Travelfish #504: The Chinatown Edition

This week I’m leading with a piece looking back at the old overland trail and how global geopolitics sometimes mess up some decent travel routes. Enjoy. This week I’m leading with a piece looking back at the old overland trail and how global geopolitics sometimes mess up some decent travel routes. Enjoy. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Return to the Travelfish homepage](%2F%2Fwww.travelfish.org%2F/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/xdkh-wIgeUOsMINjrTUiyD2PlRw=358) [alt_text] [Travelfish #504: The Chinatown Edition](%2F%2Fwww.travelfish.org%2Fnewsletter%2Fnews%2F504/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/xtnoMN5lCxG0eLeGnmGtq95QcHc=358) Published: 29th January, 2024 Hi! This week I’m leading with a piece looking back at the old overland trail and how global geopolitics sometimes mess up some decent travel routes. Enjoy. I’ve been in Bangkok for the last ten days, mostly busying myself wandering Chinatown, stuffing face, and moving the Couchfish newsletter across—yes, it is almost done, and I’m very much looking forward to never needing to think about Substack again! Spending ten days in one of my favourite parts of the city has only reinforced my belief that Chinatown is the best part of the city to stay in, and, when I finish the Couchfish move the first issue will be an explainer on why I love the district so much. In the meantime, this week I’ve a couple of lazy Chinatown pics to keep you going. See you next week! Stuart [[READ ONLINE](%2F%2Fwww.travelfish.org%2Fnewsletter%2Fnews%2F504/2/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/A4wsRFc-DOZATQIfrxVpdjphrzs=358)] [[UNSUBSCRIBE]( --------------------------------------------------------------- This week’s sponsor [Ling Monkey.](%2F%2Fling-app.com%2F%3Freferrer=travelfish%26data1=tfnewsletter%26data2=blurb/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/wwiuTbJL-4gBj9JFYZjU95S_Trw=358) [Ad: This week’s newsletter is supported by Ling. Click here for the details.](%2F%2Fling-app.com%2F%3Freferrer=travelfish%26data1=tfnewsletter%26data2=blurb/2/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/kgNStc7kRaBZnSHYVkXvY463ny0=358) --------------------------------------------------------------- Last night in Bangkok [Last light from Samsara by the Chao Phraya in Bangkok.] Last light from Samsara by the Chao Phraya in Bangkok. Photo: Stuart McDonald. --------------------------------------------------------------- ⭐️ Story of the week - [Asia’s Overland Hippie Trail Falls Victim To Geopolitics](%2F%2Fasia.nikkei.com%2FEditor-s-Picks%2FTea-Leaves%2FAsia-s-overland-hippie-trail-falls-victim-to-geopolitics/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/JSkUOp-BSWviQJkUXoWLVPlL7vE=358) from NikkeiAsia ($) 📚 What I’m reading - [Questions Of Travel](%2F%2Fwww.goodreads.com%2Fbook%2Fshow%2F15790884-questions-of-travel/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/FlpvnVTrAb-jOxM6_FJgfdT8qiI=358) by Michelle de Kretser 🇲🇲 Burma - [Nowhere To Go: Elderly Left Homeless In Post-coup Myanmar](%2F%2Fwww.frontiermyanmar.net%2Fen%2Fnowhere-to-go-elderly-left-homeless-in-post-coup-myanmar%2F/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/gFJxzVixFdLGTjQKGxdy7yqr82k=358) from Frontier Myanmar ($) - [Human Rights Defenders: The