Team Wifi or Local Sim? How Do You Communicate While Traveling
Mar 16th, 2018

Our post on Bali took us back memory lane a bit. To put you up to speed, Bali is going internet free (mobile internet to be specific) for 24 hours. It starts from Saturday, 17th March and ends on Sunday, 18th March. The rationale behind it is to celebrate the Nyepi in commemoration of the Balinese New Year. You can check out this post for more information.

We asked our Instagram community what they felt about going internet free for 24 hours and most of them were pro this digital detox!

Maybe it’s a good idea…to remind people to have actual communication and to take the moment in with no technology distraction. -@belle.tammy
 

Makes Sense. It’ll give folks the opportunity to conncect and engage. -@living4success
 

 

COMMUNICATING WHILE TRAVELING

Sometime last year we asked our Instagram community on their preferred mode of communication while traveling and we got tons of opinions. While some were pro getting a local sim with excuses like “how are you going to call for an uber” or “how do you use google translate in non English speaking countries”, pro wifi had good come backs like “how were we existing without the internet”? Language barrier might be a hindrance but if there was no internet we will all get by just fine.

I was team wifi up until I had to travel to Turkey solo for work and needed to face time my daughter every second. Nothing told me to get a sim card at the airport. Prior to this, whenever I traveled I’ll only use hotel wifi or wifi at public places. My reason was pretty simple, its a holiday and I want to enjoy myself to the maximum without thinking of things I need to upload for the ‘gram. Being  selectively available is key for me and most of the photos or stories uploaded are usually “throwbacks”. Uploading on the go is sometimes a huge distraction and you are so fixated on taking great pictures an uploading awesome stories you forget to live in the moment. Looking forward to visiting countries like Cuba with struggle internet! Where I can have an actual digital detox.

My trip to Turkey was the first time I actually bought a local sim with my hard earned money. It felt weird having connection the moment I stepped out of the hotel. Apart from being able to communicate with my daughter, I was also there for work so I had to do my job. Upload stories, write posts, take photos and pretty much feed social media sphere on the go. It was actually exciting but will I get a local sim when I’m on holiday with my family? Probably not!

TEAM LOCAL SIM

Team local sim raised some solid points from google translate to booking ubers, here are some of them.

I prefer local sim when i travel, the last time i tried not to get a simcard, i missed a lot of outings, n shopping wasnt easy either. Roaming is freaking expensive too. – @abimbola190
 

Team local sim and hotel Wi-Fi, I use data once I am out of wifi reach. Local sim not necessarily for data but that I must be reached by my mother every seconds. – @molarabrown
 

I get a sim everywhere I go, buy one at the airport immediately I land. Haven’t had the luxury of being offline for years and right now I can’t even. Team local sim here! – @adaku.ua
 

We all like wifi. Who has time to be spending money on local SIM cards. Till you go to a country that they don’t speak English and get lost exploring and then you need google map, then you need Uber, then you end up spending twice the amount on roaming your data, Then you realize you just played yourself. My name is Denye and I support Local SIM card at every destination. – @denye
 

TEAM WIFI

Very partial to team wifi as they shared all my sentiments. A mini- digital detox is necessary when on holiday. Here are some of their comments.

I never bother with local sims. Tried it once in the UK, utter waste of good quid. Lol. I stick with wifi where I can. My family and friends know I like to be selectively available. As long as I can let them know I’m good, we good! -@ms_ede

Team wifi! So I always choose a hotel that provides free wifi! Also, some countries provide free wifi almost everywhere like it’s a human right. On this trip, I’ve accessed free wifi on the tour bus, in the shopping malls, at the airports, train station, and even at the park by the house. But if there at calls I need to make (non whatsapp calls) then I’ld have to get a sim or roam – @spicyvisa
 

Team wifi abeg. 😂😂😂

Unless I’ll be away for longer than 1month. Social media can weigh you down, even on a holiday. Too much tech, too much news, too much noise you don’t need on a getaway trip. – @idmann009

Nah. When I travel for vacation I want to be as offline as possible. So no, I don’t mind getting lost and shit. It’s all good. WIFI is cool but won’t stress over it either. I want to go without my phone. On my next trip, just my gopro and a backpack 🎒. – @micernest

Check out our blog about it!

So how do you communicate while traveling? Wifi? Local SIM? Or do you just roam everywhere you go? Definitely team WIFI and being selectively available while on traveling. But i totally understand when its work related or you are traveling solo. Work doesnt care if you are in another country. Its not a holiday its work. Also as a solo traveler, your family might get worried the moment they cannot get in touch with you. That being said, we’ll love to hear your opinions and what you think. 

Tags
ADVENTURE
COMMUNICATE WHILE TRAVELING
COMMUNICATION
EXPLORE
INTERNATIONAL SIM
LOCAL SIM
NAIJANOMADS
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TRAVEL
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TRAVELING
WIFI

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