Travelfish #300: Bromo! + Waste in Thailand

Everywhere is on the way to somewhere Hi all, New on Travelfish this week is the spectacular Indonesian volcano of Gunung Bromo—a highlight for many first-time visitors to the country. On the road, David is still island hopping, Sam is on the way to Hanoi on a special mission, Cindy is in Luang Prabang and Sally and Stuart are still in Bali, though Sally will be back to Java shortly. This week’s soapbox looks at Thailand’s ever-suffering environment. Our book review is on Rolf Pott’s excellent Marco Polo Didn’t Go There while our featured story is on Java’s Gunung Bromo. This is our 300th issue of the Travelfish newsletter. Fancy that! Please let us know what you love and hate about it! While you’re at it, send it to a friend so they can sign up as well. Support Travelfish! If you'd like to chip in (if you haven’t already) for using the site, we'd love you to sign up for a year-long subscription for just A$35. [See more here](. Exclusive for Travelfish readers: Save an additional 7% at Agoda [Use promo code Tfishpromo »]( Soapbox Thailand’s environment A photo of tidal garbage that [I recently posted on Twitter]( was taken just east of Good Feeling Bungalows, where I previously snapped another photo now used as the title pic for Travelfish’s Ko Wai travel guide (update coming soon). A family-run spot with only 10 bungalows fetching 500 baht each a night, Good Feeling tries to clear the garbage around their seafront bungalows, but this is like taking two steps back for every one step forward. With such limited resources, simply dealing with the waste that guests leave behind comes as no small challenge on a tiny island like Wai. Some of Wai’s more sheltered beaches were pretty clean—Ao Yai Ma looked spectacular—and all resorts do clean up portions of beachfront, at least. When first walking into Paradise Bungalows I was taken aback to see fairly large piles of garbage and recyclables sitting just back from the beach; upon inspection it became clear that staff had been tidying up the sand and sorting garbage to be floated away by boat. It still came as a shock to see the amount of garbage they’re dealing with. It also showed me how much effort Paradise must be putting in to keep its beachfront looking as lovely as it does right now. Wai’s northern coastline acts as a net collecting garbage that floats up from the mainland and Ko Chang, neither of which are all that far away. This means that the garbage is rather “fresh”, particularly gross and smelly, as opposed to the more weathered long-range tidal garbage that you see more commonly throughout the region. It seemed clear that the people running Wai’s few resorts need help. The [Trash Heroes volunteers]( have a base on Ko Maak, but they stay busy keeping that island tidy and, again, resources are limited. However it seems to me that an earnest push to keep tiny Wai clean during high season, at least, should be doable when considering the collective resources of a major tourist destination like neighbouring Ko Chang. If cleaning beaches means making tourists pay an additional fee, then I for one would be happy to pay. But the fact remains that any beach-cleaning campaign is merely a band aid. Tidal garbage is an immense challenge throughout the region. As I stepped over it on Ko Wai, people across the Gulf of Thailand were trying to deal with tonnes of it that have been washing up in Prachuap Khiri Khan, [as reported by Thai PBS](. Meanwhile the air in Bangkok has been harmful to breathe lately, with The Nation reporting that [coal-fired power plants near the eastern Gulf coast are partly to blame](. Both Thailand’s current military government and previous Shinawatra-controlled governments have supported the construction of new coal-based power plants in other coastal provinces, like Krabi, despite serious resistance from locals. Thailand-based environmental organisations make a real difference in combating major environmental threats like coal, but Thailand has thus-far failed to adopt any serious educational campaigns or laws aimed at limiting use of non-biodegradable substances. Continually courted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, tourist arrivals increase by millions each year and exacerbate the problem. In Bangkok, Prachuap, Ko Wai and many other places, I watch (and sniff) as Thailand’s environment is being damaged in serious, lasting ways. The problems have only seemed to worsen over the years—and it hurts to see it. Peace, David Premium members only: Book a round the world with [roundtheworldflights.com]( (must travel from the UK via Asia, Australia, New Zealand AND the Americas) and get £30pp off your trip. Offer valid for departures to December 2018. Log in to the