Modern communications... how to keep in touch when abroad?

[SBD]

Good afternoon,

One half of a Sydney-based couple will be on the east coast of the United States (6 cities in 20 days) in January. All accommodation is in nice hotels or with friends, and all in cell/wifi range.

At the same time, the other half of the couple will be in Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Zanzibar, and thereabouts). Accommodation ranges from modern hotels through dome tents, with everything in between. Cell/wifi probable in cities but largely unknown to us.

How to keep in touch?

Email is swell but voice would be lovely. The African traveller's tentative plan is to take an old 3G iPhone; it may not be very secure on some parts of the journey and if it gets lost we can wipe it remotely.

Any ideas? How's the availability of prepaid SIM cards, with in/out international dialling capability, in Nairobi (first port of call)?

I've routinely used prepaid T-mobile SIM cards available in the United States, and plan to do so again, but from memory their international calling ability is to overseas landlines only...

I'd be much obliged for your suggestions and ideas, and very grateful for your recent experiences.

Kind regards,

SBD

 

[robd]

Jnr#1 was away in the States for 4 months. During that time, I reckon there was only about 3 phone calls made, although we spoke nearly everyday. We used Skype and Viber.

Jnr has an iPhone 4 and bought a sim with data from AT&T.