It’s happened to us too many times. As seasoned travelers, getting lost is something that comes quite naturally. In fact, I’ve started embracing the process and now see getting lost as a part of the journey. In fact, we’ve discovered and seen some of the most beautiful places by chance…all because we got lost. We’ve driven motorbikes through forests when we weren’t supposed to. We’ve gotten on the wrong bus which led us to this unassuming town with the most spectacular waterfall we’ve ever seen. Getting lost is part of the journey. However, there is one thing that I will NEVER get used to. Getting lost while trying to find your hostel or a specific place is one of the most frustrating things about traveling. It doesn’t matter if I take a dozen screen shots or if I write the address down. Navigating a foreign country and trying to find something specific is difficult.
I remember a specific instance when Tom and I arrived in Venice. I took screenshots of the little bed and breakfast where we were staying, I had the address written down, heck, I even had screenshots of google maps. As soon as we got off the train, we started walking. My phone had said that it was an easy 20 minute walk from the train station. Little did we know, navigating the streets of Venice was like finding your way through a labyrinth of canals and cafes. (RELATED: Travel Gadgets and Apps we Can’t Live Without)
We walked for over AN HOUR and a HALF. Yes, I’m not even kidding. With our backpacks in tow, we walked and walked, and walked. By the time we finally found our hostel, we were exhausted and I was close to tears. I was mentally kicking myself for not buying a sim card which I could use while in Italy and for bringing too many things for that trip. Now the over packing is something that I am still working on, but at least I have found a solution to the first. (RELATED: The Best Way to Travel Around Europe)
By traveling with an eSim, we would have found our hostel a lot easier!
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Hello, Mobal
The answer to every travelers/ digital nomads woe came in a tiny package care of Mobal sim. For $59 a month I received a sim that I could use virtually anywhere in the world. The best part? Wait for it….it also comes with free unlimited incoming and outgoing texts, free UNLIMITED DATA, and calls for just $0.30 a minute. We initially tried out our new sim cards when we headed to South America. Since then, we have used it in 5 different countries, across 3 continents and low and behold, I had with me internet wherever I went. (RELATED: The Truth on How We Can Afford to Travel)
What We Love About Mobal
As mentioned, we were able to test out Mobal’s coverage through 5 different countries so far and surprisingly, each time it worked as it picks up on the local place’s service provider, which has the strongest signal. The coverage spans out to around 130 countries which in the long run, saves us a lot of money. Rather than paying for local sim cards, going through the hassle of topping it up, we get hassle free coverage every month. The best part about it is that there are no contracts needed. You can just opt to renew it monthly without having to lock yourself to one provider. I’ve gotten charged data roaming fees from my previous provider and the rates are usually insanely expensive.
How Mobal Sim Keeps us Connected Anywhere in the World
For us digital nomads, our livelihood is dependent on the internet! I know a lot of people think that all we do is lie on a hammock and write every three days. I hate to burst the bubble of aspiring digital nomads but to be one, takes a lot of work. We are constantly glued to our computers and reliant on good internet. So having internet in our pockets is something that has helped us quite a lot. It has allowed us to move and be constantly be on the go without having to go through the pains of having to look for wifi. Although I do have to mention that the data is only as good as where you are. In the US, our data was through the roof, allowing us to hotspot from our phone to our computers. This was the same case in Singapore. However, as soon as we reached the Philippines, the data only allowed us to do the basic things (this was expected though).
Although I don’t think I can ever say gone are the days where we don’t get lost because we often still do (but I think that’s more of a navigational thing on my end). Now, looking for hostels and other places are a piece of cake. Mobal allows us to stay connected to the outside world-whether its sending emails, checking our facebook and other social media channels, or connecting to the many online tools that make traveling easier.
For more information on Mobal you can check them out here
Please note that this article was written in partnership with Mobal but despite this, all opinions are ours and remain completely unbiased.