Travelfish newsletter Issue 255 : Indonesia, Laos & Thailand updates + Stupid tourists + Weave
Hi everyone,
The rest of our Canggu digs, glistening Ko Ngai and another backwater Lao town added. A book on a land on fire and a video covering some of Malaysia's top-shelf destinations. The theme is Weave.
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The week that was
What better way to get over the mid-week hump than having a travel piece in none other than the New York Times describe Travelfish as being "the indispensable Southeast Asia travel guide"?
Post-press mention glow, we've rolled the rest of our Canggu coverage onto the site, now offering up 30 excellent places across most budgets for you to choose from. We also got another Thai island, Ko Ngai, onto the site, and rounded out our offerings with obscure Sekong in far southern Laos. Who says we don't cover a variety of destinations?
For premium members, we have a fresh PDF guide online for Sekong and Ko Ngai. Not a premium member? It costs a very reasonable A$35 per year for access to more than 190 guides (among other things). Find out more here. The more premium members we have, the more coverage we can keep fresh for you on the site. We'll hopefully be announcing some new deals for Premium Members in the coming weeks as we get some partners on board to offer some premium discounts—making that $35 better and better.
On the road, Sam is back from Hanoi and is settling in to sort a million pho photos and write up her experience—short version: She loved it. Sally has just about wrapped up Melaka in southern Malaysia and will be heading over to Johor Bahru shortly to update our brief coverage of there. Sam is back to Singapore, Mark is in Cambodia and David is wrapping up his far southern Thai loop. Keep an eye on the Travelfish Instagram feed for some live armchair travel.
Our soapbox is about idiots abroad—sometimes we wish we really just didn't see how some people behave. Our theme this week is “weave”—not always the cloth though.
As always, please feel free to forward this newsletter on to your friends, family, strangers in bars, bus drivers and somtam ladies.
Good travels,
Stuart, Sam and the Travelfish team
Soapbox
Idiots abroad
Last weekend we were down at a beach cafe here in Bali when a heated argument between some customers and the cafe staff broke out. The customers had asked for the bill and tried to pay for it in Australian dollars. Unsurprisingly, given we were all in Indonesia, the staff were not taking the money.
“But we have no local money,” one of the guests repeatedly yelled at the staff. The staff were trying to be accommodating, suggesting they have another drink while one of the guests went off to change some money, but the Australians were really not impressed. Eventually one took off to find a moneychanger while the rest stood gruffly, arms crossed, glaring at the staff.
It was weird. Granted it was a touristy beach bar, but I rolled my eyes, thinking “stupid tourists”.
Then, last night, at our local Italian restaurant, an almost identical scene played out, where another group of Australians (thankfully not the same people) tried to pay in Australian dollars. Again, the staff wouldn't accept their money. As with the other case, the tourists got annoyed but eventually one went off to find a money-changer and they paid up and stormed out.
Who are these people?!
In a decade of living in Indonesia, I can't ever recall seeing people pay for food and drink with a currency other than Indonesian rupiah. Now twice in a week I've seen it pan out in front of me. I just don't understand how one could get from the airport to a hotel to a restaurant thinking Australian dollars will get you around.
When I travel, I always carry a bit of US$ cash on me, regardless of the country I'm in, but that's for an emergency—not for paying for a margarita.
Good travels,
Stuart
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Featured
Baan Krua Nua silk-weaving community
When he vanished in the Malaysian highlands in 1967, American spy turned Thai silk tycoon Jim Thompson left behind an impressive legacy that can be experienced at his historic house turned museum. Yet most visitors are unaware that a handful of his original suppliers still weave silk a stone’s throw away. If you miss the Baan Krua Nua silk-weaving community, you’re missing half of the Jim Thompson story and a compelling attraction in its own right.
Film of the week
This is from Malaysia
Travel in Malaysia/Singapore from KL to Tioman island for 1 month. Film by Ben Brnch
What we're reading
A Land on Fire: The Environmental Consequences of the Southeast Asia Boom by James David Fahn
James Fahn’s A Land on Fire was first published more than a decade ago, but remains an important and highly readable book that lays the groundwork for anyone interested in understanding the massive environmental challenges that continue to face Thailand today.
