Appreciation post: My $15 local SIM card in Bali totally crushed my old global roaming plan

Okay so for my first two weeks here I was clinging to my fancy international plan from back home. It was costing me like $10 a DAY for slow data and I kept hitting limits. My friend finally dragged me to a Telkomsel store in Canggu and I got a local prepaid SIM. For 250,000 rupiah (about $15) I got 25GB of data that lasted my whole month, plus local calls. The speed was INSANE, I was video calling from a cafe with zero lag while my old plan would have been buffering on a good day. The difference wasn't just the price, it was feeling actually connected instead of constantly worrying about my phone eating my budget. Has anyone else had a total game changer moment with a simple local switch like this? What's the best deal you've found?

2 comments

2 Comments

sean_foster526d ago

That "feeling actually connected instead of constantly worrying" part is so real. Did you have any trouble with the setup, like getting the store to register the SIM for you? I've heard that can be a hurdle for tourists sometimes.

the_anthony5d ago

Oh man, that reminds me of when I tried to get a SIM in Rome. The guy at the kiosk just kept shrugging and pointing at my passport. Total mess, ended up using hotel wifi the whole trip.