Travelfish newsletter Issue 286 : New planning section + Showcase + Membership drive!
Hi everyone,
This week’s theme is “Showcase” and we’re showcasing Travelfish as a part of a membership drive. We’ve also got a review of A Great Place to Have a War and a moody video from Northwest Vietnam. More below the fold.
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The week that was
This month, we’re running a membership drive to get more people signing up as Travelfish members. Membership costs just A$35 and we think that is some pretty spectacular value—and we hope you do too. Not convinced? More information here.
Still not convinced? Please send us an email and let us know what you think would get you over the line—but no, we are not adding a free set of steak knives to the offer!
To the many of you who have already signed up as paid members, thank you very much!
As a part of this, we’ve asked some of our researchers to write about what a day in their life is like when they’re on the road for Travelfish. This is aimed at giving you a better idea of what is involved in creating what you can read online. So, with leading by example in mind, Stuart is kicking this off with this week’s soapbox.
Online we’ve got a new and shiny travel planning section which is just about done—just a few straggling pics to come. If you’re in the process of starting to plan your very first trip you’ll find a load of useful information in there (we hope).
As with last week, we’ve got a special deal for all newsletter readers: a 7% additional discount off hotels booked with Agoda. To get your discount, go to the page listed below, search for a hotel you want to book and, as long as it is marked "Promotion Eligible", the discount is good. Enter the coupon code Tfishpromo (note it is case sensitive) and you'll score an extra 7% off. Small print: Pay at hotel room types do not qualify, and you must book through the following URL: https://www.agoda.com/travelfish
You’re able to access all of Travelfish.org's information via our website. But if you'd like another way to support independent, informed coverage of how to travel around and what to see in Southeast Asia, we'd be grateful for you chipping in. It costs a very reasonable A$35 per year to become a premium member (please note: Australian not US dollars!, so around US$27, C$35, EU23, GDP20 or VND 620,000!).
Membership gives you access to our forum plus more than 200 downloadable guides (235 to be exact) and a special deal with both roundtheworldflights.com and All Points East. We've been covering Southeast Asia since 2004 and we plan on doing so for many years to come.
This week’s theme is "showcase" as in we want to showcase some of the writing which we think makes Travelfish so great ... and worth a $35 subscription!
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Good travels,
Stuart, Sam and the Travelfish team
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Soapbox
A day in the life—Stuart
I’m an early riser—often up for 4 or 4:30 in the morning, so on a typical day when I’m on the road researching, I’ll make use of those first hours typing up what I got through the previous day. It may just be a case of typing in my scribbles, recording business card details, or, in the bigger cities, getting the day’s research out of my brain and into electrons.
When I’m covering a destination with a tonne of accommodation, I’ll do a few in a group then camp at a cafe to scribble the details onto their cards or into my notebook. This initial memory dump is all about error avoidance—was Joe’s Lodge the one with red walls or the broken rattan lounge in the foyer? Were those the sheets with the Disney print or was that Sal’s next door?
So the morning after the day before, before I leave my room, I’m detailing and expanding on those initial notes. While downloading my brain I’m also downloading my pics, sorting into folders (by destination, then type, then property name) and once downloaded I go through those to double check on my memory. The pics are terrific memory triggers—ahh the crap art on the wall of the jet black shower curtain I’d forgotten about.
Once that is all squared away I hit the street looking for a market and then some places to eat—street cafes are my preferred digs, but I’ll keep an eye out also for sit-down spots. Everything I see, random points of interest, stuff I may never need, are all dutifully collected in a smartphone app for latitude and longitude (which we use for mapping on the website).
Fed, I’ll wander a bit, maybe drop by another wet market, have a poke around, till things start to open and try and get some sightseeing in before I start on the hotels. Hotels I do in two slots: 10am till 12 and around 3pm till 5pm. In between I’ll write up my morning notes, fit in a museum or try a few more restaurants. I work hard to take lots of pics when the light’s good around sunset, then I look for places that might be good to relax at the end of the day in—this is the fun bit!
Then back at the hotel, I’ll write stuff up, shower again, change again, and then head back out. I’ll try at least two or three restaurants if I can, just grazing, but checking out the menu and what is on offer. Depending on the town, I’ll also try and find a couple of places for a drink or to socialise but I don’t tend to go late. I’ll normally be back at the hotel by 10, then perhaps spend 30 minutes tidying up my notes, then I’m dead to the world.
I can do this seven days a week for around three weeks before the wheels start to fall off.
Essential gear: Smartphone, notepad, pens, a hat and a scarf. Plenty of pockets.
Good travels
Stuart
Featured
Guide to the Tha Khaek Loop
By the time you roll back into Tha Khaek, you’ll have covered 450-kilometres and travelled through some of the most breathtaking, unforgettable scenery in all of Laos. The Tha Khaek Loop: get a motorbike and go.
