Planning a trip to Indonesia and thinking about what apps are a must-have for tourists? Some of the Indonesia apps can really make your traveling much easier. When you are preparing for a trip, download the 10 best apps for Indonesia travel on your smartphone, as these apps can be very useful during your stay.
Indonesia SIM card
During your trip in Indonesia, internet access on your phone can greatly simplify your life. It’s best to buy a local SIM card with an internet connection to stay conveniently connected on your holiday in Indonesia. Local SIM cards are not expensive and easy enough to get upon arrival so you can use all the apps right away. To save money, pre-book an Indonesian SIM card online via the links below and pick it up at one of the airports in Indonesia:
SIM Card at Bali Airport (DPS)
SIM Card at Jakarta Airport (CGK)
Otherwise, if your mobile phone is eSIM compatible, you can get eSIM Indonesia by instant email delivery and use it right after landing in Indonesia.
Best Apps for Indonesia Travel
Your Indonesia trip will be much easier if you download most of the below-listed apps to use in Indonesia. 10 best apps for Indonesia travel that will be really useful on your trip are the following.
1. Gojek
Gojek is the best app for hailing rides and takeout delivery in Indonesia, similar to Grab or Uber. Gojek comes from the English word 'GO' and the Indonesian word 'OJEK,' which means motorcycle taxi. That's why it started as a motorcycle-hailing service. Today, Indonesia’s Gojek offers a wide range of services, including GoCar for car-hailing, GoFood for ordering food and having it delivered to your door, GoSend for parcel deliveries, GoMart for grocery shopping, and GoPay for e-wallet services. You can easily download the Gojek app on your phone.
2. Grab
Grab, similar to Gojek, is another great app for getting around Indonesia. It offers a wide range of travel options, including taxis, personal cars, motorcycles, and delivery services. All you need to do is choose the origin and destination; this app will calculate the distance, expected time, and estimated fare, and you will only have to wait for your taxi to arrive and take you to your desired destination. In addition to transportation bookings, it is possible to use the delivery service feature and order food with a wide variety of restaurants and stores, plus great promotions. Some local taxi drivers may try to overcharge, asking for more than double the fare, so make sure to download this reliable commuting app to your phone to avoid such situations.
3. KLOOK
If you are planning to visit Indonesia and looking for the best deals on attraction tickets and activities, then KLOOK is one of the must-have Indonesia apps for tourists. KLOOK is the platform where you can book travel activities, tickets to amazing tourist attractions, and local experience tours around Indonesia, such as the Bali Tour, Borobudur and Prambanan Temples Tour in Yogyakarta, or Mount Bromo Sunrise Private Tour. It’s also a good app to order a local SIM card, and you can pick it up as soon as you land at the Indonesian airport. You can download the app to check out all the activities you're interested in. There are plenty of great deals available for the users of this app. You'll notice the ticket prices are way cheaper than what local travel agents or the ticket booth charge, plus it saves you from standing in long queues.
To get the best offer, we usually compare deals on KLOOK with another great app with a fantastic selection of tours and guides all in one place. - GetYourGuide.
4. Hotel Booking App - Agoda or Booking
Agoda and Booking.com are hotel booking platforms that consistently offer the most competitive prices all over Indonesia. These applications are easy to use, and it’s really straightforward with all the details you need for booking, including clear hotel prices, payment options, breakfast, room types, room pictures with detailed hotel descriptions, easy-to-understand cancellation/refund policies, and reviews covering both positive and negative experiences. You can even check the hotel location by switching to the map and see all the hotels nearby. Normally, the prices are lower if you are using the app on a phone than on a desktop computer. These applications make comparison of the hotels in Indonesia for tourists really easy.
Even if Booking.com is better known worldwide, it’s not uncommon to get better hotel deals on Agoda when it comes to finding a hotel in Indonesia, so it can be said that Agoda is the best app to book a hotel in Indonesia.
