I started out how I start most new things, a friend recommending something I needed to try. Next came the research, which I may like more than the average person. I like to do my homework before trying something new and investing my money into it. So off I went to read reviews, look at the cost, and understand how it worked. It looked pretty straightforward and had great feedback so I jumped in.

Now here’s the thing, you might be wondering what did she try? Honestly, this is the process I use for almost everything I do. If I need to buy a waterproof camera (yep), find a non-drowsy allergy medication (yep), or buy a new clothing steamer to replace the one that started spitting rust on my clothes just as I was packing for a trip (yep). Often it ends there, research done, purchase made and if all goes well, I’m happy with my choice (except for that steamer, the new one doesn’t take all the wrinkles out). But when something I find really works or is a fantastic experience then I tend to tell everyone I know, sometimes even strangers. When it is about one of my favourite things, travel, then I’m even more excited to share it.

On our last holiday, we tried two new things -thank you Sheri and Nadine for suggesting them. Since we enjoyed both, I wanted to share them in a couple of posts in case you want to try them on your next holiday.

Quick note: Some of the links below are affiliates, the thoughts and opinions are all my own. I’m always excited to share my favourite things with you, save you money when I can, and in so doing may collect a small commission at no cost to you. It’s a great way that you can support my blog.

GuideAlong

Our family loves a good audiobook. It is how we pass the time on road trips and long car rides. Our rule is we can’t listen to our book unless we are all in the car together, which doesn’t happen as often as it used to. On our first trip to Maui six years ago my daughter reminded me that we listened to The Girl Who Drank the Moon. Amazing that she could remember and link the story we listened to back to the place we were exploring. So when a friend suggested we try a GuideAlong audio tour, formerly GyPSy Guide, on our return trip to Maui, I thought I’d look into it.

Next came the research. The app reviews looked good, it didn’t require data or Wi-Fi, just download the GuideAlong app and audio tour before we left and the GPS would do the rest once we started driving. It cost $25CND ($20US) for the Maui tour and included the Road to Hana, Haleakala, and all the sightseeing we planned to do. Once you buy it you own the tour and get any updates they make to the content for free.

As soon as we got settled in our rental vehicle, I turned it on. I had a few challenges getting it to play through the car audio, but I am pretty sure this was my user error, not the app’s?. There was a short instruction clip and the suggestion that we plug in the phone since it can run your battery down a bit faster than normal. Then we were off and every few minutes a short audio clip would start playing. I pulled up the map in the app and saw that there were points on all the main roads in both directions, so we heard different content as we travelled to see something than we did on the same road coming back. With over 465 audio points on the tour, there was a lot to listen to. There were several different kinds of audio clips including:

• highlights that flagged key things to see and do,
• directions, that helped make sure we were in the right lane to get to our destination, and
• historical and cultural information.

Once the app was on, it would continue playing in the background so I could still use my phone to look up directions or search for a place we wanted to visit without interrupting it. Don’t worry I wasn’t driving. I was also able to pause the audio if we needed to hop out of the car for a minute.

Our family decided to name our tour guide, Ross. He had a friendly voice and was interesting and engaging to listen to. When we headed to the airport at the end of our trip, he wished us goodbye and I think we were all a little sad that we wouldn’t hear from him again. Here’s hoping he narrates some of the other tours we get to try in the future. There are several tours in Canada that we’ll check out the next time we head to the Rocky Mountains and one on the Oregon Coast that looks interesting.

Our favourite things about the audio guide were different for all of us. With no expectation of how it would work before we tried it, everyone in our family agreed that we would use it again on another holiday.

• My favourite was the cultural information. We learned about the 13 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet and how to pronounce Hawaiian names and as soon as we did, we began practicing on all the road signs we came across.
• Emma’s favourite was the history of the island, in particular the history of the sugar plantations and immigrants that came to make their homes on the island. This led us to check out the Sugar Museum to learn more.
• Robin’s favourite was the tips and suggestions on the Road to Hana. The Guide recommended specific pullouts to get out and see a waterfall or walk through the Ke’anae Arboretum, even the best stop for a bathroom break and a pretty view. In contrast, it also flagged when we didn’t need to stop but could just enjoy the sites as we drove by. It suggested five main must-do attractions on the Road to Hana, including a couple we tried past Hana and loved. We saw several new things that we didn’t know about the first time we drove the road.
• Jack’s favourite was when Ross told us not to go a certain way and to turn around. He also liked all the suggestions to check out new places we hadn’t heard of or visited before.

If there is an audio guide where you are headed on your next holiday, it is definitely worth trying out. Be sure to have a look at next week’s post to hear about the second new thing we tried on our holiday.