Culinary Travel Trends

As strange as it sounds, food is increasingly becoming a major reason for people to pack their bags and head to the airport. The “Foodie Era” has encouraged people to not only travel for culture, historical or relaxation purposes, but rather with the intent of getting absorbed into the culinary atmosphere of a new place. From tastes to culinary styles, there is so much you can learn about a place through your tongue and tummy.

Adding to that, more people have realised that you no longer need to visit the swankiest restaurant in town to enjoy a culinary experience. Some argue that you are more likely to have an authentic taste experience by visiting a local market and stocking up on fresh ingredients to go crazy in the kitchen with. Readers Digest  says this is one of the best reasons to do a house swap instead of staying in a hotel, so that you’ll live, eat and shop like a local.

If you’re not much of a cook, then don’t worry, you don’t actually have to slave away in the kitchen every day to get a taste of local culture. Many markets around the world sell tasty traditional delicacies which you can sample. Then there are the small cafes and restaurants that focus solely on their country’s traditional dishes. The setting often allows for you to get lost in the both the gastronomical and cultural flavours of the place you’re visiting.

So when it comes to planning a foodie holiday; whether you plan to cook-up more fresh foods than Jamie Oliver could ever dream of, or eating from local stalls and eateries; you’ll need to do a little bit of research.

Thankfully, our Hummba audio city guides are not just for touring. They include the names and descriptions of some of the best fresh food markets and restaurants in the world’s most popular cities. Download mobile guides to the food-lovers’ cities of New York, Paris, and Rome!

Tennis Spectating Do's and Dont's

The summer tennis season is upon us, which will see thousands of spectators flock to Europe to see the two of the most popular tennis Grand Slams of the year – the French Open at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. For first timers, the experience can be both magical and overwhelming, as there seems to be a never-ending list of etiquettes to follow, thousands of people, and long queues to navigate. These simple do’s and don’ts will help you get the most out of your tennis experience.

DO get there early 

The queues just to get in both Roland Garros and Wimbledon can become ridiculously long, and it could take you hours to get inside the grounds. To avoid wasting time sweating in the summer heat, aim to get there as early as possible. Chances are you will still have to stand in a queue, but for half the time. As the tournaments reach their final stages, the queues can quadruple in size – so plan on arriving at least a couple of hours before game-play, even if you already have a ticket.

DON’T talk on your phone during game-play

It doesn’t matter if you are seated at centre court or standing and watching the youngsters play on Court 18, having your mobile go off during game play, and then talking on it, is one of the biggest faux pas you could make. Not only will you get the ‘stink-eye’ from everyone around you, but you could get called out by the umpire or even the players themselves. Naturally, you will be removed from the Court and possibly the grounds themselves. This is a mistake you do not want to make.

DO get involved

Just make sure you do it at the right time. When the Umpire asks for silence, he truly means it. There can be nothing more distracting for players to have fans screaming at them as they are about to make their match-point serve, or any serve for that matter. It can also be quite disrupting for those sitting around you. When that excellent return is made, and that point won, go ahead and cheer, and enjoy that magical moment with the crowd around you.

DON’T walk around during game play

Picture this: You’re sitting in the cinema, or you’re watching a play at the theatre, when suddenly a person in your row decides they need to leave. Imagine how irritating that can be. That is the exact reason you should not be moving around after game-play has started. There is nothing more frustrating for your fellow spectators than to have their view suddenly blocked at that critical moment. If you do need to leave the court, wait until the end of a game, and then leave quickly and quietly.

DO enjoy the atmosphere

Just walking around the grounds of Roland Garros and Wimbledon can be quite an experience. Everyone is in high spirits and discussing the results, the upcoming games and their predictions. They’ll also most definitely be indulging in some of the tasty treats associated with the location. At Roland Garros you'll have to try their delectable macaroon and champagne (‘Ace’ instead of champers for minors) combination, and a day at Wimbledon wouldn’t be complete without having a taste of strawberries and cream.

DON’T forget to explore the city

You may have come to Paris or London just to watch the tennis, but both of these cities have so much to offer it would be a shame not to set some time aside to go exploring. Take a day and visit the incredible art museums of Paris, and be sure to take a ride to the top of the Eiffel Tower and take in the spectacular panoramic views of the city. A visit to London is not complete without paying a visit to the Tower of London, where the rich and dark history of the city is shared. Nor is it quite complete without a walk through its marvellous gardens and parks which connect Buckingham Palace to Kensington Palace – homes to the current Royal Family. Download the FREE Tourism Radio Paris and London  Mobile Guides to accompany on your explorations.

 

Le Web 2012 – Where does Tourism Radio® fit in?

Hummba's parent company, Tourism Radio, was this year invited to Paris, France, to take part in the premier internet and blogging expo in the world, Le Web.

