Best eSIM for Asia: Why I use Saily (2026)

I will always have an affinity towards Asia; it is where my full-time travels began back in 2018. I bought a one-way ticket to Vietnam, stuck around there and the surrounding countries for a few years, and I have been coming back to this part of the world ever since.

There are so many beautiful and varied countries to visit, so it is no surprise that many of us will do a bit of country hopping around the continent. For example, many people will jump between Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. Or, head to Japan and South Korea.

And when it comes to accessing the internet on your travels, this used to mean a lot of SIM card swapping. But now, thankfully, we have eSIMs and regional data plans! Like the one from Saily, my go-to eSIM provider.

If you are hopping between a few countries on one trip, a regional Asia eSIM saves you from buying a new one each time you land somewhere new. In this guide, I will walk you through why Saily’s Asia and Oceania plan is my pick, covering speeds, coverage, pricing and the useful extras they provide on top.

Get 10% off your eSIM for Asia using code MVT10

How to pick the best eSIM for Asia?

When you are crossing borders through a region as big as Asia, the eSIM you choose needs to be effective throughout and cover exactly the countries that you will be visiting!

That being said, if you are travelling to just one Asian country, I recommend checking out a single country plan instead.

Here is the rest of my criteria:

• Reliable connection: I want an eSIM that utilises strong local networks in each country, so the signal holds up wherever I am.
• Flexibility: My travel plans and data usage are always changing, so topping up data in seconds through an app matters more than anything. Even more handy if you can add data to an existing eSIM, without having to download a new one each time.
• Price: Navigating and staying connected whilst travelling can eat through data, so I am always looking for an eSIM that won’t break the bank.
• Security: I am always booking buses and tours on dodgy café/hotel WiFi, so additional security features are a real bonus.

Very few eSIMs tick all of those boxes. The one that consistently does for me is Saily – more on this below!

New to eSIMs? Here is my easy guide to eSIMs.

Why I recommend Saily Asia eSIM

Saily is a global eSIM brand from the team behind NordVPN, with plans in over 200 destinations. I downloaded it once and simply add a new plan whenever I land somewhere new.

For Asia, Saily sells one regional plan covering 22 countries across Asia and Oceania, plus cheaper individual plans for each country. That means Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea and Sri Lanka (as well as Australia and New Zealand) all sit under a single eSIM if you are doing a big loop.

You can read my full thoughts in my Saily review, or keep reading for the Asia specifics.

Saily now also offers an optional US phone number for around $0.99 per month if you want US calls and texts, though the eSIM itself is data-only.

Reliable coverage

Asia is enormous, and no eSIM is flawless across every corner of every single country in the region. That said, Saily runs on trusted local networks in each country, and I have had a stable connection across my trips.

In Thailand and Vietnam, it held up well for the everyday stuff, from navigation to tracking down the next vegan meal in Chiang Mai or the best coffee in Hanoi. I have covered both of these countries in more detail in my Thailand eSIM guide and my Vietnam eSIM guide.

Across the likes of South Korea, Japan, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, I found the connection dependable also, with great coverage in major tourist destinations. As with any eSIM (or physical SIM), signal can thin out once you head somewhere off the beaten track.

Great speeds

Great coverage is no good if pages still take forever to load. And thankfully, speed is one area Saily rarely lets me down.

You get 4G, LTE and up to 5G, depending on the local network. Across the cities and towns I have visited in Asia, it has been quick enough for maps, video calls, uploading photos and streaming. I have hotspotted to my laptop plenty of times to work on the move, and it coped fine.

Speeds naturally dip in very busy or rural areas, as they would on any network. For everyday use in the main spots, though, I have had no real complaints.

Additional features

Alongside your data, every Saily plan comes with unlimited hotspot sharing, which is how I have often replied to emails and written blogs when in places with dodgy/no WiFi.

The app also has a built-in ad blocker that has saved me a fair chunk of data over time. Ads are surprisingly data hungry, and Saily reckons the tool can cut your usage by up to 28.6%.

And because Saily comes from the NordVPN team, security is taken seriously. Tools like Web Protection and Virtual Location help keep your details private while you are booking transport and beds on unfamiliar café WiFi, which in Asia is most of the time.

Affordable prices

Saily’s Asia and Oceania regional plan starts at $4.99 for 1GB over 7 days, scaling up to 25GB over 60 days, with unlimited options on top. For a multi-country trip, a mid-tier plan usually sees me through, especially with the ad blocker trimming data in the background.

Every plan gives you 3% back in Saily credits, and there is a 30-day activation window, so you can buy now and it only starts once you arrive.

The regional plan is not the cheapest way to cover a single country. Saily’s individual plans start at around $2.99 for Thailand and $3.99 for Vietnam, and a single-country plan is a good bit cheaper than the regional one. So if your whole trip is in one country, buy that country’s plan. If you are crossing borders, the regional plan is worth the extra for the convenience.

Add a US phone number

Saily’s eSIMs are data only, so there is no local number attached. They do offer an optional US phone number for around $0.99 per month, though, and it can be surprisingly useful.

The privacy angle is my favourite. Instead of giving out my personal number to every app and website that asks for one, I hand over the US number. It is useful for food delivery apps, hotel bookings, online marketplaces, newsletters, and the endless random sites that will not let you sign up without a number.

It also gives you one consistent number as you hop between countries. There is no swapping to a new local SIM at every border just so people can reach you, and you can still call, text and receive SMS on it while running local mobile data through your eSIM.

Who should buy Saily’s eSIM for Asia?

If your trip to Asia includes visiting more than one country, the regional Asia plan from Saily is a great pick for you! One plan, no sorting out a new eSIM every time you cross a border.

It suits backpackers on a big multi-country loop, remote workers who need speed and data for calls and uploads, and families who want easy maps and a bit of screen time on long travel days. Saily’s unlimited data option also means you can post as you go without watching a data cap.

The one exception is single-country travellers. If your whole trip is in, say, just Thailand, that country’s individual plan does the same job for less money.

Travelling even further afield after Asia? It is worth a look at Saily’s Ultra Plan, a monthly rolling subscription with data across a huge stretch of countries, plus some handy travel perks.

How to get started with Saily

Getting set up takes a few minutes, and you can do it before you even leave home for your trip.

• Choose your plan here (the Asia and Oceania regional plan if you are crossing borders, or a single-country plan if not).
• Download the Saily app from the App Store or Google Play.
• Install your eSIM (the app walks you through it in a couple of minutes).
• Top up in the app if you run low, with no new eSIM needed.

The 30-day activation window means you can set it up before you fly, as it only starts counting down when you arrive. Just check your phone supports eSIM first, as most recent iPhones and Androids do.

My verdict: The best eSIM for Asia

Asia is where I first caught the travel bug, and staying connected has only made exploring it easier over the years. From navigating Vietnam to working from cafés in South Korea and hunting down vegan food across the region, Saily has been the dream travel companion.

For a multi-country trip, the single regional plan covering 22 countries is exactly what you want. It is not the cheapest option if you are only visiting one country, but for border hopping it is reliable, well priced against its rivals, and comes with genuinely useful security built in.

Saily is coming with me on every return trip to Asia. And with how much of the region I surprisingly still have left to see, that is a lot of trips.

Get 10% off your eSIM for Asia using code MVT10

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