| CheckList |
 Mobile Router |
|
Destination MapCode |
 Car,GPS,ETC card |
Travelling DIY is much easier when I have 24/7 internet connection. This is because I relied on technology to make my travelling smooth. The applications that I frequently used while travelling are:
2. weather forcast for better planning and making changes
3. calender schedule for all the important events of the trips
4. gmail, whatapps, facebook for all my communication with family and friends
5. google translate to resolve language problem
6. google drive for all my bookings documents (flight tickets, hotel reservation, car, etc)
7. news for keeping up to dates
8. google chrome (browsers)
One of the fears of travelling DIY is getting lost, this is worsen if language is also a problem. With google map this fear has greatly reduced, as I could always pinpoint my location on the map and plot my route to the next destination. Google map comes with so much details and features, it will even direct me to the next subway or bus station etc. There were many times after I parked my car I would mark my car location on google map so that I could easily find my car later.
Google translation is also a wonderful DIY travel help. When I came upon words in language that did not understand, I would take a snapshot of the words and sent them for translation into English. This has help me understood road signs and menu item (food) descriptions. There were times I had to communicate with a local, I would either write or speak into google translation in English and had my written or spoken word translated into the local language. Google translation is not a perfect translation tool, it could not translate a sentence absolutely correct, but it do very well for single word translation which is good enough to communicate.
Google chrome (browsers) is also very useful because whenever I need to search for a restaurant, an accommodation, a store, a place of interest I could always depend on the internet for more information about it before pinpointing its exact location on google map.
These applications work well with data connection, so whenever I go for a DIY trip I always looked for a mean to get 24/7 data connection. It could be a data SIM card or a wireless router, I do not mind paying for it as the convenience and freedom it brings to me is all worth it.
Mobile wireless router
I have reserved and paid for a wireless mobile router for this trip. My favourite Japanese mobile router company is Japan Wireless because I find its charges comparatively cheaper than the other telcos.
I have used Japan Wireless in 2013 and was very satisfied with its services, so this time round when I could not find a cheaper alternative I signed up with Japan Wireless again. The ease of picking up the router at the start of the trip in Narita Airport Terminal Post Office and returning it by dropping it into any Post Box in Japan makes the entire rental process a bliss.
What I also liked about this company was its communication with its clients. It emailed to tell me that it had sent out the mobile router to our agreed location of pickup two days before the start date of the rental. Similarly after it received the returned mobile router at the end of my trip it would also drop me an email, so no nasty surprises.
