Technology has made everything easier with travel. Whether you have a local SIM card or you just use your phone when connected with WiFi while traveling internationally, there are some apps that you need. In SE Asia, we learned about apps that we had never used before anywhere else we’ve traveled. We wanted to share those for anyone planning a trip to any of the wonderful countries in SE Asia.
The Eight Apps You Need When Traveling in Southeast Asia
1. Vietnammm
This app is like Grubhub, Uber Eats or any of those magical apps where you click a few buttons and then food appears. The menus on this app were easier for me to read and understand. When it was 110 degrees outside, we were still able to eat.
2. Grab
This is SE Asia’s version of Uber, and it’s the only option that is reliable. It’s super easy to use. It works for cars, motorbikes, and food. It has an awesome feature that allows you to translate the messages from the drivers.
3. Klook
Download this app to help book any tours and activities you want to do. We used this at Ba Na Hills for the first time, and it worked like a charm. Create an account, download the app, and use APP10TW to get 10% off whatever you book.
4. Google Translate
This is the best app if you are traveling anywhere. It’s not a perfect translator, but you can take a picture of a sign and get it translated. Menus, airport signs, you name it, it will translate it. It saved our lives in Vietnam. You can also download a language and have it ready to go offline. Plus, it’s FREE, which is my favorite.
5. RefillMyBottle
You cannot drink the tap water here. If you’re like us, the idea of buying plastic bottles over and over again made your stomach turn. Enter this app. This app allows businesses to sign up to be a refill station and provide either boiled water or filtered water and you can bring your own bottle to refill. Some places charge a tiny fee and others are free. We always made sure to buy something to eat or drink to support the business. We’ve even spent a few hours emailing businesses we visited that would benefit from joining the list of stations. Love this app and love the work they are doing. Download it for any travels you have and support their work!
6. Agoda
This app has helped us with last-minute hotel bookings. Booking.com is our go-to for most places, but we were advised to download this one for SE Asia. It has been easy to use, and I would recommend having it for any last-minute needs.
7. WhatsApp
This messaging app is easy to use and allows you to text any number internationally without paying any extra. It’s used everywhere we’ve traveled. All the tour guides we’ve used, friends we’ve met and hosts we’ve stayed with use this. If you are doing any communication internationally, this will be a helpful tool.
8. Happy Cow
We are plant-based eaters, and this app has helped us find restaurants everywhere we’ve traveled. We have shared our food struggles, and this app has saved us. You can search for vegan, vegetarian, and places with options for meat-free eaters. I love that users share what they ate and pictures. The app is wonderful. Anything food-related is wonderful.
What other apps do you use when traveling in Southeast Asia?
What apps do you use while traveling? Is there anything related to SE Asia that we are missing? Comment below and let us know. Also, let us know if you have any questions.
Happy Travels!!
