Asia is an attractive destination for both business and leisure travellers alike, with over 260 million international tourist arrivals in 2015 alone. Here are some travel websites and mobile applications that could help you in your travel plans for your next trip to Asia.
Trivago
Trivago is one of the largest hotel search and hotel price comparison websites in the world. Users are able to compare hotel prices from over 1 million hotels available on more than 250 hotel booking sites worldwide, including Expedia and Hotel.com. By aggregating the hotel prices on a single website, users are thus able to find their ideal hotel for the best price quickly and effortlessly.
Local versions of the website are available in China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
TripZilla
If you are intending to plan out an itinerary for your upcoming trip to Asia, then TripZilla may be able to help you in choosing some of the best tour packages that are available within the country of visit. TripZilla is a tour package search and price comparison website that aggregates tour packages from hundreds of travel agencies that operates within a country, allowing users to conveniently choose the best tour deals available.
TripZilla also runs an online magazine publication that provide readers with insider tips, travel stories and insightful information on dining, shopping and places of interests in Asia. TripZilla is currently available in Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.
Traveloka
What distinguishes Traveloka from other hotel and flight booking platforms that are available in the market is its strong niche on Southeast Asian destinations. It currently provides price comparison of thousands of hotels and more than 18,000 flight routes within the region.
Additional features are also available on Its mobile app such as the ability to book, pay, and receive an e-ticket in less than a minute (TravelokaQuick) and the ability to save up to 40% on flights (Traveloka Smart Combo). Traveloka is currently one of the most popular hotel and flight booking website in Indonesia, with a significant presence in other Southeast Asian countries including Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
HotelQuickly
Intending to take a spontaneous trip to Asia but having trouble in finding last-minute accommodation? HotelQuickly may be able to help you. It is a simple last-minute hotel booking app that provides heavily discounted hotel room prices for users who are searching for a last-minute hotel deal. The list of hotels is curated according to the percentage of discount provided and the user’s location. A best price guarantee ensures that the prices on the app would be significantly lower than those available online.
The app allows booking of last-minute hotels in 16 Asia Pacific countries including Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Klook
Klook is a Hong Kong-based online and mobile travel platform that allows users to discover and book curated travel experiences available within a country. By working directly with attraction operators and eliminating the middlemen (eg. travel agencies) who may not be transparent about the costs, Klook is able to provide insider deals and best prices for users.
It is currently available in Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Mauritius, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, offering more than 1200 activities across the Asia Pacific region.
Maps.me
If you worry about data or roaming charges while accessing your map application on your mobile phone, then Maps.me could probably save your wallet. Maps.me is a mobile map application that does not require any Internet connection. The app allows users to access detailed offline maps for any city or country in the world.
With more than 40 million users and over 20 different languages, the app can be downloaded on the Android, Blackberry and iOS mobile platforms.
Airbnb
One of the largest online vacation rental marketplace platform in the world, Airbnb connects users who are looking for accommodation with individuals who are intending to rent out their homes. Through its online or mobile app, users could easily list their properties, discover or book unique vacation homes and accommodation from all over the world.
Airbnb appeals to budget-conscious travellers and those who would like to have a different and memorable experience in their country of visit. It is currently available in more than 34,000 cities across 191 countries worldwide and a significant presence in major cities across Asia.
TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor is a user-generated travel review website and is touted to be the most visited travel website in the world with more than 170 million user-generated reviews and opinions on travel-related services including hotels, restaurants and attractions. By providing a platform for users to share their travel experiences, other travellers are able to make a more informed decision on their travel-related choices based on personal reviews.
Local versions of the website are available in China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.