Travelfish #476: The Sarawak edition

A wrap on stuff worth reading

Hi!

This week’s lead is a very good piece from the “what is travel blah blah file,” and well worth your time to read, if you’re up for a bit of self reflective whatever. It repeatedly brought to mind my frequent statement that a travel writer’s lot is to see everything and experience nothing. That said, I’m so sore as I type that I’m pretty sure I experienced something today. Let me elaborate.

I’m in Kuching, Sarawak for a couple of weeks with my son, and today spent what felt like 68 hours hiking in Bako National Park. It was hot, like bleeding from the ears hot, and it has clearly been too long between volcano climbs for me. As my son said—come on old man. He was barely sweating!

But yes, in Sarawak—just a quick visit of a couple of weeks—but am fitting in quite a bit, including a trip up to Mulu National Park by boat, something I reckon I had to WhatsApp about half the population of Sarawak to pull off. Can’t wait for that. Aside from hiking whines and planned river trips, Kuching is a great, really pleasant spot, and we’re both really enjoying it.

Sticking with Sarawak for a sec, two newsletters covering this slice of turf have my interest at the moment, and if you’d like to learn a bit more about this region, do give From An Equatorial Lens and The Central Borneo Stories a read. Plenty of interesting stuff—some is paid, but there is plenty for free too.

Couchfish is back tomorrow! In it I will be covering some coming changes and should be in your inbox after my second bowl tomorrow.

Pics this week are from Kuching—yes, I’m going to resist posting a cat photo.

Cheers

Stuart

Keep your distance

Somewhat incredibly, I didn’t fall into this. In Bako National Park. Photo: Stuart McDonald.

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⭐️ Story of the week 

• The Case Against Travel from The New Yorker ($)

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📚 What I’m reading

• We Have Tired of Violence: A True Story of Murder, Memory, and the Fight for Justice in Indonesia by Matt Easton

🇲🇲 Burma

• Myanmar’s ‘Rainbow Heroes’ Demand Democracy And Acceptance from Frontier Myanmar ($)

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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.

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🇰🇭 Cambodia

• Boret Ream: The Visionary Behind Journey Cambodia’s Success from The Better Cambodia

• These Endangered Leopards Are Disappearing From Cambodia from CNN

• Accused Art Trafficker’s Estate Forfeits $12 Million To End Case from The New York Times ($)

• River Song from Tales Of The Orient By Simon Ostheimer

Did someone order a beach view?

Ad: Salad Hut on Ko Pha Ngan’s beautiful west coast, from US$118 per night. Click here for the details.

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🌴 Environment

• Antarctic Tourism Is Booming – But Can The Continent Cope? from The Guardian

• He Has Flown 23 Million Miles. Here Are His Travel Secrets. from The Washington Post ($)

• Europe’s Port Cities ‘Choking On Toxic Air’ From Cruise Ships from The Financial Times

• The Madness Of Second Airports from Future Southeast Asia ($)

• Coastal Flooding Will Be More Extensive Sooner Than Scientists Thought from Hakai

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• How Being An International Student In Indonesia Changed These Australians’ Minds And Lives from ABC

• In Indonesia’s Aru Islands, A Popular Eco-defender Climbs The Political Ladder from Mongabay

🇱🇦 Laos

• Laos Sees Fourth Consecutive Fuel Price Hike In June Amid Inflation And Lak Depreciation from The Laotian Times

• Ongoing Attacks On Activists Bring Laos Into The Spotlight from SEAGlobe ($)

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Looking for deals on organised tours **with no domestic flying**? Here are a few for Southeast Asia via Travelfish partner TourRadar. (Prices are in US$)

Cambodia
Cambodia Explorer (11 days, $920)

Indonesia
Komodo Island Hopper (9 days, $1,196)

Laos
North Laos by motorbike (7 days, $2,062)

Malaysia
Sabah Highlights (7 days, $1,243)

Thailand
Bangkok to the North (9 days, $1,130)

Vietnam
North Vietnam by motorbike (7 days, $1,026)

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🇲🇾 Malaysia

• Trouble In Paradise: Artificial Islands Plan Causing A Stir In Penang Ahead Of State Elections from The Straits Times ($)

• Indonesia, Malaysia Could See Worst Haze In Five Years, Report Warns from RFA

• Debunking The Myths Of Malaysia’s “Green Wave” In GE15 from Fulcrum

• The Missing Population Of Sabah from From An Equatorial Lens

🇸🇬 Singapore

• The Unironic Endeavour To Turn Lee Kuan Yew’s Face Into Bling from Rice Media

🇹🇭 Thailand

• Bangkok’s AI Detection System Targets Illegal Pavement Driving from Khao Sod English

• Loei Celebrates Two Unique Buddhist Festivals from Bangkok Post

• T.I.C.D.: Prachuap Khiri Khan Coast & Islands (Part II: Mueang Prachuap & Thap Sakae) from Thai Island Quest

Looking for somewhere special in Penang?

Ad: Campbell House in Georgetown, Penang from US$72 per night. Click here for the details.

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🇻🇳 Vietnam

• Vietnam Lawmakers Approve Extension Of E-Visa Validity To 3 Months from VietnamExpress

• Ep. 174: Exploring Hoi An And Hue, Vietnam from Travel Talk Asia

• The Dak Lak Aftermath from Vietnam Weekly

• Vietnam’s Tech Manufacturing Boom Goes Bust from Rest Of World

Random other stuff

• Has Tourism Lost Its Way? from BBC (Podcast)

• Cost-Of-Living Nomads: How Travel Companies Are Leveraging Doom-And-Gloom At Home To Sell Trips To Sunnier Climes from Adventure

• Digital Nomads: Community Disruptors? from Rudi’s Travel Journal

• Saudi Arabia Wants Tourists. It Didn’t Expect Christians. from The New York Times ($)

• Neil Jacobs On Why Six Senses Is On The Verge Of Major Growth from Business Traveller

Captions please

This was … unexpected. 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