Wah gwaan Reader! That's "what's up" in Jamaican Patois, something that not only will you hear in Jamaica but cities like Toronto as well! We've always wanted to answer the common question, "which eSIM should I get?". We gotchu!

Also from now on with our monthly emails, we'll stick to a schedule of the last Thursday of the month (or at least we're going to try 😅).

Here's what we have in this month's newsletter:

• 📳 The eSIM deep dive you've been waiting for
• 🎥 Our new YouTube videos
• 🧮 Travel math

If you haven't yet, make sure to check out the latest on our social channels: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.

ESIMS

We were all-in with wifi hotspots 5 years ago but that just goes to show you how fast the technology change. With all newer smartphones with eSIM capability, it's almost a no-brainer.

Let's Recap

You no longer need a physical card that needs to be entered into a slot. With eSIMs, you purchase, activate and top-up digitally. It's super easy and quick to set up.

Before we dive into some comparisons, here are the pros and cons of using an eSIM.

Pros:

• Seamless and easy to use.
• No extra device to carry around and charge. You also don't need to invest in buying another device.
• As cellular data, it isn't as easy to accidentally use too much data (as long as your phone is set to not stream or sync to the cloud).

Cons:

• You can't share your connection as easily as you would a wifi hotspot but you can always tether your connection.
• You need to activate your eSIM with an existing connection. This means you can't just land and activate while on Airplane Mode.
• It is usually not as cheap as wifi hotspots.
• In many cases, it's not as cheap as local physical SIM cards.

Deep Dive

We've noticed eSIM companies pop up left, right, and center. We get a lot of questions from readers about whether companies are reputable or not.

The truth is, we suspect that most of these companies are just resellers and they wrap the service with their own user interface. That's why you almost can't go wrong with whoever you choose. So to us, price is a big determining factor.

Undoubtedly, Airalo has done the best, leveraging influencers and their huge marketing engine. Others have taken different approaches. For instance Gigsky and KnowRoaming are partnered with Visa. Flexiroam is partnered with Mastercard.

Now I know this is a bit raw but we analyzed some of the big players and the data was quite interesting. We wanted to compare things apples-to-apples as best as we could but every company has differences in # of days valid, and data packages offered.

KKDay's unfair advantage - Some of you might not of heard of them but they're an activity booking platform similar to Viator, GetYourGuide. Similar to Klook, they focus primarily on the Asia market. Their products seem to be more heavily discounted but will admit that you have to really poke around to find the right product since they aren't in-house listings. We know people that have used this and as you can see, it's definitely the cheapest.

Klook is a great second option - As another Asia-based activity platform, they have their own in-house eSIM product and has extremely competitive prices after KKDay.

Flexiroam is expensive - Another clear conclusion we can make is that Flexiroam is consistently double, if not more the rest of the field.

Airalo - The biggest player doesn't always have the lowest prices but I'd say that they're on-par. That said, they are in most cases, equivalent, or a tad more expensive.

Gigsky and KnowRoaming - I'd say after the likes of KKDay and Klook, these two are neck-and-neck. It really depends on where it's for and what data package. Where you could be on top is when you use GOINGAWESOME to save 20% with GigSky or the GAP10 code to save 10% with KnowRoaming.

Ubigi advantage - It's not on this table but we of found a killer deal for the US where you get 10GB valid for 7 days for only $9. 30 days is $14 which is near the lowest and significantly cheaper than Airalo.

Global packages - When it comes to a package that can be used around the world, Amigo SIM actually dominates, with super competitive rates, especially if you use GOINGAWESOMEPLACES to save 20%.

⚠️ DISCOUNTS - Of course, the table doesn't factoring any promo codes so with that, Gigsky becomes one of the better prices in the market.

• Gigsky - TANG149 to get $3 USD when you sign up + GOINGAWESOME to get 20% off
• Airalo - WILLIA9500 to get $3 USD credit on your first purchase
• Ubigi - AWESOME10 to save 10% on your first order
• KnowRoaming - GAP10 to save 10%
• Alosim - GOINGAWESOMEPLACES to save 15%
• Amigo Sim - Use code ____ to save 20%

Who Is The Best?

What everyone really wants to know, right?

If you're willing to give them a shot, KKDay is worth trying on an upcoming trip. It won't come with the frills of a fancy app but for the lowest price, they can rarely be beat.

For everywhere else, it really does require a bit of research. Every country and region packages are slightly different. That said, KnowRoaming and Gigsky and good places to start.