Artist](%2F%2Fwww.frontiermyanmar.net%2Fen%2Fhuman-rights-defenders-the-artistdoh%2F/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/0iZS-1oZGRDyG5p4L9bNemqBrWg=358) from Frontier Myanmar (Video, $) - [Myanmar Ngapali Beach Paradise In Dire Straits Amid Conflict](%2F%2Fwww.dw.com%2Fen%2Fmyanmar-ngapali-beach-paradise-in-dire-straits-amid-conflict%2Fa-67943894/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/szYGmpMrMdcHFa-0QgDuvY_4Sc0=358) from DW 🇰🇭 Cambodia - [Koh Rong International Airport Construction Begins](%2F%2Fwww.khmertimeskh.com%2F501427850%2Fkoh-rong-intl-airport-construction-begins%2F/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/0styNz0x_VO2aAR1H8U2B4e1zqM=358) from Khmer Times - [Phnom Penh 1995: National Museum Bats, T3 Prison & The Cambodia Daily](%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv=PqU95wEMEko/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/M7fIIqbk4OHg8WLgmzbvBW1djEY=358) from Ian Taylor Photography (Video) - [Baby Elephant Shot Dead In Mondulkiri](%2F%2Fcne.wtf%2F2024%2F01%2F27%2Fbaby-elephant-shot-dead-in-mondulkiri%2F/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/vnLu6tr0phPFG8df1OuBijU0VHk=358) from CNE --------------------------------------------------------------- Did you order a beach view? [Salad hut.](%2F%2Fwww.travelfish.org%2Fsaladhut/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/7v9gFSjPX1gsd5cnVeJS5gSnHwQ=358) [Ad: Salad Hut on Ko Pha Ngan’s beautiful west coast, from US$118 per night. Click here for the details.](%2F%2Fwww.travelfish.org%2Fsaladhut/2/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/iiakPlTzB78tS4J1oVThMOc8O1E=358) --------------------------------------------------------------- 🌴 Environment - [People Of The Indus: Portraits From A Changing River](%2F%2Fwww.thethirdpole.net%2Fen%2Fculture%2Fpeople-of-the-indus-portraits-from-a-changing-river%2F/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/kI68FXRIt28_d80VUz3z7FESqqE=358) from The Third Pole - [The World’s Largest Cruise Ship Is A Climate Liability](%2F%2Fwww.bloomberg.com%2Fnews%2Farticles%2F2024-01-22%2Froyal-caribbean-s-icon-of-the-seas-highlights-climate-impact-of-cruises/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/l8-8TJq_yN0U63_InQmPbXbN2hs=358) from Bloomberg ($) - [How Can You Reduce Your Carbon Footprint When Traveling?](%2F%2Fsecretparadise.mv%2F2022%2F10%2F13%2Fhow-can-you-reduce-your-carbon-footprint-when-traveling%2F/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/Ms9X82sLySkL6Svw0kkI_Exl7kQ=358) from Secret Paradise - [Amazon Of The Ocean - Can Coral Reefs Survive The Anthropocene Epoch?](%2F%2Fwww.nationalgeographic.com%2Fenvironment%2Farticle%2Fpaid-content-amazon-of-the-ocean-can-coral-reefs-survive-the-anthropocene-epoch/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/Uubv2Jo5sfVnT5Zjpq2nepykaVk=358) from National Geographic (Ad) - [Study: Climate Migration Will Leave The Elderly Behind](%2F%2Fgrist.org%2Fmigration%2Fclimate-migration-sea-level-rise-elderly-aging-florida%2F/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/g306ouespj5Yh0PaCk8iE5VZRs4=358) from Grist - [How Animals Suffer For Buddhists To Earn Spiritual Points – In Cambodia ‘Life Release’ Rituals Decimate Birds](%2F%2Fwww.scmp.com%2Fmagazines%2Fpost-magazine%2Flong-reads%2Farticle%2F3249616%2Fhow-animals-suffer-buddhists-earn-spiritual-points-cambodia-life-release-rituals-decimate-birds/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/W23b_n74dOOHsuz0V0cCoI5hVYc=358) from