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Tag: travel

  • Top reasons to use airplane mode even when you’re not flying

    Many travellers think that the only time to put their phones and other devices in airplane mode is only when they are flying. This is actually wrong. Regardless of the name, airplane mode can have a handful of advantages for travellers whether used on a plane or not. Accordingly, Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency highlights reasons to use airplane mode even when you are not flying.

    Fix network or wireless problems

    In some cases, if you don’t get network services on your phone, the next thing you are likely to do is to restart your device. For phones and tablets, turning airplane mode on and off is essentially the same thing since it causes a restart of most networking services without rebooting your device.

    Save data

    Depending on how you’ve got your phone set up, there’s a chance you might be wasting a lot of data on a prepaid card due to automatic downloads, app updates, or streaming services. Although you can make a lot of changes to your settings to prevent high data usage, chances are when you’re back home you will want to set them all back. Airplane mode is a quick and efficient solution.

    Speed up charging

    The more power a device is consuming, the slower it charges because it’s using power at the same time it’s trying to store it. If your phone does not support rapid charging, you can speed up charging by activating airplane mode.

    See the world around you

    If you want to really see and experience the world around you when travelling, a way to make this possible is by placing your phone in airplane mode.

    Extend your battery life

    One of the single biggest battery drainer on your phone is your communication network. To locate phone masts, your phone is always emitting radio waves to see where they are, analyzing signal strength to determine whether a switch to a closer tower is needed, or as is often the case when travelling, looking for a network to roam on. So, if you are running low on battery, you can place your phone on airplane mode so that you do not run out of battery.

     

  • Essential tech tips every traveller should know

    Essential tech tips every traveller should know

    Whether you are a leisure or a business traveller, you cannot downplay the role of technology in your travels. From using GPS to navigating unfamiliar destinations to checking apps for the best local restaurants and taking photos on multiple devices to document your travels, tech is important in almost every aspect of travel. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares, some top tech tips you should know whenever you travel.

    In addition, Trip Indicator can also help expose you to the technological advancements in Athens, whenever you desire to travel there.

    Break language barriers

    Download popular translation apps such as iTranslate, Google Translate and TripLingo to help you communicate more easily with locals when you visit countries you do not speak the language.

    Share itinerary with friends and family members

    Share your itinerary with any family members or friends who may be anticipating your arrival. Itinerary sharing quickly notifies your contacts about the status of your trip and provides immediate alerts regarding unexpected changes or delay.

    Entertain yourself

    Download your preferred music, movies and books on your smartphone and don’t forget your headphones. With these, you can entertain yourself whether it is a long haul flight or not. It is also imperative to be in the know by getting familiar with trending news wherever you are.

    Share travel photos on social media

    With the existence of social media, you can easily share your pictures at the click of a button as long as you have an internet connection. Hence, there is no need to arrive your destination before you start sharing photos and experiences.

    Allow push notifications

    Push notifications deliver real-time updates and alerts about any flight, hotel or package deals to your phone. You simply need to have the app of the OTA on your phone to receive these notifications.

    Bundle booking

    When booking a trip on an online travel agency, book your flight and hotel at the exact same time. You will definitely save hundreds of naira by booking them together. However, if you book them differently, you will clearly be paying more.

    Take pictures of your travel documents

    Take a photo of all your travel documents and save it to your email or your drive for easy access. Also, make sure you never leave home without your phone just in case your documents go missing.

     

  • Helpful hacks to avoid getting sick when you travel

    Getting sick is a part of everyday life, and travelling doesn’t exempt you from that fact before you are more exposed to bugs, parasites, and environments.

    The fact of the matter is the longer you are travelling, the more likely you may get sick. The secret to reducing the chances of this, however, is to actively combat the risk factors of becoming sick in the first place. Jumia Travel, the leading online booking platform shares tips to prevent you from getting sick anytime you travel.

