Travelfish #308: Chiang Dao + Eco friendly + Cookly

Everywhere is on the way to somewhere Hi all, This week kicked off sadly, with three tragic and barbaric suicide attacks in Surabaya in East Java. Sunday worshippers at church and officers at a police station were the targets, with the bombings involving three families who in some cases had strapped bombs to their kids. Staggering stuff. More details on what happened in the news links below. On brighter topics, we have two updated northern Thailand sections, [Chiang Dao]( which you may well have heard of, and [Wiang Haeng]( which we would imagine is a new destination to many Travelfish readers. You’ll be glad to hear both are worth a look if you're travelling to this region of Thailand. Coming this week, we have more Indonesia and Laos updates coming online. Thanks to those who emailed us with suggestions on how we can better spread the word about Travelfish—much food for thought. Now we just need a team 10 times our current size to act on all the suggestions! This week’s book review is on Andrea Hirata's wildly popular The Rainbow Troops, while the soapbox is Stuart suggesting that the best way to make a luxury hotel eco-friendly is to, well, not build it in the first place! Last but not least, we’ve started working with Cookly, a travel start-up that makes it [super-easy to book cooking courses across the region](. We have a bit more on them below. Not travelling yourself? They have gift cards, an [ideal pressie]( for a friend going away on a trip (after you've told them to read Travelfish, right?!) Good travels Stuart, Sam and the Travelfish crew 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 Putting the eco in eco-friendly I recently [read a story]( on the travel industry looking for ways that both hotel properties and their guests can become more eco-friendly. This quote by Sofia Fotiadou jumped out at me: “What does it matter if a hotel is recycling if there are no recycling plants in the destination?” I would answer that question with a question: Why are luxury hotels, which bring with them massive waste concerns, being built in destinations that cannot cope with the waste? Why are these hotels being built at all? Living in Bali, a destination that is truly being buried under a mountain waste, we see this every day. Down south on the Bukit peninsula—a geographic feature that is essentially a huge rock with next to no boreable water—barely a season passes without some new gargantuan private pool villa-estate getting the go-ahead. Their construction pits sit like festering sores along what was once Bali’s wildest and least disturbed coastline—good luck getting to some of those beaches now, as many of the resorts often do their upmost to block public access. Bali isn’t the only place where these events are unfolding, of course. Sure, these properties may put in power-friendly lightbulbs and your towels will only be washed if you leave them on the floor. Indeed, they’ll probably get some eco-friendly award for doing this. But if you look at these developments through your eco-friendly lenses, not one of them should have even been built. A truly independent, legitimate way of accurately gauging the eco-friendliness of hotels would be a welcome tool for travellers. And it should absolutely include in the matrix all the damage the hotels did to the environment in the first place. Devastating the natural environment then getting an award because you used the right lightbulbs treats us all as fools. Good travels Stuart 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 The Rainbow Troops by Andrea Hirata Andrea Hirata’s The Rainbow Troops, originally published in Indonesian in 2005, is [a delightful and poignant coming-of-age tale set in rural Indonesia](. The loosely autobiographical book, which follows the lives of 10 students in a poverty-stricken school from the perspective of protagonist Ikal, was a popular hit in the archipelago nation, and with good reason. 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!]( Other advertisers include [Asia Highlights]( offer tailor made travel through Vietnam, [Take Me Tour]( offer experiences with locals out of Chiang Mai, [Akha Kitchen]( offer Thai cooking classes in Chiang Rai, WWOOF Thailand [connect hosts and organic farm volunteers]( and VD Travel offer [trending itineraries across the region](. Featured Chiang Dao Many travellers exploring northern Thailand under their own steam head north out of Chiang Mai, and after perhaps an hour they take a left and start winging their way up to [Pai]( and onwards to [Soppong]( and [Mae Hong Son]( trundling around what has come to be known as the [Mae Hong Son Loop](. If only they continued straight for a spell rather than taking that first left, they’d find themselves in delightful [Chiang Dao](. While geographically quite distinct from Pai, Chiang Dao nevertheless shares many of the same attractions: It has an [outstanding range of accommodation options]( some [terrific places to eat]( and no shortage of things to do. What it doesn’t have are hordes of tourists. Yes, in season a reservation can be a good idea, but even when most places are full, it still feels considerably quieter than Pai. People cycle around—into town or perhaps to the famous [Chiang Dao caves]( while for the more active there are plenty of [trekking options](. In season, there is the additional option of a two-day trek to [climb to the summit of Doi Luang]( a more than 2,200-metre massif, the third highest peak in Thailand. There are also temples and markets that can be easily visited, while those with their own transport can strike further afield to destinations like [Arunothai]( and [Wiang Haeng]( sidled up against the Burmese frontier and delivering splendid mountain scenery. All this is just two hours from Chiang Mai. Afterwards, backtrack to take on the Mae Hong Son Loop, or continue north, perhaps taking the [Kok River]( boat trip to deliver you to Thailand’s second northern capital, [Chiang Rai](. Travelfish partners Book your cooking class with Cookly, they offers cooking classes across the region. Click on a country name for a full list of courses available. [Cambodia]( [Indonesia]( [Malaysia]( [Singapore]( [Thailand]( [Vietnam]( They also offer gift cards—[the ideal gift for a friend going away on a trip to the region]( News from the region CAMBODIA: Cambodia: Coerced sale of last independent newspaper “ 'The Cambodian government imposed a bogus tax on the Phnom Penh Post to force its sale to a company that fired its top editor for defending the paper’s journalistic independence,' said Brad Adams, Asia director. 'This is [a transparent misuse of power]( intended to choke off independent media and reporting in the run-up to July’s national elections.' ” INDONESIA I: Surabaya and the ISIS family “If three families can be involved in two days’ worth of terrorist attacks in Surabaya, [surely there are more ready to act]( INDONESIA II: Indonesia links church attacks to local ISIL-inspired group “ 'The father and one of the sons did the attack on the first church, the mother with [two young children under the age of 10]( committed the second attack. Two younger boys around the age of 16 committed the third attack,' Al Jazeera's Step Vaessen, reporting from Surabaya, cited the city's police chief as saying.” LAOS: Little Laos risks losing it all to China “With the arrival of the multi-billion dollar railway, can Lao and Chinese authorities prevent a renewed influx of shoddy investors and businessmen? And if the Lao government cannot repay its debts, what would Beijing likely [extract in compensation]( MALAYSIA: Malaysia finds an unlikely champion of democracy: Its ex-strongman “But Mr. Mahathir, who now ranks as the world’s oldest serving prime minister, [has long been adept at staging unlikely political plot twists](. And the voter outrage that fueled his comeback is a burst of hope in Southeast Asia, where democracy has ebbed in the face of populist autocrats.” SINGAPORE: Why North Korea's Kim Jong-un feels comfortable with Singapore “Singapore is also unlikely to be the scene of protests against Kim or Trump - it is after all, a country where [public assemblies without a police permit are banned]( THAILAND I: Pancakes and pigs: Thai nicknames get weird in attempt to stand out “ 'My father likes cars and we had a Volkswagen when my sister was young. We never had a Fiat though,' says 35-year-old Watcharabhorn "Fiat" Sa-nguansilp, [whose elder sister carries the name Volk]( THAILAND II: Gun violence in Thailand: A problem that can't be solved? “Thailand is known widely as the land of smiles. But within the fabric of its society is [an underlying pattern of firearm use]( Travel writing INDONESIA: Chicken Church “The strange building in the hills of Magelang in central Java province — known locally as Gereja Ayam, or "Chicken Church" — is [actually neither a chicken nor a church]( [Our coverage of the same sight]( one of the funniest pieces we reckon we have on Travelfish. OVERTOURISM: Global tourism's carbon footprint is four times bigger than thought, study says “Unraveling the patterns of tourists crisscrossing the globe, Malik and her colleagues describe travel as a "[largely a high-income affair]( with high-income countries acting as both the origin and destination for travelers.” STRAWS: FinalStraw, the world's first collapsible, reusable straw They aimed to raise $12,500 and instead are at over 1,600,000! Great stuff ... [Suck responsibly!]( THAILAND I: Phi Ta Khon Festival in Dan Sai from 16-18 June 2018 “Phi Ta Khon, one of the most colourful traditional festivals of Loei province, is a unique masked procession which takes place during a three-day Buddhist merit-making holiday known locally as Boon Prawat. This annual event, sometimes called [The Ghost Mask Festival]( by foreign tourists, will be held from 16-18 June 2018 in the village of Dan Sai in Loei. ” THAILAND II: A Thailand bike adventure: 850km from Bangkok to Lampang “[The low point for me came on the longest day]( when we cycled 132km from Nakon Sawan to Phichit. We had had several ‘Google Adventures’ on this day. Riverside tracks where the river bank had collapsed and erased the trail; routes along railway tracks through rice paddies where we had to carry the bikes up and over the railways tracks where there was hardly a foot path.” TRAVEL TECH: Why Google Voice is great for travelers (and how to set it up) “As a traveler, though, the service can be very useful. Particularly if you’re from the US, but even if, like me, you’re not, it’s something that can save you a lot of money and a lot of hassle, [and it doesn’t have to cost a cent]( VIETNAM: Ha Giang's Mighty Loop “After almost 200 kilometers of driving, we arrived at the most epic stretch of road in Vietnam, the [Ma Pi Leng Pass]( a staggering road clinging to the edge of a wall of limestone mountains. This area is home to the biggest canyon in Southeast Asia, carved over the course of 35 million years by the Nho Que River and its emerald waters.” CAMBODIA: French colonial-era architecture in the sleepy Cambodian riverine town of Kampot “The Cambodian coastal town of [Kampot still has a healthy dose of French colonial-era architecture](. Some have been restored and turned into boutique hotels, cozy restaurants and the like while others remain in a dilapidated state of disrepair.” TOURISM: Inside the controversial world of slum tourism “Slum tourism sparks considerable debate around an uncomfortable moral dilemma. No matter what you call it—slum tours, reality tours, adventure tourism, poverty tourism—many consider the practice little more than [slack-jawed privileged people gawking at those less fortunate](. ” VIETNAM: Ferries to Nam Du Islands in Vietnam no longer ‘sold out forever’ “Foreigners can now buy ferry tickets to Nam Du without having to obtain an official permit.” [Great news](. Interesting site Architecture Vietnam “Mel Schenck and photographer Alexandre Garel are preparing the book that finally recognizes the outstanding accomplishment of the southern Vietnamese people in developing a Vietnamese modernist architecture that [has become unique and special in the world]( Travel shot [Outside the cave is also very scenic. Photo: Mark Ord] Outside the cave is also very scenic. Photo: Mark Ord 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! 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