My boyfriend had been telling me for years that he wanted to show me around his home country, Hong Kong (and Indonesia), early on in our relationship.
And I thought that would be a great idea – being guided by a local.
That way, you can see the city-state from a different lens than as a regular tourist.
Unfortunately, the pandemic hit, and the city-state was closed off from the world.
Following its neighbor up north, it imposed a strict zero-COVID policy, so we had to postpone our plans for a while.
Until the country announced it would reopen (without quarantine requirements) in December 2022.
So in January 2023, we went to Hong Kong and stayed for two weeks.
And my boyfriend, and many repeat Phone Travel Wiz readers, know that I do not go to a country without testing its SIM cards and various travel eSIMs before I recommend them.
So I tested out eight travel eSIMs, including Holafly's Hong Kong eSIM, four Hong Kong SIM cards & one travel SIM card to be used here.
This resulted in me spending about 2560 HKD (≈ 326.15 USD) for my Hong Kong SIM card and travel eSIM review series – yeah… I went all out for you 😎.
In many countries, getting a local SIM card will be the most cost-effective way to stay connected.
But in the same countries, getting a travel eSIM will be much more convenient because you do not have to deal with SIM card registration requirements (which can be stringent).
As of March 2022, SIM card registration rules came into effect in Hong Kong after avoiding it for many years, making the country the final East Asian country to do so.
So, is the Holafly Hong Kong eSIM a good option? Is it cheap compared to the local options and its travel eSIM competitors? How is its reception? And is it fast?
I will answer all those questions in this review. Let's do this.
Original publication: 6th of February 2023. Last updated: 15th of January 2024.
Table of Contents
Which Phones are Compatible with Holafly eSIMs?
Before discussing the Holafly eSIM to be used in Hong Kong specifically, you must know whether your phone can even support Holafly's eSIMs.
Sure, your phone may support eSIM, but the local mobile operator and travel eSIM provider, like Holafly, first needs to certify a phone before the users can use their products.
As of August 2023, the phones shown in the infographic below are compatible with Holafly eSIMs:
>>> Get your Holafly Hong Kong eSIM and use code “PHONETRAVELWIZ” for 5% off! <<<
With that out of the way, let's talk more about the Holafly Hong Kong eSIM!
How Much Does the Holafly Hong Kong eSIM Cost?
You can get the Holafly eSIM to be used in Hong Kong for as little as 19 USD (unlimited for five days) and up to 99 USD (unlimited for 90 days).
>>> Get your Holafly Hong Kong eSIM and use code “PHONETRAVELWIZ” for 5% off! <<<
Wait… unlimited data!?
Yes, Holafly has been offering unlimited data plans since June 2022.
And Hong Kong is one of the 45 countries (at the time of writing) where unlimited data plans are offered.
While unlimited often means “unlimited”, Holafly told me that its plans were truly limitless when it introduced its new plans.
A few weeks later, though, this paragraph was added to its “Can my connection speed be reduced?” FAQ:
[…] if the mobile operator estimates the usage of more than 90 GB of data in a month, it may temporarily reduce the speed to 256 Kbps – 1 Mbps to avoid affecting other users. This limitation is intended to prevent network saturation and will be removed within 24 hours.
One of Holafly's competitors (an eSIM reseller – not me, lol) tried to hit a daily fair-use limit, realizing that speeds get throttled after using more than 2.5 GB to 3 GB daily.
Do with this information as you wish 😏.
Below is an overview of how much each Holafly Hong Kong eSIM costs:
- Hong Kong unlimited data eSIM for 5 days, costing 19 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
- Hong Kong unlimited data eSIM for 7 days, costing 27 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
- Hong Kong unlimited data eSIM for 10 days, costing 34 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
- Hong Kong unlimited data eSIM for 15 days, costing 47 USD
- Hong Kong unlimited data eSIM for 20 days, costing 54 USD
- Hong Kong unlimited data eSIM for 30 days, costing 64 USD
- Hong Kong unlimited data eSIM for 60 days, costing 84 USD
- Hong Kong unlimited data eSIM for 90 days, costing 99 USD
Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in September based on data up to the 7th of September (2023 data only).
Also, be aware that tethering (mobile hotspot) is impossible with Holafly's unlimited data plans, including the Hong Kong ones – it simply will not work.
