Which is the best international SIM card for Seychelles?

Fewer than a hundred thousand people live in Seychelles, making it easily the smallest African country. But what Seychelles lacks in citizens, it more than makes up for in islands. There are over a hundred islands, and nearly half of them are conservation efforts for rare and endangered species, like giant tortoises and the black parrot. So a trip to Seychelles can make a wonderful holiday if you’re looking for a quiet island adventure.

Things to do in Seychelles

Tourism in Seychelles has been increasing since the seventies when their international airport sprang up. In fact, the country’s economy depends greatly on the tourism trade. So expect to be well taken care of while you’re there. Seychelles has excellent spa resorts for those looking for romantic getaways and a ton of affordable vacation rentals. You’ll find a mixture of local and French cuisine as well as countless beautiful beaches and opportunities to go diving in the reefs.

Staying connected in Seychelles

Seychelles is one of the more remote getaways you could possibly choose, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still maintain contact with the outside world while you’re there. If your cell phone is unlocked you can swap out its SIM card for one that will work in Seychelles. You can use either a local card purchased on the island, or you can buy a global card before you leave home.

Local SIM cards

Seychelles allows tourists to purchase local SIM cards and top them up with prepaid data. The country is small and a bit out of the way, so your options are limited to two networks of about equal size and influence.

Airtel is the easiest company to get a local SIM card through. It’s not uncommon for international flights to Seychelles to hand out the cards for free, and there are Airtel shops where you can buy data all over the main islands. Airtel offers 4G to prepaid customers, but only in a very small area near the capital.

Cable and Wireless offers SIM cards and data packages that are a little more expensive than Airtel’s, but they often come with extra deals like free Facebook use depending on how much you buy. Cable and Wireless does not offer 4G to tourists with prepaid SIM cards.

Both providers will give you good coverage on the main islands, but service will start to decline the further out you go. When you run low on data, you can top off by purchasing additional prepaid cards, which are easy to come by on the main islands.

English is the third most common language in Seychelles, and it often creeps into the dialect of people who speak French and Seychellois Creole, so you should be able to get through the process of buying and setting up a SIM without too much trouble. But do bring a travel dictionary along just to be on the safe side in case your new SIM setup process starts prompting you in French.

Global SIM cards

Global (or international) SIM cards are your other choice for getting your phone to work in Seychelles. These cards are purchased and activated before you leave and will work all over the world, rather than in just one or two countries. They can be a bit more expensive to initially buy, but they often save you a lot of money in the long run. Global SIM’s have some handy advantages over local SIM cards.

• Multi-Use

Global SIM’s can stay with you for all of your travels. While a local SIM will only help you out in Seychelles, a global SIM can be used all over the globe. So you’ll be set for your layovers on the way to Seychelles, or even for your next vacation.

• Online Data Purchase

Global SIM’s allow you to top off your data online at any time. Unlike with local SIM’s, if you find yourself running low in an inconvenient location or too late at night for any stores to be open, you can still purchase more data.

• Pre-trip Activation

Global SIM’s are set up before you even leave home. So you’ll know your new phone number in time to give it out to everyone who needs it.

You have a lot of choices for a global SIM card, so you can afford to be fairly picky. Some offer better prices and service than others. And be sure to avoid any company with unforgiving expiration dates or a service list of fewer than a hundred countries. BNESIM is a safe choice for most travellers. They let you roll data over from one trip to the next and cover 170 different countries. They also offer free calls and texts to other people using one of their SIM cards so if you’re travelling with family or friends, they can really save you some money.