If you’re travelling to Southeast Asia, make sure you download these must-have apps before your trip. They have helped us huge amounts during our travels and having them already downloaded before you leave will prevent the faff of trying to download them and set up accounts whilst you’re in another country.
Hostelworld
If you’re travelling on a budget and plan to sleep in hostels then this app will be your bread and butter. Hostelworld is great as you can see pictures, ratings, reviews from other backpackers and who’s also visiting at the same time as you. If you’re visiting during the high season then make sure to book online before arriving as a lot of backpacker hostels in Asia tend to fill up quickly. Keep an eye out as there are often discounts on the app too.
Agoda
Travelling as a couple, we didn’t always want to stay in hostels. When we did occasionally look for a double room, we often found the cheapest deals on Agoda. They regularly have discounts, especially last minutes ones so keep an eye out and you’re likely to find something.
Grab/Bolt
Taxi drivers and tuktuk drivers will most likely always try and scam you whilst you’re in South East Asia. The easiest way to get around is by using Grab or Bolt which are the equivalent of Uber. Using these apps is also much safer than taxis or tuktuks as it tracks your location and makes sure your driver stays on route.
Revolut/Monzo
Revolut and Monzo are great banking apps for travel as they allow you to get more out of your travel money. They provide excellent currency exchange rates and no/low ATM withdrawal fees abroad. Quinn and I both use Revolut as we also receive cashback and other travel perks whilst being on the Metal Plan. The Metal Plan includes 4% AER/Gross paid daily on our savings so that our savings pot continues to grow whilst we’re travelling. It also provides worldwide emergency medical cover along with insurance on delayed flights and lost luggage. Revolut also has a joint account which is great if you’re travelling as a couple.
Airalo
When we initially started travelling we would buy physical SIMs whenever we arrived in a new country. This quickly became annoying in South East Asia as we would buy a SIM plan which was supposed to last for 30 days but often found that it stopped working after a week or so. Whilst you might think you’re getting a great deal at the time, there’s often a reason why it’s so cheap.
Airalo has been a game changer as we no longer need to waste time looking for a physical SIM card. With a coverage of 200 countries and regions, Airalo allows you to buy local, regional or international eSIMs which can be activated immediately after installation or upon arriving at your destination.
12Go
We used this religiously to find the cheapest way to get around in South East Asia. If you enter your starting point and destination, it will show you all the available methods of transport between the two locations. It allows you to compare which is cheapest and/or fastest and easily book your tickets online.
Skyscanner/Expedia
If you plan on flying between cities or countries then Skyscanner or Expedia will be your best friends. I often check both to see where I can get the best priced flight.
Get your Guide
Being a tourist in South East Asia, often tour guides will try to sell you an overpriced tour. Unless you’re prepared to barter, you might end up spending a lot more than you would have expected to. If you’re someone who likes to plan in advanced or isn’t prepared to barter then I suggest using Get your Guide to book your tours and day trips.
Worldpackers
If you plan on volunteering or doing a work exchange while you’re abroad, you should definitely consider signing up to Worldpackers. You can browse and apply to volunteering opportunities in 140+ countries. The best part is you save money if you use the code QUOSIETRAVELS when you sign up.
Once you’ve managed to download these must-have apps for your travels to SoutheastAsia, I also recommend reading how to save money and prepare for your trip.