What we're watching
The old ways: A journey to Northwest Vietnam
"This is a short film in Northwest Vietnam, one of important sub-regions of Vietnam. This region plays a crucial role in Vietnam defense and security. Northwest Vietnam is always characterized by untouched beauty of landscapes and local people."Locations : Tu Le, Mu Cang Chai, Sapa, Bac Ha, Hoang Su Phi, Ban Phung village Film by Nhi Dang.
What we're reading
A Great Place to Have a War: America in Laos and the Birth of a Military CIA
A Great Place to Have a War: America in Laos and the Birth of a Military CIA, by Joshua Kurlantzick, an expert on Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, is a quite exhaustive history of US involvement in tiny, landlocked Laos in the lead up to and during the American war in Vietnam.
Notes from the road
BURMA: Zwegabin
The massive and dramatic limestone outcrop known as Zwegabin dominates the landscape around Hpa-an. At some 725 metres, this is the highest and largest of the myriad jagged karst formations that jut abruptly out of the otherwise pancake flat paddy-fields here. The Karen consider the outcrap sacred and it has become Kayin State’s symbol. Hpa-an’s football team is even called Zwegabin United.
CAMBODIA: Why giving money to street kids is a really terrible idea
It seems so natural and harmless, and resistance feels so callous and cruel, to give to the kids that fill the streets of Siem Reap selling books, postcards, flowers and jewellery, or sometimes just begging for money. They are poor, they’re clearly in need, and they’re so full of fun and banter that it’s impossible to say no.
INDONESIA: Candi Gedong Songo
Candi Gedong Songo is among Java’s oldest antiquities, a complex of seven small Hindu temples dating from the eighth or ninth centuries (plus several more in ruins).
ISLANDS: Motorbiking Ko Libong
Every time we motorbike around Ko Libong, we stumble on secluded beaches, viewpoints and even whole landscapes that we’d previously missed. Don’t let the resort beach turn you into a useless puddle of relaxation until you’ve explored the island’s 40 square kilometres concealing loads of surprises.
LAOS: Motorbiking the Bolaven Plateau
An expanse of highland formed from an ancient volcano, the Bolaven Plateau is one of southern Laos’ most attractive destinations. Rich with waterfalls, lush jungles, farmland, ethnic diversity and miles of excellent roads, one of the best ways to cover it all is by two-wheels.
MALAYSIA: Mount Kinabalu
There’s something about Mount Kinabalu — its awesomeness, its grace, its spirit — but it’s no wonder so many people are drawn to climbing Malaysia’s tallest mountain. And the major drawcard of Mount Kinabalu is that it’s possible for someone with little or no previous mountain climbing skills to have a go.
SINGAPORE: A one day walking tour of Chinatown
With its bustling markets, fascinating architecture and mouthwatering food, Singapore’s Chinatown is not to be missed. It’s possible to rush through this walking tour of Chinatown in a few hours, but we’d advise setting aside most of the day so that you can take it at an easy pace. A lot of walking and sightseeing is involved, but we’ve added in eating too just to keep everything all balanced.
THAILAND: A walk around Chinatown
Chinatown, known locally as Yaowarat, is arguably the most fascinating part of Bangkok. Exceptional food and cheap goods line the lanes, incense smoke coils from shrines and generational businesses persist in old shophouses. Seeing as it’s also crowded, hot and difficult to navigate, we’ve come up with a walking tour to help you explore with some strategy.
VIETNAM: Con Dao’s beaches
on Dao’s turquoise waters sparkle like a jewel, and they’re best enjoyed from one of the island’s many beautiful beaches. Some are ideal for vegging out while others require an adventurous hike. One thing’s for sure: it will never be crowded. Here’s a rundown of all the island’s noteworthy beaches.
Travelfish partners
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Flights: roundtheworldflights.com
Places to stay: Agoda, Booking
Tours and activities: TourRadar, GetYourGuide
Ground transport: 12Go Asia
Travel insurance: World Nomads
News from the region
BURMA: Rakhine crisis killing Suu Kyi’s peace dream
"While drawing on the symbolism of her independence hero father General Aung San’s 1947 Panglong Conference, an overhyped preliminary meeting with a handful of ethnic leaders, Suu Kyi’s 21st Century Panglong process has been devoid of detail and direction."
BURMA II: ’I miss them so much’: Myanmar’s lost Rohingya children plead for their parents
"Word spread and, in less than two months Hossain received about 1,500 reports of missing people, the majority children. He was able to reunite about half before he shut the booth down for lack of funds. “I am just a volunteer, I am just a guard,” he says. “I’m uneducated. I need some help like people who can read. I need a salary.”"
