Group tour company FTLO Travel invites travelers to do just that, offering Phone-Free Departures. These trips are designed to help participants completely disconnect and focus on the experience without distractions—plus encourage travelers to be open to spontaneity by leaving behind Google Maps. 

Founder and CEO Tara Cappel says they launched the phone-free trips to help travelers connect. “In today’s digital age, we have become increasingly dependent on our smartphones, and it is negatively impacting our mental well-being and our ability to be present.” Cappel hopes that by removing phones, “travelers can fully engage with the destination they’re visiting and build new relationships with like-minded trip mates.”

Participants on the trips will be provided with printable maps and itineraries to help them navigate the destination, and trip leaders will still have cell phones.

FTLO Travel won’t be searching participants’ suitcases for contraband phones—these trips will operate on an honor system, and travelers can still use their phones in emergencies or if they need to contact someone back home. FTLO Travel recommends bringing a digital or disposable camera instead of a phone camera to capture memories from the adventure. 

The phone-free trips start in 2024 and will be available to book in a variety of destinations, including: 

• Havana, Cuba
• Costa Rica
• Portugal
• Tuscany and Rome, Italy
• Iceland
• Oaxaca, Mexico

Prices for the trips start at $1,999 per person.

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Types of Water Filters

Before we delve into which filters are best for traveling, it’s essential to know the difference between types of filters, and decide which one is right for you. 

UV Purifiers 

These purifiers use UV light to kill harmful bacteria found in water. These are usually more expensive than other filter types. 

Pump Filters

Pump filters are precisely as they sound – you pump the water out of a filter. 

Gravity Fed Filters

Gravity filters use two tubes connected by gravity to move the water from one bag, through the filter, to the other, clean bag. 

Straw Filters

Straw filters allow you to drink the water directly from the source or from a bottle from which you have gathered the water- the filter connects to a straw, and your suction from sipping brings the water through the filter. 

Tablets

Tablets go into your water and kill any damaging bacteria. Unlike filters, the effect of tablets is not immediate, you usually have to wait 4 hours or so for it to make the water safe. 

Countertop Filters

Countertop filters aren’t going to come with you as you travel. However, they are a handy option for shorter excursions and when you want to filter your water at home. They typically have a well, and you filter the water as needed. These generally are the most expensive filters. 

Tap Filters

Tap filters either live under your sink and connect to your pipe or attach to your faucet, a cheaper alternative to the counter top filters.

Best UV Water Filter – Steripen Adventurer

Super compact and easy to use, the Steripen Adventurer uses UV technology to destroy dangerous bacteria found in water. It comes with a carry case for easy transport while traveling. 

Best UV Water Bottle – LARQ Bottle

This insulated water bottle has a UV light integrated into the cap that filters down into the water, killing anything harmful. It automatically turns on every two hours, making it an excellent stress-free option for anyone on the go. 

Best Built-In Water Bottle Water Filter – LifeStraw Go

This water bottle uses a 2-stage filtration with the built-in filter straw. The filter removes bad taste, odor, chlorine, and organic chemical matter from undrinkable water, making it safe, refreshing, and thirst-quenching. 

Best Press Filter – GeoPress Purifier – Nature Edition

Get clean drinking water in just seconds with the GeoPress Purifier. This purifier removes waterborne pathogens, filters particulates, and features a twist cap to vent the air during filtration to protect it from cross-contamination. It filters up to twenty-four ounces of water. 

Best Multi-use Filter – Sawyer Mini

Use this ultra-compact filter in two different ways: either as a straw filter or as a squeeze filter. Choose whichever way you want to use it: by filling up the squeeze pouch with water, attaching the filter, and squeezing it out into your water bottle, or by attaching it to the included straw and sipping it from a cup or other container. 

Best Gravity Purifier – Platypus Gravity Water Filter

The Platypus Gravity Water Filter comes in several sizes to meet all of your water filtering needs on the go. Perfect for hikes and camping, a filter connects two bags and tubes, and the water travels through the tubes by gravity.  Choose the 6L bags for large groups or smaller sizes for individuals. No matter what size you choose, they roll up into a smaller size for easier transport. 

Best Pump Filter – Survivor Filter PRO

The Survivor Filter PRO brings back the technology of the old water pumps you’d find in every town – put the tube connected to the reservoir into the water, and pump it out through the filter and out the top into your water bottle. 

Best Water Purifier Tablets – Katadyn Micropur Purification Tablets

If a filter seems too much of a hassle, you can try purification tablets like these. Simply drop them into your water and let the magic happen. However, these aren’t great if you are in a hurry for whatever, as it takes four hours for them to do the job. They filter up to 4 liters at a time. 

