Travelfish newsletter Issue 330 : Northern Laos + Of boats and planes + Free stickers!
Hi all,
We missed last week’s newsletter, primarily due to travel and Stuart’s fractured ankle. No, he doesn't type with his feet, but sitting at a desk hasn’t been the most comfortable way to pass the time. Our apologies. Upside: More stories to read!
Also on the upside, with two weeks we had time to get a little more onto the site—with two destinations in far northern Laos (Sam Neua and Vieng Xai) updated and a third, Nam Nern Night Safari added. So while we’re not prone to bragging (really!) if you’re looking for somewhere a little more remote to explore in Laos, this trio of destinations could be right on the money and the research is, dare we say, rather sharp.
In other news, we have stickers! Shiny new Travelfish stickers ideal for a laptop screen (the back side, not the screen side), a car window (your car only please) or, it you’re a wheelie bag person, they are just about perfect for one of those.
Want a few? It is easy. Just send Stuart your mailing address by replying to this newsletter and he’ll pop a couple in the post to you. They’re being dispatched from Indonesia, so may take a little while to arrive... Feel free to send up a pic with you and your sticker somewhere exotic!
Good travels,
Stuart, Sam and the Travelfish crew
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Soapbox
Of boats and planes
Indonesia has long struggled with its aviation safety record (well, all means of transport in the country have issues, but air travel in particular gets a lot of attention). Yes, statistically, flying is the safest way to travel in Indonesia, but it remains an area of significant concern. Why?
LionAir’s founders, the Kirana brothers, have a net worth of almost a billion dollars according to this Forbes collection of Indonesia’s most loaded. The airline began operating in 2000 with a single aircraft doing the milk-run from Jakarta to Bali—fast forward 18 years and the carrier has the largest market share in the country—yes, even larger than Garuda.
That sounds impressive till you look at LionAir’s safety record, which is not so hot with 14 incidents (thankfully not all at the scale of last week’s) listed.
It's easy to suggest that perhaps the Kirana brothers could invest more money in training and maintenance, but it does point to a broader malaise with regard to safety in Indonesia.
Remember the recent waterborne tragedy on Lake Toba in Sumatra? In June of this year an overloaded ferry sank on the lake in rough conditions and almost 200 people drowned. What changes have happened on the water since then? Ferries are now required to have a passenger manifest. That’s it. The windows are still barred (ostensibly to deter theft) and insufficient life jackets are on vessels—think one jacket for every row of three seats rather than one per person. What a disgrace.
How do you put a price on a life? We’d like to think that the the time is long past for the Kirana brothers, and the many other magnificently wealthy Indonesians in the country, to put their money where their mouth is and use their financial clout to bulldoze through substantial change, as it seems hell will freeze over before the government does anything substantial. How much would it cost a multi-millionaire to put sufficient lifejackets on every ferry in the country? The loot is there—do some good with it! Or, as the saying goes ... Just do it.
A foot note with regard to LionAir, here is story from 2015 in which the founder is quoted as saying “My airlines are the worst in the world, but you have no choice” (story is in Indonesian). Here is a NYT piece that looks in some depth at the airline’s mistreatment of pilots and other staff.
At the end of the day, sometimes in Indonesia you have no choice to fly LionAir (or one of its affiliates), and statistically that will still be safer than bus, car or ferry—but this is a calculus the Indonesian people (and tourists visiting) should not have to make—they’re all being badly let down by the government and regulatory bodies.
Good travels,
Stuart
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Featured
Far northern Laos
Earlier this year Cindy tramped all over stretches of Northern Laos for us, and arguably the most evocative—and remote—area was Hua Phan Province, which juts into Northern Vietnam.
Sam Neua itself may not be attractive, but the setting it. Photo: Cindy Fan
It was here that the communist Pathet Lao based themselves, sheltering from rampant round the clock US bombing in vast cave networks within the limestone massifs that dot the region. Fighting both the airborne US and Royalist Lao soldiers on the ground, the Pathet Lao based themselves in this mountainous, wild and difficult to access area which became the birthplace of the Lao PDR.
Being the birthplace of a nation you’d think would put Hua Phan Province on the top shelf of the attractions of Laos, but in fact most foreign travellers to the area are just passing through, enroute on a long distance bus making the epic trip across to Thanh Hoa in Vietnam. The scenery and small towns little more than passing background through the bus window.
Into the wilderness. Photo: Cindy Fan
So first of all, if you’re overlanding through here anyway, get off the bus. In the least, break the journey at Sam Neua which has the best range of accommodation and eateries and use that as a base for exploring the surrounds.
