Best Apps for Asia Travel: The Ones I Actually Use

The phone replaced the guidebook — here’s what replaced the phone guidebook

Between Google Maps, translation apps, and ride-hailing, a phone is now more useful for Asia travel than any physical guidebook. Here are the specific apps that have genuinely improved my travel rather than just adding noise.

Navigation

Google Maps: works in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia. Download offline maps for each country. The transit mode handles complex train networks (Tokyo especially) flawlessly. Maps.me: works better than Google Maps in rural areas with limited connectivity — a good offline backup.

Ride-hailing

Grab: Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia (some areas). Set up before arrival. Gojek: Indonesia-specific, excellent in Bali and Java. Both work similarly to Uber with fixed prices before you book.

Translation

Google Translate with offline packs downloaded: camera mode for menu translation is the most useful feature. Works well for Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Chinese menus. DeepL: better for longer text translation when accuracy matters.

Booking

Klook: activities, day tours, transfers booked in advance with verified reviews. Aviasales: flight comparison across all regional carriers. 12Go Asia: trains and buses booked online across the region.

Connectivity

Airalo: eSIM data plans for individual countries or multi-country Asia packages. Install before you fly and activate on arrival — no hunting for SIM cards at airports. — book a Yesim eSIM in advance for the best price.