Travelfish #326: Palu quake + Tra Vinh, Ben Tre + Make a difference

Everywhere is on the way to somewhere Hi all, Terrible news this week of a shocking earthquake and tsunami that has levelled parts of Palu and surrounding villages and towns in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. With difficult access and both power and telecommunications down, this is a developing story and looks like it will be extremely bad, with the death toll expected to grow into four figures (at least). We have plenty of news stories on what is happening in Sulawesi down below, but first, a quick note on how you can help. Journalist [Erin Cook]( is offering a free subscription to her weekly newsletter “Dari Mulut ke Mulut” (a [must-read]( if you have an interest in the region) to anyone who donates at least A$20 to an organisation working to assist in Sulawesi. We chatted with Erin and are now matching her offer. Send us a copy of a receipt for any donation of over $20 you made to one of the organisations Erin has listed and we’ll comp you an annual Travelfish membership. If you’re already a member, we’ll give you another year. [The list of organisations is here.]( Thank you. New on the site this week we have Vietnam's [Ben Tre]( and [Tra Vinh]( in the Mekong Delta and a fantastic new itinerary for spending [four weeks following the route of the Mekong River in Northeast Thailand](. We missed last week’s newsletter because Stuart was distracted by a motorbike trip over the Hai Van Pass in Vietnam. Our apologies. 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 Make a difference I’m just back from a three-week trip to Vietnam, where I divided my time mostly between the Mekong Delta and Hue. While I didn’t keep close track of my money, I reckon I averaged around US$30 a day during my time there. For budget travel in Vietnam, this is still quite a lot. A more frugal traveller (so one who wasn’t travelling alone, nor eating 62 times a day, nor doing activities just about every day of their trip) could easily pare this back to US$20 or even less, depending on where they were going and so on. Vietnam really is amazing value. Yesterday, I saw a tweet from a journalist friend who is currently basking (sorry, I mean working ... really hard) on the decidedly salubrious [Bawah Island]( blip in the ocean to the northeast of Singapore. With the old adage “if you need to ask you can’t afford it” in mind, I asked, and indeed discovered I could not afford it. Rates for two **start at** US$1,780 per night. That's almost triple what my three-week trip cost. Undeniably, some luxurious resorts work hard to pour some of their gains into local community and development projects—for example Nihiwatu (now rebranded as [Nihi]( in Sumba in eastern Indonesia has a well earned reputation for over a decade of work with local communities through the [Sumba Foundation](. Bawah Island in turn, has the [Bawah Anambas Foundation](. But you needn’t be making (and spending!) top dollar to make a difference. Just because I was staying in $10 hotels was no reason I couldn’t make a contribution, so at the end of my trip I made a donation of US$100 to [Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation](. They’re an organisation working with at-risk Vietnamese families and children. I chose them after some concerning experiences related to kids in Hue, but there are no shortage of organisations doing good work right across the region. And while it is great these fancypants digs are funding their own programmes, that’s no excuse for you as a guest not to spend some time by the horizon pool doing a bit of your own research to find an organisation doing good work. 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 »]( Featured Ben Tre & Tra Vinh Set midway into Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, Ben Tre and Tra Vinh are two smallish provinces which see but a trickle of foreign travellers, yet, for the traveller with some time on their hands they are both well worth at least a night or so. Here is why. Splish splash. Photo: Stuart McDonald Ben Tre faces onto the Ben Tre River and while the town is a bit of a slap dash affair with just a market and museum of primary interest, across the river, the town fades back into a backdrop of canals and palms. Interspersed amongst these are a network of homestays where you can stay and better appreciate Delta Life. Some of the homestays are really just small to medium–sized guesthouses, but there are also places where you do get a room in the family