Travelfish #406: Stop the world I want to get off
Ten places to hide
Hi everyone,
Sorry for the radio silence last week—I was down with some kind of faux-dengue and couldn’t manage the newsletter. Am back though—alive and kicking—and hey at least it wasn’t Covid19!
With all the non–travel happening, first off I wanted to mention the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival which kicks off on October 29—and as it is all online, you won’t need to shell out for flight tickets!
In case you missed the news, this month we published our second long read, titled “Ko Pha Ngan then and now”, by Tom Vater. It follows on from last month’s piece on Bali by Julia Winterflood. If you haven’t already, please give them a read! All these long reads have been funded through our crowdfunding. Thank you!
Old and new at Olympic Stadium. Photo: Stuart McDonald.
On paid Couchfish, I detailed my perfect day in Phnom Penh, then hit the Cambodian coast with a couple of entries. First on Kep and a Kep wedding, and then on nearby Koh Tonsay. There were no free to read entries due to me being ill.
Over on Thai Island Times, David has been busier than me, with two terrific entries—on on the tremendous Ko Adang and the second on Ko Rawi and Ko Hing Ngam. There is also his regular island news piece.
Cheers and again thank you for all your support
Stuart
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Stop the world I want to get off
If you’re anything like me, scrolling through much of the news of the day these days is bad for the health. So with that in mind here are a bunch of places I’m ready to hide away in—today. Yes, the phone is not coming.
A small beach on Perhentian Kecil
Practicing separation on Keranji Beach. Photo: Stuart McDonald.
The good thing about a popular island is, more often than not, it is popular for a reason. It is also likely to have lesser known spots and in the case of Perhentian Kecil, I know just the spot. Keranji Beach.
The beach is small, but it is lovely. There are two places to stay. Keranji Beach Resort for the more flashpacker inclined. Just to the north, Crocodile Rock Villas caters to lovers with a bit more dosh.
Taman Negara National Park
Canopy walking in Taman Negara. Photo: Stuart McDonald.
If matters got right out of hand and I wanted to escape all of humanity (save a jungle guide), Taman Negara works. The hike into Gunung Tahan takes about seven days, so I guess I could do that over and over till things settle down.
Phu Lang Ka
Chill time at Phu Lang Ka. Photo: Stuart McDonald.
Yes, the beds may be some of the most uncomfortable in Thailand, if not all of Southeast Asia, but the dawn views more than compensate. Trekking is also possible, though expect to be the only person for miles—that’s the idea right?
Ko Sukorn
Just another Ko Sukorn sunset. Photo: Stuart McDonald.
Peak season on this island, on Thailand’s southwest coast was super quiet even pre–pandemic. The beaches may not be the region’s best, but the sunsets are some of the best in the country. If it gets busy (unlikely) you could always try camping on an offshore islands and ask the boatman to come pick you up in six months.
Mu Chang Chai
The terraces go on and on. Photo: Stuart McDonald.
I’m always a bit cautious about using the old “in the middle of nowhere” description, but I tell ya, Mu Chang Chai is just about in the middle of nowhere. Think some of the most impressive rice terracing you’ll see in all of Vietnam, great homestays and real deal local cuisine.
Tam Hai
Hoi An gets all the column inches, but just a hop skip and a jump to the south you’ll find Tam Hai Island. Think of it as a drop off the face of the world kind of destination. If you make it there, do say “Hi” to Caroline who manages Tam Hai Resort—she was a Travelfish writer in another life.
Don Khong
A slow day on Don Khong. Photo: Cindy Fan.
The southernmost of Laos’ Mekong islands, Don Dhet and Don Khon get most of the love, but a bit further north, Don Khong ticks many boxes. It is never, ever, busy. There is plenty of space to practice separation, and, most importantly, you will not go hungry.
Muang Ngoi
Keeping away from others at Muang Ngoi. Photo: Cindy Fan.
Sure you can get here by road now, but just close your eyes and pretend the road isn’t there. Arriving—and leaving—by boat will make you feel all the more isolated. That’s what we are after right? Do some trekking, perhaps some kayaking (another separation approved pastime) and make sure the icebox is stocked for sunset.
Lake Toba
Just another Lake Toba sunset. Photo: Stuart McDonald.
Look, with everything going on in the world right now, there are few places as safe as the flooded caldera of an enormous volcano. Lake Toba had loads of places to stay and the joint has to be one of the most visually stunning places I have scene in the entirety of Southeast Asia. Do try the hotsprings. Do ride around the island. Do go for a swim. People come for three days and stay for three months—and that was before the pandemic!
Gili Paserang
Coping with this could be a challenge. Photo: Stuart McDonald.
Did someone say deserted tropical island? I believe I did. Gili Paserang is off the far west coast of Sumbawa and I’ve taken the kids camping there in the past. With a bit more planning I reckon we could have lasted three months rather than three days. There is a beautiful white sand beach with a great house reef, an abandoned resort, a pier to jump off and a viewpoint to climb. What more could you possibly need?
Good travels!
Stuart
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Ten things worth reading
Behind Bangkok’s wave of popular dissent
“The stakes of the conflict, including the monarchy’s role in Thai society, and the terms in which both sides are speaking about it, are elemental and fraught.” An excellent primer on the events unfolding across Thailand.
Thai Enquirer statement on government shutdown of online media
“The government of Prayut Chan-ocha should, instead of censoring the press, read the content of new and digital media to understand the grievances and viewpoints of the people it claims to represent.”
Taking on the traffickers
“Three ordinary people with extraordinary stories - all on a mission to end modern-day slavery.”
The million dollar business of human hair extensions $
“Shortly afterward, she says, a woman approached her and offered the equivalent of 40 euros for Prak’s hair.”
Christians in Medieval Sumatra
“If you ask me, the presence of ancestor-reverers, Muslims, and (possibly) Christians in Indonesia rather calls into question the idea of referring to the era up to the sixteenth century as the ‘Hindu-Buddhist period’.”
Golden Triangle casino baron bankrolls new Mekong river port
“Under the de facto sovereignty of Zhao, whom local Chinese businesspeople refer to as tu huangdi, or “the local emperor,” the GTSEZ has since evolved into a miniature clone of Mong La.”
As child soldiers grow up, legacy of war lingers
“Even for the younger generation, those who have never set foot in Myanmar, their lives are tied to a village long gone or an army since beaten.”
He’s sorry for his bad reviews. He may now avoid prison.
“The resort, on the Koh Chang island on Thailand’s southeastern coast, has been excoriated online for using the country’s tough defamation laws against a guest who didn’t enjoy his stay and decided to write about it.”
Indonesia has 270m people—and one of the world’s lowest Covid19 testing rates $
“One sign infections are being missed is that the more Indonesia tests, the more cases it finds.”
Hundreds of thousands of people are shackled for mental health issues globally
“An Indonesian Government survey from 2018 found that 30 per cent of people with serious mental health conditions had been shackled at least once in their life.”
Something to read
Hothouse Flower is a sprawling, multi-generational family saga mostly set in the United Kingdom in the modern day, with Bangkok at the end of World War II featuring as the secondary setting.
Photo of the week
This job kills me I tell ya. Seaside at Kep. Photo: Samantha Brown.
Thank you!
Thanks from reading the Travelfish newsletter. Please feel free to forward it to all and sundry and your feedback, as always, is much appreciated.
Travel light!
Stuart & the Travelfish team