Travelfish #354: Happy Birthday to us! + Cambodia’s Banteay Chmmar

Everywhere is on the way to somewhere Happy Birthday to us! Travelfish turned 15 a couple of days ago and so I just wanted to take a quick moment to thank you all for supporting the site (and reading this newsletter) over the years. I hope Travelfish has helped you get more out of your travels over the years. If you’re itching to give us a present (you are right?!), please consider becoming a Travelfish member, or if you already are a member, please remember to renew or extend your membership! [Membership costs A$35 per year and you can sign up here.]( Thank you! [Banteay Samnang Tasok. Photo: Nicky Sullivan] Banteay Samnang Tasok. Photo: Nicky Sullivan This week new on the site we have updated coverage for [Banteay Chmmar]( in western Cambodia. Think of it as an antidote to the hordes of people at Angkor Wat. Is it worth the diversion? Absolutely! In case you missed last week’s newsletter, in other news, we’ve added the first of a series of new newsletters. Called “Welcome to Thailand” it starts with a series of seven daily emails, each covering an introductory aspect of Thailand. A week later it switches to a weekly (Tuesday) instalment, each recommending a destination or attraction in Thailand that you may not have heard of. The newsletter is very much aimed at people new to Thailand, so if that is you, you can sign up here. [All subscribers also get a complimentary PDF itinerary for Southern Thailand](. We plan to roll this out for other countries as well, but we’re starting with the big one. 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](. Destination Cambodia: Banteay Chmmar Not a week goes past without another story about the crowds at Cambodia’s Angkor Wat. So what is one to do if you want to see Khmer period monuments but without the crowds? We have two words for you: [Banteay Chmmar](. Why go: Because Banteay Chmmar is the perfect antidote to over-touristed [Angkor]( and over-commercialised [Siem Reap]( . A visit isn’t just one for magnificent monuments but also for unadulterated Khmer hospitality. Stay in a traditional homestay and perhaps eat with your Khmer hosts. Hire a bicycle and explore the countryside at your own pace. Oh, and there are monuments as well, with the sprawling Banteay Chmmar being the top shelf item. Dotting the immediate surrounds though, more monuments of interest beckon. Some are just a step up from a pile of rubble, others evocative towers in dense forest. Why don’t go: Banteay Chmmar is a touch out of the way, and (with apologies to the we’re sure lovely residents of Samraong) not on the way to other points of interest. This means most people backtrack to Sisophon and/or Siem Reap after visiting. Accommodation is mostly in the form of local homestays. This means cold water bathrooms and simple facilities. If you’re after air-con, cotton sheets and an infinity pool, this might not be the place for you. How long to stay: It is possible to visit Banteay Chmmar on a long day trip from Siem Reap or [Battambang]( . This is not an attractive proposition though as you will be spending most of your time in a share taxi. We’d say a one night stay is the shortest sensible stay. If you have time, two nights would be better, three better still. Pack some books if you are planning on staying longer than that. Other stuff you should know: Make use of the services of the Visit Banteay Chmmar Community Based Tourism Centre. English speaking, they can arrange guides, meals, accommodation and onwards transport. There are no ATMs in Banteay Chmmar—cash up before arrival. Cellular service and 3G internet work fine. Would we return: We sure would. The ruins are just magnificent and are largely deserted of crowds of tourists. By comparison, Angkor receives more visitors in a day than [Banteay Chmmar]( receivers in a year. 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 2019. Log in to the Member Centre on Travelfish now for your coupon code and [start designing your own round the world trip »]( Ten things worth reading Is the tide turning against heritage destruction in Vietnam? “All of these heritage victories have followed public objections and lobbying from Vietnamese architects and planners. I don’t recall similar interest in past heritage decisions. Nor I recall such victories in previous decades. [Something is changing]( Buddhists go to battle: When nationalism overrides pacifism “As the tectonic plates of Buddhism and Islam collide, a portion of Buddhists [are abandoning the peaceful tenets of their religion]( In Indonesia, a land ‘left behind’ weighs its development alternatives “Today, Save Aru veterans are examining alternative paths of development, even [as they work to stave off new attempts]( to turn their homeland into a corporate agribusiness hub.” Discover why Laos is the world’s next great foodie destination “We spoon in jeow bong sauce—orange and scarlet and sweet and sour. Additional plates of sticky rice, bean sprouts, limes, and long beans, as well as small bowls of fish sauce and fermented shrimp paste, crowd the table. [The bounty finds its way into our bowls](. All is simple, yet with a complexity of flavor.” The best way to tour a city is through its grocery store “[Grocery stores can be political]( Black spots “Every year in Asia, up to 90% of all recorded maritime incidents are armed robberies of ships – whether they’re the result of armed fishermen jumping aboard in search of laptops and phones or the result of well-planned operations by trained pirates [in search of millions of dollars in profit](. ” The Times’s Travel Desk takes a step to offset its contribution to climate change [Do you carbon offset?]( Let us know why and who with. Why “Like a local” is the most overrated concept in travel “The quest for authenticity can go too far, slipping way too easily [into the dull and non-descript]( Expenses for a motorbike road trip in Vietnam “Below, I’ve put together a list of necessary expenses and worked out what an [average daily budget might be]( while on the road in Vietnam.” In Myanmar’s conflict-torn Rakhine, fresh allegations of war crimes “During [a rare trip by Reuters to the conflict zone]( much of which is off-limits to journalists and humanitarian agencies, 10 residents gave accounts of soldiers firing weapons indiscriminately, killing and wounding civilians, and torturing detainees.” Flight deals Cheap return flights from Sydney to Southeast Asia Sydney to Bali in Aug/Sep 2019: [From $387]( Sydney to Bangkok in Mar/Apr 2020: [From $406]( Sydney to Ho Chi Minh City in Nov 2019: [From $377]( Sydney to Kuala Lumpur in Oct 2019: [From $377]( Something to read The Gate “At once horrifying and intelligent, The Gate is [an extraordinary personal account]( of the workings of the Khmer Rouge.” Travel shot [Strike a pose. Photo: Stuart McDonald] Strike a pose. 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](