    Wash your hands

    Hand washing is the most important thing anybody can do to protect their health. If you can’t wash your hands right away, you should not touch your face to prevent germs from entering via your eyes, nose or mouth. You can also use a sanitizer as an alternative to soap and water.

    Stay hydrated

    Water is the source of all life. It is very essential that your body gets the fluids it needs to support a healthy immune system. Imbibe the habit of drinking water and other non-sugary, decaffeinated beverages. Your body and your health will thank you.

    Eat healthily and exercise

    A healthy diet filled with plenty of vegetables and fruits is a great way to stay healthy. Eat Also, exercising and eating healthy go hand in hand. Even though you are on vacation or travelling, do not forget to exercise. Exercising and eating healthily has so many great benefits to keep you from getting sick.

    Protect yourself against the sun

    Protecting yourself from the sun goes beyond getting a bad sunburn. You should cover up with loose clothing and even use a hat or scarf. If you don’t, then dehydration can set in very quickly, and that can lead to more serious conditions such as heat exhaustion, and heatstroke, which if left unattended can become a medical emergency.

    Carry a medical kit

    You cannot predict when you will fall sick, this is why you are advised to carry a medical kit whenever you travel. The kit should contain basic medical items.

    Get enough sleep

    This can be difficult if your trip involves a hectic schedule, noisy hotels or frequent flights, but it’s key to maintaining a healthy body system.

     

  • Amazing ways technology has changed the way you travel

    Technology has beamed its searchlight in almost every sector you can think of including the travel industry.

    For example, today, you can easily open an app on your smartphone, decide where you want to go, book your flights and hotels in under 15 minutes and before you know it, you’re all set for your quick weekend getaway.

    Technology has undoubtedly changed the face of travel and made travelling so much easier, and Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, looks back at how travel has changed over the years.

    Staying in touch

    While on the go, you’d send back pretty postcards, write letters and occasionally spend on that long-distance phone call from the hotel reception, or a local phone booth. Staying in touch certainly wasn’t easy and most people back home didn’t expect to hear from you unless it was an emergency. Now, free WiFi hotspots at airports and cafés make it so easy to email, Skype and Tweet as much and as often as you like.

    Booking hotel/flight

    Brochures were the lifesaver in the past. You have no choice than to go through hotel brochures, ask friends where they have stayed during their holiday and then actually phone the hotel to book a room. While doing all this, you do not know if you will like the room or not. Now, we have Online Travel Agencies like Jumia Travel now provides everything you need to know about the hotel you want to book including room pictures and review. This is almost the same for flight.

    Learning local language

    You can travel anywhere in the world today and can communicate with ease without any difficulty. This is because you can learn or understand any language you want with the aid of apps like Google Translate, iTranslate or Waygo. These apps can help you dialogue with the locals.

    Determining your destination

    In the past, you have to exhaustively look over holiday brochures at a travel agent’s office, buy guidebooks or taking a friend’s recommendation when it came to deciding where to go. But today, you can easily Google any destination and all the information you need will be at your fingertips within seconds.

    Taking photographs

    There was nothing like a selfie in the pre-technology travel age. However, presently you can take as many pictures as you so desire and even share them on any of your desired social media platforms. Smartphones have made this very easy and clearly, these gadgets are a huge threat to digital cameras.

     

  • Biggest travel myths busted

    Talking about your travel plans and aspirations with others often generate so many opinions. In some cases, the advice given to you can be extremely useful while others are simply frivolous myths being passed around because they sound so believable. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares common travel myths you should never believe.

    Travel is so expensive

    Many Nigerians have the perception that travel is very expensive. Thus they cannot afford to travel. This is not true. There are uncoutable destinations in the country to which you can visit without necessarily breaking the bank.

    You should always travel light

    It’s a lot better for the environment if you can travel light. However, if that’s not a big priority for you, then there’s really no need to overpack. Most international airlines will give you 20 or 23kg of luggage. Most bags have wheels and rarely need to be carried. If you aren’t going to be moving around a lot, just take whatever you need.