Unlimited Data Options

Similar to wifi hot spots, eSIMs also come with the unlimited data option. This is when you get a certain allocation of data everyday and if you go beyond it, your speed gets knocked down.

In KnowRoaming's case, it's 2GB every 24 hours and if you go beyond it, your speed will be reduced to 500kb/s which is still decent.

Does 5G Matter?

It really doesn't. For those that have 5G at home, you've probably noticed the same. We experimented with Ubigi's 5G service in Tokyo and I think because of the constant hunting and switching for 5G vs 4G towers, I ended up with more inconsistent service.

Lesson: For now, I would almost avoid 5G service. Certainly, don't use it as an X-factor when making a decision.

Did Someone Say Free?

This might be the best deal of all. Gigsky is pulling out all the stops with their partnership with Visa. They are literally giving out data plans.

USA - With a Visa Infinite card, get a 3GB / 15 day plan + 30% off all plans

Canada - With a Visa Infinite Privilege card, get a 1GB / 15 day plan 2x a year (once) + 30% off all plans.

This deal isn't stackable with our GOINGAWESOME code but you can use this when you're topping up.

Lastly, if you're planning on joining, make sure to use TANG149 to get $3 USD when you sign up.

This Month's Travel Deals

Here are a few offers that we wanted to highlight for March. Remember, we have our deals group on Facebook. It's free to join if you haven't yet!
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• Europcar (Global): Your Easter adventure starts here- up to 20% off. Good for rentals between March 16 – August 31, 2025. Deal ends March 23, 2025.
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• Columbia Sportswear: Get the Annual Winter Sale – Up to 50% Off All Styles. This sale ends on March 30, 2025.
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• Radisson Hotels: Save up to 35% in in the Middle East, Africa, Türkiye, Georgia, Azerbaijan or Southeast Asia Pacific. If you’re a member, you’ll also receive 2,000 points per stay. Only applies to B&B rates. Good for stays between March 24 – April 5, 2025. Deal expires March 27, 2025, so today is your last day!
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• Expedia: Annual Vacation Sale – Members can save 25% or more on select hotels when booked by March 31, 2025. This is good for travel dates of February 27 – September 8, 2025.
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• G Adventures: Great Adventure March Sale – Save 15% on select trips worldwide for travel dates by October 31, 2025. The only exception are Australia and New Zealand trips. The sale runs until March 31, 2025.
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• Universal Studios Hollywood: Klook is offering a buy one day, get one day free + a free 5GB eSIM. This is a killer deal if you’re planning a trip to LA soon!

✏️What's New on the Site

In case you're not subscribed to our "let us know whenever you publish something new" list, here are our new posts and a couple we spruced up for 2025.

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☝️ What's Next at Going Awesome Places

March is a bit of a quieter month but as you might've seen on our YouTube channel, we published not one, but two videos where we finally got to review the Peak Design 7L Outdoor Sling which I've been using religiously since getting it last year.

​Part 1 of the video talks about some of the main specs and Part 2 goes into my personal thoughts of what I loved and what I didn't.

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🍪 Travel Tidbits

Travel news

Here's the latest from the industry with a few articles that we think you'll enjoy.

• Did you know there are some American habits that are rude in other countries?
• Check out Traveler’s best places to go in Asia 2025 guide.
• Love to discover local food culture when you travel? Here are 10 unique food experiences around the world to try this year.
• Travelling to Europe? Learn about the ETA and which countries you need it for, the UK was just added to the list!
• Postive news on the Entry/Exit System in Europe, EU countries agree phased launch of Entry/Exit System, ending years of delays.
• ​Where are the world’s most beautiful railway bridges? Engineering marvels become big tourist hits
• ​TikTok influencer causes chaos at ski resort with police intercepting 'invasion'. TikTokers - do better!!
• Enjoying a few too many Aperol Spritz's has its consequences - Tipsy tourist fined $520 after diving into Rome’s Trevi Fountain​
• Discover Saint Lucia's 'Small Six' with wildlife expert, Ray Mears - This is groundbreaking wildlife tour to discovers and celebrates six rare and endangered species that can only be found on this breathtaking island.

Travel Math

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We hope that helped! We'd love to turn this eSIM data into an article down the road so if there's a view that you'd like to see or perhaps a company that we didn't consider. Let us know by replying to this email!

Cheers,

Will Tang
​Chief of Awesome, Going Awesome Places

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