Overlanders with more time, consider a night or two in Sam Neau and another night in Vieng Xai—as it is from this latter town that the famous caves the Pathet Lao operated from can be visited. If you are in the region, it is a must see.
A delicious lunch prepared by the village crew responsible for meals. Photo: Cindy Fan
Lastly, for the more nature inclined, the Nam Nern Night Safari offers a glimpse of Laos in its natural state that is hard to see in the same manner anywhere else in the country. Coasting in a boat down the river at night, spotting wild life on the banks and in the trees can be just magnificent. And in visiting this you’re demonstrating to the country that there are other ways for Laos to earn income aside from dams for hydro—support sustainable tourism we say.
So that's just for those passing through! If this part of Laos wasn’t even on your agenda, then we’d say if you have a spare five or six days, then it warrants very serious consideration for inclusion. If you have an interest in the wartime period, we’d say this is close to a must see. Likewise if you’re into wildlife and the natural environment, Nam Nern should definitely be on your short list.
Hard to imagine what it must have been like. Photo: Cindy Fan
True you’ll struggle to find a banana pancake (though Cindy did find delicious brownies in Sam Neua), the accommodation scene across the board is, well, simple, and, you’ll certainly not be encountering throngs of foreign travellers... but perhaps that is just what you are looking for.
Read more about Sam Neua, Vieng Xai and Nam Nern.
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News from the region
ASIA: Time for a truce in Asia’s war on drugs
“IDPC suggests a more enlightened approach to the problem. It’s research recommends that that UN member states urgently identify and implement more meaningful drug policy goals that are rational, reasonable, and focused on assisting the most vulnerable.”
BURMA I: Submission
“The Irrawaddy’s response, typical of its rebarbative and unedifying attacks elsewhere, has been to join the government in sowing distrust of the foreign media through its editorial pages — notwithstanding its reliance for most of its existence on Western donors.”
BURMA II: Myanmar doubles down on denial as UN official sees ‘ongoing genocide’ of Rohingya
“A former student leader from Myanmar’s abortive 1988 democracy movement, however, urged the government to move beyond denial and actively deal with the issue, which he said “makes Myanmar look ugly internationally.””
BURMA III: Landmines injure 7 civilians in Northern Shan in October
“At least seven people have been wounded by landmines in northern Shan State in October, according to local residents, who said the devices posed a serious threat to their livelihoods, as well as their lives.”
BURMA IV: Displaced villagers in Myanmar at odds with UK charity over land conservation
“But the project faces widespread opposition from ethnically Karen people who depend on the forests for their livelihoods. They fear it could convert their ancestral lands into protected areas, making it illegal for them to grow crops, fell trees to build homes, or forage and hunt for food.”
CAMBODIA: The aches of surrogacy
“Cambodia has no set legislation on surrogacy—commercial or otherwise. The women are instead charged with human trafficking; although anti-human trafficking legislation doesn’t explicitly mention surrogacy, both surrogates and brokers are charged with selling or buying a person. If found guilty, they face two to five years imprisonment for selling their babies, and possibly an additional 15 to 20 years for human sales across country borders.”
INDONESIA I: Indonesia plane crash leaves experts puzzled
“If they didn’t do that, it’s gross mismanagement.”
INDONESIA II: From MeToo to deforestation: Indonesian writers on their country's biggest challenges
“This year’s festival featured a number of prominent international writers, such as Hanif Kureshi and Geoff Dyer, but it was Indonesian voices that provided some of the most compelling stories. Guardian Australia spoke to four young Indonesian writers and activists at the festival about their perspectives on some of the most urgent global issues.”
INDONESIA III: Sulawesi on slow path to recovery a month after disaster
“Volunteers say the traumatic experience that people have been through is likely to have a lasting effect on the lives of communities from the mountains to the cities.”
INDONESIA IV: The mosques that survived Palu’s tsunami and what that means
“The question is will this tragedy bring outside funds that once again disturb the internal harmony among Muslims? If so, will Palu sustain its spirit of tolerance?”
INDONESIA V: Behind Indonesia’s tsunami response, a patchwork army of volunteers
‘“I begged them for one truck,” the 44-year-old mother said. “I wanted to make sure it was distributed well. Everyone is efficient, but when we have to go through the government, we have to have so many documents that it slows the process down.”’ Being somewhat familiar with Indonesian bureaucracy, this statement rings very true!
LAOS I: Collapsed Lao dam ‘was built on a sinkhole’
“The disaster raised questions not only about the care with which Laos’ dam projects are being built, he said, but also “the suitability of the country’s tropical geography for engineering concepts largely imported from western countries.””