Member Centre on Travelfish now for your coupon code and [start designing your own round the world trip »]( What we’re reading Marco Polo Didn’t Go There by Rolf Potts In 2008-published Marco Polo Didn’t Go There, American travel writer Rolf Potts presents an anthology of previously published works drawn from a decade of travel around the world. The pieces touch on a raft of issues, such as backpacker culture, overtourism, press trips and ecotourism and make for [an interesting and at times very funny page turner](. Thank you Just a few quick words of thanks to businesses who have decided to advertise direct with us on Travelfish recently. If you know a business, small or large, who may be interested in advertising on the site, please send them our [One Page Media Kit!]( [Asia Highlights]( offer tailor made travel through Vietnam, [Take Me Tour]( offer experiences with locals out of Chiang Mai and, last but not least, [Akha Kitchen]( offer Thai cooking classes in Chiang Rai. Featured destination Gunung Bromo [Gunung Bromo]( and the caldera it sits within are one of the most spectacular sights in all of Java, if not Indonesia. Sitting in darkness on the caldera ridge, listening to the jeeps roar across the Sea of Sand below, waiting for the sun to break first light, is a purely otherworldly experience. As the light show begins and the mists clear (fingers crossed for good weather) you’re greeted with a smorgasbord of colour and divinity as squat bubbling Bromo and Batok fills the foreground, while Gunung Semeru, Java’s tallest peak and in all ways, the archetypal jurassic volcano of your dreams, stands to attention behind smouldering. Looking into the caldera, the dark sands appear to be smooth as silk (believe us, they’re not!), carved up by ant-trails laid out by the 4WDs ferrying people back and forward from the crater rim village of Cemoro Lawang. Look for the temple sitting at the base of Bromo—an ancient island of Hinduism within a decidedly Muslim realm. Depending on the time of the year, the caldera’s escarpments will be hues of red, brown and black ancestral earth or, if you’re there towards the end of Java’s punishing wet season, expect deep greens and a wealth of rich olive hues, tapering out to the grasslands which cover some of the sands closest to the rise. It is a mind-blowing experience which, should you be able to find quiet quarters from which to experience it, can be fabulously satisfying and memorable. Phew. It really is that good. But we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves here. Like all good things in life, to get the most out of a visit to Bromo requires some degree of planning, time and money. So here is the nitty gritty of what is involved. [Read the full story here](. 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! Flights: [roundtheworldflights.com]( Places to stay: [Agoda]( [Booking]( Tours and activities: [TourRadar]( [GetYourGuide]( Ground transport: [12Go Asia]( Travel insurance: [World Nomads]( News from the region BURMA I: Rohingya villages destroyed 'to erase evidence' “Human Rights Watch said the apparent destruction of homes [erases evidence]( for legal claims from the exiled Rohingya.” BURMA II: Three bombs hit capital of Myanmar's Rakhine state “It is the latest violence to hit Rakhine, which [is festering with ethnic tensions]( and has been roiled by communal violence in the north against the Rohingya and insurgencies in other parts of the state.” BURMA III: Myanmar start-up spins rubbish into handicrafts in fight against waste “Villagers who work for Chu Chu Design get paid 1,000 kyats (US$0.75) per hour for turning rubbish into goods. Every process is done manually, from selecting usable parts to cleaning and [making artistic, eco-friendly products out of them]( CAMBODIA: The death of Cambodia’s “Highway of Death” “I asked a popular foreign restaurateur about it when I arrived in Ban Lung. “In 10 years,” he said wistfully, it will be all palm oil from Ban Lung to Senmonorom. Every last inch of it.” There was nothing left for us to say. Pour another glass of wine and enjoy the famous Ratanakiri sunset.” [So depressing](. INDONESIA I: Birmingham firefighter rescues woman after she falls 120ft into active Bali volcano “John, from Erdington , said he shouted out to the rest of the group and realised [he was the only one who had any medical training]( and asked the guide to show him the safest route down.” INDONESIA II: Bali beaches swamped by garbage as tourists, hotel workers sweep up each morning “It's garbage season in Bali, as an annual and worsening tide of trash swamps the beaches of the holiday island. From December to March, thousands of tonnes of plastic debris are washed onto the island's main tourist strip, polluting