>>> Get your Holafly Hong Kong eSIM and use code “PHONETRAVELWIZ” for 5% off! <<<
If your credit/debit card charges you foreign exchange fees, get yourself a Wise Borderless Account and Debit Card.
Their fees are MUCH lower than banks and credit card companies charge you (and Wise is transparent about their fees, unlike banks).
I have saved literal THOUSANDS of Australian Dollars and Euros, my main currencies, when using Wise abroad when traveling compared to my debit and credit cards.
Be aware that unlike some other eSIMs, like Airalo, Nomad & Ubigi (which I all also tested in Hong Kong), you cannot top-up or add extra data if needed (for the time being).
Holafly is planning on adding that feature soon, but it has been months… so do not keep your hopes up.
>>> Get your Holafly Hong Kong eSIM and use code “PHONETRAVELWIZ” for 5% off! <<<
My Holafly eSIM in Hong Kong Experience
I used my Holafly Hong Kong eSIM in Hong Kong Island, Kowloon & New Territories.
As Hong Kong does not really have cities (in the sense of the Government of Hong Kong not using them for administrative purposes and only as geographical limits), I could not visit multiple ones as I tend to do.
Before we continue, I do want to let you know how travel eSIM providers like Holafly work.
It is impossible for Holafly, or any other mobile operator, to operate in every country (and do not trust any company saying otherwise), so they set up roaming agreements.
And do not get worried by the word roaming yet – roaming can be expensive, but roaming with Holafly or many other travel eSIM providers, will not result in a 5000 USD roaming bill.
What Holafly does, and basically all (actual) mobile operators do, is partner up with a local mobile operator so that their customers can still stay connected when abroad.
In the case of Hong Kong, the Holafly Hong Kong eSIM uses the CSL Mobile network with the help of Drei from Austria (so your phone, some apps, or sites you visit may claim you are using a Drei eSIM instead of a Holafly one – that is correct).
Note: in some countries, Holafly uses multiple local networks (which often applies to regional eSIMs, like the Holafly Asia eSIM).
Just like how I tested the Holafly eSIM on my Hong Kong trip, I also tried all the local Hong Kong SIM cards excluding the MVNOs (China Mobile Hong Kong Mobile, CSL Mobile, 3 Hong Kong & SmarTone Hong Kong) and various other eSIMs (Airalo Hkmobile, Airalo Asialink (in Hong Kong and various other Asian countries & Airalo Discover Global (in Hong Kong and worldwide), Nomad (in Hong Kong and various countries in APAC – Asia and Oceania), Simify & Ubigi + the 3 (UK) Travel SIM Card by Holidaysimcard in Hong Kong Review (also used in Australia and Singapore)).
Yeah, I went all out 😏.
Because of this, I could also assess how CSL Mobile performed compared to its competitors.
Well, not entirely. CSL Mobile did not allow prepaid customers to use its 5G NR network (but that may have changed now).
The same applies to 3 Hong Kong. However, China Mobile Hong Kong and SmarTone Hong Kong were not that stingy (anymore).
So in reality, I could only compare CSL Mobile with 3 Hong Kong… and it was more than twice as fast!
When looking at 4G/LTE availability in Hong Kong, the four mobile operators cover practically all of the country (mostly because it is a small city-state), with an availability of more than 98.6%.
4G/LTE reception is so good in Hong Kong that I thought 3G did not exist anymore (until 3 Hong Kong was stuck at 3G a handful of times 😩).
In terms of speed, CSL Mobile has the second-worst download speed, with a median download speed of 45.95 Mbps, ahead of 3 Hong Kong (Three – 32.52 Mbps) but behind SmarTone Hong Kong (48.14 Mbps) and China Mobile Hong Kong (66.11 Mbps).
Okay, that is enough background information – let's compare the Holafly Hong Kong eSIM to CSL Mobile in Hong Kong Island, Kowloon & New Territories.
Holafly Hong Kong eSIM Speed Test Results in Hong Kong Island, Kowloon & New Territories
Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated countries, or Special Administrative Region (SAR) if we want to be correct, worldwide behind Macau (also a SAR), Monaco & Singapore.
There are not many countries where you struggle to walk on the pavement because there are so many people around as Hong Kong without getting constantly pushed.