Notes from the road
BURMA: Palautonetone
They don’t see many foreigners in these parts so you’ll need to put on your best Queen of England impersonation as you weave past gob-smacked locals and excited kids. (If you want to attract a crowd, stop at a village tea shop.) The large village, clustered around a bay on the island’s north, is a mixture of Bamar Buddhist, Chinese and Muslims. A small Buddhist pagoda tops a low hill just west of town.
CAMBODIA: Cambodian kramas
An iconic and ubiquitous symbol of Cambodia, the krama is a piece of cloth, usually about 1.5 metres long and between 40 and 90 centimetres wide with a crisscross pattern that seems to have as many uses as it does little coloured checks. It is the single item of apparel that allows one to distinguish Cambodians from their neighbours, or anyone else.
INDONESIA: Umabarra and Pau villages
Umabarra and nearby Pau villages are an hour’s pleasant walk or a 10-minute ojek ride through the Melolo River delta, four kilometres from the centre of Melolo. Umabarra is the more interesting of the two villages. Both produce very appealing weavings, so if that tickles your fancy, visit the two.
ISLANDS: Koh Dach (Silk Island)
The main silk weaving centre is just a kilometre away from the ferry drop off point, and is home to a collection of beautifully constructed houses under which weavers patiently weave at their looms, turning out simple but finely crafted silks scarves and skirts.
LAOS: Houey Hong Vocational Training Centre for Women
The Houey Hong Vocational Training Centre for Women provides training and employment opportunities to disadvantaged women in dyeing, weaving, tailoring and small business administration. Travellers can tour the centre and have fun in a natural dyes workshop, learning the art first hand by dyeing their own silk scarf.
MALAYSIA: What souvenirs should I buy in Penang?
Little Penang Street Market (last Sunday of every month, on Upper Penang Road) is also a fantastic place to pick up such varied goodies as traditional beaded nyonya slippers, handwoven fabrics, organic soaps and unusual handmade arts and crafts.
SINGAPORE: Weave your way through Singapore's Chinatown
Everything east of here — including all of the Marina Bay developments — is on reclaimed land. This is why you’ll find Chinese temples and strong communities in this area — this is where the boats once disembarked their cargoes of Chinese immigrants who were very eager to give thanks for a safe trip.
THAILAND: Thale Noi Waterbird Sanctuary
Birdwatchers are joined by flora enthusiasts looking to glide through pink waterlilies that bloom by the thousands. Locals weave grass mats and fish off stilted platforms, adding splashes of culture to this increasingly popular natural attraction.
VIETNAM: Shopping in Hoi An
Like ethnic crafts, hilltribe motifs and natural materials? Check out Villagecraft Planet, east of the market at 37 Phan Boi Chau Street. Here you can find clothes, bags, cushion covers and other decorative items made from Hmong textiles, batik indigo, hemp and natural dyes.
News from the region
BURMA I: Battling for blood jade: Inside one of the world’s most dangerous industries
"Ye Min Naing heard the landslide before he saw it, a bass note that rattled his bones like thunder. Then a friend working near him was swallowed by a surge of earth. Ye Min Naing was buried too. "Up to here," the 28-year-old says, making a slashing motion at his neck." Harrowing stuff.
BURMA II: Understanding Aung San Suu Kyi’s silence on the Rohingya
"In order to understand Suu Kyi’s silence, it is important to understand the two largest political constituencies in Myanmar — the military and Buddhist nationalists." Understand—not excuse.
CAMBODIA: Floating villages to be grounded
"A government minister has sounded the death knell for Tonle Sap picturesque floating villages after outlining a long-term plan to rehome all those living on the lake. Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon yesterday told Khmer Times he wants to relocate thousands of families living on the lake to improve their livelihoods. He could not say when the resettlement will take place, but confirmed he has asked officials from provinces around the lake to look at sites where new housing could be built."
INDONESIA I: Indonesia’s war on drugs takes deadly turn
"Rights groups, which are closely watching Jokowi’s stepped-up war on drugs, have been alarmed by the rising casualties." Concerning stuff.
INDONESIA II: British-owned cruise ship wrecks one of Indonesia’s best coral reefs
"The 90-meter Caledonian Sky, owned by tour operator Noble Caledonia, ran aground in an uncharted shoal in West Papua province after completing a bird-watching trip on Waigeo Island on 4 March." Incompetent.