SCMP ($) - [Travel Groups Are Waking Up To The Risk Of Tourists Seeking Cool Summers](%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcontent%2F035257da-3735-45dd-a901-cf6618836405/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/3TpFMziiGNkz8h6fW2OHDpk5jxE=358) from The Financial Times ($) 🇮🇩 Indonesia - [‘It Was A Nightmare’: Why World’s First Luxury Villa In A Plane, In Bali, Was So Tough To Build, According To The Russian Entrepreneur Who Envisioned It](%2F%2Fwww.scmp.com%2Flifestyle%2Ftravel-leisure%2Farticle%2F3249693%2Fit-was-nightmare-why-worlds-first-luxury-villa-plane-bali-was-so-tough-build-according-russian/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/xxYVTt0UXZyslowQwzeC9Re2c-g=358) from SCMP ($) - [Bali Bomber Ali Imron Seeking Presidential Pardon In Indonesia](%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2024%2Fjan%2F23%2Fbali-bomber-ali-imron-presidential-pardon-indonesia-seeking-details/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/K5Y6gp1YZVKBZDLeBvWJd95aREM=358) from The Guardian - [Indonesia targets one million Chinese tourist arrivals in 2024](%2F%2Fen.antaranews.com%2Fnews%2F303582%2Findonesia-targets-one-million-chinese-tourist-arrivals-in-2024/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/EWsS4L6Wp8QviHtTcZIhcsSQRtQ=358) from Antara - [President Jokowi Orders Rp 1.3 Trillion Spending On Central Java Roads](%2F%2Fwww.thejakartapost.com%2Findonesia%2F2024%2F01%2F22%2Fpresident-jokowi-orders-rp-1-3-trillion-spending-on-central-java-roads.html/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/Jpyx12Wfjhy4hYGwq2NI0wH8P1o=358) from The Jakarta Post 🇱🇦 Laos - [Laos’ Economic Reckoning](%2F%2Feastasiaforum.org%2F2024%2F01%2F24%2Flaos-economic-reckoning%2F/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/3yQG8KRtxwA-gcNHlI8c2-cY1GM=358) from East Asia Forum - [Fuel Pumps Again Running On Empty In Laos](%2F%2Fwww.rfa.org%2Fenglish%2Fnews%2Flaos%2Fgas-01242024164633.html/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/msYMjIi8q9qX05FfHQVsY9yIS0E=358) from RFA 🇲🇾 Malaysia - [Escalator To Be Built At Batu Caves This Year, No More Aching Legs!](%2F%2Fwww.therakyatpost.com%2Fnews%2F2024%2F01%2F20%2Fescalator-to-be-built-at-batu-caves-this-year-no-more-aching-legs%2F/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/8PczoFYoyUTMa7Wagyx0ILICF_0=358) from The Rakyat Post - [Mahathir’s Broadside About Race: Time To Map Out A Coherent Vision](%2F%2Ffulcrum.sg%2Fmahathirs-broadside-about-race-time-to-map-out-a-coherent-vision%2F/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/dKPUt04bOnQIGr9cy1jlplGgJtg=358) from Fulcrum - [Feels Like Jurassic Era Jungle: A Stay In Malaysia’s New Rompin State Park Showcases Rare Wildlife And Offers Creature Comforts](%2F%2Fwww.scmp.com%2Flifestyle%2Ftravel-leisure%2Farticle%2F3249304%2Ffeels-jurassic-era-jungle-stay-malaysias-new-rompin-state-park-showcases-rare-wildlife-and-offers/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/GlK6hYF_iutwHWIIMXroutbsz-k=358) from SCMP ($) 🇸🇬 Singapore - [The Speech Therapists Giving Voices Back To The Voiceless](%2F%2Fwww.ricemedia.co%2Fspeech-therapists-aphasia-voiceless-purpose%2F/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/_ePKGukLBgEnTei7HEi-65Kimeo=358) from Rice Media - [Ear