Travel Smarter: Transact Safer Online and Potentially Unlock Better Rates with PureVPN

While there are many VPN providers out there in the market, it is not common to see one that offers over 500 servers in 141 countries. While I do travel out of Singapore from time to time, I am usually logged on to a WiFi connection somewhere and one of the things that I am most concerned about when transacting over an unsecured network is privacy. While public WiFi signals are great for getting work done (be it in a cafe or in a hotel), security can be a real issue if you do not take necessary precautions.

Logo | Photo Credit: PureVPN

I chanced upon PureVPN a number of months ago when I was searching for server in China as I wanted to test some hypothesis with regards to booking through certain OTAs (more on this later!). There are no lack of VPN products in the market and while they are generally used by international travellers to unblock content (e.g. accessing Google in China), it can also protect you if you tend to transact and send sensitive information online (e.g. internet banking from a hotel room!). One of the key features of PureVPN is that it actually has over 500 servers in 141 countries - China included!

Photo Credit: PureVPN

Additionally, there is no data limit once you have subscribed to it and you can actually use your subscription on up to 5 devices. If like me, you travel with your laptop, mobile phone and tablet, you can enjoy freedom and enhanced security on each one of your devices without having to worry about hitting the maximum number of logins at any given time. Depending on what your purpose of using VPN is, you will also be able to switch from one server to another as many times as you need when you subscribe to PureVPN. 

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One of the things I really do like about PureVPN (apart from the extensive number of servers) is the Auto Protocol (IKEv2) which allows you to automatically switch serves with the touch of a button - you do not need to install individual VPN Profiles within iOS (assuming you are using an iPhone) which may be cumbersome if you intend to switch around quite a bit. PureVPN also supports multiple protocols like OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, SSTP, and IKEv2 so you can definitely find one that resonates most with you. 

Using PureVPN can potentially allow you to save on hotels too - if you can read simplified chinese, activate a VPN Server in China and head on down to Ctrip (the original site)! You will definitely notice some room rates that are significantly lower (and are catered to tourists from China only). I am not sure whether or not proof of identity is required but we are talking about 40-50% savings off top brands here! Just as an example, consider the Mandarin Oriental, Singapore where the cheapest rate goes for S$349++ (approx. S$411 after applicable taxes) on the main website - if you look on Ctrip using PureVPN however, you will be able to find a rate for just CNY 1,235 (approx. S$255 after applicable taxes).