INDONESIA III: Prospective Bali estate met with resistance by locals refusing to sell land
"Plans for a massive Trump real estate development in a spiritually sensitive part of Bali have met resistance from locals, some of whom are refusing to sell to the US President's Indonesian business partner." Would be great to see this entire project simply not happen.
INDONESIA IV: Exclusive look into how rare elephants' forests are disappearing
"About one-third of the Leuser Ecosystem is protected as the Gunung Leuser National Park. The rest is either forest land with restrictions on use or APL, the acronym denoting land that can be developed. Many areas with the richest biodiversity—the lowland rain forests and peat lands—are outside the national park."
THAILAND I: Ancient pottery, Buddha head found buried at weir in Thailand
"Villagers helped workers remove the earth, revealing the large head of a Buddha statue. Further excavations uncovered a large quantity of old pottery. Although many of the items were broken, some were still in good condition to the delight of the local people. "
THAILAND II: More than 900 coins removed from turtle's stomach in Thailand
"Tossing coins into a fountain to bring good luck is a popular superstition, but the practice brought misery to a sea turtle in Thailand from which vets have removed 915 coins."
VIETNAM: Vietnam to build sanctuary to protect elephants in central region
"The central province of Quang Nam will build an elephant sanctuary between now and 2030, with an investment of nearly VND130 billion ($5.7 million), a provincial official said Thursday." Be interesting to see the details on this one—Vietnam generally not known for great animal husbandry.
Travel writing
REGIONAL I: How the travel industry ‘greenwashes’ its eco credentials
"Terms such as sustainable tourism, ethical tourism and ecotourism are so overused they’ve become almost meaningless and it is increasingly difficult to distinguish between companies genuinely committed to conservation and those adopting green schemes merely to enhance profits. Should a guesthouse be allowed to describe itself as an eco-lodge because it has a back garden?"
REGIONAL II: 12 crowd-free Asia island escapes
"As zealous souvenir hawkers follow busloads of tour groups to Asia's most famous islands, discerning travelers must look farther afield for more authentic getaways."
CAMBODIA I: Another side of Ochheuteal Beach
"This end of Ochheuteal isn’t entirely unknown. I saw several Westerners walking and jogging on the beach, but none of them stopped for refreshments. They turned around and went back to the Serendipity end of the beach. I was the only barang in any of these more traditional restaurants. We ordered a feast for seven people, but it didn’t cost any more than meals for two at a more upmarket restaurant on Serendipity Road."
CAMBODIA II: The last elephants of Cambodia’s Virachey National Park
"We got GPS handsets and cameras out and set off in pursuit of steaming piles of elephant dung." Ok then.
THAILAND: A family adventure in medical tourism
"On the recommendation of the indispensable Southeast Asia travel guide, Travelfish, I had made a reservation at Ngamkho Resort. A dozen or so bare-boned cabanas built of rough-hewed logs, bamboo mat-lined walls and a corrugated plastic roof, the family-run Ngamkho isn’t a resort in the typical sense." Very kind words for Travelfish from the New York Times—not Fake News!
VIETNAM: Hanoi or Saigon?
"Just in case you don't have time to read this lengthy piece in its entirety, I reckon both Hanoi and Saigon are pretty special places - for very different reasons."
VIETNAM II: Why Vietnam was the perfect location for Kong: Skull Island
“I scoured the world. I very specifically didn’t want (the film) to look like Jurassic Park ... I wanted it to look fresh,” he explained. “I think audiences go to cinemas to see new things. So I went to a lot of places in Asia. People have shot in Thailand before and it seemed like an easy fit but I was like, ‘No!’ so we kept going around. And then I landed in Vietnam, looked at these landscapes and just fell in love.”
VIETNAM III: The rise of Saigon’s stand-up scene
"Ahead of Saigon’s first major international comedy festival later this month, Saigoneer talks to members of the local stand-up community, from veterans to relative newcomers, to find out where the jokes are headed."
Interesting site
Atlas of Prejudice
"Thankfully, I was completely clueless and (naturally) the little map inspired a whole collection that subsequently turned into a bestselling book." Great stuff.
Travel shot
Ko Ngai is pretty hideous.
Till next time
That's it from us for now. As usual, enjoy the site's new additions and drop us a line if there's something in particular you'd like us to cover in Southeast Asia.
Travel light!
Stuart, Sam & the Travelfish team
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