Best eSIM for Vietnam 2026: My Saily Travel Test from Hanoi to Con Dao
- Nico Dudli
- Jun 26
- 12 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
I've now spent two separate trips connected to Vietnam with a Saily eSIM: once travelling north to south from Hanoi down through Halong Bay and the karst countryside in early 2025, and again on a longer Ho Chi Minh City-to-the-Mekong-Delta route in December 2025, working remotely along the way.
Quick answer: Based on my own Vietnam trips, Saily is one of the eSIM options I would personally choose again for Vietnam. My cleanest direct mobile test was on Con Dao Island, where Saily reached 247 Mbps download over LTE without VPN. I also tracked real remote-work conditions across Hanoi, Tam Coc, Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta, mostly over Wi-Fi with NordVPN active. Saily also includes useful travel features such as web protection, ad blocking, virtual location, in-app top-ups, hotspot support, usage notifications and an optional US phone number add-on. My recommended code is TECH, which gives 15% off Saily plans, including Vietnam eSIMs and Saily Ultra.
Affiliate transparency: I am a Saily affiliate partner and may earn a commission if you buy a Saily eSIM using my links or code TECH. This does not cost you anything extra. All tests and travel notes in this article are based on my own trips, and I only recommend Saily because I use it myself and stand behind the product.
Saily Vietnam: Pros and Cons
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Strong real-world performance in my Vietnam test, including 247 Mbps on Con Dao Island | No local Vietnamese phone number included |
Easy setup before arrival, no need to find a SIM counter after landing | Optional Saily phone number add-on is a US +1 number, not a Vietnamese number |
Good fit for maps, Grab, WhatsApp, hotel messages, translation apps and remote-work backup | Direct mobile speed data in this article is strongest for Con Dao; other readings include Wi-Fi and VPN conditions |
Unlimited plans cost more than fixed-data plans | |
Easy in-app top-ups if you run out of data during the trip | A local SIM may still be better for long stays or local calls |
Works across 200+ countries, useful if Vietnam is part of a longer Asia trip | Requires an eSIM-compatible phone |
Code TECH gives 15% off Vietnam eSIMs and Saily Ultra | Rural or boat-trip coverage can still vary depending on location |
For most Vietnam travellers, the pros outweigh the cons. If you mainly need mobile data for Google Maps, Grab, WhatsApp, hotel messages, translation apps, social media, remote-work backup and staying reachable between cities, islands and transfers, Saily is one of the easiest Vietnam eSIM options I have tested.
Saily Features That Matter in Vietnam
Feature | Why it matters in Vietnam | My take |
|---|---|---|
Built-in web protection | Useful on hotel Wi-Fi, café Wi-Fi, airport Wi-Fi and public networks while travelling | A strong extra benefit, especially because Saily comes from the Nord Security team |
Ad blocker | Helps reduce ads, trackers and unnecessary data usage while browsing | Useful when researching hotels, tours, routes, restaurants and transport options |
Virtual location | Lets you browse more privately and choose from 115+ virtual locations | Helpful if you want more privacy or need access to home content while abroad |
Optional US phone number add-on | Useful if you want a separate number for calls, texts, OTPs or app sign-ups | Good extra feature, but it is a +1 US number, not a local Vietnamese number |
Top-ups in the app | You can add more data without visiting a local SIM shop | Very practical in Vietnam, especially if you use Grab, maps, hotspot or social media every day |
80% data usage notification | Saily notifies you before your plan runs out, so you still have time to top up | Useful on longer Vietnam routes where you may not want to troubleshoot data while moving between places |
Hotspot support | Lets you share your eSIM connection with a laptop or tablet | Important for remote workers, digital nomads and travellers who need backup internet |
Easy setup before arrival | You can install the eSIM before flying to Vietnam and connect after arrival | Much easier than comparing SIM counters after a long flight |
One eSIM for multiple trips | You can keep using the same Saily eSIM and simply add new plans | Convenient if Vietnam is part of a bigger Southeast Asia trip |
Global and regional plans | Saily offers country, regional and global options | Useful if you continue from Vietnam to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos or elsewhere in Asia |
Works in 200+ countries | Helpful if Vietnam is only one stop on a longer travel route | One of Saily's biggest advantages over local prepaid SIMs |
24/7 support | Support is available if something goes wrong during setup or connection | Important for travellers who do not want to solve eSIM issues alone abroad |
Saily Ultra option | Adds global data, airport lounge access, fast-track service and Nord Security tools | Best for frequent travellers or multi-country trips rather than basic one-country Vietnam holidays |
In short: I would not recommend Saily for Vietnam only because of one strong speed test. The bigger advantage is that Saily combines travel data, security features, easy top-ups, usage notifications, hotspot support, optional US phone-number functionality and 24/7 support in one app.
