Travelfish #502: The Stuff Of Life Edition
A wrap on stuff worth reading
Hi!
This week I’m leading with a terrific piece on tourism by Henry Wismayer—go grab a coffee and give it a read.
A quick update on the whole Substack drama I mentioned last week. I’ve almost finished moving this newsletter, and as long as the plumbing in my house doesn’t detonate again (see below), this should be the final issue coming from Substack. With that in mind, I’m looking for a few volunteers who’d be happy to have their email address added to a test list I’m running—I just need a few sets of eyes to check the new version looks okay in various email clients, that they actually receive it and so on. It would probably be a half-dozen emails or so over the coming week, so if you can help out, please drop me a line at stuartmcdonald@travelfish.org—thank you. And also, thank you for the notes of encouragement and support, they were much appreciated.
On to our water issues. Over the weekend just gone, the plumbing in the house gave up the ghost, meaning we had a bunch of guys digging random holes and generally smashing things up. In the middle of the whole shebang, our well ran dry (no surprise given Bali’s water woes), which, to be honest, sort of made the fact that the drains were all blocked to buggery less pressing. All this was a bit of a distraction—and the main reason why both this newsletter is still coming from Substack and why my uni assignment is still not finished—but it also gave me a new found respect for water. So, it seemed fitting that this week’s theme would be The Stuff Of Life, and while I won’t bore you with photos of guys jackhammering up concrete, I will give you a couple of nice water pics.
I’m in Bangkok from the end of this week for a spell, so if you’re in town and would like to catch up for a coffee, let me know!
Cheers
Stuart
This week’s newsletter is supported by Ling—think of it as a new way to learn a language without picking up phrases like how to tell your neighbour there are a million cats in your house. Their coverage includes a bunch of Southeast Asian languages which I’ve outlined further down, or just click on the monkey above and find out for yourself—they’ve got both iOS and Android apps available—and a free trial.
Out and about
On the Mekong somewhere near Stung Treng in Cambodia. Photo: Stuart McDonald.
⭐️ Story of the week
Nice View. Shame About All The Tourists. from Noema Mag
📚 What I’m reading
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
🇲🇲 Burma
Army Or Prison: Forced Recruitment In Myanmar’s Towns And Cities from Frontier Myanmar ($)
‘Almost Dead’: Leprosy Patients Languish In Myanmar from Frontier Myanmar ($)
One of the best way to get a little more out of your trip is to learn a bit of the language, and Ling helps you learn vocabulary and phrases to form meaningful relationships with people you meet along the way.
Think of it as a bit like Duolingo, but without phrases like “There are one million cats in my house,” and best of all, Ling offer a bunch of Southeast Asian languages including:
Indonesian, Khmer, Lao, Malaysian, Thai, and Vietnamese
With apps for both iOS and Android, it couldn’t be easier to grab a 7-day free trial and start learning today.
🇰🇭 Cambodia
Two Provinces Suspend Rice Growing Due To Water Shortage from Khmer Times
Cambodia Issues Measures To Reduce Air Pollution In Dry Season from Cambodianess
Why Is Vietnam Worried About Cambodia’s Mekong Canal Project? from The Diplomat
Did someone order a beach view?
Ad: Salad Hut on Ko Pha Ngan’s beautiful west coast, from US$118 per night. Click here for the details.
🌴 Environment
Do Carbon Credits Really Help Communities That Keep Forests Standing? from Mongabay
Can Animals Evolve Fast Enough To Keep Up With Climate Change? from Hakai Magazine
Are These ‘Eco-Cities’ The Future Of Sustainable Design? from Atmos
🇮🇩 Indonesia
Bali Introduces IDR150,000 Tourism Levy From February 14, 2024 from Welcome Back To Bali
‘Silicon Bali’: Asia’s Paradise For Sustainability Startups? from Eco Business
From Military Leader To ‘Harmless Grandpa’: The Rebranding Of Indonesia’s Prabowo from The Guardian
Engaging Children’s Voices For Tourism And Marine Futures Through Drawing In Gili Trawangan, Indonesia from Frontiers
🇱🇦 Laos
Laos Tourist Jewel At Risk Of Losing UNESCO Status from Nikkei Asia ($)
Luang Prabang Tourist Entry Fee Hike Sparks Online Divide Among Users from The Laotian Times
Laos To Balance Tourist Appeal, Hydropower Ambitions from The Laotian Times
Laos Is Getting A Handle On Its Debt from Nikkei Asia ($)
Yes, it’s the language monkey again.
🇲🇾 Malaysia
When In Borneo, Don’t Be Afraid To Head Underground from Thrillist
Sabah Targets Three Million Tourist Arrival This Year, Says State Minister from Malay Mail
Ex-Malaysian PM’s Lawyer Pressures Netflix To Take Down Documentary from The Guardian
Lenggong’s Past Beckons Discovery from Borneo Bulletin
🇸🇬 Singapore
Ponderings On Police Power And Personal Privacy from Rice Media
Jail, Jail And More Jail from We, The Citizens
🇹🇭 Thailand
Thailand Moves To Ban Recreational Use Of Cannabis In Setback For Nascent Industry from The Straits Times ($)
Eight New Thai Airlines To Debut This Year from Bangkok Post
How Cheap But Excellent US$5 Thai Massages At A No-frills Temple In Chiang Mai Attract Locals And Tourists Alike from SCMP ($)
PM2.5 To Spike In Capital from Bangkok Post
Looking for somewhere special in Penang?
Ad: Campbell House in Georgetown, Penang from US$72 per night. Click here for the details.
🇻🇳 Vietnam
Coming Soon To A Meal Near You: Vietnamese Farmed Crickets See Leap In Demand from The Straits Times ($)
Revisiting Vietnam’s Bootleg DVD Stores, The Dethroned King Of Local Entertainment from Saigoneer
Growing Energy Concerns from Vietnam Weekly
A Mekong Island Too Tiny For Industrial Farming Now Points To Vietnam’s Future from Mongabay
Random other stuff
Resident Travel Writer Vs Visiting Travel Writer from Jack Montgomery
Can Southeast Asia Tackle Its Epidemic Of Male Suicides? from RFA
How Can A Content Creator Encourage “Better” Travel? from Travel Massive
Can Pinterest Predict The Future Of Travel? from Adventure
The 2024 Travel & Tourism Wishlist For South East Asia from The Southeast Asia Travel Show (Podcast)
The Fat Of The Land from Around The World In 80 Scrapes
The Dangerous Art Of The Freedive from The Financial Times ($)
Time to get out the paddle
A DIY snorkelling trip island hopping off the coast of Pantar in Indonesia’s east. Photo: Stuart McDonald.
Wednesday Deals recap
Good travels!
So that’s the wrap. I hope you are all in good health, and thanks for reading.
Cheers!
Stuart