BURMA III: Tensions over Rohingya return highlight donor dilemmas
"A diplomat from a donor country described the dilemma as "fear of rewarding ethnic cleansing." "
CAMBODIA: Democracy is on the ropes
"Cambodian democracy is unravelling before our eyes. The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) is under threat of dissolution via a motion filed by the Ministry of the Interior a month ago."
INDONESIA I: New great ape species identified in Indonesia
"Prof Wich told BBC News that the decades of collaborative genetic, anatomical and acoustic studies had achieved an "amazing breakthrough"."
INDONESIA II: The world’s biggest grave robbery: Asia’s disappearing WWII shipwrecks
"The UK’s Ministry of Defence demanded Indonesia protect the ships in its waters. “A military wreck should remain undisturbed and those who lost their lives onboard should be allowed to rest in peace,” a ministry spokesperson said."
INDONESIA III: Indonesia to open first contemporary art gallery
"Indonesia’s first international gallery of contemporary art opens Saturday, bringing together works by Ai Weiwei, Mark Rothko and Indonesian masters in a freeflowing modern space overlooking the Jakarta skyline."
INDONESIA IV: Are Chinese tourists to blame for the state of Bali?
"According to a recent report by the Bali Water Protection Programme, the island’s water table has dropped more than 50 metres in some areas in less than 10 years. Many wells are running dry or have become tainted, particularly in the busy south of the island."
SINGAPORE: Why Singapore is anxious to know who will replace PM Lee Hsien Loong
"Accustomed to knowing well in advance who will be their next leader, many in the Lion City are wondering why there is still no sign with only five years to go before Lee retires."
SOUTHEAST ASIA: Southeast Asian cyberspace: politics, censorship, polarisation
"But political elites, even if they could, would not want to control the flow of all information. They need the web to be sufficiently open to allow a perceived sense of online freedom of expression, and the proliferation of engaged online discussion. "
THAILAND: Smuggled, beaten and drugged: The illicit global ape trade
Bangkok’s "Safari World was outed more than 10 years ago for using orangutans that had been smuggled from Indonesian jungles."
VIETNAM I: Heartache for sale at Vietnam’s ex-lovers market
"Thang hopes the market will make the topic of breakups less taboo in Vietnam, a conservative communist nation of 93 million where just a generation ago arranged marriages were more common."
VIETNAM II: ?Death toll from Vietnam storm tops 60 and dams near bursting
The country’s Search and Rescue Committee said 61 people had been killed and 28 were recorded as missing. It said some of the victims were in vessels that capsized at sea. Others were killed in landslides. It did not give a full breakdown. More than 2,000 homes had collapsed and more than 80,000 had been damaged, it said. Roads that had been flooded or washed away caused traffic jams across several provinces.
Travel writing
BURMA: Western lives among the ruins of Bagan
A small group of expats have made a new life for themselves at Bagan, and they advise visitors to forget the tourist trail and take in the area’s history.
INDONESIA: The shunned part of Bali that chef Will Meyrick adores
"Every year, more than 5 million tourists come to Bali. But only a sliver of that number visit the capital Denpasar because they have an impression of it being a smelly, dirty place. But for me, Denpasar is the heart of Bali – a secret hiding in plain sight just waiting to be explored."
SOUTHEAST ASIA: 10 of the best contemporary art spaces in south-east Asia
"Artists in Myanmar, Cambodia and across south-east Asia produce work in a climate of authoritarianism – and often in open defiance of it. Here are 10 spaces that promote their artistic freedom and independence"
TRAVEL: TripAdvisor apologizes for deleting review detailing rape at Mexican resort
"But the investigation by The Journal Sentinel found other instances in which negative reviews, including comments that warned about assaults and deaths, had been deleted without explanation."
TRAVEL: On travel insurance
Bangkok Podcast interviewed Stuart about travel insurance—give it a listen and set aside some time for their dozens of other episodes.
TOURISM: Responsible tourism is changing
"The first issue lies with a fault line at the heart of our concept that we are all very aware of. Everyone who has been an advocate of responsible tourism for international clients will have been asked the same question many times: "how can it be responsible if you have to fly to get there?" "
VIETNAM/Australia: Ph?, G?i Cu?n, and Bún: How Vietnamese food entered the Australian consciousness
In 2017 young Australians are familiar, if not obsessed, with Vietnamese dishes. Last year’s food trend report released by Google showed that consumer interest in ph? has grown by 11 per cent year-on-year since 2013. Instagram’s data from 2015 revealed Melbourne as the top spot globally for posts featuring bánh mì.
Interesting site
Passport index
Explore the world of passports by country.
Travel shot
Grab a bite to eat in Sanur. Photo: Stuart McDonald
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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