Best Countertop Water Filter – The Well by Lang 

This counter system is much too big to take with you anywhere; however, it is the perfect option for purifying water you will take with you anywhere. It will purify and mineralize your water, giving you refreshing, great-tasting water to fill your jugs or bottles. 

Best Tap Filter – PUR PLUS Water Filtration System

The PUR Plus Water Filtration System easily attaches to your tap, giving you crisp, good tasting water. It’s available in six colors, so you can match your kitchen or add a pop of color. 

Which Water Filter is Right for Me? 

Which filter is right for you depends on your preferences and what you need it for. If you are planning on a long camping/hiking trip, a bigger portable filter like the Platypus Gravity Water Filter is going to be the better option. If you want something to carry with you at all times when you need clean water in a pinch, a straw like the LifeStraw is all you need. (be aware, it may be alarming to sip dirty water without seeing it filtered, so if you are squeamish this option may not be for you). If you are just looking for a way to get clean, safe drinking water at home to take with you, the Well by Lang is your best bet. 

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A private tour company will consider your preferences, budget, and group size in order to custom-design the perfect trip for you.

Think private tours are only for ultra-wealthy travelers? You might be surprised by how affordable it can be. “People are often under the misconception that it costs a lot more to book your trip through a private tour company—it doesn’t,” says Laura Burdett-Munns, Managing Director, Journeysmiths. “We receive a commission from the various hotels and suppliers, which allow us to offer personalized advice, great levels of service, and consumer protection for around the same price as you would get booking each element yourself,” explains Burdett-Munns.

These are the five best private tour companies for custom trips. 

Journeysmiths

For over 30 years, family-owned and operated private tour company Journeysmiths has been arranging bespoke travel itineraries to destinations across the globe. If you want your trip to make a difference, Journeysmiths is the company for you. Working with partners who share Journeysmiths’ values of supporting conservation and community, travelers have the opportunity to participate in volunteer projects—or they can simply receive information about how their trip is making a difference in the destination (by patronizing local businesses or through the funding of charity projects).

Clients work with Journeysmiths’ team of travel designers (who have an average of 15 years of specialized experience in their destination) to create the perfect itinerary. Don’t know where to start? Journeysmiths’ website features a fun “inspire me” option, where you can see potential experiences and accommodations for categories such as “adventure,” “beaches,” or “family time.”

Sample Trip Experience: Camping on the ice in Antarctica. 

Ker & Downey Africa

Specializing in safaris in popular destinations across the continent, Ker & Downey Africa can help you plan all types of animal adventures, from bird-watching to gorilla tracking. The company has a network of local travel experts, known as LuxVenture Designers, who will work with you to create your dream trip.

Ker & Downey Africa partners with locally-owned lodges across Africa, hand-picking properties that are eco-friendly and community-focused (but still luxurious). 

Sample Trip Experience: Swimming with whale sharks in Mozambique. 

Abercrombie & Kent

“When was the last time you did something for the first time?” This is the response of Geoffrey Kent, founder and co-chairman of Abercrombie & Kent, when people ask him where to go next. With tours available on every continent, off-the-beaten-path trips that will impress even the most seasoned travelers can be arranged

Overwhelmed by creating your own custom itinerary? Abercrombie & Kent has a variety of ready-to-book private trips available to choose from in destinations including Croatia, Morocco, and Egypt. Don’t see anything you like? An Abercrombie & Kent consultant can create a tailor-made trip for your group to anywhere in the world.  

Sample Trip Experience: Learn how to make authentic Italian pizza from a professional pizzaiolo in Rome.

Black Tomato 

On a trip to Eastern Europe, Tom Marchant, one of the founders of Black Tomato, was offered the chance to try a black tomato, extolled by a local as a “rare and wonderful” tasting experience—and thus, the company’s name was born. 

Every trip is designed around creating these special “rare and wonderful” moments for travelers. Black Tomato’s tailor-made trips can be crafted to accommodate practically any activity anywhere in the world—”short of robbing the Louvre, we can—and will—organize anything,” boasts Black Tomato. 

Sample Trip Experience: Ski unnamed peaks in Lofoten, Norway.

Kensington Yacht

If your dream private trip takes place on the water, turn to Kensington Yacht, the sailing-specific sister company of Kensington Tours. Kensington will match you with the perfect private yacht or catamaran for your group size, and then stock it with water toys, a full-service crew, and a gourmet chef.

The company will also arrange a bespoke itinerary, including excursions and onboard surprises. At every port you wish to stop at, local guides will be ready to show you all the best secret spots. 

Sample Trip Experience: Dive at the archeological site of the sunken city of Baiae off the coast of Italy. 

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