One of the many questions I’ve had in preparation for my backpacking trip to South East Asia is whether I should use an e-sim or a local sim whilst I am over there. The opinion is definitely a mixed one as to which is better. After a lot of research and getting advice from the Travels community, it’s not a straightforward answer. There are many different factors to consider that will be unique to your own individual trip. I’m planning on going away for 3 months and travelling to 4 different countries so this is how I’ve gone about deciding which would be best for my trip.

First off my biggest fear to consider is losing my UK sim. Which in the grand scheme of fears I know isn’t that much of a big deal but with every single important app needing 2 step verification nowadays, it’s definitely stress I don’t wish to have. An e-sim would completely eliminate any anxieties and stress of this ever happening. Plus also make it possible to access these apps without needing to switch sims every time.

However, there has been some questions over the coverage of an e-sim. Some people have said they’ve had no issues at all, whereas others say they ran into some blackout spots. I think the consensus is that nothing beats the price and coverage of a local sim. However, there are many benefits to an e-sim which I can’t quite get away from and when so many people have said the e-sim coverage they have experienced has been perfect, I think it is worth the chance. At least to begin with!

Ironically, the actual travelling part of going travelling makes me incredibly anxious so anything I can do to minimise any additional anxiety is a huge plus for me. As long as I can get my e-sim up and running before entering a new country, having instant connectivity as soon as I cross a border will definitely help with that anxiety.  Even if there may be an e-sim in the airport or train station (which you are likely to pay a premium for anyway) or in a shop 10 minutes away, knowing I will have maps, transport apps and general communication apps at the ready is worth the extra cost.

One of the biggest, if not the biggest, overruling factor, though, is the length of stay in each  country. Personally, I will only be doing a month maximum in one country so for the sake of ease and the ability to have constant access to my UK sim, an e-sim wins. However, if I was planning on staying any longer than that in one place, then I think I would change my tune and opt for a local sim. 

One very good suggestion is to convert your UK sim into an e-sim and then get a local sim for the countries you visit. Again, I think if you are planning a longer term backpacking trip, this is without a doubt the best thing to do. This is a best of both worlds scenario but for the sake of 3 months in my case, seems like a lot of unnecessary hassle. If anyone does end up converting their UK sim to an e-sim though I would love to hear how you did it and whether the process was easy or not!

So with everything in consideration, I am set on the decision to opt for an e-sim (at least start with). So the next question is which e-sim provider am I going to be choosing?

This question I’m not quite sure I have the answer to yet. I think the likelihood will be the cheapest package I can find on the best network for that country at the time.

When I asked the trusty backpackers and travellers on Tiktok, the three most recommended e-sim providers were:

• Mobimatter
• Airalo 
• Holafly

All 3 offer the same kind of deals, and have a very similar set up process, so I will be choosing one of them. From doing some initial research, Mobimatter seem to have the cheapest packages with the best networks. Before opting for an e-sim provider make sure a) they are compatible with your phone and b) have a package for the best local network in the country you are going to. As long as when you are selecting an e-sim you choose a package with the best network provider for that country you put yourself in a far better position to not run into any coverage issues.

The best network provider for popular backpacker countries in South East Asia:

• Thailand = DTAC
• Vietnam = Vietell
• Laos = Unitel
• Cambodia = Smart Axiata
• Indonesia / Bali = Telkomsel
• Philippines = Smart

Not that I want to be thinking about the end of my trip before it’s even begun, but I will do a full update on my experience with using an e-sim and which provider I opt for after my travels!