Travelfish #440: Noisy neighbour
The most Singapore story ever + Vietnam bowls.
Hi all,
This week, I’m leading with I think the most Singapore story I’ve ever read. Eleven years of banging on the wall. Really.
From Cambodia, we have a look at the changes in Kep, a great piece on the mechanics of G-Land in Indonesia, a strange death in Laos and a good BBC piece on Peranakan cuisine. On the topic of food, don’t miss Vietnam Coracle’s comprehensive piece on where to eat in Hue.
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It was a quiet week on Couchfish, though my free-to-read piece touching on poverty tourism has proved popular. I’ve also added a “Greenwashing” note for any stories I list that I consider to be, well, greenwashing.
The photos this week, are a couple from my eating efforts in Hue. No shortage of bowls there.
Cheers
Stuart
Hue grazing
Yes, it is true, I want four bowls. Photo: Stuart McDonald
Vaccinations snapshot
The following chart is per capita—not total numbers. The dark green bar is the one that matters—it represents the percentage of the eligible population that are fully vaccinated. You can see a full-size and interactive version of the chart here.
Source: Our World in Data
Travel summary
So where is open and where is closed? This chart by Hannah Pearson at Pear Anderson summarises the state of play in the region as of Sunday, May 29, 2022. To receive Hannah’s report in your email mailbox every Sunday you can sign up here (it is free!)
Source: The Impact of Covid-19 on the Southeast Asian Tourism Industry (PDF)
⭐️ Story of the week
🇲🇲 Burma
Dancing With the Enemy in the Bamar Heartland from Frontier Myanmar ($)
🇰🇭 Cambodia
The Old Kep Is Dead. Long Live New Kep? from Move to Cambodia
Cambodia’s Reopened Siem Reap Sets Its Sights on a ‘quality’ Tourist Resurgence from South China Morning Post ($, Greenwashing)
Drill Experts Assist in Preah Vihear 7th Staircase Repairs from The Phnom Penh Post
‘Wolf’ Attacks Villagers, Gets Eaten from VOD
🌴 Environment
Airlines’ Premium-Economy Trick from The Atlantic
🇮🇩 Indonesia
‘Princess of the Wall of Death’: Indonesian Daredevil Defies Gravity and Stereotypes from AFP
The Mechanics of G-Land, Java, Indonesia from Surfline
Saving Medicinal Plants a Village Cause in Indonesia from Mongabay
For Reef Mantas, Indonesia’s Komodo National Park Is a Ray of Hope from Mongabay
🇱🇦 Laos
South African National Found Dead in Vientiane Capital from Laotian Times
🇲🇾 Malaysia
Malaysian Hornbill Bust Reveals Live Trafficking Trend in Southeast Asia from Mongabay (2021)
From Drones to Sensors, Malaysian Durian Grower Goes High-tech from AFP
Malaysian Palm Oil Giant Seeks to Repair Image After Abuse Claims from Aljazeera
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🇸🇬 Singapore
$20,000 for Trying to Save a Life from We, the Citizens
Jurong Is A Lot Cooler Now. What Do the People Who Work There Think? from Rice Media
🇹🇭 Thailand
Ode to the Motorsai from Bangkok Glutton
Brazen Attack in Thai Deep South Shatters Ramadan Truce from Benar News
Bang the Drum Slowly from Bangkok Post
🇻🇳 Vietnam
Hue Food Guide from Vietnam Coracle
Random other stuff
Unearthing a World Under the Waves from National Geographic
Monisha Rajesh Wants to Make Train Travel Delightful Again from Vogue
Against Nature Writing from Emergence Magazine
Dervla Murphy Obituary: A Ground-breaking and Fearless Travel Writer from The Irish Times
The Norfolk Lourdes: England’s Lost Holy Land from Financial Times ($)
Should Marine Species Own the High Seas? from Nautilus
Back Down to the Countryside from Noema
Couchfish (Free-to-read)
Couchfish (Paid subscribers only)
Grazing in Hue
I miss Vietnam. Photo: Stuart McDonald
See you next week!
So that’s the wrap. I hope you are all in good health, and thanks for reading.
See you next week,
Stuart