Best eSIM for Bali: My 11-Day Experience with Airalo

Before we chat about why I love Airalo’s eSIM, I wanted to share the two situations why you’re going to want an eSIM in Bali.

Bali relies heavily on WhatsApp.

We used it to communicate with the staff at all of our Bali hotels (Munduk Moding Plantation, Uma Kalai, and Karmagali Suites).

That is their preferred method of communication.

We also used WhatsApp to communicate with our tour guides for the Nusa Penida Snorkeling Tour and Love Bali Bike Tours.

In addition, we had a private Bali driver for a few days during our stay. All communication was through WhatsApp.

Everybody communicates via WhatsApp!

So download WhatsApp now if you don’t have it yet.

Grab is Asia’s Uber. We used it all over Bali especially when we were in Ubud, and it’s super cheap!

Another reason you need an eSIM in Bali!

Always verify your phone is compatible before you purchase an eSIM. Most new phones support it but always confirm first.

For the iPhone, go to Settings > General > About. 

Scroll down to Carrier Lock. If it’s unlocked, it will state “No Sim restrictions” (see screenshot above). 

Then look under Available SIM, it should have a 15-digit IMEI number (see screenshot above). 

Alright, if both of those items check out, you’re good!  

Another thing to know (that I found out the hard way) is that you have a 60-day lockout period on all NEW devices purchased from Verizon.

That means you cannot use an eSIM until 60 days have passed after activation. No exceptions, and I tried!

I purchased a brand new iPhone right before a trip to French Polynesia, and I was devastated I couldn’t use it on my trip.

Airalo actually alerted me when I tried to purchase the eSIM that the device may not be compatible. Lesson learned.

For Bali though, I was good to go since it was well past my 60-day period! But I did call Verizon to have it unlocked after the 60-day wait period.

Make sure your eSIM provider offers great coverage across the entire island.

I purchased an eSIM from Airalo that covered Indonesia including Bali.

My eSIM worked all over Bali while we did our favorite things to do including the following activities:

→   Walking in a coffee plantation high up in the North Balinese mountains

→   Bike riding in Kintamani

→   Cooking traditional Indonesia dishes in Ubud

→   Lounging in the beach town of Sanur

It also worked when I was on other islands in Indonesia:

→   Nusa Penida during our snorkeling tour

→   Sebayur Island in Komodo National Park.

No problems. It supports 5G.

Also, you want to make sure the data plan matches your usage needs.

I love that Airalo has a range of options from 1 GB for 7 days all the way up to 20 GB for 30 days.

I purchased 3 GB for 30 days, which was $11 USD TOTAL!

If I had purchased the Verizon Travel Pass for Indonesia, that would have cost $12/day x 11 days = $132!

Clearly, the Airalo eSIM offers incredible value.

You want to make sure the eSIM is easy to install and activate.

Full disclosure.

I am not tech savvy, so you know it must be easy if I say the Airalo eSIM installation and activation is super easy.

Airalo makes it very intuitive and includes a step-by-step guide.

Before I went to Bali, I installed the eSIM using the instructions below:

Being able to install the eSIM in my hometown BEFORE I boarded the plane to Bali saved me valuable time.

Once I arrived in Bali, I then joined the airport’s Wifi and activated the eSIM using Airalo’s instructions below:

Turn on the line and enable data roaming, and you’re good to go!

Another feature I love about the Airalo eSIM is you can switch between different eSIMs.

We went to Singapore before we headed to Bali, so I also purchased a Singapore eSIM. 1 GB for 7 days for $4.50.

After I was done with the Singapore eSIM, it was easy to switch to the Indonesia eSIM.

Very convenient!

Airalo also gives you a little money back for each eSIM purchased in the form of “Airmoney.”

You can then use that credit towards your next eSIM purchase.

I was not able to receive texts through iPhone messages using the eSIM. Maybe there’s a way to do it, but I’m not aware of it.

Alternatively, I communicated with my family through WhatsApp, so not the end of the world.

The Airalo eSIM is a data-only plan.

If you need a data + calls plan, you have to purchase an eSIM from Telkomsel in-person at one of their stores. Telkomsel runs the main network In Indonesia.

I have used Airalo’s eSIM for three destinations now: Bonaire, Singapore, and Indonesia. All great experiences for all the reasons we chatted about in this blog post. I strongly recommend Airalo’s eSIM to keep you connected during your travel throughout Bali.

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