Travel Tech Q&A: Citrix Online's Seamus King

Seamus King, ANZ country manager of online collaboration company, Citrix Online, is a frequent traveller for both work and pleasure. King constantly flies between Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore and Hong Kong for work, and from experience he has learned the importance of having the correct visa before visiting a country.

Seamus King
(Credit: Citrix Online)

What is your one must-have piece of tech when travelling? What you never leave home without.

It has to be my iPhone — it never leaves my side — providing me with everything I need to keep me entertained and connected with family, friends and colleagues.

What technology do you love abroad, where and why?

I love the variety of "you name it we will dispense it" machines in Asia! You never want for anything — especially things you never knew existed — and always wanted to try, taste or use.

What's your favourite phone app/website for travelling and why?

TripAdvisor is my favourite, especially when I'm visiting somewhere new. It tells me what's around me and provides new ideas and tips on new places (restaurants, bars, cool sites, etc) that I wouldn't normally visit.

Most memorable travel story/experience

About four years back, my wife and I had booked a seven-day cruise to the Asian Territories (Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Thailand, etc). My wife had a West Indian passport and we thought we had all the right visas, but it turned out that we didn't have the correct one for Thailand. Upon arrival, the staff asked if we were on our honeymoon (at which point we promptly both said yes!) so ... they ended up smuggling us aboard the ship — if we promised to stay aboard in Penang! When we arrived, the other passengers disembarked while we stayed aboard and we had the luxury of the whole cruise liner to ourselves for nine hours. And we'd already been to Thailand so we weren't missing anything.

Personal travel advice/tip?

Make sure you second-guess any territory for visa requirements, especially if you have a West Indian passport!

How do you deal with jet lag?

I usually have to keep active — I either go for a swim or keep myself awake to catch up with the time difference. I also book business class on the plane — that always helps ... otherwise I struggle!

What was your biggest travel disaster?

When we were in the Caribbean, our plane had engine trouble and they couldn't replace it for five days. So we were stuck in Club Med for those five days while we waited for a replacement. There's only so much you can do, eat and drink at an airline's disposal.

What tech do you expect in hotels when you are travelling?

Wireless internet is a must. Those motion-sensitive lights in the room are also very handy, especially when I'm feeling lazy. I've also seen those cool phone handsets in the hotel room that have specific apps on them for different excursions, so you can just select what activity you want to book straight from the phone.

What is your dream travel tech to have on planes/in airports/at hotels? (Stuff they don't have yet but boy it would make life so much easier on the road)

• Plane — it has to be Wi-Fi and real-time TV. This may already be available, but I haven't experienced it yet!
• Airport — free Wi-Fi!
• Hotel — I would love to be able to choose my bed depending on the firmness of the mattress when making a room booking. And for them to remember my desired firmness the next time I book. Frequent travellers will understand how important this is!

Favourite destination city to work/visit and why? (in relation to technology)

My favourite place has to be Singapore, purely because everything is technology based, from the malls, the airport to the taxis. It's all been designed with the consumer in mind to make you as lazy as possible! It's like a giant playground for the young at heart!