Vietnam connectivity test summary
Location | Date | Connection type | Download | Upload | Latency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ho Chi Minh City | Dec 8, 2025 | Wi-Fi, VPN active | 163 Mbps | 31 Mbps | 194 ms |
Ben Tre (Mekong Delta) | Dec 11, 2025 | Wi-Fi, VPN active | 280 Mbps | 209 Mbps | 204 ms |
Con Dao Island | Dec 17, 2025 | Saily LTE, no VPN | 247 Mbps | 136 Mbps | 111 ms |
Tam Coc | Jan 10, 2025 | Wi-Fi, NordVPN active | 160 Mbps | 27 Mbps | 269 ms |
Hanoi | Jan 12, 2025 | Wi-Fi, VPN active | 53 Mbps | 9 Mbps | 385 ms |
This article is not a lab-style mobile network benchmark. It is a real travel test showing how Saily worked for mobile data, backup connectivity and everyday travel use across Vietnam.
The Con Dao result is the cleanest direct Saily mobile test in this article. The other results reflect real remote-work conditions during the trip, mostly over Wi-Fi with NordVPN active, which can add latency. I used Saily throughout the trip as my mobile data connection for maps, messaging, ride-hailing, hotspot backup and staying reachable between hotels, homestays, transfers and islands. The pattern itself was still useful: the fastest reading came from a homestay in the Mekong Delta, not a city, and the slowest came from a hotel in the capital on my last morning — a reminder that Wi-Fi quality varies more than the city-vs-countryside assumption suggests.
Hanoi: Old Quarter chaos, and one rough morning
Hanoi is sensory overload in the best way — narrow Old Quarter alleys packed with motorbikes, the famous Train Street running inches from people's front doors, and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum's strict two-by-two queue lines. Maps and messaging ran fine throughout most of the stay, which matters here more than in most cities: Hanoi's street grid barely resembles a grid, and getting turned around happens fast.
The one rough patch came on my actual last morning in the city, checking the connection from the hotel before an early flight:
Location | Date | Connection type | Download | Upload | Latency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hanoi | Jan 12, 2025 | Wi-Fi, VPN active | 53 Mbps | 9 Mbps | 385 ms |
That's the weakest reading of the trip — worse than the remote island further south. The download speed alone would still be fine for most tasks, but the latency spikes (up to 896 ms under load) meant video calls would have struggled. Some of that is the VPN tunnel I run by default on public Wi-Fi, but the hotel connection itself wasn't great either.
Halong Bay and Cat Ba Island: two days on a boat, still reachable
A two-day boat trip through Lan Ha Bay and Halong Bay — kayaking through limestone caves, swimming off the boat, watching the sun disappear behind karst formations from a glass-walled cabin — is about as far from a city tower as Vietnam gets. I wasn't running connectivity checks between kayak stops, but messaging and maps worked whenever the boat was within range of the coast, and dropped out further into open water as expected.
Tam Coc and Ninh Binh: working from the countryside
After the boat trip, a few quieter days around Tam Coc and Ninh Binh — cycling between karst peaks and rice paddies — turned out to be genuinely productive ones. I planned a client workshop and worked through a backlog of tasks from the homestay:
Location | Date | Connection type | Download | Upload | Latency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tam Coc | Jan 10, 2025 | Wi-Fi, NordVPN active | 160 Mbps | 27 Mbps | 269 ms |
Download speed was solid, but the connection occasionally felt less responsive than in the cities — the download ping spiked as high as 1969 ms at one point. Workable for email and async tasks, less so for back-to-back video calls.
Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta: homestays, floating markets, real numbers
Ho Chi Minh City was the entry point for this trip — Independence Palace, the War Remnants Museum, and the kind of traffic that makes you question every road-crossing decision. Checking the connection from the apartment in District 1 on the first night:
Location | Date | Connection type | Download | Upload | Latency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ho Chi Minh City | Dec 8, 2025 | Wi-Fi, VPN active | 163 Mbps | 31 Mbps | 194 ms |
From there, the Mekong Delta is where Vietnam slows down. In Ben Tre, staying with a family on a coconut plantation, reliable connectivity mattered more than usual — no hotel setup, no co-working space, just the homestay connection I had available:
Location | Date | Connection type | Download | Upload | Latency |
Ben Tre | Dec 11, 2025 | Wi-Fi, VPN active | 280 Mbps | 209 Mbps | 204 ms |
That's the fastest connectivity reading of the entire trip — at a homestay on a coconut farm, not in a city. In Can Tho, a 5am floating market trip followed by an afternoon of actual work (client emails, a few hours of writing) confirmed the same pattern: even off the standard tourist track, the connection kept up with normal remote-work tasks.
Con Dao: the cleanest test of the trip
Con Dao is a former prison island turned quiet paradise — empty beaches, a sobering museum, and noticeably fewer tourists than anywhere else on this trip. I worked several afternoons from the Eden House guesthouse, and on my second-to-last day there, ran a speed test directly over Saily's LTE connection, with no VPN running:
Location | Date | Connection type | Download | Upload | Latency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Con Dao Island | Dec 17, 2025 | Saily LTE, no VPN | 247 Mbps | 136 Mbps | 111 ms |
This is the one number in this article I'd point to as a genuine, unfiltered Saily result — direct mobile data, no VPN layered on top. It's a strong outcome for a small island that's only reachable by ferry or a short flight, and it shaped how confident I now feel recommending Saily for Vietnam's quieter corners, not just its cities.
Saily Vietnam pricing
Saily's Vietnam data plans are primarily for mobile data. They are enough for most travellers using maps, Grab, WhatsApp, Telegram, email, social media and translation apps. Saily also offers an optional US phone number add-on inside the app, but this is not a local Vietnamese number and not the same as buying a local Vietnamese SIM card.
Here's the current lineup:
Data | Validity | Price |
|---|---|---|
1 GB | 7 days | $3.99 |
3 GB | 30 days | $7.99 |
5 GB | 30 days | $10.99 |
10 GB | 30 days | $17.99 (Best Value) |
20 GB | 30 days | $28.99 |
Unlimited | 15 days | $48.99 |
For most one-to-two week Vietnam trips, the 10 GB plan is the practical choice. For most travellers, I would start with a medium data plan rather than the smallest option, especially if you use Google Maps, Grab, WhatsApp, social media and translation apps every day. If you're travelling beyond Vietnam, the Asia & Oceania regional plan can also make sense because it covers multiple countries in the region.
Prices are non-binding and were checked on the official Saily website on June 25, 2026. Saily may adjust pricing at any time, so always confirm the current rate at checkout before buying.
My recommended discount code
My recommended Saily discount code is TECH. It gives 15% off Saily plans, including Vietnam eSIMs and Saily Ultra. For a full breakdown of every active code across all our guides, check our Saily coupon codes hub.
Why I Recommend Saily Over Other Vietnam eSIMs
Provider | Best for | Vietnam pricing style | Security features | Hotspot | Phone number | My verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saily | Most travellers who want flexible data, easy setup and good value | Fixed-data plans plus unlimited options | Built-in web protection, ad blocker and virtual location | Yes | Optional US phone number add-on available in the Saily app | My first choice for most Vietnam trips |
Airalo | Travellers who want a simple fixed-data eSIM | Fixed-data plans | No major built-in security suite | Usually yes | Usually data-only, depending on plan | Good alternative, but less feature-rich |
Holafly | Heavy data users who want unlimited data | Unlimited-focused | No comparable built-in Nord Security bundle | Often limited depending on plan | Usually data-only for travel eSIMs | Better for unlimited data, usually less flexible on price |
Nomad | Travellers comparing simple app-based eSIM options | Fixed-data plans | No comparable built-in security suite | Usually yes | Usually data-only | Solid option, but Saily feels like the more complete travel package |
Local Vietnamese SIM | Long-stay travellers who need local calls or a Vietnamese number | Local prepaid pricing | Depends on provider and setup | Usually yes | Yes, local number possible | Useful for long stays, but less convenient than installing Saily before arrival |
Saily vs Airalo: Airalo is well known and easy to use, but I personally prefer Saily for Vietnam because it combines flexible data plans with built-in web protection, ad blocking, virtual location features, top-ups and an optional US phone number add-on inside the same app.
