Travelfish #490: The sardines edition

A wrap on stuff worth reading

Hi!

This week I’m leading with a piece on some islands a bit far from Southeast Asia—the Galápagos. Give it a read and see if it brings a few Southeast Asian destinations to mind.

I’m still in the Philippines—soaking up some diving time on the island of Malapascua off the northern tip of Cebu … along with the best hits of George Michael, Deep Purple, Roy Orbison, Take That (seriously!) and Madonna. The music scene here is memorable to say the least.

Over on Couchfish, there was a solitary piece for paid subscribers on the “butterfly effect” from a severed ear in the Caribbean reaching East Java. Meanwhile, last week’s Wednesday Deals looked at three choice places to stay in Phnom Penh.

This week’s theme is sardines, because a few days ago I dove with about eight bazillion of them at Moalboal, and it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life—there were so many they blocked out the sun and day turned to night. No pics of that sadly—you’ll have to settle with some other fishies—which I’m now sort of regretting eating.

Cheers

Stuart

That is not a sardine

Prepping for dinner on Indonesia’s Togean Islands. Photo: Stuart McDonald.

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⭐️ Story of the week 

• The Myth Of The Galápagos Cannot Be Sustained from The Atlantic

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📚 What I’m reading

• Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe

🇲🇲 Burma

• The Unfolding Humanitarian Crisis In Myanmar from The Diplomat

• ‘There Is No Hope’: Death And Desperation Take Over The World’s Largest Refugee Camp from TIME

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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

• Five Heads, 10,000 Pieces: Restoring The Dancing Shiva from Southeast Asia Globe

• Chinese Tourists Have Good Reasons Not To Return To Southeast Asia from The Diplomat

• Mother Nature Cambodia’s ‘Relentless’ Activism Earns Right Livelihood Award from Monga Bay

• Years-Long Mediation Leaves Bunong Farmers Indebted To Multinational Rubber Firm from Camboja News

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

• How Much Biofuel Would We Need To Decarbonise Aviation? from Sustainability By The Numbers

• ‘We Are Just Getting Started’: The Plastic-Eating Bacteria That Could Change The World from The Guardian

• One Man’s Quest To Heal The Oceans—And Maybe Save The World from TIME

• Climate Change And The Shift To Cleaner Energy Push Southeast Asia To Finally Start Sharing Power from AP

• The Death Of Carbon Neutrality? from The Financial Times ($)

• Growing Food Insecurity Among Southeast Asians – And Concern That Climate Change Will Make It Worse from Fulcrum

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• Indonesia Plans Bali Light Rail To Ease Congestion From Airport from CNA

• Bandung Travelogue from The Global Jigsaw

🇱🇦 Laos

• Elephant Conservation Ongoing Priority For WWF-Laos Following Devastating Deaths from The Laotian Times

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Planning a holiday in Southeast Asia and need a sim card? Why not pick one up upon arrival?

Indonesia
Telkomsel 4G Sim Card with 35 Gig of data for 250,000 rupiah

Malaysia
Digi 4G Sim Card with 30 Gig of data for 35 ringgit

Singapore

Starhub 4G Sim Card with 100 Gig of data for S$9.70

Thailand
DTAC Happy Tourist 4G/5G Sim Card with 15 Gig of data for 150 baht

Vietnam
Vinaphone 30 days unlimited data for 265,000 dong

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🇲🇾 Malaysia

• Tourism Goes Green Investing In Sustainable Tourism And Integrated Island Waste Management In Malaysia from UNDP

• The Trade In Sanctioned Oil Is Booming As The US Turns A Blind Eye from The Guardian

🇸🇬 Singapore

• The 24-Year-Old Student Who Accidentally Became A Taoist Priest from Rice Media

• Thunder Tea Rice from Singapore Noodles

🇹🇭 Thailand

• As Amsterdam Bows Out, What Will Be The New Capital Of Cannabis Tourism? from National Geographic

• Big Problem As Ancient Site In Thailand Suddenly Becomes Tourist Hotspot from News.com.au

• Extraordinary Spots: A Hidden Beach In The Ang Thong Islands 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’s Answer To Angkor Wat Is A Less Grand But Newly Restored Ancient Hindu Temple Complex Near Hoi An That Was Seat Of The Champa Kingdom from SCMP ($)

• Vietnam Jails Fifth Climate Activist On Tax Charges from BBC

• The Greatest Story Ever Told (About Uzbeki Fred In Hanoi) from A Story From Connla

• Phan Thiết's Vibrant Whale Worship Festival Reflects Vietnam's Rich Animist Traditions from Saigoneer

Random other stuff

• The World’s Last Internet Cafes from Rest Of World

• The Snob’s Guide To Travel Google Docs from Town & Country

• The Definitive Guide To Doing Laundry In Your Hotel Bathroom from The Washington Post ($)

• New York Is Breaking Free Of Airbnb’s Clutches. This Is How The Rest Of The World Can Follow Suit from The Guardian

• Cultural Knowledge Cannot Be Codified – That Is Travel’s Human Edge In This Revolution from Web In Travel

• Travel Website Booking.com Leaves Hoteliers Thousands Of Dollars Out Of Pocket from The Guardian

• Welcome To Midlife, Lonely Planet from Poste Restante

These are sardines

An example of the sort of sardine school I was diving in. Photo: Chris Mitchell.

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Wednesday Deals recap

See you next week!

So that’s the wrap. I hope you are all in good health, and thanks for reading.

Cheers!

Stuart