All you want from that last-minute vacation is a lazy week away from your hectic routine, so even researching your destination seems like a bother. Look for a free iPhone app and download that instead, and you ought to have enough information at your fingertips to keep you occupied and entertained you for a few days.

TrulyAsia.tv: Malaysia Travel Guide

Comprehensive information on the country is categorised by state. Within each state, there are recommendations in the usual categories, such as sights, events and hotels. The homestay category is a nice touch, offering options to travellers who prefer more budget or quirkier accommodations. The down side is that there are no reviews or pictures of the homestays (or hotels) listed. However, there are phone numbers and everything is linked to Maps if you need location details. Alternatively, tap on the “Nearby” option and you can immediately find out what attractions and accommodations are near you, listed in order of distance.

City Guide Bangkok Guidepal

Written and compiled by resident authors, this guide has an insider’s feel to the suggestions. For instance, a swanky well-known bar and restaurant such as Face is listed beside Restaurang Suda, a homely kopitiamstyle restaurant for good, cheap and authentic Thai street food. The Local Recommendations category also throws out some unconventional ideas, such as the Patravadi Theatre — a performance art school, restaurant and show venue — and Sukhumvit Soi 3/1, which is supposed to be the city’s Little Middle East. Suggestions are linked to Maps and homepages where possible and an alert pops up to remind the user that data roaming is expensive if the app is about to connect to a network.