home. Whichever you opt for you’ll be walking distance from rivers and canals and dense palm jungle where it seems like you can’t see further than a foot or two. Signs of civilisation. Photo: Stuart McDonald Most places will rent you a scooter or a bicycle, but the best way to really appreciate the Delta is to get out on the water, [and to do that you are best to hire a sampan]( (a very small wooden boat) and be paddled along for a few hours. The smaller the boat the better and go early, not just to dodge the worst of the midday heat, but also for a better chance of seeing the birdlife, including electric blue kingfishers. When you’re done with Ben Tre, hop on a bus for the trip south to [Tra Vinh]( and if you thought Ben Tre had few foreign tourists, expect next to none here. Known for its Khmer–style pagodas, Tra Vinh lends itself to a couple of lazy days spent eating and exploring the surrounds. There are at least three interesting pagodas within easy reach of town, but many more if you have time to explore a bit more. We love Chua Ong Met’s doors. Photo: Stuart McDonald While in Tra Vinh we hired a scooter and rode down to the coast, dipping out feet in the South China Sea and munching on some seafood. Along the way we enjoyed riding through vast paddie fields under equally huge skies and following dirt trails through small villages where we stopped for iced coffee and a bowl of noodles. From Tra Vinh you could head west towards [Vinh Long]( or [Can Tho]( or, if you have still more time, explore further into the Delta—there’s plenty more to see. Meet Tra Vinh. Photo: Stuart McDonald Read more about [Ben Tre]( and [Tra Vinh](. Travelfish partners [Browse the internet safely]( When we travel we always use TunnelBear VPN to secure our browsing. This reduces the risk from dodgy WiFi networks and idiotic ISPs who inject ads into our browsers. Use the internet safely with TunnelBear. TunnelBear offer a free 7-day trial or use it selectively and enjoy [500meg of data per month for free](. News from the region BURMA I: Civil society condemns Bagan hotel construction as heritage expert visits “The projects have government permission to proceed, but local activists condemned the failure of authorities to stop construction because [there are stupas in the hotel compounds]( BURMA II: Asean will help, but Myanmar has to exercise responsibility on Rohingya issue “Myanmar should start repatriating the Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh, and it must ensure that they return to a society where there is [security, peace, justice and better prospects for everyone]( said Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.” BURMA III: ‘Illegal migration’ in Arakan: myths and numbers “But that’s what most governments in Burma, including hers, have been doing regarding massive waves of “Bengali illegal immigrants” that only exist in their imagination, to exaggerate [what in reality was a very small problem]( BURMA IV: Are sanctions against Myanmar’s military enough? “Sanctions, however, could be more effective [as a compound measure]( rather than a single-track approach. One of these measures would involve bringing a halt to business with military owned or controlled companies.” CAMBODIA: From Newcastle and New Zealand to the Killing Fields of Cambodia “[Then they vanished without a trace]( INDONESIA I: Indonesia’s tsunami-detection buoys haven’t worked in years “The buoys have been stalled in a prototype phase for years, reportedly failing to receive the funding needed because of [budget cuts]( and a failure for agencies to agree on project decisions. The buoys reportedly cost hundreds of thousands of dollars each on top of the funding needed to maintain their operations.” INDONESIA II: Indonesia to accept foreign aid for tsunami rescue efforts “The decision to [open access to foreign assistance]( is "very important" for the work of humanitarian agencies said Arifin M. Hadi, the head of disaster management for the Indonesian Red Cross.” INDONESIA III: Perfect storm of factors behind Indonesian quake-tsunami “However, others called for a stronger focus on [simply teaching people to head to higher ground when a quake hits]( rather than on expensive technology which many communities in a developing country like Indonesia cannot afford.” INDONESIA IV: Days after Indonesia tsunami, burying the dead and begging for aid “Three days after the twin natural disasters, Palu, a city of about 380,000 people, was consumed with the task of identifying the dead and ministering to the living, [some