10 Must-Have Free Apps For Philippine Travel


Great applications have become vital in today’s world, when no one travels anywhere without their smartphone, for learning new information, locating friends, and, of course, finding your way around new places. For those who enjoy traveling, there are a plethora of travel applications that cover all the basics, making travel a breeze and your vacation an experience you will remember for the rest of your life. When visiting the Philippines, here are ten must-have free applications.

image 3 10 Must-Have Free Apps For Philippine Travel Free Travel Applications, Free Travel Apps, Golden Island Señorita, Travel, Travel Applications, Travel Apps

PLANNING

1. TRIP ADVISOR is one of the best online sources for travelers, particularly because it has in-depth reviews of hotels, restaurants, and sites to see. Photos uploaded by other users are also helpful for getting a glimpse of a place from an unbiased point of view. It is one of the richest resources you’ll find because it has a large and active community. Also, using the free Trip Advisor Offline City Guide app, you can browse reviews that have been stored in the app, with no data roaming charges.
Available on: AndroidiOS

2. LOOLOO is another app that I use, has plenty of cool aspects and features. The whole idea is that you gain information from the community of users, and you give back by adding your own reviews and ratings. All reviews can be shared on Twitter and Facebook. When you first launch the app you have the choice of signing in through Facebook or “taking a peek” as a guest. The benefit to using your Facebook account is that there are “member-only” features. This is my go-to app whenever I want to try out new restaurants, watch a movie or grab a couple of drinks.
Available on: Android

3. Grab cheap flights and air tickets on Skyscanner. It is a major travel search engine offering not just extensive and free flight search service, it also do online comparisons for hotels, car rentals, and trains where ever you want to go.
Available on: AndroidiOS

GETTING AROUND

4. When visiting a new city, GOOGLE MAPS is a must-have (or even for getting around your home). In some cities, you may map destinations, receive routes (walking, driving, public transit, ride-hailing services, and more), and check how packed your subway will be. You can make restaurant reservations, save your favorite spots, and leave reviews. If you know you’ll be without internet at your location, be sure to download specific city or area maps ahead of time for offline use. The app works best when your GPS is turned on, for obvious reasons.

I’m a local, and I still prefer Google Maps over other GPS apps since the information provided is more accurate.

Available on: Android, iOS

5. GRAB has saved me many times from standing in the sun or rain, or wasting twenty minutes flagging down a ride during rush hour. Since parking is a hassle and expense I would rather not have on most days, Grab has been an extremely useful tool in my everyday life. What’s even better is that it has started to offer Grab Premium. I’ve been picked up by a leather-seated Innova, a polished Camry, and a strapping Fortuner. Awesome part: It runs on a fixed fee so your bill doesn’t shoot up like a rocket. Of course, you occasionally can’t get a cab, even from here, but it’s a really reliable service, with some of the nicest drivers you’re ever going to meet.
Available on: AndroidiOS 

ACCOMMODATION

6. AIRBNB is an essential app for the tech-savvy backpacker, listing affordable accommodation around the globe – ranging from a “private apartment” to a “private island.” In addition to searching for places to stay, you can also offer your own room for rent, if you’d like to make a little extra money. So far there are 150,000 places listed in 190 countries. Also, it has an in-app messaging to help guests and hosts make communication frictionless, keeping all activity on your mobile.
Available on: AndroidiOS

Sign up now to get $31.32 off your first home booking!

TRANSLATION

7. Avoid language barriers and make sure you’re able to communicate easily no matter where you are with the best translation app out there, GOOGLE TRANSLATE. The app features more than 60 languages, and for 17 of those languages, you can translate by speaking the text rather than typing it. Again, there are other translation apps available for download but none of them offers Filipino.
Available on: AndroidiOS

WIFI/COMMUNICATION

8. FREE WIFI CONNECT. Stay connected without racking up roaming charges with the Free WiFi Connect app, which locates Internet hotspots in your vicinity. The app works around the world, and also provides direction to the hot spot of your choice. You can filter according to whether a hot spot is free or secured (those that needed password), although in some places, the results are less than ideal. There’s a misconception about these WiFi scanning apps. It WONT give you free WiFi signal but help you locate where to connect. I’ve tried apps such as WiFi Map, WiFi Finder and Instabridge but this one works better. It doesn’t have those intrusive ads and it’s user-friendly.
Available on: Android

WEATHER

9. There are more than a few weather applications available to mobile users. And while I haven’t tried them all, I think you can’t go wrong with ACCUWEATHER. The ability to add multiple locations along your trip (place of departure and destination) certainly helps, as does the feature that lets you browse tomorrow’s forecast by the hour. If you’re making plans that could be tripped up by weather, this is a wonderful app to have.
Available on: AndroidiOS

BUDGET MANAGEMENT

10. MINT is the best-known free budgeting app on the market. It’s an excellent choice for anyone trying to better their spending habits. The app is free, but you may see targeted financial product ads.

You may either connect your bank accounts using the app or manually enter transactions. Mint allows you to view all of your accounts in one place and manage your spending on a daily basis. The software arranges your spending automatically so you can see totals by category at a glance. Mint also provides monthly bill tracking, as well as payment reminders to help you avoid late fees. 

I know there are tons of mobiles apps out there but as a local here in the Philippines, these are what I found to be useful. And they’re all FREE!

What do you think of my recommended free travel apps? Do you find them helpful? What other travel apps are you using? Any more suggestions? Let me know by commenting below.

pin-this-post PIN THIS POST

10-must-have-free-apps-for-philippine-travel-pin-001

Polly Amora

Polly Amora is the señorita behind GoldenIslandSenorita.Net. A corporate warrior by day, and a perpetual explorer by heart. She is a lifelong learner who is very outgoing, speaks four languages, loud & outspoken, and loves to have adventures in the mountains, on the beach, and in the city. You can throw her anywhere, and she'll handle it like a pro. Ice cream and bourbon are two of her weaknesses.

15 Comments

  1. Adventures with Shelby

    This is so helpful! Thanks for the info

  2. thank you for the share! this must have apps are great for travel

  3. Girl I so madly love your website. Philippines is a great place, I have read about it and these apps have now added to the information.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *