{"id":12255,"date":"2023-06-06T09:41:48","date_gmt":"2023-06-06T09:41:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordsandimages.battleface.com\/?p=12255"},"modified":"2023-07-25T08:44:14","modified_gmt":"2023-07-25T08:44:14","slug":"off-the-beaten-track-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/off-the-beaten-track-travel\/","title":{"rendered":"56 Essential resources for off-the-beaten-track travel"},"content":{"rendered":"Approx read: <\/span> 6<\/span> mins<\/span><\/span>

Every journey starts with the first step. And if you\u2019re heading to a high-risk or off-the-beaten-track destination, that first step should always be research.<\/h3>\n

But with thousands of potential resources out there, it can be a bit bewildering for even the most experienced traveller to separate the wheat from the chaff and locate credible, up-to-date and relevant info.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why battleface has done it for you.<\/p>\n

This list of 56 resources is essential for intrepid backpackers, high-risk travel bloggers, freelance journalists, digital nomads, NGO staff and volunteers, business travellers, adventure sports enthusiasts and plenty more who may find themselves in more extreme or risky environments.<\/p>\n

Or just those dipping their feet into travel for the first time and who want a comprehensive list of useful websites, apps, pdfs and tech.<\/p>\n

Whoever you are, bookmark this page and check out the 55 links below to help you prepare for every aspect of your trip.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Bureaucracy<\/h4>\n

Project Visa<\/a> – find out visa requirements for your destination as well as the locations of embassies and consulates<\/p>\n

Embassy Finder<\/a> – locate embassies and consulates anywhere on in the world<\/p>\n

International Air Transport Association (IATA)<\/a> – passport, visa, health, and travel document info for foreign travel<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Weather<\/h4>\n

Weather Underground<\/a> – comprehensive phone app and website providing up-to-date weather information<\/p>\n

Dark Sky<\/a> – weather app dedicated to severe weather, breaking down anticipated rainfall by the hour and even minute<\/p>\n

Storm Radar<\/a> – interactive map showing eight hours of past-to-future storm tracking and weather alerts<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Insurance<\/h4>\n

battleface<\/a> – specialised insurance cover offering 24\/7 emergency travel, crisis and medical assistance services for customers heading to high-risk or off-the-beaten-track destinations<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Route planning and travel itineraries<\/h4>\n

Route Recon<\/a> – point A-to-B high-risk route planning app with ability to mark threats, landmarks and relevant intel<\/p>\n

TripIt<\/a> – consolidate all travel tickets, accommodation bookings, car hires and more in one master itinerary<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/h4>\n

Kit and equipment<\/h4>\n

CleverHiker<\/a> gear guide – tried-and-tested backpacking kit guide including tents, backpacks, sleeping bags and boots<\/p>\n

The Intrepid Guide<\/a> – 57 travel accessories spanning everything from comfort and cleanliness to safety<\/p>\n

Expert Vagabond<\/a> best travel cameras – cameras for a range of budgets suitable for travel photography<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Packing<\/h4>\n

Skyscanner guide to hand baggage sizes and weight restrictions<\/a> – guide to Europe\u2019s most popular airlines (remember to double check latest restrictions when booking your ticket)<\/p>\n

Rei<\/a> – how to pack and hoist a backpack<\/p>\n

Wikihow<\/a> – how to pack a bag or suitcase efficiently<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Air and overland travel tickets<\/h4>\n

Skyscanner<\/a> – flight aggregator which allows you to search by month or country and set price alerts<\/p>\n

Jack\u2019s Flight Club<\/a> – cheap flights newsletter delivered to your inbox with some of the best deals on national and international flights<\/p>\n

Seat 61<\/a> – guide to train and ferry tickets for UK, Europe and worldwide<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Travel tips and inspiration<\/h4>\n

Against the Compass<\/a> – travel blog focusing on off-the-beaten-track destinations<\/p>\n

Drew Binsky<\/a> – daily travel videos from blogger with almost 190 countries under his belt<\/p>\n

battleface blog<\/a> – high-risk travel blog featuring travel safety advice, interviews and more from battleface insurance<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Meeting people abroad<\/h4>\n

Couchsurfing<\/a> – find like-minded travel companions and arrange to \u2018surf\u2019 for free at fellow members\u2019 homes<\/p>\n

