Asia

Asia is vast, varied, and impossible to "do" in one trip, so start by choosing one to three regions that match your interests. For a first visit, many travellers pair Japan and South Korea, or combine Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia for a Southeast Asia loop. Check visa rules early; countries like Vietnam or India may require advance e-visas, while others are visa-free for many nationalities.

Build a realistic route around seasons. Monsoon affects large parts of Southeast and South Asia, while winters in northern Japan, Korea, and China can be icy. Aim shoulder seasons (April–May, September–November) for fewer crowds in popular spots like Kyoto, Bali, or Phuket.

Use the trip planning tools in Hello to keep flights, trains, and hotel bookings together, and to map out must-see spots such as Angkor Wat, Seoul’s palaces, or Singapore’s hawker centres. Add time buffers between long-haul flights and regional connections; delays are common during typhoon or festival seasons.

Book an Hello eSIM before you land so you can order taxis, check maps, and translate signs the moment you arrive—especially useful in places like Tokyo or Bangkok where street layouts can be confusing. Finally, leave some free days in your itinerary; many of Asia’s best moments come from unplanned detours, like stumbling onto a night market in Taipei or a neighborhood chai stall in Jaipur.

Moving around Asia is surprisingly easy once you know the options. For long distances, budget airlines like AirAsia or Scoot often connect hubs such as Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Manila for under 1500–2500 THB (about 40–70 USD) if booked early. Within countries, trains can be both scenic and efficient: think Japan’s shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka or India’s express trains linking Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur.

For local transport, you will likely use a mix of metro, buses, taxis, and ride-hailing apps:

• In big cities (Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul, Hong Kong), metro systems are clean, safe, and well-signed in English.
• In Southeast Asia, tuk-tuks and motorcycle taxis are common; always agree the price before you hop in.
• In more rural areas, shared minivans and songthaews (pick-up trucks with benches) are typical.

Install and activate a Hello eSIM before arrival so maps, translation apps, and ride-hailing services work from the airport onward, avoiding costly roaming. The trip planning feature in Hello can store train numbers, terminal info, and even screenshots of ticket QR codes so they’re accessible offline. When sharing taxis, use Hello’s expense splitting so everyone pays their share without awkward calculations after a long, hot travel day.

Costs in Asia range from ultra-budget to luxury. You might find street food in Bangkok for 60–100 THB (1.60–2.70 USD), but coffee in Tokyo can easily run 500–700 JPY (3.50–5 USD). In cities like Hanoi or Chiang Mai, a comfortable guesthouse can be 400,000–700,000 VND (16–28 USD) per night, while central hotels in Singapore or Hong Kong often start around 150–200 SGD (110–150 USD).

Cash is still common in many places, especially markets, small eateries, and rural areas, so withdraw a bit at the airport ATMs for immediate needs. In contrast, countries like Singapore, South Korea, and increasingly China and Japan are very card- or app-payment friendly.

To stay on top of spending across different currencies, use Hello’s budget tracking in local currency and add a rough daily limit. Watching how much you spend on grab-and-go items like bubble tea, taxis, and convenience-store snacks is often what keeps trips within budget. For group trips, Hello’s expense splitting helps you log shared costs like villa rentals in Bali or hotpot dinners in Chengdu, so you can settle up instantly instead of trying to remember who paid what in KRW, JPY, or THB at the end of the journey.

Asia’s highlight for many travellers is food, from ramen in Fukuoka and xiao long bao in Shanghai to laksa in Singapore and biryani in Hyderabad. Start with busy spots where locals eat—hawker centres, night markets, and humble noodle shops. In places like Penang’s Gurney Drive or Taipei’s Shilin Night Market, arrive hungry and sample small portions so you can try more dishes.

Cultural norms differ, but a few basics help everywhere:

• Dress modestly when visiting temples or mosques in Thailand, Indonesia, or Malaysia (covered shoulders and knees; carry a light scarf).
• Remove shoes before entering many temples and some homes.
• In Japan and Korea, avoid speaking loudly on public transport.
• In many parts of Asia, a smile and a small bow or nod goes a long way.

If you have dietary restrictions, download key phrases in local languages and keep them handy in Hello’s trip planning notes. With a live connection via Hello eSIM, you can translate menus on the spot or look up whether a dish like "nam prik" or "tendon" fits your diet. When dining with friends, especially at shared-table places like Korean BBQ or Chinese hotpot, log the bill in Hello’s expense splitting so everyone can relax and focus on that extra plate of dumplings rather than the math.