Best eSIMs for Travelling in Asia


If you're soon heading out on a trip to Asia, you're likely busy planning your accommodations, transportation, activities, and general itinerary.
You've also probably started to wonder about the best ways to keep your mobile device active and connected since it can be an invaluable travel tool in terms of navigating, translating, researching, and more!
In this article, we'll share our top picks for staying connected in Asia with eSIMs from Saily, Holafly, and Airalo so that you can enjoy internet wherever your travels take you.

eSIM technology has been growing in popularity since it first started showing up in smart devices around 2016. At this point, nearly all smart phones, smart watches, and tablets are compatible with eSIMs, making it easier than ever before to stay connected while you travel.
In the simplest terms, an eSIM is an entirely digital SIM card that uses preinstalled software on your compatible device to connect you with data networks around the world.
Previously, we've relied exclusively on physical SIM cards like the one you probably got when you signed up for your local mobile service provider. Because these physical cards have to be physically added and removed from your device, they're considered more cumbersome than the digital eSIM option.
An eSIM can easily be downloaded and installed on your device with a few quick steps, avoiding any need to physically locate, exchange, and hang on to a tiny physical SIM card.
With an eSIM, once it's installed, you can immediately join the local networks at your chosen destinations, giving you the ability to be connected almost immediately after you land.
The benefits of choosing an eSIM instead of roaming and instead of getting a physical SIM card when you land are many. These benefits include:
With an eSIM, you can keep your device connected as you move around your destination without having to worry about finding a Wi-Fi connection. This gives you access to great navigation tools like maps, ride-share apps like Uber and Lyft, and the entirety of the internet to power your curiosity and research.
Having internet while you travel can be a big help in terms of keeping your important travel details easily at hand. Whether you need to look up your flight times, reservation numbers, or tour pick-up location, being connected can make all these tasks easier.
By having access to reliable data while you travel, you'll be able to easily stay in touch with people back home to check in and share your adventures. You can also use this connectivity to communicate with tour guides, Airbnb hosts, and new friends.
If you're someone who likes to really get to know your destination, eSIMs and data connectivity are excellent tools for this. Using apps and the internet, you can decipher foreign-language signs, maps, menus, and more. Plus, translation apps and language-learning apps like Babbel can help you navigate language barriers and get to know the locals everywhere you go.
Thinking about the continent and region of Asia, there's so much that comes to mind, from massive cities to breathtaking landscapes to incredible food and rich history.
Each country across Asia offers its own unique travel opportunities and experiences. Whether you're taking a bicycle tour around Taiwan, backpacking around multiple countries in Southeast Asia, or indulging in a culinary tour across Japan, South Korea, and China, this region has something for every type of traveller.
As look to find the best eSIM for your travels to Asia, there are two key things that you should consider:
Our first recommended eSIM vendor is Saily which offers an Asia and Oceania regional eSIM. These packages connect to local networks in the following 22 countries: Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
With this regional eSIM, Saily offers the following data plans, priced in US dollars:
| Data | Period of Validity | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | 7 days | $4.99 USD |
| 3 GB | 30 days | $12.49 USD |
| 5 GB | 30 days | $19.49 USD |
| 10 GB | 30 days | $35.99 USD |
| 25 GB | 60 days | $48.99 USD |
| Unlimited data | 5 to 30 days | Varies by length (USD) |
There are a number of reasons why we recommend Saily as one of the best eSIM vendors on the market.
First, it's very quick and easy to download and install a Saily eSIM to any of your compatible devices. Plus, if you're not confident with technology, Saily offers 24/7 customer support to help with any step of the process, and to support your eSIM usage at your destination.
Saily also gives you 3% back in credit every time you buy an eSIM, and they offer you $5 USD in Saily credits for each friend you successfully refer. These credits can then be spent on your next purchase, making an eSIM even more affordable.
