If you’re going to Southeast Asia you really need to download and use this app. It low-key saved my life!
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post, although I wish it was!
When I visit family and friends in Malaysia and Singapore, I often don’t have to worry about anything. I wake up, eat, take a nap, eat some more, and then sleep again all while being chauffeured from place to place in a comfy air-conditioned car. As nice as it is, one does yearn for independence at some point so naturally, I asked how I could get around the city on my own.
I can’t speak for everywhere in Southeast Asia, but at least in Malaysia, there is no way my family would let me on the streets. Traffic laws are loose suggestions and it is very easy to get hurt when driving. That’s when Grab came into my life!
Although some countries also have Uber, in Southeast Asia, Grab by far the most popular and dominant ride-sharing app. It is available in Singapore, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Besides being safe, fast, and easy, it’s what the locals are using which means you always pay a fair price. It’s especially great because as a tourist you can still pay in cash after the trip, so you don’t need to worry about getting a bank account in that country just to link up a payment method.
I will not be going into how to use the app in this article, mostly because it’s really straightforward and the app is in English. However, I will say that you do need data/wifi to use it so yes a SIM card or internet connection is a must (just like any other app).
Even if you don’t have data and can’t reliably use the app for your entire trip from point A to point B, the app is great for checking fares before haggling with local taxis.
STORYTIME
Back in 2018, I had decided to visit Indonesia. The plan was to meet up with some friends from Malaysia in Indonesia, but I had booked my flight incorrectly and ended up having to fly into Indonesia >5 hours earlier than the rest of my travel party. This was my first time in Indonesia, alone, hardly 21 at the time, and on top of that slightly sick. When I landed in Indonesia, my only goal was to get to my hotel safely, check-in, and pass out. As soon as I walked out of the gate the swarm of male taxi drivers immediately surrounded me shouting “Taxi? Taxi miss?” over and over. I did need a taxi but I felt really overwhelmed at that moment so tried to head into the bathroom to gather my bearings and figure out a game plan. The crowd was very forward, and one man actually followed me into the bathroom continuing to ask if I needed a taxi! This happens in most tourist countries (maybe not the bathroom thing but the crowd for sure), so I was expecting it, but still a little scared when it happened.
Thankfully the airport I was at had WiFi (I have been to airports without WiFi and it makes travel 10000x harder). I remember texting my mom telling her about the bathroom and the crowd and how I didn’t think I was a good enough traveler to do this. I wanted to use the Grab app but I knew once I left the airport the WiFi would cut out and it’d be difficult to find my ride, even just a bit further out the WiFi was starting to drop. I realized that although I couldn’t use the app though, I could figure out the fair price to get to my hotel! The reason this is so important is that if you are traveling alone (ESPECIALLY as a young woman) the LAST thing you want to do is get into a situation with anyone who wants to take advantage of you. Many of the men yelling for tourists to come to use their taxi are planning to rip you off. You’re a tourist in a new, unfamiliar country, it’s too easy! They aren’t planning to cause any physical harm, but many are expecting you to pay a lot more and are fully prepared to drop you off in the middle of nowhere if you don’t.
I found out, through Grab, that my ride would come out to ~5 USD. Knowing this, I felt more in control to haggle my way down and find the most honest driver. I made my way back into the crowd and starting asking prices. Many told me prices over 30 USD, but I was able to confidently state the price I wanted and walk away if they wouldn’t drop down to that. After pushing through driver after driver, I took a break on a bench when a small, kind, man quietly approached me and asked where I needed to go. I showed him the address and he agreed to take me there for ~6 USD, so I ended up going with him. He could tell that I was still very on edge and nervous to be getting into a car alone with a man I had just met at the airport, so he let me take pictures of his license, showed me his taxi driver ID to calm my nerves, and made small talk with me. To my relief, he was actually a really good guy and everything worked out. I was taken directly to my hotel, safely and I paid him the exact amount we had agreed on with no problem. I share this story because I have many friends who do get taken advantage of by taxi drivers when traveling, and especially when you’re a solo female traveler that can be an incredibly scary situation to get into.
Most of those guys at the airport really are harmless, but it’s the one or two bad guys that you want to avoid getting into the taxi with. This is why I feel such a close affinity to this app because it really saved me in a time where I was feeling scared and stressed. I hope that by sharing my experience using Grab, that more travelers can feel safe and in control when navigating Southeast Asia.
P.S. Since I was last in Malaysia, the company has expanded even more to include food and package delivery! I haven’t tried these features out yet, but am really excited to use them and eat my heart out when I go back.
Customs Lah 
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