by Editor | Mar 1, 2005 | Books, Products, Simon and Baker Travel Review, Travel Books
We found Africa’s Top Wildlife Countries to be a useful reference source, especially for travelers booking an organized tour. This makes sense since the author heads up Africa Adventure Company, a Florida based travel agency specializing in African safari trips. W e have referred to this book when planning an independent game viewing trip. It offers insights on weather conditions at different times of the year, a “What Wildlife is Best Seen Where” chart, destination highlights, facilities descriptions (without contact information), a glossary of safari terms, a list of shopping suggestions for various countries and plenty of useful maps. We would have especially appreciated tourism and facilities websites and email information. Perhaps there will be some of those in the next edition.
by Editor | Mar 1, 2005 | Fun Gadgets, Products, Simon and Baker Travel Review
We chose I/O Magic’s Digital Photo Library to backup our digital camera pictures on location while traveling. When our digital camera flash memory cards filled up, we made backups (copies) of our photos with the Digital Photo Library. When we cleared our flash memory cards (deleted all the pictures on them) we were able to take additional pictures.
by Editor | Mar 1, 2005 | Products, Safari Gear, Simon and Baker Travel Review
We have tried a number of digital cameras and none of them met our standards for use on one of our trips. Our standards have been based on using Canon 35mm SLRs . We were looking for a digital camera, which would address our complaints thus far. The Canon Digital Rebel met this bill and exceeded our expectations in several areas.
by Editor | Mar 1, 2005 | Communications, Products, Simon and Baker Travel Review
The stylish Jawbone made by Aliph, a noise reduction headset for mobile phones, relies on the kind of technology pilots use to help them hear over plane engine noise (at much higher cost). This ergonomically designed headset with a cheek sensor employs electronics that actively listen to the background noise and reduce it by subtracting it out of the microphone signals, adjusting to ambient noise at a rate of 500 times per second. The Jawbone model we tested made it easier to hear and to be heard in noisy environments than would be possible with traditional microphones, headsets and speakers. One of the reasons this was possible is that the Jawbone we tried had two microphones (most headsets have one), including a jaw sensor for speech vibrations.
by Editor | Feb 1, 2005 | Products, Simon and Baker Travel Review, Travel Luggage
One of the risks we often take as travelers is dehydration. It’s subtle and slow and not always noticeable. We realize we may be dehydrated when we start feeling tired. By then, we’re probably in sore need of liquid replenishment. In these days of complicated and time consuming travel with less food and drink offered in flight, we loved the light weight and easy to carry Liquid Luggage ™ sleeve. We used the pilot designed devices successfully to carry 24 oz and one and a half liter (our favorite size) bottles of mineral water in domestic and international flights. Other than one airport security employee who wanted to make sure the bottle was unopened, it passed through security checks without a second glance.
by Editor | Feb 1, 2005 | Fun Gadgets, Products, Simon and Baker Travel Review
We looked at a number of options before settling on the Lingo Ten Language Talking Translator. Though we could understand many words in writing and we could understand parts of a conversation when native speakers addressed us, we struggled to express ourselves properly in a foreign language.