According to Le Web’s organisers, more than 50 billion electronic devices will be connected to the internet by the year 2020. If that number is too staggering to comprehend, try look at it from your own perspective: How many devices do you own that are connected to the web? Your Android smartphone? Your iPad? Your television? Possibly even your fridge? It’s only logical that your vehicle will follow suit, and that’s where Tourism Radio and French auto giant Renault come in.

Tourism Radio in the Renault R-Link

At Le Web 2012, we officially launched the Renault R-Link Tourism Radio audio travel guide application. The R-Link is Renault’s fully integrated multimedia system, and will be available in selected Renault models from 2013. Tourism Radio is one of the first applications that will be available for download on the system.

Le Web 2012 follows the theme The Internet of Things, and organisers say it’s all about “melding the physical world and the virtual world.” Here at Tourism Radio, we can’t agree more. Our partnership with Renault ensures that drivers will soon be able to explore cities all over the world from the comfort of their vehicles. We launched the R-Link app with a comprehensive guide to Paris (in English, French and German). Plans to expand our content base to other European centres are already on the cards and these are expected to roll out in the first quarter of 2013.

Tourism Radio in the Renault R-Link

If you’re at Le Web, be sure to head over to the Renault stand and give the Tourism Radio app a spin. If however you’ve missed the expo, don’t worry, you can get all the info you need from our website: http://www.tourismradio.info.

Tourism Radio® showcases audio guides on the Renault R-Link at Le Web 2012

(Cape Town, South Africa) South African travel technology company Tourism Radio joins forces with French automaker Renault at Le Web 2012 – the foremost blogging and web expo in the world.

Renault first announced its fully-connected and integrated R-Link multimedia system at last year’s Le Web, where it was revealed that Tourism Radio would be one of the first applications available for download on the system.

Tourism Radio’s R-link application plays general audio information about the area a Renault vehicle is driving through, as well as information about specific points of interest nearby. It will serve as a personal tour guide, built right into the dashboard of future Renault models. The uniqueness of Tourism Radio’s technology is in its ability to seamlessly arrange thousands of audio clips and organise them into a coherent dialogue, based on location, creating a tailor-made user experience for each vehicle.

Tourism Radio CEO Mark Allewell says, “Renault has always been at the forefront of automotive technology, and I believe that the R-Link is quite simply the next evolutionary step of the motor vehicle. Tourism Radio is the perfect addition to the R-Link, and it also fits in with the theme of Le Web 2012, the Internet of Things.” Allewell will attend Le Web from the 4th to the 6th of December, and has been invited to showcase Tourism Radio on the Renault stand.

Tourism Radio’s R-Link application will initially feature an audio guide to Paris (in English, French and German), with plans to roll out to other major European centres in the near future. For more information about Tourism Radio visit http://www.tourismradio.info.

Top 5 Travel Destinations with Hummba Audio Guides

US-based travel magazine Travel + Leisure recently released their annual World’s Best Awards, and some of our favourite travel destinations made the cut. In fact, we’re very proud to announce that we have audio and text mobile travel guides to nine of the Top 10 cities, and they’re all available for download right now in the Hummba guide store.

Bangkok:
Bangkok came in first on the list, narrowly defending its title from last year. Krung Thep, as it’s known to locals, is a popular tourist destination for travellers looking to experience Southeast Asia at a bargain. It’s not unheard of to stay in a 5-star hotel in Bangkok for the same price as a 2- or 3-star hotel in New York! There are also more than 400 temples in the city, and our Bangkok City Guide helps you navigate them with ease.

Istanbul:
Istanbul climbed up two spaces from last year to take the number three position on the Travel + Leisure list. The Turkish capital is one of the fastest growing cities in the world and holds the unique title of being the only city in the world that is found on two continents (Europe and Asia). Istanbul’s nightlife is booming and restaurants, bars and clubs are popping up all over the place. Our Istanbul City Guide has detailed information about 320 points of interest in the city, so you’ll never be left without something to do.

Cape Town:
The Mother City will always hold a special place in our hearts. It’s where Hummba’s parent company, Tourism Radio, was founded, so we might be a little biased when we say it should have featured a little bit higher in the list. At number four however, Cape Town proves that it still has what it takes to compete with the World’s Best – thanks in part to the stunning Table Mountain, which looms over the city and offers breathtaking views from on high. There’s no shortage of things to see and do in the Mother City, and our Cape Town City Guide will point you in the right direction from the moment you arrive.

New York:
New York came in at a disappointing number seven; falling three spots since last year. Don’t let that put you off however. We firmly believe that the Big Apple remains one of those places that every traveller simply has to visit at least once in their lives – add it to the bucket list if you haven’t already. Our New York City Guide has already proved popular with mobile travellers, and it’s certainly one of our most impressive. It features more than three hours of audio as well as hundreds of restaurants, shops, tourist attractions and accommodation facilities. If you’re on your way to New York, do yourself a favour and download the audio travel guide from the Hummba guide store.

