Travelfish #313: Nong Kiaow + Making a difference + A Field Guide to Getting Lost

Everywhere is on the way to somewhere Hi all, And, we’re only one day late this week! Can we blame World Cup? Okay, thanks. This week we’re all about northern Laos, with two destinations fully updated now on the site: [Phongsali]( (it doesn’t get more remote than this) and [Nong Kiaow]( (it doesn’t get more relaxing than this). These are both northern towns and our motto, as always, is to give Laos longer than you might initially plan to—there is a lot to explore. We have more updates coming in the next few weeks. Speaking of wanting extra time, our book review is of Rebecca Solnit's beautiful A Field Guide to Getting Lost; if you don't want to go lose yourself in some way after reading this, we otherwise can't help you! Our soap box is on something close to our hearts: travellers taking the time to make a small difference on their travels. As little as five dollars can make a small change, but still larger than you might think. We’re also going to take a moment, on message, to mention our long- long- long-term partners [World Nomads](. They were one of the first companies we ever worked with, and when you buy a travel insurance policy through them you’re given the opportunity to cough up a small contribution to an organisation doing good work somewhere in the world. [This is a great concept]( as all those small amounts add up to make real differences to people’s lives. (Also travel insurance can make a difference to your life, but we’ll just point you here [to see how they stepped in and helped us]( In the news this week, we’ve linked to an Australian report that came out recently, and has highlighted some very concerning (though sadly not all that surprising) concerns about how animals are being treated in Indonesia’s Bali and the Gili Islands. Please give it a read and please consider what is going on before agreeing to have anything to do with animals as entertainment. Take our word for it: If it has anything to do with getting in a pool with dolphins, just say no. 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](. Soapbox Making a difference Some time ago we encouraged Travelfish writers to try and find avenues for travellers to make a difference. So while they were on the road, we wanted them to not just hunt out recommended beds, bars and bistros, but also find organisations that had a solid reputation on the ground for doing good work helping those in need, be they people, animals or the environment. Since then we’ve mentioned all manner of organisations from those working with [homeless people in Kuala Lumpur]( through to [saving animals on Ko Chang]( and [beach clean-ups]( on various islands across Thailand. Working through two northern Laos destination submissions from Cindy last week I was struck by two paragraphs. First, related to trekking in a remote area of Phongsali, Cindy wrote: “What this means to the average traveller is that trekking in Phongsali can be raw and real, and a homestay may not be for everyone. It’s more than just bucolic scenes of chickens, pigs and dogs roaming around. It’s the plastic waste, little kids without shoes in freezing weather and no toilets. It’s a life where people must walk hours to the closest water source and haul it back, or a mother who has lost two of her six children before the age of five.” Two of her six children before the age of five. A few days later, working through her copy for Nong Kiaow (another northern Lao town, but more on the tourist radar than Phongsali), Cindy wrote: “Hydroelectricity is supposed to bring wealth to the country yet for now, Laos lags far behind in many core health indicators which is why we want to highlight the [Laos Girls Teen Project](. Education on hygiene and basic reproductive health is almost non-existent in rural areas and the country has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Southeast Asia. This project educates teachers in rural schools in Luang Prabang province on how to educate girls about puberty. With government approval, they’ve published an illustrated book in Lao about becoming a teenager and if you want to give something back to Nong Kiaow, just US$5 provides a girl with the book and a hygiene kit. Donations can be done online or in Luang Prabang at the library across from Wat Mai.” Five dollars. Poverty in the remote villages of Southeast Asia can be absolutely grinding—from Indonesia’s West Timor to Burma’s Kachin State the options for these kids—especially girls—is bleak. Despite the massive changes running through the region, the people living in these remote areas are often the last to benefit (if they ever do). So please, on your travels (or even after you are home), make some allowance to give something back. Five dollars is literally a night in a dorm, a fancy coffee, a craft beer or a foot massage. Through supporting one of the organisations we’ve plugged (or any of the many others doing good work) you’ll be making a concrete contribution to something that will improve the life of someone in the country you are travelling through. 