Travelfish #463: Two weeks in Southern Vietnam

A quick stroll in a beautiful country.

Mar 06, 2023

Hi!

This week leading with a great piece on how visiting the beach can be an act of resistance. While it is focused on Palestine, there are plenty of parallels to more than a few destinations in Southeast Asia.

Last week on Couchfish I had two Lake Toba entries for paid subscribers, one on cannabalism and the other on a pretty viewpoint—one more to come before I leave the island behind. For free subscribers, I took a look at the Travel Foundation report on how tourism and climate targets fit together—or don’t—within Southeast Asia.

On Travelfish I’ve (finally) updated our two-week itinerary to Vietnam’s south—the first of many updates in this area. It includes a short section on sustainable travel in the region—expect a lot of more of this on Travelfish. With that in mind, the pics this week are from that part of the world.

Cheers

Stuart

Clear waters

Exploring the coastline near Phan Rang. Photo: Cindy Fan (who clearly enjoyed better weather than I scored!).

Looking to book your transport online when you’re on the road in Southeast Asia? For Vietnam, look no further than Baolau. For the rest of the region, 12Go should be your first port of call.

🇰🇭 Cambodia

US Condemns ‘Fabricated’ Case As Cambodian Opposition Leader Is Jailed For 27 Years from The Guardian
Dynamite Doug via Campuccino (Podcast)

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

🌴 Environment

Why Some Travelers Fly Across The World Without Leaving The Airport from The Hustle (awful piece!)
Intrepid Travel Is Rethinking Responsible Animal Encounters from AFAR
Asia Expects Dramatic Rise In “Regenerative” Tourism from NikkeiAsia ($) (from 2020)
Why Are Non-scientists Leading The World’s Largest Companies’ Sustainability Efforts? from Fortune
Can Tourism Be Nature-Positive? from Crossroads Blog
The World Promised To Phase Out Fossil Fuel Subsidies. Instead, It Doubled Them. from HEATED

🇮🇩 Indonesia

‘This Is My Last Responsibility’: Indonesia’s Parents Seek Justice Over Child Cough Syrup Deaths from The Guardian
In Bali, Paradise Is Being Upcycled from The Financial Times ($)
The Other Side Of Lombok, Indonesia: Ancient Temples Open To Hindus And Muslims Alike, An Upland Shangri-la, And Islands Off The Tourist Trail from SCMP ($)
On The Kahayan River Of Kalimantan from This Is Southeast Asia

🇱🇦 Laos

Xayaboury Festival Is The Elephant In The Room For Lao Tourism from The Laotian Times
Luang Prabang Hotels On Full Capacity Thanks To Chinese Tourists from The Laotian Times

Looking for deals on organised tours? Here are a few for Southeast Asia via Travelfish partner GetYourGuide.
Cambodia
Up to 15% off a full-day trip Angkor Wat’s Kulen Waterfall.
Indonesia
Up to 15% off a tour to Merapi, Borobudur and Prambanan.
Malaysia
Up to 10% off a bicycle tour of Kuala Lumpur’s old city.
Thailand
Up to 30% off a 4-hour tour of Bangkok’s Chinatown.
Vietnam
Up to 50% off a one-day Hạ Long Bay tour.