Paris:
Coming in at number 10, is the ever-consistent Paris. The City of Lights is often called the most romantic city in the world, and we can’t help but agree. There’s so much more to do in the French Capital than just the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. Download our Paris City Guide and you’ll discover some of the many hidden treasures of this beautiful place.

That being said, we better get back to work on our Kyoto City Guide. Happy travels!

London and Paris City Guides – Hummba is all you need

London and Paris are undoubtedly two of the most visited tourist destinations in the world. Millions of people visit the cities each year, and many them will travel half way across the globe to do so.

The two cities share a few similarities in that they are both modern capitals, and have long been considered the centres of culture, fashion, entertainment and industry for their respective countries. They are also travel hubs, and are often used as stopover points for people travelling even further afield. Another point to note is that the two cities are relatively close to one another, and one can easily travel between the London and Paris by simply hopping on a high-speed train (a trip that takes just two hours) or budget airline. That being said, the two cities couldn’t be any more different.

Paris has the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe, while London has Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and Piccadilly Circus. Paris is known as the City of Light and is unofficially regarded as one of the most romantic cities in the world. London however claims the title as being one of the most commercially successful places in the world; the city to go if you’re looking to make it.

Here at Hummba, we believe both cities are fantastic destinations in their own rite. Each is a veritable cornucopia of tourist attractions, and one can easily get lost in either for days on end. That’s why we’re put together our comprehensive City Guides to London and Paris.

The London City Guide features more than three hours of quality audio travel content and a total of 634 points of interest, while the Paris City Guide contains 549 points of interest, and also has more than three hours of audio.

You can download the guides onto your iPhone or Android mobile. Or download them from the iStore and Android Marketplace: just search for “Tourism Radio London City Guide” or “Tourism Radio Paris City Guide”.

Happy travels!

Location-based travel guides – why should you be using them?

Here at Hummba, we’ve long said that the days of carrying around a bulky travel guide book are numbered. What was once a useful tool (before the advent of the smartphone), is now becoming nothing more than a nuisance when travelling abroad. The travel information contained in guide books is notoriously outdated, and of course they can be quite pricey. Adding to that, unless you buy a ‘pocket version’, they can also be quite heavy and bothersome to lug around from one place to the next.

According to the Pew Research Center in Washington, more than 46% of Americans owned a smartphone in February, 2012. This represents an increase of 11% when compared to the numbers from May, 2011 (source). People are beginning to explore the capabilities of their mobile phones, as well as rely on the devices to carry out everyday tasks, such as check train timetables or read restaurant reviews. The emergence of third party applications is also adding fuel to this fire, showing smartphone owners the sheer amount of information they can easily access at the touch of a few buttons.

Enter Hummba, the intelligent travel guide for your mobile phone. Our intelligent audio guides use mobile GPS technology to provide smartphone users with accurate travel information that is relevant to where they are in the world. For example, you can find up-to-date information about the nearest place to grab a bite for lunch, while you’re standing on top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. With Hummba, you’ll have access to an unprecedented amount of audio and text travel content, right there on your mobile phone.

We offer two ways to get the travel information you need. Firstly, you can download the Hummba application to your iPhone or Android, free of charge. You can then search for paid or free guides to your favourite travel destinations and download them through the app itself. Download multiple guides and use the Hummba app to get the most of your travels.

If however you’re looking to download a guide to a single travel destination, then you can visit the iTunes Store or Android Marketplace and search for the Tourism Radio standalone guides as well. Search for the Tourism Radio New York City Guide, for example, if you’re looking to find out more about the Big Apple.

Location-based travel guides for the mobile phone take all the legwork out for getting travel information when you need it most. Visit hummba.com for more information on the Hummba application, or head straight for the Hummba guide store and start searching for guides.

South African tech start-up Tourism Radio® partners with Frommer’s® Unlimited to provide local travel information in mobile audio guides

(Cape Town, South Africa / Hoboken, NJ, USA) South African travel technology company Tourism Radio has teamed up with Frommer’s® Unlimited in a move that is set to revolutionise the world of mobile travel guides.

Frommer’s has been a trusted travel resource for more than 50 years, and the partnership with the iconic travel brand will firmly establish Tourism Radio in the mobile space with the next generation of travel guides. Tourism Radio’s unique mobile technology seamlessly blends Frommer’s text content with Tourism Radio audio clips, which automatically play as travellers enter their location.

The initial partnership launch will entail the release of audio and text travel guides to a number of popular travel destinations around the world. This includes comprehensive guides to the top tourist cities of New York, London and Paris. The guides can be downloaded as standalone applications for Android and iPhone, or accessed through the Tourism Radio travel application, Hummba.

Hummba.com was included in the listings for the Top 20 Startups in Africa in Forbes magazine in February this year.

