Travel services

Best mobile data ESIM & VPN apps for China firewall

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This mobile data & VPN list is updated and absolutely working as of AUGUST 2024.

Like everyone else, I had to start thinking about a mobile data plan & VPN app on my first visit to China. As you know, China’s great firewall blocks many western apps and websites like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp/Telegram, Google, Yahoo, etc. (They just won’t work, won’t connect, nothing loads.) So you’ll need to learn how to use a VPN to access them.

It all sounds like a complicated and overly-technical task but I promise it’s not. By using a VPN service, your device automatically connects to another server (aka “proxy” or “proxy server”) in order to connect to the internet service you want. It all happens behind the scenes and will appear to you on your device as if everything is working.

I’ll go over several options ranging from simple to complex, free to paid, quick to slow, and working to non-working!

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Tello vs US Mobile – comparing USA mobile carriers

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Which MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) offers the better plan for your cell phone in America?

If you’re here, I assume you want a cheap plan. Maybe you’re trying to save money or are visiting the US for a short time. I didn’t personally try both but here’s what I found from my research:

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Do NOT book with Traveluro (SCAM COMPANY)

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Don’t fall for the low prices of this Israeli-owned BAIT-AND-SWITCH booking scam company!

  • You see low prices for hotel, linked from Google or some other price comparison sites.
  • You book and everything seems fine.
  • At last minute, they contact you with some excuse saying it’s no longer available and now you have to accept another one of their partner hotels.
  • You’re stressed and panicking last minute so you accept.
  • Of course, the replacement hotel is nowhere near as good and you don’t find out until you’re arrived and pissed.

Tons of horror stories online. Research and see for yourself.

Do NOT book with Vio.com (SCAM COMPANY)

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Their (skeptically low) prices are linked through Google Maps so it SEEMS legit, but they are not.

  • Tons of online research show endless complaints and the word “scam” and “fraud” again and again.
  • It’s the classic scam booking company where they take your money but no reservation is made.
  • You don’t find out until the day you arrive at the hotel to a surprise-surprise…YOU HAVE NO ROOM AVAILABLE! No reservation made under your name.
  • Calling their support does nothing. They might say they’ll fix it in 15 minutes, or get back to you, but nothing ever happens.

Whatever you do, do not fall for their low prices. Or else your vacation/stay can be ruined!

Worst Airlines – avoid flying with them if you can!

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Sharing the worst airline companies from all my travel experiences.

1. America

  • Alaska Air
  • Spirit

Low prices, but super small uncomfortable seats. And that’s not the worst part…it’s the horrible trashy people who fly with them. Lots of ghetto folks who are unruly and uncivilized. No fun to be around. Lots of trash talking and even fights on the plane are not unheard of. I haven’t had any bad experiences with Virgin Airlines but have heard many complaints about them, too.

2. South America

  • Copa Airlines – I had stuff stolen from my checked-in luggage. Some useless items like personal care lotions and what not, but also sentimental items like a custom-made shirt. Don’t bother buying baggage insurance because it doesn’t cover you in the event that your “luggage is damaged” or malfunctioning zipper. And guess what…that’s how they break into your luggage. So basically…the theft voids your insurance. Hahaha, what a joke of an insurance scam.

3. Europe

  • RyanAir & Wizzair – really shitty experience all around. Hidden fees for every essential thing (like carry-on luggage), check-in penalties if you don’t do online check-in way ahead of time, small cramped uncomfortable seats, no free water or food on plane.
  • AirSerbia – lots of delays.
  • LOT Airlines – delayed or cancelled flights. And their staff never has an answer or update to tell you. If you ever need to connect between Krakow and Warsaw…you might be wise to just take the train instead to avoid missing your connection.

4. Asia

  • VietJet & Vietnam Airlines – it’s a race to the bottom for these two. Aside from unfriendly staff and unprofessional way of dealing with issues that always seem to come up…the worst part is the flight delays. You can always expect 2-4hr delays. 6-12hrs is not unheard of. Just about everyone traveling in Vietnam has had a horror story with one of these two companies.

How to send money abroad (international transfer)

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Revolut & Wise are the most convenient and lowest fees.

  • PayPal is a mega ripoff. Big fee and also they rip you off on the exchange rate.
  • Western Union, WorldRemit, Cobra, Megatone, etc…the fees can be good and reasonable but they run a different scam. Money isn’t available for pickup in volatile countries (like Argentina) unless rates are favorable during pickup. At least that’s how I suspect they operate.
  • For this reason…many countries have their own regional transfer institution in their countries (like PIX for Brazil).

Hotel & AirBnB review – bad hosts, scammers

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Will start listing here all the bad hosts I encounter all over the world.

I’m well-travelled and tolerant of varying degrees of hospitality around the world. What I won’t tolerate is completely unacceptable business ethics. I hope you never have to deal with them.

Will keep adding to this list over time.

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Do NOT book with SuperTravel (SCAM COMPANY)

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SuperTravel is a super scam!

Beware when booking through here. You might see cheap prices online, a professional-looking website, and even receive email & WhatsApp confirmation.

…but that’s where the professional company image ends…and the horror begins…

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Don’t fall for the Holafly unlimited data eSIM scam!

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Don’t be naive like I was. I purchased the unlimited plan and it was fast for only 2 days.

After that, it ran super slow or seemed like the data kept cutting out. I’m very frustrated with it. Completely unusable and certainly makes me realize the cheap price isn’t worth the hassle.

UPDATE on November 23, 2022:

  • After contacting their chat support, I was connected with someone who told me to decrease my speed setting from 5G to 4G, he then did something that required me to reset my phone.
  • And now all is working well!
  • Will leave this post up in case it helps anyone.

Combigo flight check-in email problem (and solution)

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Were you unable to check into your (RyanAir) flight reservation with the provided email?

  • It’s probably because you tried to open the PDF on your phone, and your phone was missing an international font package. (An obvious clue of this issue is that some letters look weird in the PDF; which means you’re missing the necessary font to view certain characters correctly.)
  • Once I opened the PDF on my laptop, the copied email worked just fine.