Travelfish #459: Walking for a reason + a Bali tip

Stuff to read to avoid working.

Hi!

This week am leading with an interesting piece on walking and grief—well worth a read if you’ve ever tried to walk some off.

On Couchfish, two paid posts last week, both from North Sumatra, one wandering around Berastagi and the other on a visit to a Karo village. Tomorrow, Lake Toba!

If you’re stuck for something free to read, and have an interest in Vietnam, take a look at my recent pieces on Huế and the beaches near Hội An—they both tie into a long (free to read) Vietnam story which is coming in the next few days.

This week, props to travel writer Narina Exelby and her great little substack newsletter that has taken a sudden Bali tilt. If you’ve a thing for Bali and are after a more upbeat take on the joint than I could ever manage, please do give Narina’s work a read. The newsletter is free!

Just to prove I am capable of saying nice things about Bali, this week, a couple of pics from spots I love here—yes, they exist.

Cheers

Stuart

West is Best

Hanging out with doggo in West Bali. Photo: Stuart McDonald

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⭐️ Story of the week 

• Walking Off Grief On The Appalachian Trail from Catapult

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📚 What I’m reading

• This Is How They Tell Me The World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arms Race by Nicole Perlroth (Still going!)

🇲🇲 Burma

• Voices From The Coup, Two Years On from Frontier Myanmar ($)

• Deification Of Teachers In Burma: Why The Tradition Of Paying Respect To Teachers Should Be Abolished from Tea Circle

🇰🇭 Cambodia

• Chi Phat Community’s Eco-tourism Attraction Going Strong Since 2008 from The Phnom Penh Post

• Grumblings Of Disquiet On Koh Rong Sanloem Over Sudden Evictions from VO

• How Ghost Of Khmer Rouge Haunts A Cambodian Holiday from Nikkei Asia ($)

Ad: Phnom Penh’s Penh House, from US$70 per night. Click here for the details.

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🌴 Environment

• Greenwashing With Dr. Xavier Font from You’re (Not) Welcome Here (Podcast)

• Can Ecotourism Bolster Conservation Efforts? from Sierra

• ‘Leave No Trace’ Ethics Feel Obvious. So Why Do We Still Struggle With Them? from Adventure

• Don’t Overestimate Bioplastics’ Benefits from Hakai Magazine

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• Indonesia’s Virtual Capital from New Mandala

• Angry Mob Burns Down Lombok Hotel Over Land Dispute from Coconuts Bali

🇱🇦 Laos

• Laos Hesitant To Raise Minimum Wage from The Laotian Times

• Laos Approves Regulated Production Of Cannabis For Medical Use from The Star

🇲🇾 Malaysia

• Malaysia PM Anwar Enters Thai Peace Talks With Separatist Rebels from NikkeiAsia ($)

• Myanmar, Malaysia Fall In Latest Transparency International Corruption Rankings from SEAGlobe ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore

• Looking For Lone Diners In A World Where A Table For One Raises Eyebrows from Rice Media

• Sixty Years Since Operation Coldstore from We, The Citizens

🇹🇭 Thailand

• 36 hours in Bangkok from The New York Times ($)

• Thai Superstitions Keep Modernity In Its Place from NikkeiAsia ($)

• T.I.D.: Intro to the Southern Thai Andaman Sea from Thai Island Quest ($)

• Scenic Train Routes In Thailand from Bangkok Post

Ad: Bangkok’s Sala Arun from US$73 per night. Click here for the details.

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🇻🇳 Vietnam

• Vietnam’s Wind Power Push Comes With Environmental Risks from The Straits Times ($)

• High-level Corruption Is Being Severely Punished In Vietnam. What Happened? from The Vietnamese

• Quy Nhon: The Best And Worst Of Urban Development In Vietnam In One City from Future Southeast Asia ($)

Random other stuff

• Smash Hits, Getting Lost In Sumatra And Being A Responsible Traveller With Karen Edwards from JRNYMag (Podcast)

• Fearmongering Over Footballs from Heated

• Political Tourists from Cambodia to Kampuchea

Long walks, wild surf

A quiet wander on Nyang Nyang in South Bali. 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.

Cheers!

Stuart