And I was there during the winter and when the China-Hong Kong border just opened – imagine how crazy it is during summer 😳.
But the country has a lot to offer: fantastic food, Ocean Park (attraction park) & even Disneyland for those who want it.
And of course smaller attractions, such as the Central–Mid-Levels escalator – the longest outdoor covered escalator in the world, The Peak (with the peak tram) & the Big Buddha (Ngong Ping) cable car.
The latter is 5.7 kilometers long and takes 25 minutes – and you even have a clear (called crystal) car option if you dare.
I am not fond of heights… but I actually enjoyed being in the crystal car… so I bet you will too!
Anyway, let's finally talk about my Holafly Hong Kong speed test results, right?
Good speeds with the Holafly Hong Kong eSIM.
Because most travel eSIMs I used in Hong Kong used the CSL Mobile network too, I shared the results of the relevant eSIMs in the image above.
And you can see that the Holafly Hong Kong eSIM was the best performer 🥳.
I had an average download speed of 41.98 Mbps and a median download speed of 29.85 Mbps with the Holafly Hong Kong eSIM: it passed the 4K video streaming test in Hong Kong (minimum of 25 Mbps).
The same can also be said for the HD live streaming test in Hong Kong – the Holafly Hong Kong eSIM had an average and median upload speed of 15.83 Mbps and a median upload speed of 13.52 Mbps, making it pass the HD live streaming test (minimum of 10 Mbps).
The Holafly Hong Kong eSIM performed at its best at Ngong Ping Cable Car Ngong Ping Station on Lantau Island, with a download speed of 139.22 Mbps.
Surprisingly, no other Hong Kong travel eSIM, or Hong Kong SIM card for that matter, had a faster speed than the Holafly Hong Kong eSIM.
Yes, that includes China Mobile Hong Kong (78.41 Mbps) and SmarTone Hong Kong (35.12 Mbps) – both on 5G NR.
The 3 (UK) Travel SIM Card by Holidaysimcard was a snail, with a download speed of 2.74 🐌.
For fast uploads, you want to go to Ocean Park, as I got an upload speed of 57.76 Mbps there.
Once again, no other travel eSIM was faster (although the Simify Hong Kong eSIM with 50.49 Mbps).
In terms of slow places, the eSIM does not generally perform well in the following neighborhoods or districts:
- Central District
- Cheung Chau Island
- Ma Liu Shui
- Sha Tin
>>> Get your Holafly Hong Kong eSIM and use code “PHONETRAVELWIZ” for 5% off! <<<
My Overall Experience with the Holafly eSIM in Hong Kong – Is It Any Good?
I would recommend the Holafly Hong Kong eSIM, and it would be one of my top recommendations for anyone wanting to buy a Hong Kong travel eSIM.
>>> Get your Holafly Hong Kong eSIM and use code “PHONETRAVELWIZ” for 5% off! <<<
Getting the Holafly Hong Kong eSIM, and any other Holafly eSIM for that matter, is easy and straightforward (even though I did not spend any time on how to install Holafly eSIMs – you will manage… promise!).
The Holafly Hong Kong eSIM uses the CSL Mobile network, which has, together with its competitors, practically perfect 4G/LTE availability.
And I can tell you that you will not have any reception issues with the Holafly Hong Kong eSIM – even on the MTR.
No other travel eSIM, or local SIM card, I used in Hong Kong had unlimited data plans, which made Holafly unique.
While unlimited often means “unlimited”, Holafly told me that its plans were truly limitless when it introduced its new plans.
A few weeks later, though, this paragraph was added to its “Can my connection speed be reduced?” FAQ:
[…] if the mobile operator estimates the usage of more than 90 GB of data in a month, it may temporarily reduce the speed to 256 Kbps – 1 Mbps to avoid affecting other users. This limitation is intended to prevent network saturation and will be removed within 24 hours.
One of Holafly's competitors (an eSIM reseller – not me, lol) tried to hit a daily fair-use limit, realizing that speeds get throttled after using more than 2.5 GB to 3 GB daily.
Do with this information as you wish 😏.
Anyway, Holafly is not the most affordable eSIM I tried in Hong Kong.
But as I said, you get unlimited data for up to 90 days.
