Use Your Smartphone, Guidepal
To Find Cool City Experiences

Use Your Smartphone, Guidepal <br>To Find Cool City Experiences

Travel publishers finally are starting to produce electronic editions of their guidebooks for devices like the Kindle, iPad and Nook. About time! says Spot Cool Stuff. E-book readers are ideal for travel content—they are lighter and thinner than paper guidebooks and can be updated much more quickly (and cheaply).

While the mainstream travel guidebook companies play catch-up, a host of new publishers are out in front producing high-quality travel content for smartphones. One that’s of special note is Guidepal, whose city guides are available for the iPhone, Android and Blackberry.

 Use Your Smartphone, Guidepal <br>To Find Cool City Experiences

space Use Your Smartphone, Guidepal <br>To Find Cool City Experiences

What Guidepal city apps are not is the equivalent of having a guidebook on your smartphone. Guidepal gives no actionable advice on hotels or transportation. There’s nothing on history, culture or language. Their coverage of attractions is, to put it kindly, uneven. (Guidepal’s San Francisco guide mentioned the Chinatown in Oakland but was oddly silent on the larger and more interesting Chinatown in San Francisco itself).

So what’s cool about Guidepal’s apps?

The restaurant & bar selections. Guidepal only reviews around a dozen restaurants and drinking spots in each city, yet they have a knack for making marvelous recommendations across a variety of cuisines and price ranges. In Bangkok they found the relatively unknown bar at the Arun Residence, in Cape Town they suggest Moyo and in London, Rochelle Canteen made their list; each establishment is a Spot Cool Stuff favorite.

guidepal ar s Use Your Smartphone, Guidepal <br>To Find Cool City Experiences follow me on pinterest button Use Your Smartphone, Guidepal <br>To Find Cool City Experiences Augmented reality. Click the “Nearby” icon in a Guidepal app, point your camera down the street, and Guidepal will display on the liveview what attractions are in the direction your screen is pointed and how far away each is. (See pic to the right). Very cool.

Walking Map. Guidepal guides include rather good maps of central city areas. Each map—along with all Guidepal content—is completely stored on the smartphone, so you don’t need to be online or incur data roaming charges to use it.

Tours and “Guidepal Perks.” Guidepal suggests experiential tours for each of their cities. Some suggestions are run-of-the-mill touristy, but a surprising number are creative. Fly in a sea plane around Dubai. See Stockholm by climbing around its rooftops. Join a “Scandalous Cocktail Hour Tour” in New Orleans. Most tours are bookable through the app and some—those listed under “Guidepal Perks”—are available at a discount.

The price. Every Guidepal city app is available at Spot Cool Stuff’s favorite price: free.

published: 13 June 2011
white Use Your Smartphone, Guidepal <br>To Find Cool City Experiences

DOWNLOAD GUIDEPAL ON iTUNES / BLACKBERRY / ANDROID |

guidepal htc 1 Use Your Smartphone, Guidepal <br>To Find Cool City Experiences follow me on pinterest button Use Your Smartphone, Guidepal <br>To Find Cool City Experiences

lightgrey Use Your Smartphone, Guidepal <br>To Find Cool City Experiences


space Use Your Smartphone, Guidepal <br>To Find Cool City Experiences
lightgrey Use Your Smartphone, Guidepal <br>To Find Cool City Experiences
space Use Your Smartphone, Guidepal <br>To Find Cool City Experiences

Related posts:
Crumpled Maps: No Folding Required
The Best Waterproof Cases for the iPhone and iPod
Cool Smartphone Reviews

 Use Your Smartphone, Guidepal <br>To Find Cool City Experiences
space Use Your Smartphone, Guidepal <br>To Find Cool City Experiences


Leave a Response

CommentLuv badge

SPOTCOOLSTUFF Travel reviews unusual hotels and restaurants, great attractions, cool travel gear, places with amazing views and all manner of travel destinations with a WOW! factor. Because we live on an incredible planet! Get our latest travel posts by email . . .

    Awesome Curacao vacations — up to $530 off!
    Check out the freebies offered too, including airfare credits, breakfast and room upgrades!

Save $530 Time left:
Book Now!
Offer Closed!



PARTNER WITH US     |     BE OUR GUEST TRAVEL WRITER    |      SUGGEST COOL STUFF FOR US TO REVIEW     |     INFO FOR TOURIST BOARDS

Other SCS SectionsHot Travel CategoriesFave Travel Posts
Cool Tech & GadgetsBest hotel room viewsCaribbeanBest Sandals in Jamaica
Cool Architecture & DesignFamily travelEuropeBest Wheeled Carry-On Luggage
Cool WebsitesHoneymoon resortsFloridaWorld's Coolest Airlines
Cool EntertainmentUnusual museumsSoutheast AsiaThe Honeymoon Resorts of Bora Bora