Bidisha Mitra, Author at Exhibit Tech

5 OTT Releases You Can’t Miss This Week

It’s a miracle that we just started April and there are already a few amazing releases to binge. This week, from 1st to 7th April, has a diverse range of movies and TV series to choose from. Add these to your next watchlist!

Parasyte: The Grey (5 April 2024)

Based on the sci-fi horror manga, Parasyte by Hitoshi Iwaaki, Parasyte: The Grey is a South Korean live-action adaptation that strays away from the main plot of the manga. Long-time fans of the original manga might hesitate to watch the series. However, South Korean entertainment has a stronghold in the horror genre, especially when it comes to depicting supernatural monsters. Parasyte: The Grey is directed by Yeon Sang-ho, who previously created the famous zombie horror Train to Busan (2016). His style and writing have the creative potential to do Parasyte justice.

Coming soon on Netflix!

Ripley (4 April 2024)

Ripley is a crime psychological thriller designed to keep you on the edge of your seat. Starring Andrew Scott as the titular character, this series is based on Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley (1955). This will be a short and sweet 8-episode series about Tom Ripley (Scott) stepping into a life of deception, fraud and murder.

Coming soon on Netflix!

Farrey (5 April 2024)

Initially released for theatre on 24 November 2023, Farrey is a thriller-heist film by Soumendra Padhi. This film is the official Indian remake of the Thai movie, Bad Genius (2017). Alizeh Agnihotri is stunning in her role, starring as the main character – Niyati. Some viewers have described the vibe as straight-up horror rather than a thriller so buckle in!

Finally releasing soon on Zee5!

How to Date Billy Walsh (5 April 2024)

How To Date Billy Walsh is a fluffy British romantic-comedy, directed by Alex Pillai. It revolved around the childhood best friends, Amelia (Charithra Chandran) and Archie (Sebastian Croft), the latter of whom has a crush on her. When he plans to confess, Amelia falls for Billy Walsh (Tanner Buchanan). Archie plans to sabotage this new love but ends up comedically bringing them closer. If you want something light to watch, How to Date Billy Walsh is perfect.

Coming soon on Amazon Prime Video!

Star Trek: Discovery – Season 5 (4 April 2024)

Originally piloted in 2017, Star Trek: Discovery is still going strong. This series follows the crew of USS Discovery, their journey beginning a decade before the events of the original Star Trek. You witness the fall and eventually rise of Michael Burnham, played by Sonequa Martin-Green, and her crew. Season 5 sets a more adventurous tone with their goal of finding an ancient power but they aren’t the only ones. Star Trek: Discovery is a great start to your Star Trek journey!

Back soon on Amazon Prime Video!

These 5 Books Can Be Read in a Day

When you’re having an odd day off or just bored on vacation, nothing feels better than picking up a book. However, nowadays it’s quite hard to find shorter novels. These 5 books are made to immerse you and be finished within a day or two!

1. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (107 pages)

Now, this might be a painful choice to recommend. Of Mice and Men (1937) might have a painful ending but teaches you about friendship and the importance of tough decisions. The loyalty between Lennie and George is amongst the best in the history of literature. Their journey is not easy as the story is set during the Great Depression. It’s also an open reminder of what people need to do during poverty.

You can buy it on Amazon for ₹455.

2. Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (348 pages)

Before the Coffee Gets Cold (2015) is a mysterious novel that turns heartwarming. It bends the time-travelling genre with an interesting twist and mechanics. In a silent backstreet of Tokyo, a café serves coffee and a chance to travel back in time. However, there are strict rules and only one seat in particular that gives you this ability. You follow four customers and their stories. As the title suggests, you can only travel until the coffee turns cold. It makes you question what you would change in your past if it still had no consequences in your present.

You can buy it on Amazon for ₹353.