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 A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit Rebecca Solnit’s beautiful collection of nine essays, A Field Guide to Getting Lost, are a wonderful meditation on the transformations that take place when one gets lost. Whether it’s through travel, escape or internal disruption, [getting lost is about new perspectives and interpretations]( and often transformation. 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 Nong Kiaow Flanking both banks of the slow-moving Nam Ou, [Nong Kiaow]( has a bad reputation as a town that picks up well planned itineraries, chews them up and spits them out, leaving them to float away on the river. Yes, like Muang Nghoi a little further upriver, this is the kind of place people think they’ll stay a night at and before they know it, three days later, they’re still here. The setting of the town is simply sublime. Striking forest-covered limestone karsts pierce the skyline, while the Nam Ou slithers around their base, almost doubling back on itself (though you’ll need to climbing the breathtaking (literally and figuratively) [Pha Deng viewpoint]( to appreciate it in person). Local literature notes that the region surrounding Nong Kiaow was one of the most bombed part of Laos during the Secret US War—that is quite a statement once you take into account Laos is, per-capita, the most bombed nation on the planet—and so, as with Muang Ngoi (and further afield at Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars) you’ll see plenty of bomb cases, repurposed into move peaceful duties. A sad side effect of that, still today, over 40 years after the end of the war, unexploded weapons remain an issue. Do not stray of beaten paths—Nong Kiaow is not a bush bashing destination. Over the last twenty years bungalow villages have slowly developed on both sides of the river, but especially on the southern bank, and while this is certainly no Luang Prabang, there is [no shortage of affordable lodgings]( looking out over the river—want to spend more? There are a couple of more mid-market spots to choose from, with more on the way. Plunge pools aside though, this is a town built for hammock swinging, meeting your neighbours and joining the evening procession down to the wonderful bridge for a sunset photo shoot. While they’re geographically distant, travellers often describe Nong Kiaow as being a comfortable medium between uber relaxed Muang Ngoi and outdoorsy–focussed Vang Vieng. In Nong Kiaow you can choose just to swing in your hammock and watch the world slide by, or you can break out the activities sheet and go kayaking, trekking, caving, cycling or climb the spectacular viewpoint. [There is plenty enough to eat]( with a handful of eateries overlooking the Nam Ou, and while Nong Kiaow will (hopefully) never rival Times Square in the nightlife stakes, you will find enough convivial spots to meet others to share the frosty nights with. So give it a night or four. Climb a mountain and [maybe do a trek](. Allow for a few iced drinks by the river and maybe have a splash in a kayak—you’re on holiday right? [Read more about Nong Kiaow here](. Travelfish partners [Liveaboard]( offers online bookings, detailed write-ups and reviews of live aboard operators across Southeast Asia. Liveaboards are available for booking in [Burma]( [Indonesia]( [Philippine]( [Thailand]( and more. News from the region CAMBODIA I: Prince Ranariddh injured, wife dies in traffic accident “The prince, who heads the royalist Funcinpec Party, and his wife, Ouk Phalla, who were on their way to see supporters in Sihanoukville, were seriously injured and immediately sent to a hospital in Sihanoukville. His wife later [succumbed to her injuries]( around 12.30pm, according to the police chief.” CAMBODIA II: Sanctions implicate Hun Sen’s bodyguard chief in grenade attack “This week’s statement is the first time the US government has [directly implicated]( a Cambodian official in the attack.” CAMBODIA III: Cambodian schools told to stop improvising bells from war-era bombs “There no known reports of the bells exploding, but children have been [killed in blasts on school grounds]( after playing with other kinds of dug-up ordnance such as grenades and landmines.” INDONESIA I: There’s trouble in paradise “Our latest wildlife investigation documents the scale of wildlife used (and, yes, abused) for