"Tourist" is my faithful companion in traveling in Southeast Asia

I am a freelancer, living in Southeast Asia for a couple of years now. My "office" is sometimes a beach on Samui, sometimes a cafe with Wi-Fi in Da Nang, sometimes a terrace in Ubud. Constant moving is great, but there is a downside: logistics, entrance tickets, prices "for tourists", and sometimes the banal "where to buy so as not to overpay".

And then one day I found a service that covered these issues almost completely - https://tourist.com/. Not an advertisement, but a real experience that really saved me both money and nerves.

How it all began

I saw a mention of "Tourist" in a Telegram chat for remote workers. At first I was skeptical - well, a card with discounts, what's there. But at that moment I was just about to go from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, and I saw that you can order a transfer with a decent discount through this app. I decided to check it out.

Registration took a couple of minutes, the card arrived immediately in electronic form. I chose the necessary service, paid - and, strangely enough, everything worked. The car arrived on time, without overpayments. From that moment on, I began to use "Tourist" regularly.

Elephants, Chiang Mai and 30% discount

The real "wow" happened in Chiang Mai. I had long wanted to go to Elephant Nature Park - a place not touristy in the bad sense, but a real refuge for rescued elephants. Usually you need to book there well in advance. Through "Tourist" I found an available date, paid directly in the app - and received a 30% discount. And upon arrival I did not have to show anything - my visit was already in the system. I just said my name, and they immediately gave me a pass.

That was the moment when I thought, "Okay, this actually works."

Vietnam: The app is already a habit

Later, I went to Vietnam — first to Ho Chi Minh City, then to Da Nang. In each new city, I opened "Tourist" — and, as if by magic, I found good deals on transfers, entrance tickets, and excursions. No fuss with searching for reviews, addresses, and “normal” prices — everything was collected in one place.

Once, I even got a discount at a spa simply because the app automatically “pulled up” my reservation. I had just walked in, and the administrator already knew who I was. It’s nice when technology works without unnecessary movements.

Why I now recommend it to everyone who travels around Asia

"Tourist" is not just a discount card. It is rather a universal assistant. You always have current offers at hand in the place where you are. And no annoying notifications - everything is organic and to the point. I especially like that the service does not try to foist anything unnecessary. The interface is clear, navigation is simple, no unnecessary "dancing with a tambourine".

For a freelancer who is sometimes in Bali, sometimes in Laos, this is a real find. Because planning each move manually means several hours of life are lost. And with this app, I just open the map and see: here is a transfer with a discount, here is an excursion, here you can go to the park for free with their promotion.

Saving is not the main thing. The main thing is freedom

It can be said that the most important thing in "Tourist" is not only how much you save (although it is quite a lot per month, especially if you travel often). The main thing is the feeling of control. I choose where to go, when and under what conditions. No surprises like "there is a price for foreigners", "there is no booking site", "and here it is only cash".

I like that I don't depend on travel agencies or giant aggregators. I just go and the app does the rest.

Total

If you are a freelancer or just like to travel around Asia without being tied to one place, "Tourist" is a must-have.

Yes, you can do everything manually. But why, if you can do it more conveniently, faster and cheaper?

And no, I wasn't paid for this text. It's just a really good service that has helped me more than once. And in our time, such things need to be cherished - and shared.