3. The Maid: A Novel by Nita Prose (336 pages)

The Maid: A Novel (2022) is catered to the murder mystery enthusiasts out there. This novel is also turning into a major motion picture with Florence Pugh as the main character, Molly Gray. Molly is a unique character whose job as a maid fulfils her need for proper etiquette and cleaning. One day, she finds a wealthy hotel guest is found dead in his messy room. Molly is pinned as the suspect but reuniting with her friends, they strive to solve the mystery before it’s too late.

You can buy it on Amazon for ₹312.

4. Black Water by Joyce Carol Oates (154 pages)

Black Water (1992) is a chilling novel about a young girl whose bid to be more carefree has tragic consequences. Kelly Kelleher attends a Fourth of July party and meets “The Senator,” who is automatically attracted to her. Despite multiple warnings from her friends and him being old enough to be her dad, Kelly agrees to go back to his hotel room. The Senator, being too drunk to drive properly, swerves into a marsh. She is abandoned in the car and left to drown on her own as she realises she wants to live. The novel is based on the Chappaquiddick incident.

You can buy it on Amazon for ₹746.

5. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (160 pages)

If you loved Netflix’s famous horror TV show, The Haunting of Hill House (directed by Mike Flanagan), this book is for you. Written by the same author of the show’s inspiration, We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1962) is an eerie novel about an isolated and strange family. Their dynamic gets thrown off when their cousin comes to visit. It’s a spine-chilling story of a deeply disturbed family and the narration by Merricat, the main character, highlights the twisted mindset.

You can buy it on Amazon for ₹236.

Sony’s Spider-Verse Introduce Horror Elements in Mental Health-Driven Short Film

With the smash hit of 2023’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, everyone’s been waiting on their third instalment. The movie, Beyond the Spider-Verse, was initially rumoured to be released in early 2024. Still, due to the complex animation style and extensive plotline, it was only natural to be delayed. So it was a treat when the animators announced a short film, The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story, on 27 March 2024.

In collaboration with the Kevin Love Fund, they have created the lesson, “The Hero Within,” a lesson plan with a creative storyboard activity for students who want to express themselves through drawing and writing. The Spider Within revolves around the main character of the Spider-Verse series, Miles Morales, getting overwhelmed with his mountain of responsibilities, both as a teenager in school and as Spider-Man. One of the most unique aspects of Spider-Verse is Miles’ relationship with his parents and how caring they are. Jefferson Morales, his father, immediately senses something is wrong with Miles after he turns down a movie night.

The scene that follows is filled with terrifying imagery of Miles’ inner thoughts and he has an intense panic attack. The animation with the sound design feels as if you can feel his anxiety and stress. He finally reaches out to his dad and opens up about the current state of his mental health. The “The Hero Within” lesson plan aims to get teenagers like Miles to open up to their parents. Mental health can cause people to hold their burdens to themselves and The Spider Within shows us that it’s okay to share them.

Watch now on YouTube for free!

Learning a New Language? Here Are 5 Apps Better Than Duolingo

We’ve all seen and used Duolingo once in our lifetime. Maybe you had the impulse to learn French with how romantic it can be or you really want to understand anime without subtitles so you decided to take up Japanese. However, it’s also common knowledge that Duolingo is not the best way to learn. Their methods don’t allow for consistent progress. We’ve all seen the weird sentences that you would not use regularly as genuine practice. So what should you use?

Memrise

This UK-based app has a great range of coursework to choose from. You can even choose what you would like to focus on and it has reinforcement-based learning. Progress has never been more consistent with Memrise and they use appropriate visual aids to help you memorise vocabulary seamlessly.

Mango Languages

Mango Languages is superior in every way. It doesn’t rush you into learning and takes the time to explain the logic behind the grammar and vocabulary. This app is for more serious than casual learners but in our opinion, if you wish to learn something even casually, a serious teaching method will do wonders.

Busuu

A huge competitor to Duolingo, Busuu has the same approach to learning as Duolingo with its simple exercises but unlike Duolingo, your work is reviewed by fluent and native speakers. That is an optional advantage but it makes a huge difference to interact with fluent speakers and get their feedback.