entertainment by the tourism industry on Bali, Lombok and Gili Trawangan, Indonesia. Our investigators observed more than 1,500 captive wild animals across 26 venues including elephants, turtles, dolphins, orangutans, civets and a variety of other species for entertainment activities with visitors. [All with little or no regard for the welfare of the animals]( INDONESIA II: In a land hit by the resource curse, a new gold mine spooks officials “Ben Saroy, head of the agency that manages Cenderawasih Bay National Park, warned that establishing a large-scale gold mine like ABP has proposed could [damage the wider conservation area](. Among his top concerns, he said, was the waste from the mining operations, such as mercury, that could pollute the environment and wind up in the food chain.” INDONESIA III: Indonesia’s booming tourism industry “The potential for adverse environmental impacts is especially acute in a place like Borobudur, where the ancient temple should ideally receive 2,000-3,000 people per day in order to minimize the effects of visitor traffic. In 2016, 3.8 million people (foreign and domestic) visited the UNESCO World Heritage Site, with [visitor numbers exceeding 20,000 per day during peak times](. ” LAOS: Information on every planned railway in Laos “This page covers [every current and proposed railway in Laos]( and updated news articles are listed here as well.” THAILAND I: Thousands of foreigners turned away at Thai airports “More than 3,400 foreigners deemed to 'pose [a risk to public order]( were also turned away.” THAILAND II: Mukdahan cop turns alien hunter into hunted “Somphong said it was the first time he had seen either a Predator or Alien in Mukdahan.” [Oh Thailand](. THAILAND III: Thai king granted full ownership of crown billions “It is one of several steps taken by Vajiralongkorn to [increase his personal control]( over the palace bureaucracy and its wealth since taking the throne.” THAILAND IV: A Thai chef heads home for a challenge “Even with that essential family tutelage and a Michelin star of her own, Ms. Techamuanvivit worried before starting the job here that she would be [perceived as an interloper](. In Thailand, she isn’t as well known as she is in the United States. The bar is high, and the restaurant competition is fierce.” Travel writing BURMA: From colonial outpost to modern metropolis: Yangon then and now in pictures “These [fade-in shots]( show how Myanmar’s former capital has changed over time, from Churchill Road – named after Winston’s father – to the breathtaking Sule Pagoda.” OVERTOURISM I: Surf tourism is a fun vacation killing Central American economies [Many lessons]( for Southeast Asia in this piece. OVERTOURISM II: Is land tourism threatening the Galápagos? “Revenue from tourism has helped protect parks on the islands, tour operators say, but they are worried that popular land-based trips could harm beaches and wildlife.” Another report from elsewhere in the world [with lessons for Southeast Asia](. THAILAND: Soccer fields around the world Some great pics from around the world—and [a very predictable entry for Thailand!]( TRAVEL: Traveling responsibly in Asia with Shannon Stowell “On this episode of Talk Travel Asia podcast we talk about traveling responsibly in Asia and how adventure travel can make it possible for travelers [to be more responsible]( while on holiday in Asia. ” VIETNAM I: Hanoi Street Food Tour “As I didn’t have very long in Hanoi, I wanted to [maximise my eating opportunities]( and decided it would be a great opportunity to book a food tour in with @stickyinhanoi & @Vietnamesegod who I have followed for ages on Instagram & Twitter.” VIETNAM II: Bún Chả HÆ°Æ¡ng Liên ( Bún Chả Obama) Hanoi. “It was clear therefore that Bún Chả HÆ°Æ¡ng Liên (now just as commonly known as Bún Chả Obama) was going to have to be [my first port of call]( on my recent visit to Hanoi, just weeks before Anthony Bourdain's devastatingly untimely death.” VIETNAM III: Abandoned Vietnam: Ho Thuy Tien Water Park in Hue, Vietnam [Great pics!]( VIETNAM IV: Exploring Saigon’s railway tracks: A guide “Spend a day or two exploring the city’s railroad: it’s urban, ugly, pretty, gritty, cool, fun, and it’s [very Saigon]( VIETNAM V: Suits, fruit and scooters: 30 years of Hanoi's 36 Streets in pictures [Fantastic pics](. Interesting site Adventure Travel Trade Association Established in 1990, the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) today is widely recognized as a vital leadership voice and partner for [the adventure travel industry around the world](. Travel shot [No filter required. Photo: Cindy Fan] No filter required. Photo: Cindy Fan 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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