Saily vs Holafly: Holafly is attractive if you mainly want unlimited data and do not want to track usage. For a normal one-to-two week Vietnam trip, I still prefer Saily because the fixed-data plans are usually more practical, hotspot is supported, top-ups are simple, code TECH gives 15% off, and Saily includes stronger travel-security features.
Saily vs local Vietnamese SIM: A local SIM can make sense if you need a Vietnamese phone number, local calls or a long-term local setup. For most short-term travellers, Saily is easier because you can install it before arrival, avoid SIM counters, and stay connected as soon as you land.
Continuing your trip beyond Vietnam?
If Vietnam is one stop on a longer Southeast Asia route — which is exactly how I traveled it, connecting through Laos, Cambodia and Thailand on the same trip — Saily covers the whole region individually, or with one Asia & Oceania regional package covering 22 countries.
Already planning the Thailand leg? See my Best eSIM for Thailand review for my travel test from Bangkok to the islands. If Vietnam is part of a longer remote-work trip through Asia and Europe, my Portugal eSIM test shows how Saily performed later on the same broader travel setup.
Who should use Saily in Vietnam?
Traveller type | My recommendation |
|---|---|
First-time Vietnam visitors | Yes — easy setup before arrival and no need to find a SIM counter after landing |
North-to-south overlanders | Yes — useful for maps, Grab, messaging and staying reachable between stops |
Remote workers | Yes — I used Saily throughout the trip for mobile data, backup connectivity and remote-work travel days |
Heavy social media users | Yes, but choose at least a medium or large data plan and use top-ups if needed |
Boat trips around Halong Bay | Good for messaging near the coast, but expect gaps mid-water away from coverage |
Remote islands such as Con Dao | Yes — my cleanest direct mobile test came from Con Dao, not a city |
Travellers visiting several Asian countries | Yes — Saily's regional and global plans make sense if Vietnam is part of a longer route |
Travellers who care about privacy | Yes — web protection, ad blocking and virtual location features are useful when travelling |
People who need a local Vietnamese phone number | No — Saily offers an optional US phone number add-on, but not a local Vietnamese number |
Long-stay travellers needing local calls or local registration | Maybe not — a local Vietnamese SIM may be more practical |
Final verdict: is Saily the best eSIM for Vietnam?
Based on my own travel experience across two Vietnam trips, Saily is the eSIM I would personally choose again for Vietnam. My one fully clean mobile test, on Con Dao, reached 247 Mbps with no VPN involved — a genuinely strong result for a remote island. The rest of the trip, tracked mostly over Wi-Fi with a VPN running, still showed a consistent, usable connection from Hanoi to the Mekong Delta, with the fastest reading coming from a rural homestay rather than a city.
My recommended code is TECH, which gives 15% off Saily plans, including Vietnam eSIMs and Saily Ultra.
FAQ
Does Saily eSIM work well in Vietnam?
Based on my own trips, yes. I tracked usable connectivity from Hanoi to the Mekong Delta to Con Dao Island, including a clean 247 Mbps direct mobile test with no VPN involved.
Is there a Saily discount code for Vietnam?
Yes. My recommended code is TECH, which gives 15% off Saily plans, including Vietnam eSIMs and Saily Ultra.
Is Saily good for remote work in Vietnam?
I used Saily throughout the trip for mobile data, navigation, messaging and backup connectivity while working from hotels, homestays and a guesthouse across Vietnam. The cleanest direct mobile test was on Con Dao Island, where Saily reached 247 Mbps without VPN.
Do I need a physical SIM card in Vietnam?
No. Saily's eSIM activates digitally before you travel, so there's no need to find a local SIM counter on arrival.
Is Saily data-only in Vietnam?
Saily's Vietnam data plans are primarily for mobile data. They do not include a local Vietnamese phone number, SMS or voice line. However, Saily now offers an optional US phone number add-on inside the app, which can be useful for calls, texts, OTPs and app sign-ups while travelling.
Which network did Saily use in my Vietnam test?
In my own direct mobile test on Con Dao Island, Saily connected through VNPT-NET, part of the Vinaphone network group. Available partner networks may vary depending on location and roaming setup.
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About the Author
Nico Dudli is a lecturer, digital consultant and tech author based in St. Gallen, Switzerland. For TechNovice, he personally tests eSIMs, AI tools and digital products in real-world situations. His Saily reviews are based on his own travel tests across countries including Vietnam, Thailand, Portugal, France and Switzerland.
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