opening door. Once it’s in place, the door cannot be opened from the outside, even if someone has a key (like housekeeping or a landlord).

Real-world win: It costs less than $15 and provides priceless sleep security.

Why you need it: Matador uses a high-tech “Dry-Through” fabric. You can put a soaking wet bar of soap inside, snap it shut, and the water evaporates through the fabric without leaking onto your clothes.

Real-world win: It weighs almost nothing and takes up a fraction of the space of a shampoo bottle.

Why you need it: The Vapur bottle stands up when full but rolls up into a tiny bundle when empty. You can clip it to your bag loop with the built-in carabiner.

Real-world win: Fill it up after security at the water fountain. When you finish it on the plane, roll it up and stuff it in your pocket.

Why you need it: This weird-looking clamp attaches to almost anything—the tray table latch, the seat pocket, or a luggage handle. It holds your phone at eye level so you can watch Netflix hands-free.

Real-world win: It rotates 360 degrees, so you can adjust the angle if the person in front of you reclines their seat aggressively.

The Experience: You can start your day hiking Lion’s Head for sunrise, spend the afternoon tasting world-class wine in Stellenbosch (just 45 minutes away), and end the day watching penguins waddle on Boulders Beach.

2025 Update: The culinary scene in Cape Town has exploded. It is currently rivaling Paris and Tokyo for fine dining, but at a fraction of the price.

Pro Tip: Don’t just stay in the city. Rent a car and drive the Chapman’s Peak Drive. It is the most dramatic coastal road you will ever see.

The Experience: It’s raw. You will see lions hunting, cheetahs sprinting, and elephants marching. The sheer density of wildlife here is unmatched anywhere else on the continent.

Why Go Now: Kenya has made massive strides in “Visa-Free” travel for many nationalities (using an ETA system), making it easier than ever to enter.

Pro Tip: Skip the crowded public park. Book a camp in a Private Conservancy (like Mara North). You get the same animals, but you can go off-road, do night drives, and avoid the crowds of tourist vans.

The Experience: Standing at the foot of the Great Pyramid of Giza is a humbling experience that photos cannot capture. But the real magic is now the GEM, located right next to the pyramids. It is the largest archaeological museum in the world and finally houses the full Tutankhamun collection.

Pro Tip: Don’t just look at old stones. Dive into the chaos of Islamic Cairo. Visit the Khan el-Khalili market at night, drink mint tea at El Fishawy (a cafe that has been open for 200 years), and eat Koshary (a mix of pasta, rice, and lentils).

The Experience: You don’t just look at the falls; you feel them. The spray soaks you to the bone from miles away. You can view them from the Zimbabwe side (better panoramic views) or the Zambia side (closer to the rushing water).

The Thrill: If you are brave, visit during the dry season (August to December) and swim in the Devil’s Pool. It is a natural rock pool right on the edge of the abyss. You literally hang over the edge of the waterfall.

Pro Tip: Stay on the Zimbabwe side at the town of Victoria Falls for better hotels, but cross the bridge to Zambia for a day trip.

The Experience: Get lost in the Medina (the old walled city). It is a maze of thousands of alleyways filled with leather workers, metal smiths, and carpet sellers. It is chaotic, loud, and utterly enchanting.

Where to Stay: Do not stay in a hotel. Stay in a Riad. These are traditional Moroccan houses with an interior courtyard garden. They are peaceful oases hidden behind unassuming wooden doors.

The Experience: Visit Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s a melting pot of African, Arab, Indian, and European history. The architecture is stunning, with famous carved wooden doors.

The Beach: Head north to Nungwi or Kendwa. Unlike the rest of the island, the tide here doesn’t recede miles out, meaning you can swim in the turquoise water all day long.

The Experience: Gorilla Trekking. It is expensive (permits cost $1,500), but everyone who does it says it is worth every penny. You hike through the misty jungle until you are face-to-face with a Silverback Gorilla. They are gentle, human-like, and magnificent.

Pro Tip: Spend a day in the capital, Kigali. Visit the Genocide Memorial to understand the country’s painful past and appreciate its hopeful future. The city is spotless and vibrant.

The Experience: Driving to Sossusvlei to see the red dunes. Climb “Big Daddy,” one of the highest dunes in the world, and then run down into Deadvlei. This is a white clay pan filled with 900-year-old dead camel thorn trees. The contrast of the white ground, red sand, and blue sky creates photos that look like paintings.

Pro Tip: This is the best place in Africa for a self-drive road trip. The roads are gravel but well-maintained, and sleeping in a rooftop tent under the Milky Way is unforgettable.

The Experience: Dakar is a peninsula, so you are surrounded by the ocean. It has a thriving surf scene, an incredible fashion industry, and nightlife that goes until 6 AM.

The History: Take the ferry to Gorée Island. It is a beautiful but haunting place that served as a major center of the Atlantic slave trade. It is essential history.

Pro Tip: Eat Thieboudienne (the national dish of fish and rice). Senegal takes its jollof rice seriously, and the food here is spicy and flavorful.

The Experience: The Delta is a massive wetland oasis in the middle of a desert. During the floods, you don’t drive in a jeep; you glide in a Mokoro (a traditional dugout canoe).

Why It Wins: You aren’t just watching nature; you are part of it. Elephants swim past your boat. Lions hunt in the shallow water. It is the most untouched wilderness left on the continent.