Traveling has become a lot easier with the help of travel apps for smartphones and tablets. There is literally an app for everything nowadays. In this article, we identify some of the best apps when you travel to the Philippines.
The following is our list of the most essential travel apps to have on your phone and/or tablet when traveling to the Philippines.
We’ve organized the apps into the following categories to identify the type and purpose of apps:
- Research & Booking
- Planning & Itinerary
- Money & Expense Trackers
- Navigation & Transportation
- Communication
- Business & Organization
- Other
Research & Booking
Hopper
Hopper is not your ordinary flight booking app. It can predict the future cost of a flight thus helping you decide whether you should book now or wait until the price drops. Additionally, when the cost of the flight you are watching drops to its lowest point, you will immediately get a notification so you can snag it in seconds. Users claim to have saved an average of $50 USD per flight using this app.
Purpose: Flights and hotels
Platforms: IOS and Android
Cost: FREE
Cebu Pacific Air
Asia’s oldest budget airline, Cebu Pacific Air offers budget flights to both domestic and international destinations including Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. The app makes it easy for you to book flights for up to 14 passengers and allows you to purchase add-ons, check in, and view boarding pass. It also sends seat sale notification and allows getgo access which is really essential for frequent travelers.
Purpose: Flight booking
Platforms: IOS and Android
Cost: FREE
Philippine Airlines
Popularly referred to as PAL, Philippine Airlines is the first and oldest commercial airline in Asia. It serves 31 domestic flights and 54 international flights including Asia, Middle East, Oceania, North American, and Europe. The app allows you to search and book your flight, manage booking, check flight status, and even check in online.
Purpose: Flight booking
Platforms: IOS and Android
Cost: FREE
Agoda
Founded in Thailand and headquartered in Singapore, Agoda is a metasearch engine that allows booking of flights and airport transfer as well as hotels, resorts, hostels, and other types of accommodations. You may even score big discounts through its various deals. Apart from finding and booking flights and accommodations, the app can also make it easy for you to manage such bookings. It is available in multiple languages and with customer service available 24/7.
Purpose: Accommodations, flights, airport transfer
Platforms: IOS and Android
Cost: FREE
Booking
Booking.com is a travel metasearch engine for accommodations including hotels, resorts, guest houses, and vacation houses. With its mission which is to “make it easier for everyone to experience the world”, the company is one of the leading digital travel companies in the world. Available in 43 languages, it lists thousands of destinations in 288 countries and territories in the world.
Aside from accommodation, the app also allows booking of flights, car rentals, as well as tours and activities.
Purpose: Accommodation, flight, car rental, and activities
Platforms: IOS and Android
Cost: FREE
AirBnB
Airbnb is an online marketplace for accommodations particularly guest houses and vacation rentals. It acts as a broker of over 7 million accommodations in 191 countries and is available in 62 languages. With Airbnb, travelers get to access a wide selection of unique places to stay while hosts, or property-owners, get to monetize their spaces. In addition to accommodations, activities are also being offered by the locals through the app therefore providing guests with authentic experience.
Purpose: Accommodations and activities
Platforms: IOS and Android
Cost: FREE
Traveloka
Traveloka is an online travel booking platform focused on Southeast Asia. It has partnerships with various airlines, hotels, homestays, resorts, and other accommodations.
Purpose: Accommodations and activities
Platforms: IOS and Android
Cost: FREE
Travel Planning & Itinerary Apps
TripIt
TripIt makes it possible for you to travel stress-free as it organizes all your travel plans into a single itinerary. Setting up an account and organizing your travel is easy as you only need to sign in using the email address you use to receive your travel confirmations. The app will then scan for your travel confirmations, automatically add them to your account, and instantly create a travel itinerary.
Purpose: Trip planner and flight tracker
Platforms: IOS and Android
Cost: FREE
Klook
Klook is a world-leading activities platform where you can book tickets at the best prices and enjoy savings on day tours, trips, and holidays. Klook provides you a seamless way to discover the best travel activities, amazing tourist attractions, and local experiences throughout the Philippines!
Purpose: Trip planner and flight tracker
Platforms: IOS and Android
Cost: FREE
Money & Expense Tracker Apps
XE Currency
XE is the world’s most popular and trusted currency converter that provides not only reliable exchange rate information of any currency but also offers international money transfer, travel expense calculator, currency encyclopedia, and forex currency news.
Purpose: Currency Conversion and money transfer
Platforms: IOS and Android
Cost: FREE
Trail Wallet
Available for iPhone and iPad, Trail Wallet makes it easy for you to track your expenses while traveling. With the app, you never have to worry about unconsciously overspending while traveling as it is easy to use.
Purpose: Travel expense tracker
Platforms: IOS
Cost: FREE
Splittr
Traveling with a group? Make sure to have Splittr, a group expense splitter that is easy to use. It works offline, syncs with friends, and supports all currencies. It’s perfect not only for vacations and dreams but also for household expenses and any other group expenses.
Purpose: Group expense organizer
Platforms: IOS and Android
Cost: FREE
Navigation & Transportation Apps
FLIO
FLIO is an ultimate travel companion as it is an all-in-one app that gives flight status updates such as delays, gate changes, boarding times, and baggage claim belts. It helps with airport navigation as well so you never have to worry about finding gate locations and even restaurants, shops, and transportation options. Should you need access to VIP lounges, it’s easy with FLIO!