the sand and [making the prospect of a swim less than appealing]( INDONESIA III: Bali hopes to regain paradise island status with mass cleanup “All it takes is one or two hours of picking up trash and [for most people the mindset is completely transformed](. They would start thinking that those single-use plastics give more harm than benefits to community.” INDONESIA/MALAYSIA: To save orangutans, think of them as money swinging from trees “A night and two days of climbing and crawling in search of orangutans can cost a visitor around $100. Those leading tours receive a hefty chunk of this and are therefore well-paid by local standards, says Dodi Perangin Angin, who runs a trekking company which employs 13 guides. [Tourism is far better for the local economy than palm oil, he reckons]( THAILAND I: In Hong Kong and Singapore, Thaksin Shinawatra prepares his party for elections in Thailand “Pheu Thai on Thursday downplayed the meetings as Lunar New Year courtesy calls, but political observers say they are the latest sign that [Thaksin will remotely spearhead campaigning]( ahead of polls the ruling generals have promised to hold early next year.” THAILAND II: Thailand's surrogacy saga reaches uneasy end “Mr Shigeta's lawyer in Thailand explained that [his client simply wanted a large family]( Beyond bizarre and very disturbing that the father has been granted custody. VIETNAM: Dishonest GrabBike drivers prey on passengers at Ho Chi Minh City bus station [Transport scams chapter 54,876](. Travel writing CAMBODIA: Journey to Cambodia: Connecting with my culinary roots “When I lost my mom, I also lost her cooking—the most tangible connection I had to a culture I’d known only secondhand. My father backed out of the trip—it was simply too painful for him. But for me, the idea took on a new dimension. Instead of experiencing Cambodia through my parents, I would discover it through my own lens. That’s how, more than 40 years after my family fled the country and never looked back, [I found my feet firmly planted on Cambodian soil]( HOSTELS: Why backpacker hostels had to change to suit millennials “You might think these changes are all due to the demands of millennials, that [young people won't put up with dodgy accommodation]( or bad service anymore. And that is part of it. But there's been a larger change in hostel clientele.” INDONESIA: Day in. Day out “This short film is a montage of still and moving images that visually depict the laborious struggle of workers living on different islands of Indonesia.” [Absolutely mesmerising](. RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL: Reusable bags and no elephants: Travel the world without trashing it “Make choices that benefit people. [Opt for small group tours with local guides]( and buy locally made souvenirs that support artisans over cheap mass-made junk. ” SINGAPORE: Getting lost on Singapore's wild side “So where can Singaporeans go to get a taste of the wild side? I'm not talking about the shopping mall crowds of Orchard Road, or even the down-heel charm of the city-state's only red light district, Geylang. [I'm talking about the wild of the wilderness](. Does Singapore even have a countryside anymore?” THAILAND: The train that will transform Nakhon Ratchasima “Korat is too close Bangkok for domestic flights but too far to be a commuter city. This is set to change with [the arrival of the high speed train from Bangkok](. When this project is completed trains from Bangkok will take just 77 minutes. The train will also stop at Don Muang airport on the way, making it a viable airport alternative.” TRAVEL: Destination POV “Collectively, we have more unfettered access to information about our destinations, travel arrangements, and accommodations than any foreign body at any point in history, yet, through the lens of social media, amongst the shifting frames of Instagram, it appears that this overwhelming preponderance of information is pushing everyone to travel by the same logic, [in a single-minded pursuit of the same experiences]( VIETNAM: Family, meet my old love: Saigon “It is entirely possible that someone asked, “[Are we there yet?]( L.O.L. Interesting site Travel Talk Asia We’ve plugged this site before, but the [latest podcast on travelling light and responsible travel]( is particularly well worth a listen. Travel shot [Paging Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po. Photo: Sally Arnold] Paging Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po. Photo: Sally Arnold 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. Better still, [read this newsletter online.]( [Disclosure]( | [Privacy]( | [Unsubscribe]( 9 robinson close, hornsby heights, nsw 2077, AUSTRALIA [Unsubscribe]( | [Change Subscriber Options](