Meetup<\/a> – find local events and groups focusing on a variety of interests or hobbies<\/p>\n

The Explorers Club<\/a> – society dedicated to the ideals of exploration, adventure and field research<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Destination costs research<\/h4>\n

Nomad List<\/a> – comprehensive guide to living and working remotely for many countries<\/p>\n

Expatistan<\/a> – cost of living index for 276 cities worldwide<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Pre-paid cards and payment<\/h4>\n

WeSwap<\/a> – foreign exchange app which can be used for 19 currencies (including pounds, dollars, euros and more)<\/p>\n

Revolut<\/a> – pre-paid debit card (Visa or Mastercard), currency exchange (including cryptocurrency) and peer-to-peer payments<\/p>\n

XE Currency app<\/a> – transfer money in 65 currencies to over 170 countries and monitor the rates of up to 10 currencies<\/p>\n

Coinmap<\/a> – map showing worldwide cryptocurrency merchants and ATMs<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Emergency services and getting rescued<\/h4>\n

US Department of State 911 Abroad<\/a> – pdf guide to emergency services telephone numbers for many of the world\u2019s countries<\/p>\n

What3words<\/a> – app which divides the world into three-by-three metre squares and assigns three unique words to each, in order to provide your location easily<\/p>\n

Spot Gen3<\/a> – Satellite GPS messenger capable of sending emergency responders your location<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Vaccinations, medicines and health issues<\/h4>\n

Travel Health Pro<\/a> – searchable index of vaccination requirements and recommendations as well as disease prevalence for countries around the world<\/p>\n

Drugs<\/a> – find the generic names and recommended doses for branded pharmaceutical drugs<\/p>\n

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) major infectious diseases<\/a> – list of infectious diseases by country where the risk level is assessed as very high, compared to the US<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Conflict, corruption and terrorism<\/h4>\n

British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)<\/a> – travel advisories and warnings for every country<\/p>\n

Transparency International<\/a> – global index of the perception of corruption in any given country<\/p>\n

Twitter<\/a> – use the social networking site to locate local sources for developing news stories<\/p>\n

Foreign Affairs<\/a> – news magazine focusing on geopolitics for an overview of the political situation of your destination country<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Training courses and education<\/h4>\n

AKE International<\/a> – travel safety, medical and hostile environment training<\/p>\n

Objective Travel Safety<\/a> – training courses covering various aspects of high-risk travel including gap year safety and business travel<\/p>\n

Superstar Blogging<\/a> – course in travel writing essentials created by Nomadic Matt blogger Matthew Kepnes<\/p>\n

Udemy travel photography courses<\/a> – selection of courses aimed at giving you the skills to capture your travel experiences<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Volunteering<\/h4>\n

One World 365<\/a> – directory of volunteering opportunities abroad in more than 100 countries<\/p>\n

Help Exchange<\/a> – volunteer work in exchange for accommodation or food<\/p>\n

Free Volunteer Work Abroad<\/a> – guide to volunteering at free (or cheap) projects worldwide<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Carbon off-setting and ethical travel<\/a><\/h4>\n

Sustainable Travel International<\/a> – offset your carbon footprint, adopt best practice and learn how to make ethical travel choices<\/p>\n

Ethical Traveler<\/a> – a collection of small group tours that adhere to high environmental, fair trade and human rights standards<\/p>\n

Responsible Travel<\/a> – tips for responsible travel including route planning, hiring guides and more<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Journalist organisations<\/h4>\n

International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)<\/a> – the world\u2019s largest federation of journalists<\/p>\n

The Committee to Protect Jounalists (CPJ)<\/a> – non-profit which defends the rights of journalists to report safely without fear of reprisals<\/p>\n

Reporters Without Borders<\/a> – NGO which offers free basic first-aid kits and two-month loans of body armour, helmets, and personal distress beacons<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every journey starts with the first step. If you\u2019re heading to a high-risk or off-the-beaten-track destination, that first step should always be research.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12290,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[298],"tags":[1295,602,1293],"class_list":["post-12255","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-tips","tag-off-the-beaten-track-destinations","tag-stay-safe","tag-travel-tips"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12255","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12255"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12255\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18918,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12255\/revisions\/18918"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12255"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12255"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12255"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}