Asia is one of the safest and friendliest region for travelling-both for business and for pleasure.  Getting around in new places can always be a bit tough so here are some great apps our team recommends before traveling around the region.

Google Translate

Language is the most challenging barrier when visit or do business in Asia. There are plenty of apps which offer instant translation facility but Google Translate is certainly the best because of its quality of translation. The app is quick and easy to use and It can  translate text, speech, images, and even real time video in your desired language. The app is available for free on Google Play and iTunes.

Map.me

Map.me  is an incredibly fast app for routing and navigation as it is loaded with highly accurate and detailed offline maps. When you’re visiting Asia, you can download complete maps for your desired country which will help you in navigation and routing. The app also has marked the millions of restaurants, tourist attractions, ATM machines, metro/ subway stations and more across the region.

Uber

You can get a reliable and hassle-free ride in minutes with the Uber app for selected cities in China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam, Singapore and more. Uber offers cash and credit card payments in Southeast Asia and the app is available for iOS, Android, and Windows users.

Grab

Grab has largest network of drivers in SE Asia. It provides quick and reliable booking services for cabs, private cars and bikes. Their services are available in 30 cities across 6 countries in the SE Asia. The app is available for iOS, Android, Windows, and BlackBerry OS10 users.

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor is an all in one free travel app through which you can plan and book a perfect trip. This app helps you with finding cheap flights, delicious food, best hotels and  many fun things to do. TripAdvisor gives you offline access to reviews , photos, videos and maps of your favorite destination in Asia.

Foodpanda

The foodpanda app is the most convenient and fuss-free food ordering app. Foodpanda will help you locate the nearest restaurant, browse their menu and order food on the go. In Hong Kong and Singapore foodpanda offer fast delivery of food in 30 minutes. The app is available for Android, iOS, Windows and Blackberry users in 13 countries across Asia.

Booking.com

Booking.com app helps you find out the best place to stay and offeres over 800,000 properties. You can filter by price, deals, location and review score and confirm your accommodation instantly whereever you travel.

 

Besides the above mentioned must haves apps, some apps which are useful in specific countries are here:

Indonesia

Gojek

Gojek is most popular motorbike service in Indonesia. Although Uber and Grab are present in Indonesia, Gojek rules the road. Their service is cheap, flexible and a quick way of getting around in the congested cities of Indonesia. The service does also allow you to private car. Go-Jek however, is not limited to rides as this app can also help you get your food, mail, tickets, shopping items delivered at your door through their 20,000 riders nationwide.

Waze

The GPS map app which works best in Indonesia is not Google Maps, its Waze. Waze is the most popular navigation app which provides everything you need in to explore Indonesia. In the big crowded cities of Indonesia it reports real-time traffic jams and give you alternate routes-an important feature to navigate the challenging roadways. Waze is free app available on Android and iOS devices.

Sindhen

Sindhen is the best app for your night out in Jakarta. With this app you can get updates about bars, lounges, clubs and restaurants and book yourself a table. You can also buy tickets for upcoming events, festivals and concerts. The app is free to download.

Grivy 

Grivy is a famous auction deal app through which you can explore a wide range of deals and offers in Bali, Bandung and Jakarta. There are multiple payment options to checkout.

 

Vietnam

AIRBNB

AIRBNB is a  free mobile app that connects people who offer an accommodation in their homes  to the paying guests. This app is very useful in Northern Vietnam to find cheap hotels and homestays. This app is available for Android and iOS users.

 

Collin’s Vietnamese (Phrasebook)

This app is from Europe’s top bilingual dictionary  seller. Collins Vietnamese app is filled with 10,000 words and over 2,000 survival phrases covering common situation you can face during your trip. It is also loaded with pre recorded audio of phrases by native speakers

Thailand

LearnThai

Learn Thai app is essential for travelers to survive in Thailand. This app is developed carefully by native Thai people and it has hundreds of essential phrases for greetings, general conversation, transportation and eating out. The app has free version and pro version.

Wongnai

The Wongai app allows you to find famous food of Thailand near you. The app lists restaurants along with the reviews and rating from registered users through which you can easily decide the best place to have meal.

Singapore

GoThere.sg

GoThere.Sg is a beautifully designed app which is very helpful in moving around Singapore. This app includes options such as directions, routing, MRT map, traffic information and taxi cost calculator. The apps cost US$ 2.99 but it is well worth it.

HungryGoWhere

This app helps tells you where to go when you’re hungry in Singapore.  Through this app you can browse through food guides of Singapore and search food by location, cuisine type, popularity, and price range.

mTrip

If you are visiting Singapore  mTrip will assist you as your personal tour guide.  It is a genius tool which can build a personalized trip itinerary automatically. You can also plan a custom schedule of your tour with this app. This is app works offline on iPhone or Android devices and saves the data roaming charges.

Taiwan

 Spyglass

Spyglass is the best navigation app in Taiwan where Google maps doesn’t offer turn-by-turn navigation. This app supports different maps such as google maps, bing apps, map.me,  depending upon the need of traveler . You can also download maps for offline use.

uBike

The uBike scheme of Taipei offers bicycles for rent through the automatic rental stations all over the city. With the uBike app you can locate the rental points near you and check the availability of bicycles. uBike service is free for first 30 minutes and you have to pay for ride longer than 30 minutes . The app has a timer  and options to reserve and pay for hire.

Taiwanease

 

This app is directory app which includes thousand of destinations in Taiwan such tourist attractions, restaurants, hotels, offices  etc . You can get directions for your destination in English and Chinese language.

China

Pleco

To survive in china you need an app which can assist you in communication. This app is loaded with terms and phrases of Chinese language. It can instantly translate the Chinese text to English by hovering a smartphone camera over it.

China Metro

China Metro app gives subway and metro navigation with route planners for major cities such as  Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and even for smaller cities like Harbin, Hangzhou and Changsha. If you’re traveling off the mainland, you can also use this app conveniently for Singapore, Hong Kong and Taipei.  

ExpressVPN

The “Great Firewall of China” does not allow to open many famous apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. You need a Virtual Proxy Network (VPN) for accessing your favorite apps and ExpressVPN  is best choice in China. You can use ExpressVPN free for 30-day with fantastic speeds from anywhere in China,

Japan

Teriyaki

Teriyaki is a  famous Japanese gourmet guide app that is available in English. It is a free app that lists over 1600 restaurants recommended by “Teriyakists”, the local food experts. The app available on iOS and Android for free.

Dig-Japan

Dig-Japan provides you with necessary information about your destinations while you are traveling in Japan. It is a complete travel guide with offline maps and basic travel information about tourist attractions, restaurants, airport and railway schedules.

Hyperdia

With the Hperdia app you can get the complete information about schedule and route of trains in Japan. You can find the nearest subway station by a tap of finger and get timetable of trains. The app also includes advanced search options,  aviation information and online hotel booking service. 

Kanji Goggles

This app is makes Japanese surroundings for travelers much simpler by instantly translating Japanese characters to English with the help of smartphone camera.

Korea

NaverMap

If you don’t want to wander in Korea forever you must have NaverMap while visiting Korea. It gives detailed and accurate locations with street view and GPS locator.

Subway or (Ji Ha Cheol)

This app is very helpful to navigate the huge and complex subway system of Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Daejeon and Gwangju. You can find the location of subway terminals, timings and exact of ride through this app.

This is available in English and Japanese language.

Visit Korea 3.0

This app has a huge collection of tourist attractions all over the Korea. It gives you directions, contact information and summary of all famous places such as mountains, wildlife parks, temples and museums.  This app is released and managed by the Korea Tourism Organization.