still trapped under sheets of fallen buildings]( INDONESIA V: Rolling updates on the Indonesian tsunami “[Desperation is visible everywhere]( in areas heavily damaged by an earthquake and tsunami, four days after the disaster devastated parts of Indonesia’s central Sulawesi island.” LAOS: Capital of Laos seeks stronger ties to China “Thailand is wary of getting too close to China, while [the Laotian government has been keen to tap into easy Chinese money]( said George McLeod, a consultant based in Bangkok.” MALAYSIA: Horrified tourists stumble upon mass slaughter of giant rays in Semporna “He said there is a need to come up with creative ways [to provide alternative livelihoods among the fishing community]( in the Semporna region, and to make it understood that endangered marine animals are more valuable alive than dead.” SINGAPORE: Evangelicalism rising in secular Singapore “In this culture war between religious and non-religious voices, the government has consistently presented itself as a neutral arbitrator. While Singapore identifies itself as a secular state, [it’s not an atheistic one]( SOUTHEAST ASIA: Akan Datang: Thoughts with Sulawesi “Here are [all the stories to watch]( in Southeast Asia this week…” THAILAND I: Thailand: Southeast Asia’s last hope for wildlife? “To top it all off, there are other protected areas in Thailand that are for all practical purposes totally off the tourism and even conservation radars, and yet they harbor [globally important populations of wildlife]( THAILAND II: Famous Thai bay to remain closed for another month “Initially, the beach had been set to reopen for tourists on October 1 but [the temporary closure has been extended]( as a tourist bridge has not been completed, according to Nopparat National Park chief Worapoj Lomlim. ” THAILAND III: Unwanted customer snakes into 7-11 shop [No beer sales between 2pm and 5pm.]( VIETNAM: Vietnam’s nascent rave scene reeling after drug deaths “The tragedy has shaken the [fledgling rave scene in Hanoi]( a city better known for its sleepy colonial charm than raging nightlife.” Travel writing INDONESIA: “Please come back”: Islanders seek tourism for Lombok quake recovery “But contrary to the reports and images that emerged – the chaos of thousands of terrified Westerners fleeing tourist islands that had been wrecked by the quake - [the damage wasn’t that bad]( compared to Lombok’s.” INDONESIA II: On Indonesia’s ‘Spice Islands’, farmers fight to keep legacy alive “The decay of the industry is an inverse reflection of the boom that once engulfed Maluku. It is still important for spice production [but its heady days are centuries past]( THAILAND I: Five burgers in Bangkok every meat lover should try “Drop your utensils and have napkins at the ready, [these picks are juicy]( THAILAND II: That time Thailand tried moving Angkor Wat to Bangkok “The plot [to steal Angkor Wat]( was hatched by King Rama IV in 1859, a year before French explorer Henri Mouhout’s journey to the massive temple that brought it to the world attention.” THAILAND III: Buffalo racing in Chonburi on 23rd October 2018 “Chonburi’s annual [Buffalo Racing Festival]( in front of the city hall is one of most exciting events held at the end of Buddhist Lent, with a tradition that dates back more than 140 years. This year the festival takes place from 18-24 October 2018. The buffalo racing takes place on 23rd October.” VIETNAM: Saigon’s food scene is being transformed by the returning Vietnamese diaspora “Franklin has dubbed his style of food cuisine mới, or [“new Vietnamese,”]( for its traditional flavors-meets-modern techniques.” Interesting site Living Irrawaddy Dolphin Project “The Irrawaddy River is home to the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin, found just north of Mandalay. What’s unique about Burma’s (Myanmar) Irrawaddy dolphins is their relationship with local fishermen. Dolphins and fishermen communicate and fish together, a practice called “cooperative fishing”–a unique phenomenon found in only two other places in the world! Your visit helps raise awareness for dolphin protection and generates income for local fishermen to [continue their practice of cooperative fishing with dolphins]( Travel shot [Get some wheels and go explore. Photo: Stuart McDonald] Get some wheels and go explore. Photo: Stuart McDonald 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]( We want travellers to love Southeast Asia as much as we do. 9 robinson close, hornsby heights, nsw 2077, AUSTRALIA [Unsubscribe]( | [Change Subscriber Options](