Additionally, Saily eSIMs help keep your data safe while you travel thanks to their built security functionality. Since Saily is part of NordVPN, one of the best VPN services in the world, you can rest assured that your Saily eSIM is offering some of the best data protection on the market.
Another top eSIM vendor is Airalo, which offers both a regional eSim for Asia and another separate one for Oceania.
With it's Asia-specific regional eSIM, Airalo connects you to data networks in the following 18 countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Here are Airalo's unlimited data plans for Asia, in Canadian dollars as Airalo displays them to Canadian visitors. Airalo also sells fixed-data plans, which you can compare in its app.
| Period of Validity | Data | Price | Cost per Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days | Unlimited | $16.50 CAD | $5.50 CAD |
| 5 days | Unlimited | $27.00 CAD | $5.40 CAD |
| 7 days | Unlimited | $37.00 CAD | $5.29 CAD |
| 10 days | Unlimited | $50.00 CAD | $5.00 CAD |
| 15 days | Unlimited | $69.50 CAD | $4.63 CAD |
| 30 days | Unlimited | $104.50 CAD | $3.48 CAD |
Note that these plans are all data only. Airalo is one of the few eSIM vendors that offers calling and texting options for some of their plans (like their European regional eSIMs). However, this option is not available for the Asia regional eSIMs.
Travelling to mainland China? According to Airalo, its Regional Asia eSIM routes your data through gateways outside mainland China, so you can use Google, WhatsApp, and social media without a VPN, as long as you're on your eSIM data rather than hotel Wi-Fi.
We recommend Airalo as one of the most trustworthy and reputable eSIM vendors on the market.
Not only does Airalo make purchasing, downloading, and installing your eSIMs easy and pain-free, but they also offer round-the-clock support for any issues that come up during your travels.
Additionally, with Airalo, you also earn Airmoney on your purchases and by referring friends ($4.50 CAD in Airmoney for each friend's first purchase, while your friend gets $4.50 CAD off), setting you up to save more each time you get a new eSIM.
Our third and final recommendation for the best eSIM vendor for Asia is Holafly.
Although Holafly's regional eSIM for Asia offers connectivity in the fewest countries, it does have the advantage of offering all its packages with unlimited data. These unlimited data packages can also be selected for the exact number of days that you want, ranging from 1 day to 90 days.
To give you an example of the cost of unlimited data for your trip to Asia, here are some popular trip lengths, eSIM prices (in Canadian dollars, as Holafly displays them to Canadian visitors), and cost-per-day breakdown:
These packages and Holafly's regional Asia eSIM work in the following 16 countries: Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Holafly is a popular vendor choice for eSIMs for a few key reasons. First, as we mentioned just above, all of Holafly's eSIMs come with unlimited data, and you're able to choose the exact number of days for every plan.
In addition to this, Holafly also offers an impressive Always On feature that gives its eSIM holders 1 GB of free monthly "backup data" that activates after your purchased plan ends.
After your current Holafly eSIM plan expires, the Always On data becomes available and remains accessible as long as you don't delete/uninstall the eSIM. Each month, the 1 GB refreshes automatically, so you'll have ongoing access to data in locations around the world.
Additionally, Holafly offers 24/7 customer support to make sure you stay connected, and to provide support if you ever need help with your eSIM.
Getting yourself set up with an eSIM before you head out to explore one or more countries in Asia will help make your trip both safer and more fun.
With reputable vendors like Saily, Airalo, and Holafly providing all-encompassing regional eSIMs for all trip lengths and all data-usage patterns, staying connected for a affordable price is easier than ever.
To further prepare for your next trip to Asia or elsewhere in the world, we recommend that you check out our other guides on two-factor authentication while travelling, how to get free a Gigsky eSIM with Visa, and how to get a free FlexiRoam eSIM with Mastercard.
Our reviews and rankings are based on an objective assessment. Advertisers do not influence our content. We may receive compensation through some links; our analysis and opinions remain independent.