Travelfish #443: When a place is new

Advice for writers works for travellers too.

Hi all,

This week, I’m leading with a piece aimed at writers, but the advice works just as well for travellers. Just as the writer should ask themselves why are they writing about a place, so the traveller should ask themselves why they are visiting a place. I grabbed it from Emily Ding’s Movable Worlds newsletter, one which I always find delivers something of interest—sometimes literary, sometimes travelish, sometimes, well, just interesting.

A few people asked me over the last week why I didn’t include any of the Bali digital nomad visa stories in the last newsletter. My reasoning is the stories are entirely speculative and I do not expect a visa as described to see the light of day any time soon—if ever. Happy to be wrong, but talk of a five-year tax-free digital nomad visa for Indonesia is exactly that—talk. Don’t hold your breath. If a visa agent suggests otherwise, get another agent.

With all the news over the last month or so about Laos’ fast train (and now, seemingly, pending national economic default) I thought I’d throw in a couple of pics from bus travel in the 90s when the best way to go was on the roof of the bus. I wonder how many travellers will continue to use the bus system. Wait and see I guess.

Cheers

Stuart

On the road to Luang Prabang

Probably will not get views from the train like this. Photo: Stuart McDonald.

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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 is fully vaccinated. You can see a full-size and interactive version of the chart here.

Source: Our World in Data

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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, June 26, 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)

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⭐️ Story of the week 

• When the Place Is New to You from Craft Talk

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🇲🇲 Burma

• Amid Conflict, Travel Flickers Back to Life in Myanmar from The Diplomat

• Scam City: How the Coup Brought Shwe Kokko Back to Life from Frontier Myanmar ($)

🇰🇭 Cambodia

• Cambodian Monkeys Continue to Be Exported to US Labs from CNE

• Jailed Cambodian American Activist Is Allowed to Meet With Lawyer from RFA

• Tourist-friendly Tonle Bati Next in Line as Lake Losses Ramp Up from VOD

• Traditional Rituals Welcome a Cambodian Elephant to Married Life from SEA Globe ($)

🌴 Environment

• Rangers, Walking Groups, Urge Public to Stop Making Rock Towers on Hiking Trails from ABC

• DIY Is Not a Trend—It’s a Necessity from Atmos

• 130-year-old Menus Show How Climate Change Is Already Affecting What We Eat from Hakai

• Why Climate Change Is Not an Environmental Issue from The Walrus

• Will Electric Motorbike Sales Take Off Across Asia? from BBC

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• Maskless Foreigners in Canggu, Kerobokan Spark Rise in Covid-19 Cases from Coconuts Bali

• After Decades of Loss, the World’s Largest Mangrove Forests Are Set for a Comeback from The Conversation

• Digital Tools Complement Organic Farming at Islamic School in Indonesia from Inter Press

• Talking Indonesia: the Salafi Movement from Indonesia at Melbourne (podcast)

• To Win Island-wide Conservation, Indonesia’s Talaud Bear Cuscus Needs to Win Hearts from Mongabay

• Indonesia’s Campaign Against Islamists Is a Ploy to Silence Critics from The Economist ($)

• Is Bali Tourism Back on Track? from The South East Asia Travel Show (podcast)

🇱🇦 Laos

• Laos Faces Public Backlash as Economy Teeters Toward Default from NikkeiAsia ($)

• New Prison to House Criminals From Laos’ Chinese-run Special Economic Zone from RFA

🇲🇾 Malaysia

• Plans for New Airport Spell Trouble for Tioman Marine Park from Malaysiakini ($)

Ad: Looking for an affordable travel insurance policy? Consider SafetyWing.

🇸🇬 Singapore

• Slogans on T-shirts and Overstaying Welcomes from We, The Citizens

• 51 Floors Above Cbd, a Food Farm Offers Real Solutions to Food Scarcity from Rice Media

🇹🇭 Thailand

• Thailand Wants Selfie-taking Tourists to Stop Abusing Famous Tree on Island from SCMP ($)

• The True Curse of the Blue Diamond from Secret Siam

• In Thai Deep South, Another Rebel Group Wants Role in Peace Talks from Benar News

• Thailand’s Digital Divide: Leave No One Behind from Fulcrum

🇻🇳 Vietnam

• Vietnam Approves Tourism Complex in Northern Highlands Commune from VNExpress

• Đom Đóm: Why the Light Is Going Out for Fireflies in Vietnam from Saigoneer

• Retracing Biệt Động Sài Gòn Hideouts, Where Grenades Were Just Below Your Feet from Saigoneer

Random other stuff

• In Southeast Asia, Luxury Hotel Bargains Aren’t Hard to Find from The New York Times ($)—Also, tone-deaf award for the week.

• ‘The Last Resort’ Interrogates the Beach While Enjoying It from The New York Times ($)

• Air Travel Is a Disaster Right Now. Here’s Why. from The Atlantic

Couchfish (Free-to-read)

• Couchfish: Southeast Asia’s New Borders (Old post, from November 2021)

Couchfish (Paid subscribers only)

• Couchfish Day 309: Go Fly a Kite

• Couchfish Day 310: Getting High in Langkawi

• Couchfish Day 311: Off With the Fairies

On the road to Luang Prabang

The sort of bus I’d rather take a photo of then be on. Photo: Stuart McDonald.

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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