Biscuits](%2F%2Fopen.substack.com%2Fpub%2Fsgpnoodles%2Fp%2Fear-biscuits%3Fr=5fap%26utm_campaign=post%26utm_medium=web/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/5HzPucBSeViotwl9riwuD4yh2AM=358) from Singapore Noodles ($) - [Gen Z Speaks On The Fear Of Watching Their Elderly Parents Age](%2F%2Fwww.ricemedia.co%2Fgen-z-speaks-on-the-fear-of-watching-their-elderly-parents-age%2F/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/bKqQ_U0YJyGi4tDLa8qYkyd1ffI=358) from Rice Media - [In Singapore, Where Graffiti Is Banned, The Abandoned Peace Centre Mall Has Become An Unlikely Art Haven](%2F%2Fwww.scmp.com%2Fnews%2Fasia%2Fsoutheast-asia%2Farticle%2F3249484%2Fsingapore-where-graffiti-banned-abandoned-peace-centre-mall-has-become-unlikely-art-haven%3Futm_source=rss_feed/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/n2NOMojlpqsBAPQHEqBFpYop8nU=358) from SCMP($) 🇹🇭 Thailand - [T.I.C.D.: Songkhla Lake Region (Part III: Phatthalung)](%2F%2Fopen.substack.com%2Fpub%2Fthaiislandquest%2Fp%2Fticd-songkhla-lake-region-part-iii%3Fr=5fap%26utm_campaign=post%26utm_medium=web/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/QRq7NTesyicU6dyIWYaoBBo7TSA=358) from Thai Island Times ($) - [The White Lotus Is Heading To Thailand. What Kind Of Tourism Hoopla Will Follow?](%2F%2Fadventure.com%2Fthe-white-lotus-tv-tourism-thailand-news%2F/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/tezoDOM5TRr5YlQTAtH1tA3TqQw=358) from Adventure - [Bangkok-Vientiane Train To Be Reality By April](%2F%2Fwww.bangkokpost.com%2Fthailand%2Fgeneral%2F2730634/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/-xy99rUHA0RbnPc1JYIfFwqeYZs=358) from Bangkok Post - [‘No Responsibility’: Thai Woman Faces Jail After Friend Takes Her Pet Lion Cub Out For A Drive In A Bentley](%2F%2Fwww.scmp.com%2Fweek-asia%2Fpeople%2Farticle%2F3249598%2Fno-responsibility-thai-woman-faces-jail-after-friend-takes-her-pet-lion-cub-out-drive-bentley%3Futm_source=rss_feed/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/HNLc05LGQfssZ_enoykJDdLqeks=358) from SCMP($) --------------------------------------------------------------- Looking for somewhere special in Penang? [Ad: Campbell House in Georgetown, Penang from US$72 per night. Click here for the details.](%2F%2Fwww.travelfish.org%2Fcampbellhouse/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/uB76FcUq2TpTxvl50MnBbwqG_qM=358) [Ad: Campbell House in Georgetown, Penang from US$72 per night. Click here for the details.](%2F%2Fwww.travelfish.org%2Fcampbellhouse/2/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/Ing5mtuZURu7r0-s3oD55T1N3nc=358) --------------------------------------------------------------- 🇻🇳 Vietnam - [Few Countries Are Better Placed Than Vietnam To Get Rich](%2F%2Fwww.economist.com%2Fasia%2F2024%2F01%2F23%2Ffew-countries-are-better-placed-than-vietnam-to-get-rich/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/dil-J-4d_Esh0EOehldqqVBE3UY=358) from The Economist ($) - [“It’s As If I Had Never Left China”: Vietnam’s Tech Worker Chinatown](%2F%2Frestofworld.org%2F2024%2Fvietnam-tech-worker-chinatown%2F/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/e1NElFQ-GEy4Rz3tz8KiZMFJMzo=358) from Rest Of World - [When Lịch Bloc Is Gone, What Will Vietnam Use To Keep Discarded Fish Bones?](%2F%2Fsaigoneer.com%2Fsaigon-culture%2F26777-when-l%25E1%25BB%258Bch-bloc-is-gone,-what-will-vietnam-use-to-keep-discarded-fish-bones/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/GM-lAWndTb-M5yaV9OTEUK8mFbM=358) from