Upon completing a lengthy voyage, I arrived at my long-awaited destination, Indonesia, renowned as the “country of a thousand islands.” Considering the vast expanse of the archipelago, I marvelled at the challenge of providing mobile coverage across these numerous islands. Eager to put it to the test, I activated the Nomad Indonesia Travel eSIM to experience its performance on Java, the fifth largest island.
Disclaimer: Some links in this article contain affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase any service, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
I visited several places in Indonesia. In addition, I tried several eSIM products, which you can read about in these articles:
Reviews: eSIM for Indonesia
Read on to learn more about my experience with the Nomad Indonesia Travel eSIM. This article discusses eSIM technology and other companies in detail. In this article, you will find advice on choosing a suitable product for a trip abroad. All eSIM reviews are available here.
Nomad Discount Code
This link will bring you to the Nomad page. If you use my Nomad code LEOS92MM, you will get $3 off your first eSIM purchase.
Nomad Products for Indonesia
Nomad offers four types of products for Indonesia. The first product is the Nomad Indonesia Travel eSIM. It is a data plan that is for use in Indonesia only. There are several variants of 1GB to 20GB to choose from.
The second product type is the Nomad APAC Travel eSIM, which can be used in 20 Asian countries, including Australia and New Zealand.
The SEA-Oceania Travel eSIM can be used in eight countries: Australia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The fourth is the Global Travel eSIM. There are packages for 106 countries and 109 countries.
Nomad eSIM Products Price
Nomad provides a variety of eSIM data packages for travel in Indonesia, each varying in data allowance and validity duration. Prices range from €6 for 1GB to €37 for 20GB.
You can find additional details about each package by clicking “Plan Details.” The “Expiry of plan” section specifies when the package will be activated and expire.
What phones Support eSIM?
With this technology’s growing popularity, more and more phones and tablets are on the market that support it. When buying a phone, you should ask the seller if the phone supports eSIM. Alternatively, check the list in this article.
Mobile Operators in Indonesia and Connection Type
Indonesia has four mobile operators: Indosat or IOH (Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison), Smartfen, Telkomsel, and XL Axiata. When I bought Nomad Indonesia Travel eSIM, two mobile operators were supported – Telkomsel and Smartfen. Since then, this information was updated.
Although Telkomsel has one of the best signal coverage, Indonesia has many islands. Many islands have many areas without coverage. I recommend checking out nperf.com.
Connection Type
Nomad’s technical information indicates support for 5G networks. Still, the availability of the signal depends on the location, as shown in the map above. It’s worth noting that many areas lack coverage for the 5G signal altogether.
Activation
Unlike competitors, Nomad products must be activated within 60 days of purchase. (After purchase, you have 60 days to activate your plan. Otherwise, your plan expiry will start on the 30th day.)
The data plan’s activation and validity period start as soon as the eSIM is connected to a supported mobile network for the first time or on the 30th day after the purchase of the product.
It is always a good idea to check the product information by clicking “Plan Details”.
My experience with Nomad Indonesia eSIM
My data plan
I purchased a 3GB data package for my trip to Indonesia, valid for 30 days. According to the Nomad website, this eSIM could be used on the Telkomsel and Smartfen networks. The Nomad Indonesia Travel eSIM was priced at €11.
The installation was straightforward. I scanned the QR code I received by email. The second option is to use the Nomad application, which requires following the instructions.
Network registration
I checked my phone’s settings to confirm that the Nomad Indonesia eSIM was enabled before my first flight to Indonesia. Upon arrival at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport (CGK) in Jakarta, I turned off flight mode and patiently waited for my phone to attach to any of the supported mobile networks.
My other SIM card registered to the Indosat network within a minute of turning off flight mode. The Nomad eSIM, however, took about eight minutes to register to the Telkomsel network.
After both SIMs were registered, I enabled mobile data and was pleased to see the 4G icon on my phone. Observing the arrows flashing in both directions and confirming that the phone was actively sending and receiving data was reassuring. It’s always important to be aware of the direction of the arrows, as it indicates the flow of data.
Behaviour
While at the airport in Jakarta, my data worked perfectly. While waiting for my flight to Yogyakarta, I used the FlightRadar24 app to track planes and checked social media apps (Instagram). Upon arriving in Yogyakarta, I booked a taxi via the Grab app and monitored the journey to my hotel.
In Yogyakarta, I spent the entire day exploring ancient temples without any issues. However, upon returning to Jakarta, I encountered speed problems with the taxi app, which failed to load. After attempting to switch operators from Telkomsel to Smartfen and encountering an unsupported network message, I gave up. I switched to Airalo eSIM (review in this article).
I reached out to Nomad support to report the speed and network issues, but their response was unhelpful. They suggested changing the operator in the phone settings, disregarding my previous message about the network not being supported. It was pretty frustrating.
Thankfully, the next day, everything went back to normal, and I could rely on my data again (using the Telkomsel network). I can’t imagine navigating the city without access to maps and Google information.
Speed
I conducted the speed test three times. After returning from Yogyakarta, I encountered an issue with the data speed, which was as slow as 0.05 Mbps. A few hours later, there was a slight improvement, with the speed reaching 2.61 Mbps. On the last day, the speed significantly increased to a remarkable 26 Mbps.
Top-ups
Buying additional data is simple. Just click on “Add more data”.
Conclusion
The Nomad Indonesia Travel eSIM offers an excellent deal for travellers in Indonesia, providing 3GB of data for just €11, a significant cost saving compared to the high roaming fees charged by many mobile operators. Continuous Internet connectivity is a valuable feature, but its reliability remains to be seen.
However, in the event of any issues, the Nomad support team seems to struggle to comprehend and address the problems effectively, leaving customers without satisfactory assistance.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Four options for Indonesia – Local eSIM, APAC eSIM, SEA-Oceania eSIM and Global eSIM | No Unlimited Data bundle |
| Different sizes of data offered – from 1GB to 20GB | Limited time for activation – must be activated within 30 days of purchase |
| Different validity periods of packages – from 7 to 30 days | Absolutely incompetent support team |
| Simple process for top-up | Incorrect information about supported networks |
What is your experience with eSIM in the Indonesia? Do you have a favourite one?
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