Tourism Radio founder and CEO Mark Allewell says, “We like to think of our partnership with Frommer’s as serendipity on steroids. Travellers will now be able to easily access an unprecedented amount of quality travel information, directly from their mobile phones. We’re also delighted to partner with one of the world’s oldest and most respected travel companies, and we look forward to producing guides that cater for every traveller’s needs.”

The Frommer’s Unlimited team is optimistic about the partnership’s potential in the travel landscape. "Offering Frommer's travel information through Tourism Radio's intelligent mobile audio guides is an exciting new way for travelers to access our expert travel advice at the right time in the right place,” said Craig Schickler, Director of E-Business Development, Wiley. “We are happy to be working with Tourism Radio and together helping shape memorable experiences for travelers around the globe."

From launch until the 1st of May, the audio travel guides from across the globe will be free for download, after which, they will range in price from US$ 0.99 to US$4.99, depending on the amount of travel content they contain. A selection of free, ‘lite’ guides, to several popular destinations around the world, will also be available for download. These give travellers the opportunity to sample the content before committing to the purchase of a full guide.

About Frommer’s® Unlimited

For over 50 years, Frommer's travel guides have been the trusted choice to help travelers explore destinations the way the locals do. Frommer’s Unlimited enables businesses to create high-value propositions for their customers by leveraging Frommer’s travel expertise, rich content resources and technical capabilities.

Products and services provided by Frommer’s Unlimited include global destination and events content, private label Websites, mobile applications and custom publishing. Whether your customers are venturing close to home or across the globe, whether your budget is limited or limitless, Frommer’s Unlimited delivers the most candid and reliable travel and event information, anywhere and anytime. Frommer’s is a registered trademark of Arthur Frommer. Frommer’s is a branded imprint of Wiley.

About Tourism Radio®

Founded in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2005, Tourism Radio is the brainchild of serial entrepreneur Mark Allewell. Tourism Radio provides location-based technology and travel content, and currently has offices in South Africa, New Zealand and Spain. Tourism Radio’s mobile phone application, Hummba, is a traveller’s community and travel guide shop where users can buy travel guides, create travel routes, upload picture postcards and share their travel experiences with fellow travellers.

Intelligent audio guide for Paris now available on the Android Marketplace

Paris is one of Europe’s major tourist destinations, and has been for hundreds of years. Millions of people travel from all over the world to experience the city’s many cultural, historic and culinary attractions.

The problem is however, that there’s so much to keep you occupied in the City of Light and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. That’s where Hummba comes in. Our intelligent audio guide to the city, which is available on the Android Marketplace, uses smartphone GPS technology to provide you with information about points of interest near your location.

You’ll be able to plan your trip to Paris, while you’re on the go. Find out about places to see and things to do as you move around the city. Our guides will help you experience the sights of Paris that you might otherwise have missed. It’s like having a personal tour guide, right there on your Android phone.

Some of the points of interest featured in this guide include La Defènse, which is one of Europe’s busiest business districts. You’ll also find information about the historic Palace of Versailles and the picturesque Luxemburg Gardens. Visit the historic Arc de Triomphe monument, which sits on the end of the famous Avenue des Champs-Ėlysées or marvel at the awe-inspiring architecture of the Notre Dame Cathedral.

The guide also features offline maps, which means you won’t be running up your data bill while you’re looking for the next exciting place to go.

Hummba’s intelligent audio guide to Paris is available on the Android Marketplace for $5.99 and can be downloaded directly onto your smartphone here. For more information about Hummba or about our intelligent guides that speak to you, visit www.hummba.com.

Hummba launches intelligent audio guides onto the Android Marketplace

London, Paris and New York are three of the most well-known cities in the world, each with its own distinct feel and personality. All three are incredibly popular tourist destinations and play host to millions of visitors every year. The one thing the trio have in common is that a traveller can spend days there and still not get the chance to experience everything on offer.

With Hummba’s intelligent audio guides however, you can now get the most of your visit to London, Paris or New York. The guides are available on the Android Marketplace and contain audio information about numerous tourist attractions in each of the three cities.

Explore Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park in London, or take a trip to the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre in the heart of Paris. You could even use our guide to accompany you on a walking tour of Midtown Manhattan, taking in the sights of the Big Apple.

Our intelligent audio guides use smartphone GPS technology to provide you with information about points of interest near to your location. Discover places to see and things to do that you might otherwise have missed. No more searching through cumbersome guide books. It’s like having your own personal tour guide, right there on your Andoid phone!

The guides also provide offline maps, which mean you won’t be running up your data bill while you’re looking for the next exciting place to visit.

The guides are available for $5.99 each, and can be downloaded directly onto your Android phone: London, Paris and New York. For more information about Hummba or about our intelligent guides that speak to you, visit www.hummba.com.