Purpose: Flight updates and airport navigation
Platforms: IOS and Android
Cost: FREE
Lounge Buddy
Lounge Buddy is one of its kind as it is the only app that allows travellers access to airport lounges all over the world with just a few clicks. Whether you are traveling for business or leisure, the app makes it easy for you to enjoy your airport experience. Lounge Buddy makes you feel like your vacation starts right at the airport, even before your flight.
Purpose: Access airport lounges
Platforms: IOS
Cost: FREE
Google Maps
If you can only use one navigation app, no doubt it should be Google Maps. The map offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, and 360° panoramic views of streets. The beauty of this app doesn’t end there! It even offers real-time traffic conditions and route planning with options for traveling by foot, car, bicycle or public transportation. With over 220 countries and territories mapped, you can also find millions of business such as hotels, restaurants, shops, banks, gas station, public transport terminal, and many others.
Purpose: GPS, maps, traffic alert, and locator
Platforms: iOS and Android
Cost: FREE
Grab
Why stress over hailing a taxi on the streets when you have Grab? The app is an easy way to book not just taxi but even private cars to take you to your destination. Available in Southeast Asian countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia, Grab is one of the travel apps that helps provide utmost convenience as it has expanded to proviide food delivery from restaurants in the region.
Purpose: Private car and taxi booking, food delivery
Platforms: iOS and Android
Cost: FREE
Communication Apps
Keep in touch with family and friends anywhere in the world with WhatsApp, a free app for sending text and voice messages, make video and voice calls, as well as share images, documents, and other media. While the app requires an internet connection in order to work, the user must provide a standard cellular number to be able to register with the service.
Purpose: Messaging and calling
Platforms: iOS and Android
Cost: FREE
Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger enables users to send messages and share videos, photos, stickers, audio, and even files. It also supports voice and video calling as well as group messaging. More than 50% of the Filipino population are on Facebook hence one of the apps you may want to consider when you travel to the Philippines.
Purpose: Messaging, voice and video calling, file sharing
Platforms: iOS and Android
Cost: FREE
Skype
Skype enables users to send instant message, voice, and video call for free. The app can be used all over the world as long as the user is connected to the internet. It even allows calls to landline phones and mobile telephones for a fee via Skype Credit.
Purpose: Messaging and calling
Platforms: iOS and Android
Cost: FREE
Flexiroam
You may be oceans away from home but you can always stay connected with Flexiroam X. The app allows users to get mobile data in order to stay connected in more than 150 countries. The app gives access to more than 500 networks in the world, whether you are a frequent traveller or leisure traveller.
Purpose: Roaming data provider
Platforms: iOS and Android
Cost: FREE
Nord VPN
Worried about your internet privacy? Get Nord VPN, a virtual private network provider that safeguards your internet privacy and lets you enjoy using the web without leaving your trace. It hides the users IP address and encrypts all incoming and outgoing data therefore keeping you safe from unauthorized parties.
Purpose: Safe and private internet access
Platforms: iOS and Android
Cost: FREE
Business & Organization Apps
Evernote
Evernote is specifically designed to allow users to take notes in the form of text, drawings, photographs, or web content. It can even scan handwritten notes and saved notes can be tagged, annotated, edited, searched, given attachment, and exported. Surely one of the apps to help organize your life when you travel to the Philippines.
Purpose: Note taking
Platforms: iOS and Android
Cost: FREE
LastPass
Memorizing all those usernames and passwords is a real challenge. With LastPass, you never have to worry about those as it securely stores your login credentials and autofills logins as you visit sites or open apps. You just have to remember your LastPass master password and everything else will be taken care of.
Purpose: Password manager
Platforms: iOS and Android
Cost: FREE
Asana
Manage a task, project, or even a team with Asana. The app makes it easy for users to assign or accept tasks and get updates from teammates even from a remote location. It allows users to manage to-do list and sends reminders so no one will be missing their deadlines.
Purpose: Tasks and project management
Platforms: iOS and Android
Cost: FREE
Tiny Scanner
Make your android device more powerful than you think with Tiny Scanner, an app that scans documents, photos, receipts, and reports as images or PDFs. Scans can then be shared through email, file sharing apps like DropBox, Wifi, or even fax. Scanning is fast and works both on phone and tablet.
Purpose: Document scanner
Platforms: Android
Cost: FREE
Miscellaneous Apps
Camera+
One of the apps to immortalize the memories of your travel to the Philippines, Camera+ offers basic and advanced editing tools with a variety or filters and special effects.
Purpose: iPhone camera app
Platforms: iOS
Cost: FREE
Shazam
Shazam does not only allow users to listen to their favorite music. It also enables them to discover, share, and buy not just music but TV as well. Used by millions of people each month, the app is available for free for Android, iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and Windows.
Purpose: Music discovery, charts amd song lyrics
Platforms: iOS and Android
Cost: FREE
Spotify
Play songs and podcasts for free with Spotify, an audio streaming platform that provides access to millions of music, videos, and podcasts. Navigating the app is easy as users can browse by artist, album, or genre as well as create their own playlists. The app is available for free but can be upgraded to paid subscription.
Purpose: Music and podcasts
Platforms: iOS and Android
Cost: FREE
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