    You can get by with English

    In the main tourist hubs of most countries, there are tour guides who can communicate with you in English. However, in many parts of the world, once you get off the city and into the rural areas, you’ll find that English is not the lingua franca. To be on the safe side, learn a bit of the language of your destination.

    Booking early or late saves you money

    It varies depending on your desired destination, but a good method that works is to book your flight exactly six weeks before your travel date. Anything earlier than six weeks will get you starting prices from airlines before they feel the need to offer discounted fares to sell more seats. If you book any later, you’ll pay last-minute prices that will most likely be inflated.

    Hotels are more expensive if you book directly

    Sometimes online travel agencies will sell rooms at lower prices than those you can find from the hotel itself. So, ensure you use an OTA rather than booking directly at the hotel. It is not only convenient, it is also inexpensive.

     

  • Tasty foods for the Northern Nigeria traveller

    Northern Nigeria offers numerous attractions for tourists, and besides visiting the tourist-worthy sites, travellers can also enjoy tasty traditional food of the north.

    Although the food of the region is not considered as the primary reason for its popularity, one cannot ignore the fact that the Northerners have contributed richly to Nigeria’s national food identity. Below, Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares traditional foods of the Northerners.

    Burabisco

    A traditionally made couscous meal common to Northern Nigeria, especially in Maiduguri, Burabisco is loved and enjoyed by many. Usually paired with spicy stew of meat and vegetables, its rich ingredients categorize it among luxurious dishes in the region.

    Miyan Kuka

    Miyan Kuka is certainly the most famous northern Nigerian soup and translated as “Boabab leaf soup”. The green draw-soup is made from ground baobab leaf and special spices, preferably ‘Yaji’ – a mixture of ground pepper, ginger, garlic and other seasonings/herbs.

    Tuwon Dawa

    This is a side dish made with ground guinea-corn made thick and cassava. It is best eaten with soups like Kuka and okra. This meal is unique majorly because it is best prepared with firewood.

    Tuwon Shinkafa

    This mouth-watering dish is possibly the most popular foods in the Northern part of Nigeria. It is also very palatable and widely embraced by other cultures in the country. The meal consists of thick rice pudding and spicy sauce. If you are visiting the region, try this meal to broaden the spectrum of your taste. And once tried, you may find it hard to resist the temptation of re-ordering.

    Pate

    A dish usually prepared with ground corn or rice, cooked with vegetables, tomatoes, onions, pepper, garden egg, locust beans, groundnut, biscuit bone, meats minces and sometimes, assorted meat parts, Pate is largely consumed in Kaduna, Nassarawa, Plateau and other Northwestern states. This dish is primarily porridge and is an all-time favourite liked by almost all age groups.

     

  • Proven reasons why you need travel insurance

    A good number of people travel without taking out travel insurance. In some cases, it is not that they cannot afford it, but because they do not consider it as critical or necessary. Jumia Travel, the leading online booking agency shares reasons why you need travel insurance when travelling especially to a foreign destination.

    Loss of baggage

    One of the main reasons why people get flight insurance is for loss of baggage. You need travel insurance especially if you are taking expensive belongings with you just make sure that the insurance covers higher valued products.

    Flight delays

    Flight delays and cancellations happen every day and you can be compensated if your flight is delayed for longer than 12 hours. You always think it might not happen to you, but flight insurance is a great way of covering yourself just in case because it’s always better to be safe than sorry!

    Medical emergencies

    Travel insurance can take care of a medical emergency that may happen when you are travelling. This will not be the case if you didn’t pay for travel insurance. It even worse if you do not have enough money to take care of this emergency.

    Disaster occurs

    Natural or manmade disasters are things that can disrupt your trip and whether you fly or not. travel insurance makes sure you are covered by all of these.

    Trip cancellation

    Nobody plans to cancel a trip that they have looked forward to however it can happen. If you or a member of your party falls ill, are affected by a death or have an accident causing you not to go, your travel insurance will have you covered.

