Asia

Asia is huge, diverse, and endlessly tempting, so the biggest mistake is trying to do too much in one trip. Start by choosing a focus: maybe temples and street food in Thailand and Vietnam, culture-rich cities like Tokyo, Seoul, and Taipei, or island-hopping in Indonesia and the Philippines. Aim for 2–4 countries max over a few weeks so you have time to breathe between night markets and night buses.

Use trip planning tools to sketch your route and keep essentials in one place: flight details, visa confirmations, hotel bookings, and must-see spots like Angkor Wat, Kyoto, or Ha Long Bay. With Hello’s trip planning feature, you can pin attractions, add transport notes (like “buy Suica card at Haneda” or “book Shinkansen seat”), and share the plan with travel companions.

Check visa rules early; some countries offer visa-free entry or visas on arrival, while others require online applications. In tropical areas, build in “buffer days” after long bus or train journeys in case of delays or travel fatigue. For multi-country itineraries, book open-jaw flights (into one city, out of another) to avoid backtracking. And remember: Asia rewards slow travel. It’s often better to spend an extra day exploring a neighborhood market than squeezing in yet another airport.

Moving around Asia is part of the adventure. In Northeast Asia, high-speed trains like the Shinkansen in Japan or KTX in Korea are fast, punctual, and easy to navigate with clear English signage. In Southeast Asia, expect a mix of low-cost flights, long-distance buses, and sleeper trains between cities, plus tuk-tuks, jeepneys, and songthaews for short hops.

Download key local apps: ride-hailing like Grab in Southeast Asia or DiDi in parts of China, plus transit apps for navigating metros in Bangkok, Singapore, and Hong Kong. A Hello eSIM is worth setting up before you land so you can go online instantly to order rides, translate addresses, and find your hotel without hunting for airport Wi‑Fi or a local SIM queue.

For city transport, look for reusable cards such as Octopus (Hong Kong), T-money (Korea), or EZ-Link (Singapore); they save time and sometimes offer small discounts. In many places, meters aren’t always used, so agree on the fare before getting into a taxi or tuk-tuk. When language is an issue, show drivers your destination in the local script, not just in English. And avoid rush hours in megacities like Tokyo, Bangkok, and Mumbai if you dislike packed trains—plan your sightseeing to start slightly earlier or later instead.

Asia is a dream for food lovers, from ramen in Osaka and xiaolongbao in Shanghai to pho in Hanoi and nasi goreng in Bali. Street food is often both safe and delicious—look for stalls with a steady stream of local customers and high turnover. In many countries, a filling meal can be as low as THB 60–120 (around US$2–4) at a Bangkok street stall or VND 40,000–70,000 (US$1.50–3) at a Hanoi bún chả joint.

Respecting local customs goes a long way. In Buddhist temples across Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos, cover shoulders and knees, remove shoes when required, and keep your voice low. In Japan, avoid talking loudly on trains; in India, asking before photographing people is appreciated. When in doubt, watch what locals do.

Useful tips:

• Chopsticks etiquette: Don’t stick chopsticks upright in rice (it resembles funeral rituals).
• Cash vs card: Smaller eateries often prefer cash; pay and move on quickly to keep things flowing.
• Language basics: Learn a few words—“hello,” “thank you,” and “delicious” can open doors.

Use Hello’s trip planning to save restaurant recommendations and note dietary phrases (like “no peanuts” in Thai or Vietnamese) so they’re handy offline when ordering.

Daily costs in Asia vary wildly: a day in Singapore or Tokyo can rival European prices, while parts of Vietnam, Laos, or Cambodia still feel very affordable. As a rough guide, budget travellers in Southeast Asia often manage on US$40–60/day (guesthouse, local transport, street food), while in East Asia you might aim for US$70–120/day, depending on comfort and activities.

Many destinations are still cash-focused, especially markets, local buses, and smaller guesthouses. ATMs are common in cities, but rural areas may have fewer, so withdraw in advance. Use Hello’s budget tracking to record spending in local currencies—like JPY, THB, or IDR—so you see how much you’re really burning through in each country.

When travelling with others, bill splitting can get messy after a few nights of shared hotpot or izakaya runs. Hello’s expense splitting lets you log who paid for what—say ¥8,000 for sushi in Tokyo or ₩60,000 for Korean BBQ in Seoul—and settle up later without awkward math.

A few money tips:

• Keep a small stash of emergency cash separate from your wallet.
• Notify your bank before travel to avoid blocked cards.
• Check for foreign ATM fees and choose machines attached to major banks where possible.

Combined with a Hello eSIM to stay connected to banking apps, you can manage money smoothly even while bouncing between countries.