Saigoneer - [Winter Comes For the North](%2F%2Fopen.substack.com%2Fpub%2Fvietnamweekly%2Fp%2Fwinter-comes-for-the-north%3Fr=5fap%26utm_campaign=post%26utm_medium=web/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/m30cm78pIIKnSOSgjQJSAFLmyJo=358) from Vietnam Weekly - [In Hanoi: On The Perils Of Travel Writing](%2F%2Fopen.substack.com%2Fpub%2Fjeffstreeter%2Fp%2Fin-hanoi-vietnam%3Fr=5fap%26utm_campaign=post%26utm_medium=web/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/Ec9IHDkt43OQfgBKj89j_X_efeY=358) from English Republic Of Letters - [Lessons From Vietnamese Basket Cases](%2F%2Fasia.nikkei.com%2FEditor-s-Picks%2FTea-Leaves%2FLessons-from-Vietnamese-basket-cases/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/_Ehk2DanAX0iGQiFj_Ow3KyrRO8=358) from Nikkei Asia ($) Random other stuff - [An interview with Michael Hall](%2F%2Fopen.substack.com%2Fpub%2Ftourismshorizon938%2Fp%2Fan-interview-with-michael-hall%3Fr=5fap%26utm_campaign=post%26utm_medium=web/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/gXWjbk-MLMGL3_abj7xyVwbRbAo=358) from Tourism’s Horizon - [When Travel Writing Crosses Into Fiction](%2F%2Fjackmontgomery.co.uk%2F2024%2F01%2F25%2Fwhen-travel-writing-crosses-into-fiction%2F/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/HVjxjKj8WZtLlHQa-XLiAsmwhiQ=358) from Jack Montgomery - [Popularity Of Printed Tourism Brochures Defying Expectations In A Growing Digital Landscape](%2F%2Fwww.abc.net.au%2Fnews%2F2024-01-27%2Fprinted-tourism-brochures-thriving-despite-digital-landscape%2F103249810/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/Am-_ikfDMli016AaBS8Kzn2sFeg=358) from ABC - [‘I’ve Made Friends For Life’: Rising Number Of Travellers Find Going Solo Is The Ticket To Happiness](%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ftravel%2F2024%2Fjan%2F20%2Five-made-friends-for-life-rising-number-of-travellers-find-going-solo-is-the-ticket-to-happiness/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/gSwZ4I00YcB6GJGe0_XrjG9jzEc=358) from The Guardian - [The Woman Who Spent Five Hundred Days In A Cave](%2F%2Fwww.newyorker.com%2Fmagazine%2F2024%2F01%2F29%2Fthe-woman-who-spent-five-hundred-days-in-a-cave/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/Ch5nTALuqqg_qfU59Gu1_ARXjH0=358) from The New Yorker ($) - [How To Implement Sustainable Food Systems In Southeast Asian Hospitality](%2F%2Fwww.goodtourismblog.com%2F2024%2F01%2Fsustainable-food-systems%2F/1/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/1EzF4P-9-c88OkSrU_uJWPMJ-nU=358) from Good Tourism Blog Getting busy getting lost [Back soi wandering, Talad Noi, Bangkok.] Back soi wandering, Talad Noi, Bangkok. Photo: Stuart McDonald. --------------------------------------------------------------- So that’s the wrap. I hope you are all in good health, and thanks for reading. Cheers! Stuart --------------------------------------------------------------- If you’d like to view this newsletter online, you can [do so here](%2F%2Fwww.travelfish.org%2Fnewsletter%2Fnews%2F504/3/0100018d531fb650-b3debf5d-8631-4145-a6f3-9b139a5f4d9d-000000/xV1ptEWS9DGFd9HHdChG61zhYnk=358). This email was sent to {EMAIL} because you are subscribed to the Travelfish newsletter. If you no longer want to receive these emails, [you can unsubscribe at any time here](. Travelfish.org Bali, Indonesia & Sydney, Australia Copyright ©️ 2024 Travelfish.org. All rights reserved.