Babbel

Babbel is again similar to Duolingo but without the nonsensical sentences about animals wearing shirts. Babbel’s gamified coursework is more catered to real-life conversations and scenarios. Thus, giving you practice for daily situations that you might find yourself stuck in. It presents a good challenge to language learners.

LingoDeer

LingoDeer found everything wrong about Duolingo and fixed it. The app is catered towards beginners, a level that language apps are mostly used for. They teach and drill simple vocabulary into you first rather than throwing you in. While this is a confusing method for beginners, serious learners at the beginner level might also appreciate their story-reading coursework.

Don’t Miss These Oscar-Nominated Films Already Streaming in India

The Oscars is an event for movie enthusiasts worldwide. On 11 March 2024, the 96th Academy Awards was held, and the selected films were among the strongest. Let’s explore which films were nominated (and won!) and where you can stream them.

Barbie

Now let’s get the obvious ones out of the way first. Greta Gerwig’s Barbie was the pinnacle of the 2024 movie culture and theatre-going experience. With pretty much everyone dressed in pastels to match the movie’s vibes, Barbie meant a lot to people with its message of feminism and freedom of expression. It resonated with a diverse demographic.

Where can you stream it? You can stream it on JioCinema or rent it on Amazon Prime for 149.

Nominations received: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor – Ryan Gosling as Ken, Best Supporting Actress – America Ferrera as Gloria, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Original Song – “I’m Just Ken” and “What Was I Made For?”

Oppenheimer

Here’s the other half of Barbie. We all are familiar with Barbenheimer and Oppenheimer’s success was a blast. This is one of Christopher Nolan’s best films to date and another brilliant performance by Cillian Murphy that makes sitting through 3 hours of political and scientific jargon worth it.

Where can you stream it? You can stream it on JioCinema or rent it on Amazon Prime for 119.

Nominations received: Best Picture, Best Director – Christopher Nolan, Best Actor – Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, Best Supporting Actor – Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, Best Supporting Actress – Emily Blunt as Kitty Oppenheimer, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound, Best Original Score

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

The ambitious and thrilling animated movie revolving around what it means to be the Marvel superhero Spider-Man was the most visually attractive film in 2024. With the vibrant artistic styles and emotional storytelling, you could never go wrong with watching Across the Spider-Verse again. Weaving you right into their (spider) web sets the tone for the next instalment.

Where can you stream it? You can stream it on Netflix, or rent it on Amazon Prime or Zee5 for 99.

Nominations received: Best Animated Feature.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar’s ensemble cast was a guaranteed winner by Wes Anderson. His ability to adapt Roahl Dahl’s stories is unmatched in the industry. Bringing out the weird and the wonderful of Dahl’s narratives is impressive and a well-deserved nomination.

Where can you stream it? You can stream it on Netflix

Nominations received: Best Live-Action Short.

American Fiction

In his directorial debut, Cord Jefferson based American Fiction on the 2001 novel Erasure by Percival Everett. It does justice to the satirical genre where the performances sold the story and the characters behind the mess of it all.

Where can you stream it? You can stream it on Amazon Prime.

Nominations received: Best Picture, Best Actor – Jeffrey Wright as Dr. Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, Best Supporting Actor – Sterling K. Brown as Dr. Clifford “Cliff” Ellison, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score.

Past Lives

A strong directorial debut, Celine Song’s beautiful and symbolic romantic film Past Lives made it big. The profound performances by every cast member and the incredible chemistry made it on par with Barbenheimer. Greta Lee, who plays Nora Moon, gained critical acclaim for her performance.

Where can you watch it? You can watch it on Amazon Prime (Lionsgate subscription required).

Nominations received: Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.

The Tech That Makes the 2024 IPL Possible

After the exciting start to the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) on 22 March 2024, we thought it would be timely to discuss the IPL’s technology that makes the experience more enjoyable. The IPL is a huge event worldwide, with a devoted crowd and heftier new coverage. Their reliability is through their technology usage in the most appropriate ways to provide accurate and thorough information. We have compiled a list of their tech and their purpose to give you, the reader, more insight into the thrilling event.

Hawk-Eye Operators – Smart Replay

IPL has developed its technology to its maximum potential over its 16 years of operation. In 2024, they adopted one of the most effective systems – The Smart Replay System by Hawk-Eye cameras. This system directly assists the umpires in making precise decisions. This includes two cameras that assist the TV umpire directly and eight cameras recording footage all around the field. These different angles provide the best quality images to the umpire.

BuggyQam

The Buggy Camera is a high-quality camera system that allows high and low-speed video recordings at a low speed. BuggyQam is more specifically a 5-axis-stabilized camera with smooth movement on the ground. It also eliminates jitter, even at maximum zoom.

Dolby Atmos Sound System

In 2023, Star Sports Network partnered with Dolby to bring the Dolby ATMOS sound system to every fan watching. Considering that not everyone worldwide can attend a physical match at the stadium, they decided to make the IPL more immersive with the Dolby ATMOS (5.1.4). They have optimised the sound to simulate a stadium brought right to your couch.

Snickometer

For accurate conclusions, the Snickometer is a device attached to the wicket that catches sound frequencies made by the bat hitting the ball or a part of the cricketer’s body. This does filter out any other distracting sounds–cheering audiences, wind, or the batsman’s foot movement, stuff that is unnecessary to a point scored in cricket. It shows a slow-motion, play-by-play replay that then goes through an oscilloscope (electronic test equipment) to display any spikes in frequency. This spike would only be a result of the bat hitting the ball.

Spidercam

Spidercam is a cable-suspended camera system that moves both horizontally and vertically. The camera operates with four motorised winches over the area and is positioned on each corner. It is also commonly known as the Flying Fox camera.

Speed Gun

The speed of the ball is calculated with the Speed Gun. The Speed Gun is essentially a radar gun that works on the principle of the Doppler Effect, also known as the Doppler Shift. The Doppler Effect, in simple words, is a change in frequency relative to the source of a wave and its observer. The Speed Gun is propped near the sight screen on a high pillar. Radio waves are transmitted to any moving object but mostly to the ball to calculate its speed.

360° Cameras

Ever wonder how you get every angle of a run, even an amazing cover drive by Virat Kohli? 360° Cameras make those difficult to spot possible. This expensive but useful camera setup is made up of 100 cameras all over the stadium. So, while it costs a fortune and more, it is worth the spectacle.

Hot Spot Technology

Now here’s a more controversial product. While Hot Spot Technology is efficient and trustworthy, there have been alleged loopholes that players adopt to go undetected. The way Hot Spot works is it identifies heat signals produced by a hit and determines if the player is out. However, some players can apply Vaseline or tape so that it wouldn’t spot anything. Thus, while it was trustworthy in the past and used less, the latest technology like Snickometer and Hawk-Eye Operators are infinitely reliable.

Real-Time Analytics

Data analytics has caught the attention of cricket enthusiasts all over the world. The coaches and captains use data-driven analytics to make decisions on the cricket pitch as well as judgements of who to match up. The real-time statistics keep the audience and at-home viewers informed. This allows enthusiasts to take a deep dive into the strategic side of cricket.

LED Stumps and Bails

Across the more than 1 acre field, matches are almost always too close. Stumpings and dislodged bails are close calls that can make or break a game. LED stumps and bails light up when they break and come off their groves, making the judgement easier. It’s also a delight for enthusiasts to see them light up.

There’s An App For That! Apps for 5 Common Needs

Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Have you ever found yourself stuck, wishing to do something or wanting an easy guide? Well, look no further because where there’s the desire to learn, there’s always an app for that.

Here are some common needs with amazing apps to help you improve your lifestyle or talents!

Mental Health – Headspace

Headspace is one of the leading mental health apps out there. Mental health apps have risen in popularity since the COVID-19 pandemic. What makes Headspace worth recommending is that it offers several ways to improve your mental health, including guided meditation, walking, running, and sessions to focus on your mindfulness, all led by world-class experts. It also provides sleep sounds for those struggling with sleep issues.

Get it on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store

Fitness – Nike Training Club

Without the commitment of in-app purchases, Nike Training Club is an easy-access fitness app that prioritises personal, at-home training. The range of fitness regimens makes catering to your needs and goals simple. They work at your own pace and also offer some mindfulness training to balance physical health. Progress is achievable with Nike Training Club’s over 300+ workouts.

Get it on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store

Photo-editing – Snapseed

As a free and easy-to-use app, Snapseed is the best photo-editing app for your casual needs. The great adjustment system and variety of filters, with easy localised editing, allow you to bring out the best in your photos. Interestingly, Google also bought Snapseed to get their development team and technology.

Get it on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store

Budgeting – Goodbudget

Goodbudget is a proactive budgeting app whose money management and expense tracking do not disappoint. Their key feature is their secure data backup on the cloud as well as their collaborative approach when it comes to household finances. It connects you to others financially easily and intuitively modifies your budgets for you when needed.

Get it on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store

Water Intake Tracking – Plant Nanny

Plant Nanny combines self-care and plant care into one app that motivates you to drink daily water for a cute cause. It features an adorable animated plant with expressions and unique looks that you have to take care of by drinking water. While the app isn’t entirely free, their basic app is a great tool that reminds you to hydrate and if you miss a cup, the plant will wither.

Get it on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store

These are only a few of the apps for common daily needs that caught our attention. With apps becoming more and more convenient, it is a great partner for our physical and mental wellbeing. We encourage you to improve your lifestyle with these amazing apps that we handpicked.

Best Creators to Follow in 2024

Writer’s note: Content creators are one of the leading sources of entertainment and their main selling point is relatable comedy. The influencers were chosen for our April issue to align with the theme of hilarity and fun. These people have magnificent followings and distinct personalities that no one else could replicate. Some have even made history. You are guaranteed to find every one of them to be charming and their sketches will have you scrolling their pages like no tomorrow.

Nirmal Pillai (@mahlyf_mahrulez)

The Chennai-based Malayali stand-up comedian takes his craft seriously. Nirmal Pillai is a multi-faceted 25-year-old internet personality whose comedy and wit took social media by storm. His fame landed him a world tour, including countries like the United Kingdom, Singapore and more. On top of his relatable skits on pop culture, Pillai has an entertaining series on his YouTube channel called ‘The Parotta Act,’ where he explains the weird history of various topics, mostly relating to India, and other pop culture phenomena. Overall, his content never has a single boring moment while also being informative.

Follower count: 747K

Aishwarya Mohanraj (@aishwaryamrj)

Aishwarya Mohanraj is the Mumbai-based Malayali rising star of the stand-up world. YouTube and Instagram are her main platforms where she showcases her ability to switch between comedy genres. Her captivating presence and honed talents in stand-up stem from her days performing in smaller clubs and open mics. Her rise to fame began after she appeared as a participant on Amazon Prime’s ‘Comicstaan.’ She has then gone on to write for shows like Son of Abish, One Mic Stand, On Air with AIB, Comicstaan 2022, and more.

Follower count: 730K

RJ Abhinav (@rjabhinavv)

Abhinav Chand, known as RJ Abhinav to fans, is a Delhi-based comedy content creator whose aura and eclectic nature draws in his audience. Starting as a radio jockey, Abhinav’s story-telling prowess only enhanced his comedic skills. He translated his experience from radio to Instagram reels and YouTube where his career could only go up. Growing up with parents who wanted a more traditional path, Abhinav was given 6 months to pursue his comedy career and fortunately for everyone, his career took off. He has perfected the art of narrating his experiences and never has a dull moment to tell.

Follower count: 4.2M

Krutika Singh (@themermaidscales)

Krutika Singh is an icon amongst influencers, with an incredible climb in fame due to her niche online persona and hard work. While most of her persona revolves around fashion and her love for anime cosplay, her comedy skits will leave you gasping for air. Her expressive personality and hilarious sketches show a whole other side of her and encourage others to showcase their diverse interests. She was not always all glam and glitter but now shows off an impressive portfolio of extraordinary outfits. Spending time on her page will make you begin considering neon eyeliner.

