Getting online while traveling: SIM card vs. roaming data

Hey everyone! Who else is addicted to the internet? Do you know the internet is a must-have when solo traveling?

Yep, as long as there's internet, everything's gonna be alright. Thanks, Google!

Honestly, I've never used a portable wifi. Why? It's too much hassle to charge and not flexible, especially when you're always on the go. So, I always use a local SIM card or buy a data package. And before every trip, I always compare prices from different providers.

To make things easier for you, here are some tips and honest reviews based on my experience using the internet in different countries.

Tips from Tita

Compare the prices of data packages from your current provider before buying a new SIM card. Consider the data quota and validity period. If you don't need to make phone calls, a data-only plan might be a better option. There are plenty of apps like WhatsApp and FaceTime for making calls over the internet

1. Thailand

I've traveled to Thailand multiple times, and I've found that buying a local SIM card is much cheaper than using my Indonesian provider's roaming rates.

During my trips to Thailand, I've used both AIS and DTAC providers. The internet quality was consistently good, both in the capital and in northern regions like Chiang Rai. You can purchase SIM cards directly at the airport for around 219-299 Baht for a 7-day plan and 599 Baht for a 15-day plan. These plans usually offer unlimited data starting from 1.5GB to 30 GB. Honestly, buying SIM cards at the airport is quite expensive.

There are two cheaper ways to get a SIM card: through tiket.com or Klook. Klook is cheaper. I once got a 15-day SIM card for only around 100,000 Rupiah

1 Baht is approximately Rp. 450-500. So, if you buy a SIM card for 599 Baht, that would be around Rp. 287,520. That's quite a significant difference, isn't it?

2. Turki

I've been to Turkey twice. The first time, I used a data package from my Indonesian provider since it was a short trip before my Umrah and I was joining a tour group. The tour bus usually had Wi-Fi, and we didn't have much free time to buy a SIM card at the airport. So, buying a data package was the easiest solution.

For my second trip, I decided to buy a Turkish SIM card beforehand from an online marketplace. It was a convenient and affordable option. Before purchasing, I compared prices with those at the airport and realized that the online marketplace offered the best deal. I bought a 10-day SIM card for less than 200,000 Rupiah. While it was convenient, there were some drawbacks.

The network connection was unstable; sometimes, it was good, and sometimes, it wasn't. It wasn't ideal for heavy social media users as the internet would slow down quickly. WhatsApp and searching on Google or Safari were also a bit slow. However, for basic usage like Google Maps and occasional searches, it was still reliable. Here's the SIM card I bought from the online marketplace..

Anyway, I checked the store and the link to the SIM card has been changed to a selfie stick. I don't know why, but you can still check out the store as they might still be selling SIM cards. Just look for the orange store link.

3. Malaysia

4. New Zealand

5. Australia

6. Spanyol - Italia

soon yaa! I'm tired wkwk