Unfortunately, Holafly got rid of its data-limited Hong Kong plans when the unlimited data plans were introduced.
It is unfortunate for those who know they do not use much data.
On the other hand, you do not have to worry about hitting a limit or purchasing top-ups to stay connected (even though topping up is impossible with Holafly at the moment).
And this is different from the local Hong Kong mobile operators, who give you unlimited data plans with a cap (unlimited, but you get slow speeds after 2 GB) or unlimited at throttled speeds (unlimited @ 21 Mbps).
While your speeds with the Holafly Hong Kong eSIM will often be fast enough for general data browsing and video streaming, you should not expect too much.
Taking all 56 speed tests into account, I had an average overall download speed of 41.98 Mbps and a median download speed of 29.85 Mbps with the Holafly Hong Kong eSIM.
When looking at upload speeds, I had an average upload speed of 15.83 Mbps and a median upload speed of 13.52 Mbps with the Holafly Hong Kong eSIM.
The eSIM performed better on the CSL Mobile network than any other travel eSIM using the same network.
Slightly faster than the Airalo eSIMs (Hkmobile, Asialink & Discover Global) and about twice as fast as the Nomad eSIMs (Hong Kong and APAC).
CSL Mobile did not allow prepaid customers to use 5G NR yet, so it was a good opportunity to see how much slower Airalo, and any other travel eSIM using the CSL Mobile network, perform to see if the eSIMs get throttled or not.
The Holafly Hong Kong eSIM was a bit slower than CSL Mobile itself (41.98 Mbps vs. 53.01 Mbps).
Usually, I consider a margin of 20% or 10 Mbps-15 Mbps similar and acceptable (because the travel eSIM roams on the network of the local mobile operator, which is almost always slower).
Honestly, I expected way slower speeds with the Holafly Hong Kong eSIM because it supposedly has unlimited data plans.
Especially when Hong Kong mobile operators throttle their own customers' speeds relatively quickly.
If you really do not need unlimited data, or you are staying in Hong Kong for less than five days, you may want to consider the Airalo Hkmobile eSIM and get a 1 GB, 3 GB, or even 5 GB data plan and save some $$$.
The same can be said about Nomad's Hong Kong eSIM.
But in most other cases, you will do well with the Holafly Hong Kong eSIM.
By using an extensive 4G/LTE network, offering the most affordable data plans & offering reasonable download speeds, you should have a smooth browsing experience with the Holafly Hong Kong eSIM.
>>> Get your Holafly Hong Kong eSIM and use code “PHONETRAVELWIZ” for 5% off! <<<
- Interested in using a Holafly eSIM in another country or countries? Check out my Holafly eSIM reviews from across the world!
Other Hong Kong eSIM Reviews (Airalo, Nomad, Simify & Ubigi)
As mentioned earlier, I also tried out (other) eSIMs from Airalo (Hkmobile, Asialink & Discover Global), Nomad (Hong Kong & APAC), Simify & Ubigi + 3 (UK) travel SIM card by Holidaysimcard.
You should read those reviews too.
>>> Airalo Hkmobile eSIM in Hong Kong Review | Airalo Asialink eSIM in Hong Kong Review | Airalo Discover Global eSIM in Hong Kong Review | Nomad Hong Kong eSIM Review | Nomad APAC eSIM in Hong Kong Review | Simify Hong Kong eSIM Review | Ubigi Hong Kong eSIM Review | 3 (UK) Travel SIM Card by Holidaysimcard in Hong Kong Review (also used in Australia and Singapore) <<<
- Check out my eSIM reviews page if you want to read all the other eSIM reviews I have written, including other eSIM providers in Asia.
I also tried out various local Hong Kong cards: China Mobile Hong Kong, CSL Mobile, 3 Hong Kong & SmarTone Hong Kong.
If your phone does not support eSIM (but felt like reading this Airalo review in full anyway – awesome) or want to have the best network experience possible, you want to go directly with the local mobile operators instead of roaming on their networks (as you do with travel eSIMs).
So I encourage you to read the Hong Kong SIM card reviews too.
>>> China Mobile Hong Kong Review | CSL Mobile Review | 3 Hong Kong Review | SmarTone Hong Kong Review <<<
Check out my reviews page if you want to read all the other reviews I have written, including other Asian SIM cards.