Follower count: 8M

Zakir Khan (@zakirkhan_208)

With a background in music and poetry, Zakir Khan’s rise to fame is one for the ages. On 8th October 2023, the comedian marked history by becoming the first Asian comedian in the world to perform at the Royal Albert Hall, in London. His observational comedy insights a different kind of mirth from his audience, with his strong story-telling skills making him shine. He rose to fame after winning the Comedy Central competition, ‘India’s Best Stand-Up Comedian’, all the way back in 2012. Now he is set to perform around the world, including Madison Square Garden, in New York, on 17th March.

Follower count: 6M

Fashion Explained: Cosplay

With Mumbai Comic Con 2024 around the corner, this is the best time to explain one of the most diverse fashion types in the industry – Cosplay. What exactly does dressing up as your favourite character entail? Let’s dive deep into this fashion style.

Cosplayer group at Comic Con Brussels 2016

What is Cosplay?

Originating in Japan, cosplay, or costume play, is a performance art where the cosplayers (the term for people who perform this art) represent a certain fictional character. The attire is complete with accessories, make-up and props to get into full character, essentially role-playing in public. A subculture around cosplay and their cosplayers can even exist, famously for characters in Japanese anime. It is also an appreciation of fiction and puts respect to the best of character designs.

History of Cosplay

While it grew popular and was coined in 1984 in Japan amongst all genders, the history of cosplaying goes further back. In the 15th century, all of us heard about masquerade balls but the purpose of it was to pretend. Essentially, cosplay is masquerading as someone else. Italy also hosted grand costume festivals during the Renaissance period, typically indulged by the Venician upper class.

It then grew in 19th century Britain, where people held fancy costume parties for their amusement. In 1939, people began to create more futuristic costumes and then came Japan’s final hammer to the head.

The first documented event of a fan meeting and cosplaying was recorded in Hakone, Japan in the 1970s. This is how anime cosplay became popular. Since then, costume contests have been on the rise in Asia and parts of the West.

Anime Japan 2016 (Tokyo Big Sight). Odaiba, Tokyo.

How Does Cosplay Work?

Cosplays can range from simple to high-quality, complex-themed costumes. As long as you enjoy the art, anything works in the world of cosplay.
Despite being similar to Halloween costumes, the cosplayers usually get into character and also hold fan meetings with their audience. They have full communities supporting their art beyond the holiday of Halloween.
You can get ready-made apparel of your favourite character from several manufacturers and online sites, along with wigs and other accessories. Japan themselves have made a profit of 35 billion yen.
Many cosplayers hand-make their costumes, sourcing their materials from their own local or online manufacturers. Since many parts of any character’s costume can be too unique for a general market, cosplayers learn textile sculpting and other 3D art to create these objects. This highlights their dedication and creativity diving into the performance.

For example, if a person would like to cosplay Roronoa Zoro from the anime ‘One Piece’, they could 3D print his swords if they are not available for purchase online.

Cosplayer (@0taisi) as Roronoa Zoro from *One Piece*

During contests, cosplayers are judged by their originality and their ability to truly act the part. Their body language and acting abilities are their main selling points, not just the costumes.
Just like any other fashion type, you must be confident in your cosplay and expressing yourself with the apparel and accessories. While it can be daunting at first, cosplay is an art to be enjoyed and the community are open-minded to any form.

Why You Should Consider Cosplaying?

Are you a fan of movies and TV shows, especially fantasy and anime? If so, this is a great way to indulge in their fan base as well as meet more people through different conventions, particularly the upcoming Comic Con. There are many ready-made cosplays available online but it’s also fun to sew and create your costumes, sewing being a great hobby to pick up. More than that, looking exactly like one of your favourite fictional characters is a huge confidence booster.