5. 12Go
12Go is one of the best apps for booking transport tickets in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. This app is very convenient and hassle-free for travelers, as you can book flights, bus, train, ferry tickets, and even private transfers with the use of just one app. On the 12Go app, tourists can compare different transportation options between a wide range of destinations. You can book a bus from Jakarta Airport to Bandung, a ferry from Bali to Lombok, or a bus from Ubud to Sanur directly through this app.
6. Google Translate
One of the major issues when going abroad is the language, and not many Indonesians know English well. Knowing “selamat” for saying “hello” or “terima kasih” for saying “thank you” is not enough for travelling in Indonesia. This is why the Google Translate application needs to be installed on your phone. This app can translate not just text but also pictures. You can even scan the text in the picture with your mobile camera and translate it automatically into the language you want, so it can be very useful for translating restaurant menus, signs, or transport tickets in real time. Now it comes with features like the live translation for conversations in a foreign language. It will be super helpful to communicate with locals. You can communicate effortlessly with drivers who can’t speak English or read signs in other languages. The translation is excellent and really comes in handy while traveling in Indonesia.
7. Google Maps
Google Maps is a must-have navigation app on your smartphone when traveling to Indonesia. It’s become an essential tool for anyone who needs help finding their way around, making it much easier to navigate the area, whether they're driving, walking, or using public transportation. Google Maps lets you know your location and traffic conditions with a single click. It helps you decide transportation options to reach your destination. This application will also help you plan your trip in advance by making a list of the tourist places you want to visit, the hotels you want to stay at, or the best restaurants to eat at with reviews and finding nearby places, making your journey much easier.
An interesting function and undoubtedly a great advantage of using Google Maps is that this app lets you download maps of the city beforehand so you can use it offline in case you have no network coverage in certain areas of Indonesia.
8. Tiket
Tiket is one of the best travel apps for Indonesia, widely used by locals and tourists alike to make traveling around the country easier. You can find everything you need in this app, not just flights, hotels, trains, and car rentals, but much more. This app also offers a lot of promotions, discounts, and vouchers, helping you save money on various travel services.
9. WhatsApp
WhatsApp is the most popular messaging application for communication in Indonesia. WhatsApp is a free application that only needs your phone's internet connection to send and receive messages, calls, videos, and voice messages with end-to-end encryption. It also supports multimedia sharing, group chats, and many other features that work for both personal and professional needs. It’s easy for everyone for daily use. Therefore, having this app will make it easier for you to contact your new Indonesian friends.
10. Speak & Learn Indonesian
Speak & Learn Indonesian is a great learning tool for the Indonesian language. It’s really easy to learn and understand, with simple steps and clear explanations. In just a few minutes, you’ll start picking up some simple Indonesian words, learning to form sentences, practicing common travel phrases, and even taking part in simple conversations. It can help make your language learning experience enjoyable and effective for your travels.
Bonus Apps for Indonesia Travel
* RedDoorz
RedDoorz can be your favorite choice if you are looking for budget chain accommodation in Indonesia. It is a platform where you can easily book 2-star and 3-star hotels. RedDoorz started its operations in Indonesia, and now it’s grown to offer more than 300 RedDoorz hotels in Jakarta, 200+ hotels found in Yogyakarta, and 100+ hotels found in Bali. Within the app, it offers frequent promos that make it even more affordable. However, it’s important to be careful when choosing hotels; make sure to read the reviews thoroughly first.
Some of the well-rated RedDoorz in Indonesia:
- RedDoorz Plus near Plaza Indonesia in Jakarta
- RedDoorz Premium @ HOTEL HEBAT in Bandung
- RedDoorz near XT Square Yogyakarta in Yogyakarta
- RedDoorz @ Tegal Sari Berawa in Bali
- RedDoorz Plus @ Mahendradatta Denpasar in Bali
Install these useful applications on your smartphone and make your travelling around Indonesia much easier!
Tips
Consider buying a local SIM card to stay conveniently connected on your holiday in Indonesia. Booking an Indonesia SIM card online is much cheaper and easy enough to get upon arrival so you can use all the best apps right away! Depending on your airport of arrival, a SIM card can be booked online via the following links: