We all know Google Maps is like a right hand when navigating our way through narrow alleys and busy streets in a foreign country. But if I told you that there exists a wider range of apps that will make your trip a lot easier, would you believe me? Yup, probably. But you might not know about them yet. Well here I am to hopefully make your travels more stress-free.
Grab
Cost: Free
THE most important app you’ll need, aka Asian Uber. It works in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, Myanmar and the Philippines. We’ve been using Grab almost everywhere whether it is by ordering a car or a motorbike. It works excellently in bigger places like Bangkok and Canggu but do a little research before you put your whole trust in catching a flight with this app. If you go more rural places in Bali for example there won’t be as many available drivers. Grab is also way safer than local taxis, unfortunately there is a bit of an issue with local «taxi mafias» several tourist places in Southeast Asia. I would really recommend downloading the app BEFORE going to Asia so it’s ready to go the second you land. Trust me. You do not want to arrive at the airport and fight with the local taxi drivers that want to scam you. Grab also delivers food, sooo I mean what else can you ask for??
Gojek
Cost: Free
Speaking of transportation…If you want to get the true asian experience, you travel by motorbike. Gojek is equivalent to Grab but it is for motorbikes which means more drivers and (usually) cheaper fares. But since Grab also offer motorbikes I always compare the two for the same distance and go with the cheapest option. Motorbikes drivers are obligated to bring an extra helmet for their passengers buuuut sometimes it’s just for the visuals. I’ve been HOLDING many helmets on my head because they didn’t fit.
Hostelworld
Cost: Free
Are you going for the full backpacker style way of traveling? Then you need to download Hostelworld. Obvious to its name this platform is for finding accommodation. It’s mostly hostels but there are also some hotels there. If you want the hostel experience but with a bit more privacy you can filter your searches with «private rooms», they do exist.
Agoda
Cost: Free
I know that a lot of people also like to use Agoda when booking accommodation in Asia. Before every trip to Asia I download it with the intention of testing it but then I never do. I recently learned that Booking and Agoda are owned by the same group and since I am a loyal Booking.com user for maaany years I have just ended up using that platform instead. I just wanted to mention it since I know it’s a popular one, and then you can check it out and see for yourself what you prefer.
Airalo
In need of mobile data when out traveling? Airalo is an eSIM app that makes it super easy to stay connected regardless of where you are. We used Airalo for three months in Asia and it was very convenient to do everything in-app without having to go to a physical shop and change SIM cards. Physical SIM cards might be a bit cheaper but the offers Airalo have are very affordable. Want to save some dollars on your first purchase? Click this link.
Valuta + (Currency Converter)
Cost: Free, In-app purchases
«Am I supposed to divide by five or three?». That’s me every time I go to the market in a new country. I can never remember how to convert a foreign currency to the Norwegian krone. So I have found it very useful to download a currency app that can converts it for me. I use this one, but there are lots of options out there.
Travelspend
Cost: Free, In-app purchases
Handling currencies with seven figures make you feel like a millionare…but those small conversions might end up being a bit more than you expected in the end. Keeping track of your economy in a systematic way might not be such a stupid idea. Travelspend helps you do that. You can make categories for whatever you like and even split it into countries so you know exactly how much you spent where.
Cyberghost or NordVPN
Cost: Monthly subscriptions
Always on the go requires hookups with random cafe and hotel wifi’s, which isn’t really an ideal thing security wise. Therefore, it can be very smart to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network). Supposedly, (I choose to use that word as I am not a tech genius) it encrypts your data and protects sensitive information against people that might want to try and hack the public wifi. And of course VPN can be used in other ways as well, for example when booking flights and accommodation. If you make your computer think you are in a different country by turning on your VPN you can find quite different flight fares depending on where the platform thinks you are. So this is definitely a hack to save money! I use Cyberghost VPN and I am very happy with that but I know NordVPN is also very popular. They usually come with a monthly subscription.
Google Translate
Cost: Free
I’m sorry I might let you down by adding something so obvious. But I want to emphasize the various uses of this genius app. You see, the mobile version of Translate is great in many ways.
- You can download a customized area of a map for offline use (perfect if you’re out of data but still planning to explore)
- You can upload pictures or just point the phone camera at menus, signs, books and whatnot and it gives you the live translation of the language.
- The speech to text feature can help you communicate with people you don’t share a common language with. It’s obviously not 100% but it does the job.
Do you have any other suggestions to must-have apps when traveling? Let us know in the comments or email us at hi@myhandisadolphin.com!