LAOS II: How better hydropower planning can avert future disasters on the Mekong
“Environmental and social impacts that increase disaster risks for local communities are the expense, or ‘collateral damage’ of power generation, energy security and profit.”
LAOS III: Chinese dams ramp up Lao external debt
Just look at that map of dams on the way. Makes me want to cry.
MALAYSIA I: China's appetite for 'stinky' durian fruit threatening endangered tigers
“The demand for durian in China has driven up prices and led to a surge in large-scale durian farming in Malaysia over the past year, with some predicting they could eventually replace palm oil as Malaysia’s biggest export. ”
MALAYSIA II: How the Bersih movement is laying the foundation for a new Malaysia
“While there are many factors that played a role in the ongoing creation of a new Malaysia, the role of Bersih is unmistakable. And the movement’s work is not done. ”
MALAYSIA III: Malaysia is ground zero for the next malaria menace
“The rise of monkey malaria in Malaysia is closely tied to rapid deforestation, says Kimberly Fornace, an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. ”
SINGAPORE: The disappearance of Little Thailand
“In a notice dated 3rd August 2018, tenants of the Golden Mile Complex were informed that more than 80% of building tenants have signed the proposal for en-bloc sale. In other words, the entire Complex is poised to be put on the market, open for developers to buy, raze, and rebuild. ”
THAILAND I: Living with elephants in Thailand
“Doing that means making sure the park provides grasslands where elephants can roam and feed, says WWF habitat restoration expert Thanphitcha Jaikaew, who refers to elephants as brothers. Because Kui Buri spreads across a hilly, forested terrain and the plains enveloping it were turned into plantations, maintaining the few open green areas inside the park is of paramount importance.”
VIETNAM I: Expats outraged as American man begs on Saigon streets
“While some have sympathized with or remained neutral about people wanting to “travel the world for free” as an unconventional approach, others have argued that it takes unfair advantage of people in poorer countries where overseas travel is a luxury.” Filed under why we ignore all Facebook expat groups.
VIETNAM II: American woman dies in northern Vietnam road accident
“Police are investigating the cause of the accident and looking for the truck driver.”
Travel writing
BURMA I: Myanmar's nascent surfers make waves
“Nearby, a glinting pagoda is set on a lush escarpment above a clump of greenery called Lovers' Island. "In Japan there would be about 100 people on a beach like this, but here there's no one here," said surfer Aito Kasahara, 30, from Tokyo. "You can have a private beach to yourself."”
BURMA II: Talk Travel Asia - Ep. 89: Bagan, Mandalay & Inle Lake, Myanmar
“Whether or not you should travel to Myanmar is something we’ll leave to you to decide, and instead focus on our travel experiences to three of the country’s hotspots: Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake.”
FIRST BACKPACKERS: First humans to reach Australia likely island-hopped to New Guinea then walked
The Banana Pancake Trail ... before pancakes.
INDONESIA: Indonesia's first museum of death
“ “Apart from the replicas, we also use genuine humans, such as the one in the Trunyan cemetery,” added Bayu.”
OVERTOURISM: How to solve Asia’s ‘lazy’ overtourism problem
“If you have beaches full of plastic, you’re not going to be an attractive destination for long. You’ve got to do something regardless of who is visiting, otherwise they don’t even come.”
SINGAPORE: Digging Fort Canning Park
“Other finds at the site include green and white porcelain, and China-made glass beads dating back to the Yuan Dynasty, which were exported here as ornaments.”
THAILAND I: Biennale brings reason to revisit riverside wats
“While world-class artists like Marina Abramovic drew large crowds to her talk and Yayoi Kusama invaded CentralWorld with her spotted pumpkins, lesser-known Thais and one avant-garde Chinese artist are showing works at three Buddhist temples along the Chao Phraya River.”
THAILAND II: Kaeng Hang Lay Tay: An easy Northern Thai curry recipe
THAILAND III: 12 Floating markets around Bangkok
“What I have tried to do on this page is to show you photos and give you GPS coordinates of all the places that I have visited in order for you to decide what kind of experience that you want.”
VIETNAM I: Succumb to An Giang’s weekend charms
VIETNAM II: Phu Quoc Island by boat
“On this page, I provide all the information you need for taking the boat to Phu Quoc Island, including a full listing of sailing times and prices for passengers and vehicles.”
Interesting site
ChildSafe
“We created 7 Tips to help you understand what can harm children during your travels.”
Travel shot
No shortage of these in northern Laos. Photo: Cindy Fan
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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