     

  • Awesome African foodie destinations

    African cuisine is as diverse and fascinating as the continent’s history, cultures, and traditions. With a combination of tastes and flavours, the continent is an absolute foodie haven. If you set foot in any of the following foodie destinations, don’t leave without treating yourself to these delicious foods. Jumia Food, Nigeria’s No 1 food ordering platform shares some of these destinations.

    • Nigeria

    Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. So, it should not come as a surprise that it has a very rich food culture. The country boasts of a delicious array of traditional foods – a combination of meat, maize, vegetables, and spices. You’d be doing yourself a disservice not to try dishes such as jollof rice, eba and egusi soup.

    • Ghana

    If you want to experience the best tastes of Ghana, you should try the street food. Chichinga, probably the most popular street food in Ghana, is made from beef, chicken or sausage with a peanut-spice rub or ground spices. The chichinga is a true embodiment of Ghanaian taste. However, if you fancy something more solid and filling, then banku is your best bet.

    • Ethiopia

    Africa’s oldest independent country offers the best of both worlds: an ancient cultural heritage and a unique, delicious cuisine consisting of vegetables, spicy meat, and varieties of bread. The best known Ethiopian food is probably injera, normally eaten with meat, lentils, beans, and vegetable sauces.

    • Angola

    Angolan cuisine has a great resemblance to that of Portugal because the former was colonised by the latter. Notwithstanding, you will discover a delectable assortment of dishes that are uniquely African. The most common ingredients in Angolan cuisine include cassava, peanut, maize, and chilli. Chicken and seafood.

    • Kenya

    Kenya offers a variety of yummy dishes and one of them is nyama choma (roasted meat). Nyama choma is always good companions with a relish of thinly sliced raw tomatoes and onion, and goes down well with a cold local Tusker beer.

    • Zambia

    Zambia’s cuisine mainly features carbohydrates, and the country’s staple food is maize, mainly served in the form of nshima, a meal made from ground maize and has the appearance of thickened porridge. Never leave this South African country without having a taste of nshima.

     

  • Buhari set to travel to Niger Tomorrow

    President Muhammadu Buhari will on Monday attend the 59th Proclamation of Republic of Niger ceremony in Tahoua, Niger.

    According to a statement on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President, alongside the Presidents of Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania and Niger, will participate in the event held on December 18 of every year to commemorate the founding of the Republic of Niger and creation of the Presidency.

    “After the ceremony, the Nigerian leader will hold bilateral meetings with some of his counterparts before returning to Abuja same day.

    “President Buhari will be accompanied on the trip by Governors Aminu Masari, Ibrahim Gaidam and Kashim Shettima of Katsina, Yobe and Borno States respectively,” the statement read.

  • “Buhari was never banned from entering US,” Presidency replies Atiku

    The presidency has dismissed as false and untrue the claim by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar that “for about 15 years, (PresidentMuhammadu) Buhari could not enter America on account of religious considerations”.

    Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday, described the claims as ““fictive concoction’’.

    According to the presidential aide, at no time was President Buhari, as a private person, ever forbidden from entering any country in the world.

    He said:“This fictive concoction being passed off as truth is mind boggling, coming from a former Number Two man of Nigeria, who should know the truth.

    “”At no time was President Buhari, as a private person, ever forbidden from entering any country in the world. Rather, the rest of the world has always held Muhammadu Buhari as a man of sterling qualities, strong on integrity, transparency and accountability.

    “”The same testimony is still borne of the Nigerian President by many world leaders today.

    ““It is curious that former VP Abubakar had been asked why he had not visited America for over a decade, something that had been a stubborn fact dogging his footsteps.

    ““Instead of answering directly, he begged the question, saying Buhari also had been disallowed from entering the same country for 15 years, before becoming President.”

    The presidential media aide maintained that what the former vice-president said only existed in the realm of his imagination.

    “”We hereby make it resoundingly clear that what the former Vice President said only exists in the realm of his imagination. If he has issues to settle with American authorities, he should do so, rather than clutch at a straw.’’