Travelfish #248: Southern Laos + Breeze

Everywhere is on the way to somewhere Hi everyone, This week we're back on track with updates in Laos and Bangkok, a soapbox on reducing your impact and a moody short film on Vietnam's Mekong Delta. Travelfish premium members are growing like mushrooms in the wet season. [Learn how you can become one now! »] The week that was We've kept ourselves busy this past week getting new material onto the site about the fantastic [Tha Khaek Loop] and little-known [Ban Khiet Ngong] in southern Laos. We also updated a selection of Bangkok's top-shelf attractions as a part of a “Bangkok short break” guide we're working on—more on that in the coming weeks. For premium members, new PDFs are in the library for the above-mentioned Tha Khaek loop and Ban Khiet Ngong—we hope you don’t get too dusty. These additions brings us to a total of 180 titles available for download. And yes, more soon. Not a premium member? It costs A$35 per year and [you can find out more here]. Coming onto the site this week we have Champasak in Southern Laos, Takeo in Cambodia and a bunch of Bali sights. Following on from last week’s soapbox on overtourism, this week we’re taking a quick look at some simple steps you can take, as a traveller, to reduce your impact on where you’re visiting. As always, your suggestions are much appreciated—and thank you to those who wrote to us in response to last week’s soapbox. You can read [a discussion on the issue on the Travelfish forum here]. This week’s theme is “breeze”, because who doesn’t like a bit of breeze in their hair on their travels? As always, please feel free to forward this email on to your friends, family, strangers in bars, bus drivers and somtam ladies. Good travels, Stuart, Sam and the Travelfish team Soapbox What you can do It’s one thing to sit at my desk and bleat about places being overrun with tourists, but quite another to get off my posterior and do something about it. What would I do? Here are some quick thoughts off the top of my head. I’d consider visiting destinations in off-season. Okay, perhaps not at the height of the monsoon when roads are washed out and ferries sinking, but perhaps I’d take a gamble on a bit of rain to enjoy sparser crowds. And locally run guesthouses and restaurants will appreciate the extra business. I’d ask myself, “Do I really need to see this in person and photograph it?” The tak-bat in Laos immediately springs to mind: Does the world really need another photo of monks lining up for alms giving in Luang Prabang? There are plenty of other “events” that I could watch from a distance or, well, just buy a postcard on. I’d spend some time looking for attractions that are alternates to the top-shelf ones. Bangkok’s Wat Phra Kaew is pretty a much tourism catastrophe, but there are hundreds of temples in Bangkok, and while they may not be as stunning as Wat Phra Kaew, what they lack in bling they make up for in serenity. Try [Wat Suthat] for example—often devoid of another foreign face. You're also spreading the money you spend to places that might need it a bit more. In fact, you could consider skipping mainstream destinations and head to what are considered to be second-shelf destinations offering their own charms and rewards. [Here are some alternates we wrote about a while back]. In short, research, research, and research, and for the most part, eschew list-ticking tourism. Sure, there's a reason many places entice the masses, but if you must go, perhaps go in off season, or at a time of day when it's more likely to be quiet (if, indeed, that's even an option). Good travels, Stuart Travelfish partners We work with a number of partners on a commission basis and this helps keep us in business. Please consider using the following links to make any reservations as a commission may end up being paid to us, with no impact on what you pay. Thank you! Places to stay: [Agoda], [Booking] Tours and activities: [TourRadar], [GetYourGuide] Ground transport: [12Go Asia] (Thailand), [Camboticket] (Cambodia), [Baolau] (Vietnam) Travel insurance: [World Nomads] Featured Tha Khaek Loop [Facebook] [Twitter] By the time you roll back into Tha Khaek, you’ll have covered 450 kilometres and travelled through some of the most breathtaking, unforgettable scenery in all of Laos. The Tha Khaek Loop: [Get a motorbike and go]. Film of the week An Giang: Back to motherland An Giang is a province in the western part of the [Mekong Delta] in Viet Nam. Film by nhi dang. What we're reading Very Thai: Everyday Popular Culture It’s more than a decade old, but 2005-published Very Thai: Everyday Popular Culture remains a fun, offbeat examination of ordinary Thai lifestyles and culture. Cornwel-Smith peels back the layers of meaning draped over apparently mundane, everyday Thai practices from around the kingdom, such as, say, adorning the fronts of their houses with incredible elaborate grilles. [Where on earth does that come from?] From the field BURMA: Zwegabin [Zwegabin] [Facebook] [Twitter] Feel the breeze through your hair atop the massive and dramatic limestone outcrop known as Zwegabin which dominates the landscape around Hpa-an. At some 725 metres, this is [the highest and largest of the myriad jagged karsts that jut out of the otherwise flat paddy-fields here]. The Karen consider the outcrap sacred and it has become Kayin State’s symbol—Hpa-an’s football team is even called Zwegabin United. CAMBODIA: Koh Ker [CAMBODIA: Koh Ker] [Facebook] [Twitter] This cluttered space contrasts with the wide open meadow surrounded by laterite walls where the Prang, a seven-tiered temple mountain, sits. Thirty-six metres tall, this [may once have been topped by a 15-metre tall shrine housing a four-metre tall linga]. You can now climb to the top via a wooden staircase on the northwestern side. Enjoy the breeze and the views which stretch all the way to the Dangrek Mountains bordering Thailand, and down to Phnom Kulen. INDONESIA: Waterfalls around Senaru [Waterfalls around Senaru] [Facebook] [Twitter] Legend has it that [a swim in the swimming hole here will make you younger]—we assume due to the water’s cryogenic features—as the water is absolutely freezing. Whipped up by the power of the falls, a cooling breeze swirls around the falls and takes a bite from the cloying humidity. ISLANDS: Motorbiking Ko Libong [Motorbiking Ko Libong] [Facebook] [Twitter] Every time we motorbike around Ko Libong, we stumble on secluded beaches, viewpoints and even whole landscapes that we’d previously missed. Don’t let the resort beach turn you into a useless puddle of relaxation until you’ve explored the island’s 40 square kilometres [concealing loads of surprises]. LAOS: Route 12 caves and swimming holes [Route 12 caves and swimming holes] [Facebook] [Twitter] The first 20 kilometres of Route 12 east of Tha Khaek is packed with interesting caves and pause-a-while swimming holes. This is the same route that launches day one of the popular Tha Khaek motorbike loop. Whether you are doing the loop or a day trip, [here’s how to tackle cave alley]. MALAYSIA: Beaches of Langkawi [Beaches of Langkawi] [Facebook] [Twitter] First off the rank is Pantai Tengah, which is popular with locals as well as jet skiers and parasailers—[they come for the breeze]. SINGAPORE: The Pinnacle @ Duxton Skybridge [The Pinnacle @ Duxton Skybridge] [Facebook] [Twitter] In one word, the view is stunning. As the buildings surrounding the Pinnacle don’t compare in height, there is nothing to obstruct the view as you look out towards Chinatown, the central business district, the busy Singapore harbour and Sentosa Island. ([There is a breeze, naturally].) THAILAND: Boat trip to Ko Thalu, Ko Kudee and Ko Kham [Boat trip to Ko Thalu, Ko Kudee and Ko Kham] [Facebook] [Twitter] We strolled back to the busier east-facing section of sand where you can rent beach chairs and buy soft drinks from a national park booth. Umbrella trees provided spindly splotches of shade. After taking a few more shots of crystalline water that was more beautiful than any we’d seen on Ko Samet, [we snagged a snorkel and plunged into a large roped-off swimming area]. VIETNAM: Kite surfing Mui Ne [Kite surfing Mui Ne] [Facebook] [Twitter] Mui Ne is a kitesurfer’s paradise, and competes with Boracay in The Philippines as [the kite surfing capital of Southeast Asia], drawing wind- and kite-surfers from around the world due to its consistent cross onshore winds. News from the region BURMA/THAILAND: Thais warned to avoid Myanmar border area after tourists abducted Thais have been warned not to travel to the Myanmar border area near Kanchanaburi after [a group of 37 tourists were taken hostage] by the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) (they were later freed). CAMBODIA I: Declassified files portray Lon Nol as ‘shaken’ man "Lon Nol [was a delusional leader who sobbed during a meeting with an American general] while desperately requesting assistance in fending off the communist insurgency that would eventually result in the Khmer Rouge overthrowing him, according to declassified US intelligence files." CAMBODIA II: Guides cry foreigner foul "An increasing number of foreign tour guides travelling to Angkor Wat with groups from abroad [are costing Cambodian guides jobs and violating the law], a group of Siem Reap-based guides complained to the Ministry of Tourism yesterday." LAOS: Gambling with time along the China-Laos border "Chao’s family now live as undocumented migrants in a legal gray area: The Lao authorities generally leave them alone because they consider Chinese residents beneficial to the region’s development, but the Lao police can fine them if they attempt to cross the border without entry-exit permits. [The family have let theirs lapse because they can’t afford to renew them]." THAILAND I: Air safety needs work "The latest setback to civil aviation comes from the government side. Three important airports (Udon Thani, Krabi and Surat Thani), two of them international, [will not meet minimum safety requirements] when a UN inspection and audit is carried out in June." THAILAND II: Visa incentives may last longer The Tourism and Sports Ministry will propose to the cabinet next Tuesday to extend visa incentives for at least another three months [in a bid to lure more foreign tourists] and drive the industry during the low season. VIETNAM: Province denies rumours of cable car construction in world’s largest cave "Vietnamese people have been signing up to an online petition in their droves to stop the construction of a cable car system into the world’s largest cave in the central province of Quang Binh, [although local authorities have denied rumours of the project]." Travel writing Asia: Stunning natural wonders in Asia "Whether you're looking for a short hike to conical hills, a surreal rainbow limestone landscape, or a multi-day trek to sparkling Himalayan lakes, [you’ll find it in one of these natural wonders]." Travel: How to use a novel as a guidebook "I like bookstores that shelve fiction, nonfiction and travel guides together by destination. But can you use a novel as a guidebook? Certainly tourists flock to fictional locations like platform 9¾ in King’s Cross Station. But what can you learn from following the footsteps of a fictional character? To see, [I followed the route of Oliver Twist as he entered London for the first time]." BURMA: A day riding on Yangon's new bus system [Taxi!] VIETNAM: Linh Quy Phap An, Vietnam's temple in the sky According to Zing, Linh Quy Phap An is located in the middle of a 40-hectare lot spanning several hills, forested areas and tea plantations. Currently there is no road leading to the structure, [so visitors have to navigate the wilderness on a 40-centimetre-wide motorbike track.]" Interesting site Beautiful maps [What it says on the can]. Travel shot [Take a breath at Wat Suthat.] Take a breath at Wat Suthat. Till next time [Sam and Stuart.] That's it from us for now. As usual, enjoy the site's new additions and drop us a line if there's something in particular you'd like us to cover in Southeast Asia. Travel light! Stuart, Sam & the Travelfish team [ You're receiving the Travelfish newsletter because you signed up at Travelfish.org. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe Instantly]. Make sure you're getting our emails! If you're a Gmail user and would prefer your Travelfish newsletter in your Primary in-box rather than Promotions, just drag this email from the Promotions tab to the Primary tab, and click "yes" when it asks if you want to do that for all of our emails. [Disclosure] | [Privacy] | [Unsubscribe] 9 robinson close, hornsby heights, nsw 2077, AUSTRALIA [Unsubscribe] | [Change Subscriber Options]