Remember These Essentials for Your Next Trip

We all panic about what to pack and when to pack for a trip, whether abroad or domestically. Travelling can be stressful for anybody and when you leave it to the last minute, the rush makes everything confusing. You end up forgetting things you need to pack, even the essentials and are forced to buy them during your travel instead. We have catered a list of absolute essentials you will need for your trip that you are guaranteed to always remember!

Universal Adapters

If you heavily rely on digital media and travel abroad, you will absolutely need a universal adapter. Buying one at the airport or the country of arrival can be much more expensive and often very limited.

We recommend: Ceptics Universal Travel Adapter – 3-in-1 Worldwide Travel Adapter, Universal Plug Socket and 2 x USB, with 2.4A, International Travel Adapter (Amazon).

Moisturiser & Sunscreen

With the weather being unpredictable and varying in each country, it’s important to hydrate and protect your skin against harsh conditions. Cold and hot weather that differs from your country’s weather can affect your skin greatly.

For hot weather, we recommend: Be Bodywise Sunscreen Lotion with SPF 50 (Amazon, Nykaa and more).

For cold weather, we recommend: Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion (Amazon, your local pharmacy and stores, Nykaa and more). Combine with any SPF product.

First Aid Kit

You never know when you might get injured or sick during travel. During that occasion, preparation is key with a dedicated First Aid Kit. The kit must be portable, easy to access and have the basic needs. This is especially important for people looking to explore and the risk of injury is higher.

We recommend: Quick Heal First Aid Kit – 75 items set – with all the medicines inside (Amazon). However, First Aid Kits are very commonly found and sold anywhere so you can pick any or customise your own.

Travel Pillow

One of the fundamentals of travelling is to get a good night’s sleep to keep up the energy for all the sightseeing and exploration. It’s hard to do so if your flight, train or bus is late at night or early in the morning and the seats are usually uncomfortable. Your best companion to cure this problem is a trusty travel pillow that supports your neck well. You can usually attach this to your bag to save space instead of finding a way to stuff it inside.

We recommend: Amazon Basics Travel Neck Pillow, Unisex, Multipurpose, U-shaped (Amazon).

Portable Phone Charger

Keeping your phone charged and ready can be difficult during travel. We all feel a sense of doom without our phones, especially in a place unfamiliar to us. While the good news is that most places indoors will have a charging point, most transportation modes do not have one.

We recommend: Mi 10000mAH Li-Polymer, Micro-USB and Type C Input Port, Power Bank 3i with 18W Fast Charging (Amazon).

Reusable Water Bottle

Reducing plastic waste is a priority in the present and for the future. Bringing a reusable water bottle is recommended and even beyond environmental causes, it is more hygienic and reliable. If you have the budget for it, buying a water bottle with an in-built filter is a step higher as it would protect you from harmful bacteria.

For a bottle with a filter, we recommend: LifeStraw Go 2 Stage Tritan Water Bottle with Carbon Integrated Filter Straw for Daily use, Travel, Camping & Outdoor Activity (Amazon).

Packing Cubes

Organisation is key when packing a suitcase or a backpack. Packing cubes are bags that can easily keep your clothes separate and organised to your liking and system. These would not only save space but also save time when searching for a specific item.

We recommend: RENSARE Clothes bag, set of 3, check pattern/grey black (Ikea).

Collapsable Bag

For those who love a good shopping spree during travel, a collapsable bag is a must-have. Since not every flight will allow a second luggage or a second luggage can be highly inconvenient for solo travellers, a collapsable bag is a pocket and space-saving alternative to a suitcase. On top of that, storing this in your suitcase will not take up any space if you decide not to use it.

We recommend: Lightniing Hammerz Nylon 285 Cms Travel Duffle Bag Expandable Folding Travel Bag for Women, Lightweight Waterproof Carry Luggage Bag for Travel (Amazon).

Young woman leans out car window to feel the fresh mountain air. Original public domain image from Wikimedia Commons

These are the prime essentials to complete your trip safely and to ensure a smooth journey for you.

Bon voyage!