We bought our Malagasy Orange and Telma SIM cards on the first full day in the country, the 16th of November 2022. The last SIM card in Madagascar, Airtel, was trickier to get in the capital. I’ll explain below why we’re getting multiple SIM cards from different providers. TL;DR Which SIM Card in Madagascar Should I Choose? So far, we think the best SIM card in Madagascar is Orange. It connected well in Antananarivo and worked immediately. Tethering worked perfectly and it works both on iPhone and Android devices. Orange also worked in Ampefy, the first smaller town we visitedContinue reading
SIM card
SIM Card in Qazaqstan: Which is Best?
Qazaqstan or Kazakhstan is a huge country in Central Asia that might pique the curiosity of digital nomads and adventurous travelers. Here’s how to get a SIM card in Qazaqstan and what to expect from the internet situation. Intro to Qazaqstan Qazaqstan sprawls over an indecently huge swath of land from Volga Delta and Caspian sea in the west all the way to the Tian Shan mountain range and the infamous Xinjiang region of China to the east. While most of it is an open steppe, it can be quite diverse: offering more of a desert vibe next to theContinue reading
How to Get a SIM Card in Georgia (The Country, Sakartvelo)
This Caucasus country is becoming quite popular with travelers and digital nomads. Here’s a handy how-to guide for getting a SIM card in Georgia to stay online from Tbilisi to Omalo. Do You Need a SIM Card in Georgia? If you’re staying in the main cities only and/or for a couple of days – probably not, as free WiFi is pervasive and quite easy to come by – any cafe, restaurant will beam it, as will bus and metro stations in the capital “Tbilisi Loves You” network. However, it’s not always as smooth and reliable as one would wish, plusContinue reading
How to Get a SIM Card in Mauritius
First, there’s a bit of story on the obstacles we faced when trying to buy a Mauritian SIM card. Click here to skip over that and go directly to the how-to for buying a Mauritian SIM card. FYI, the country code for Mauritius is +230 Our Experience Buying a SIM Card in Mauritius FAQ SIM Card in Mauritius + Internet Freedom Which provider should I choose? There are three providers: Chili/MTML, Emtel, and my.t. All of them are cheap, so there are no major savings to be gained. The only major difference between the providers is coverage. If you chooseContinue reading
How to Get a Turkish SIM Card (In the Small and Non-Touristic Towns of Turkey)
We bought our Turkish SIM cards on Monday the 25th of October, one day after arriving in Karasu. Karasu is a port town on the Black Sea coast and we’d arrived by ferry. It’s relatively small and getting a Turkish SIM card wasn’t straightforward. This post is supposed to help people who are also arriving in Turkey by land or sea and in a smaller town away from places geared toward foreigners. Our Experience Buying a Turkish SIM Card in Karasu FAQ Turkish SIM Card + Internet Freedom in Turkey Which provider should I choose? There are three telecom providersContinue reading
How (Not) to Get a SIM Card in Ukraine (Kyiv)
When traveling to Ukraine, it’s a great idea to get a SIM card for independent travel. Though we arrived at Boryspil International Airport (KBP), we didn’t buy one there because the shop was closed. Mobile data is neither expensive nor cheap in Ukraine. Here are our learnings from getting a SIM card in Ukraine on our first day in Kyiv, so you can avoid the mistakes we made. And ooh boy, we made a lot of mistakes! FYI, the country code for Ukraine is +380 Our Experience Buying a SIM Card in Ukraine FAQ SIM Card in Ukraine + InternetContinue reading
How (Not) to Get a SIM Card in Uzbekistan (Tashkent + Samarkand)
When traveling to Uzbekistan, it’s a great idea to get a SIM card for independent travel. When we arrived at Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport, we didn’t buy one there because the price was double from the city. Mobile data is quite affordable in Uzbekistan. Here are our learnings from getting a SIM card in Uzbekistan on our first day in Tashkent, so you can avoid the mistakes we made. FYI, the country code for Uzbekistan is +998 Which Uzbek Telecom Company Should I Choose? Analysis of the Uzbek prepaid data wiki showed us that the info is probably ratherContinue reading
How to Get a SIM Card in Bishkek, or Anywhere in Kyrgyzstan
When traveling to Kyrgyzstan, it’s a great idea to not save on the wrong end and pick up a SIM card. We did that at the Manas International Airport in Bishkek on arrival. Mobile data is very cheap in Kyrgyzstan. Here’s how to get a SIM card in Bishkek without making the mistakes we made. FYI, the country code for Kyrgyzstan is +996 Which Kyrgyz Telecom Company Should I Choose? Before going to Kyrgyzstan, we looked on the prepaid SIM card wiki for the country. For us, coverage is the most important aspect. Though Kyrgyzstan has not the greatest mobileContinue reading
Getting a SIM Card in Malaysia
This article is a comprehensive guide to getting the best prepaid SIM card in Malaysia. “RM” is short for Malaysian Ringgit—their currency. Click “In Short” in the table of contents to skip over the text and get a step-by-step guide. For starters, the Malaysian country code is +60 Telecom in Malaysia Malaysia is a country that has two parts: a mainland Asian part called ‘Peninsular Malaysia’ and an island part on Borneo referred to as ‘East Malaysia’. Peninsular Malaysia is where its capital city Kuala Lumpur (KL) is located. Though East Malaysia is larger in size, more than 80% ofContinue reading