Travelfish newsletter Issue 262 : Southern Thai updates + Getting provincial
Hi everyone,
We've two more southern Thai towns online this week. On the bookshelf we look at Tash Aw's The Harmony Silk Factory, and we highlight a lovely wet season video in Khao Sok National Park. More below the fold.
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The week that was
This week we have Satun and Trang in southern Thailand updated. They might not be big hitters when it comes to attractions, but go hungry!
If you missed the last few newsletters, we've got a new book section. Got a favourite Southeast Asian-related title you think we should read and review? Do let us know.
For premium members, we have two new PDF guides online (for Satun and Trang). Not a premium member? It costs a very reasonable A$35 per year for access to more than 200 guides (among other things). Find out more here.
On the road, Sally is kicking around on the Karimunjawa Islands off the north coast of Java, David is working through some downtown Bangkok research, Mark is about to start a complete Chiang Mai update, Cindy is prepping for a month in Saigon and Stuart has postponed his trip to Eastern Indonesia due to a slow-healing rib ... those bones just don't heal like they used to! This week's theme is "Provincial"—what's not to love about a slow day in a backwater town?
Please feel free to forward this newsletter on to your friends, family, strangers in bars, bus drivers, som tam lady and massage man.
Good travels,
Stuart, Sam and the Travelfish team
Soapbox
Getting all provincial
You'll come across these towns throughout the region: the Ban Phes, Surat Thanis, Trats, Trangs, Satuns, Pak Chongs, Rach Gias, Padang Bais, Gorontalos and Kuala Besuts of the world. They're all leaping off points for places that are often (fairly) considered to be considerably more "worthy" of your attention. To many travellers, they're little more than a bus station, bed, street stall and ferry port.
They're the nameless towns that slide by the bus window as you hear the travellers behind you ask each other, "Where are we?" but the question hangs, often unanswered, as the place doesn't matter. It's just a pause on the way to somewhere "better".
The thing is, we've always had a bit of a soft spot for getting provincial. For getting off the bus, and staying off the bus. Not surprisingly, once you spend some time in a town, just about any town, you'll find something of interest and enjoyment.
It might be a little-visited temple, the family-run curry shop next door to the guesthouse, a friendly older resident who, surprised to see foreigners in town, takes you under his wing.
These are sometimes the basis for special, longer lasting memories. They give you the chance to touch the earth somewhere a little more local, and dare I say, authentic.
Set aside a day and a night here or there as you plan your trip. Get off the bus, stay off the bus, and see what you find.
The island will still be there the day after.
Safe travels
Stuart
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Featured
Trang
Bastion of curry, kopi and cake, Trang is one of Southern Thailand's most pleasant provincial capitals. In addition to the fantastic food scene, natural attractions in the surrounding province provide something to do between sips of the local Robusta brew. Most come for the islands, but food and culture enthusiasts would be wise to hang around town.
Film of the week
Floating Jungle Paradise
"My second video in a series of many more, displaying my travel to the beautiful Khao Sok National Park, situated in Thailand's Surat Thani province. During this 4 day trip we had a lot of rain but I managed to get some good shots anyway." Film by Guy Houben.
What we're reading
The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw
The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw recounts the life of a successful Chinese textile merchant in Malaya during the British colonial years, leading up to the Japanese occupation. But nothing is as straightforward as it first seems.
Off the forum
Can you help with advice on any of these questions?
Singapore to Bangkok by train...., mostly - possibly with stop offs.
Ho Chi Minh city and then? advice on itinerary
The end of the road for overland adventures?
Notes from the road
BURMA: Meiktila
Today Meiktila sits on the northeast bank of the sprawling Lake Meiktila and the town's position delivers on both impressive sunrises and sunsets, with a large lake frontage and a couple of temples within easy walking distance of the most convenient hotel that is permitted to take foreigners.
CAMBODIA: Koh Kong
Sitting on the borders between the Cardamom Mountains and the sea and the kingdoms of Thailand and Cambodia, and just below the confluence of the Meteuk and Koh Pov rivers, Koh Kong City (Krong Koh Kong) is a dusty frontier town with a soft edge.
INDONESIA: Padang Bai
The busy port of Padang Bai sits on a very pretty bay surrounded by hills with easy access to some pleasant nearby beaches. In East Bali’s Karangasem region, it lies smack bang in the middle of the coast between Sanur and Amed. To the majority of travellers, Padang Bai is just a gateway to Lombok or the Gilis, but this charming little village has a relaxing vibe and is worth a stop as a destination in its own right.
ISLANDS: Ko Tarutao
The Malay word tarutao means "old, mysterious, primitive". With gnarly cliffs, former prison sites, immense beaches and old-growth jungle thriving on mountains that reach up to 700 metres, Ko Tarutao does indeed stir up a primeval sense of awe.
LAOS: Champasak
Set on the west banks of the Mekong, Champasak is a sleepy town sandwiched between the river and mountains. It’s primarily known for being the gateway to UNESCO World Heritage-listed Wat Phu.
MALAYSIA: Lahad Datu
Known as a centre for destructive palm oil—some 32 million tonnes of the stuff per year is produced in the surrounds—and a reputation for pirates, Lahad Datu has seemingly little to entice travellers. The sleepy coastal town however is the kick-off-point for adventures into some of the richest wildlife areas found anywhere in, well, anywhere.
SINGAPORE: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
Need a break from the city? Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve is a world-class conservation area set within a sprawling 202-hectare mangrove swamp along Singapore’s northern coast — a paradise for migratory birds on their journey from Siberia to Australia for winter.
THAILAND: Satun
The provincial capital of Satun nuzzles up close to Malaysia in Thailand's far southwestern corner. Embraced by dense jungle to the west and spectacular Andaman Sea islands in the east, the small city is not a big-time travel destination. Nevertheless, if you don't mind stepping off the beaten road, a distinctive cultural blend makes Satun worthy of a side trip after that beach holiday.
VIETNAM: Rach Gia
Set on the eastern edge of the Gulf of Thailand and 270 kilometres by road from Ho Chi Minh City, Rach Gia is a bustling port, transit point, gateway and capital of Mekong Delta province Kien Giang. Most find themselves in Rach Gia (pronounced “Rat Yah”) en route to somewhere else – that “somewhere else” most popularly being Phu Quoc island, a 2.5-hour fast ferry ride or 35-minute flight away.
News from the region
BURMA: The Guardian view on Myanmar: Some humans have more rights than others
"Before Aung San Suu Kyi came to power, defenders said she was biding her time and would tackle the troubles of Myanmar’s ethnic minorities – of which the Rohingya are by far the most serious – in due course. Now they say her hands are tied." Burma: It's complicated.
BURMA II: The illegal abortions killing Myanmar's women
"Htar Htar said she pushed for abortion to be decriminalised as part of a raft of new laws to protect women's rights, but was rejected because of concerns it would go against Buddhist beliefs that all life is sacred. 'Changing the law about abortion will be really sensitive, especially with Ma Ba Tha,' she said, referring to Myanmar's most prominent hardline Buddhist group."
CAMBODIA: Why these extraordinary Cambodian buildings need to be saved
"Molyvann spearheaded the movement and other notable architects followed, such as Lu Ban Hap, who built Villa Romonea (1968) in 'Cambodia's Riviera' Kep, and the iconic Hotel Cambodiana (1969) in Phnom Penh. Both are resorts today." Better as a resort than as rubble.
INDONESIA I: Komodo dragon attacks tourist in Indonesia
"'He was too busy filming and didn't pay attention to his surrounding,' the park's director was quoted as saying."
INDONESIA II: Indonesia to ban Hizb ut-Tahrir group in Jakarta protest counterstrike
"The Indonesian Government says it will ban the ultra-conservative Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir because of the threat it poses to public order and national unity."
INDONESIA III: A Hello Kitty invasion is happening on the streets of Indonesia
"The cute character from Japan has been seen on a growing number of cars all over the country, and nobody really understands why." Hard hitting stuff here...
INDONESIA IV: Meet the former mujahideen behind Indonesia's fight against terrorism
"But it all started in a small mosque in Kuala Pilah, Negiri Sembilan, and a chance meeting with Basyir and Abdullah Sungkar, two Indonesians who were on the run from Suharto's regime over their involvement with Darul Islam and Negara Islam Indonesia—which were both trying to establish an Islamic caliphate in Indonesia." Big things start small.
INDONESIA V: Rare albino orangutan rescued on Borneo island
"The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF), which is caring for the critically endangered ape -- believed to be albino -- said the organisation had never before in its 25-year history taken in such an orangutan." Those eyes: amazingly human-looking.
LAOS: Mr X and the cartels hooking SE Asia on pills
"The heavy-set 42-year-old was arrested by armed Thai police on 19 January at Bangkok's main airport en route to Laos where he lived freely, revelling in a lifestyle of celebrity parties and supercars."
MALAYSIA I: I spent two weeks lost in Borneo's jungle
Tasmania's Andrew Gaskell nearly lost his life in Mulu National Park. Here he tells us what that was like.
MALAYSIA II: Related to the above: Australian backpacker found alive after two weeks lost in Malaysian jungle
"Gaskell got lost after eschewing local park regulations requiring that visitors take a guide, district police officer-in-charge Gabriel Marudi said. Around 40 rescue personnel launched a search for him."
MALAYSIA III: 5,000-year-old skeleton found in Guar Kepah
"He said based on initial research, the human bones might belonged to a woman who was buried according to the ritual of the ancient people using pottery, shell and mussel."
THAILAND I; China's Silk Road push in Thailand may founder on Mekong River row
"Niwat said blasting the Mekong will destroy fish breeding grounds, disrupt migrating birds and cause increased water flow that will erode riverside farmland." Not sure China, which is upriver, cares.
THAILAND II: Bangkok street food ban a banal assault on way of life
"As a Bangkokian, the latest order imposed by the junta is beyond saddening. At night, bustling places in Bangkok have turned eerily quiet and bereft of human activity and exchange. Gone is the midnight Bangkok street food you could find anywhere."
VIETNAM I: Vietnam province inches forward with controversial Son Doong cable car project
"The administration of north-central Vietnam’s Quang Binh Province, home to the world’s largest natural cave, Son Doong, says it is moving forward with surveys of the cave to plan for the construction of a cable car system." Talk about dumb and dumber.
Travel writing
I got paid to travel the world – but my dream job turned into a nightmare
"By day three, it had become clear that my Holy Grail was actually a poisoned chalice. Updating the guidebook was hard, frustrating, time-consuming work, and doing what I love for money was making me hate it." Dumb guy. Rough Guides must have been thrilled.
Why we're rethinking orphanage tourism
"Alarmingly, tourism is a major contributor to this cycle of abuse and trafficking. In fact, ‘orphanage tourism’ and ‘voluntourism’ have become lucrative industries – and demand is growing."
Ho Chi Minh’s Cave: Hang Pác Bó
"In the winter of 1941, Ho finally crossed the Chinese border, near Pac Bo Cave, and set foot on his native soil once again. He lived in Pac Bo Cave for several weeks before moving on to avoid detection."
Interesting site
Indonesian Throughflow
The Indonesian Throughflow refers to the transfer of upper ocean waters from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean through the Indonesian Seas. Fascinating stuff.
Travel shot
Do not look down and you'll be fine! Photo: David Luekens
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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