Travelfish #267: Chiang Mai + traveller tech + wooden

Everywhere is on the way to somewhere Hi everyone, Thanks to school holidays, this week (and next) we’re on holiday in eastern Indonesia, but we've got some partial updates online, along with a book review from Laos and a soapbox on the freedom tech may bring. More below the fold. Travelfish premium members are growing like mushrooms in the wet season. [Learn how you can become one now! »]( The week that was School holidays are upon us and so after one cab, two flights, another cab, a boat then a walk through a goat-dotted paddock, we've thrown our feet up at La P’tite Kepa on Kepa Island, off the west coast of Alor in eastern Indonesia. If you're a beach bum (or a keen diver) you may want to tune into out Instagram account. We were so excited about this holiday that we actually went to the airport a day early—something we don't recommend you do—but on the upside, at least we were already packed for the second trip to the airport... there's probably fodder for a soap box there... Online we have part of our full update for Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. The food, accommodation and sights pages have been completely rewritten and re-organised from scratch, so if you're headed in that direction, you'll want to take a look. In particular, Mark has made [some great suggestions for where to stay in Chiang Mai]( which is a very competitive market. We plan to knock off putting the rest of Chiang Mai online between hammock swings over the next couple of days. In our in-box we have Petchaburi and Cha-am in Southern Thailand—they'll both be online this week. People not on holiday at the moment include Sally who is writing up Bali's Kuta, Legian and Seminyak, David, who is running around updating more of Bangkok, Cindy, who is back in Ho Chi Minh City after a spin through the Mekong Delta, and Mark, who is busy in Sihanoukville. Premium Travelfish members now have access to more than 200 downloadable guides (219 to be exact). Please note that if you grabbed our guide to Kaeng Krachan last week you may want to grab a new copy as we made a few minor corrections to it. Not a premium member? It costs a very reasonable A$35 per year (please note: Australian not US dollars!) for access. [Find out more here](. This week's soapbox is on traveller tech versus traveller services. The newsletter theme is wooden—inspired by the wooden beachside house your newsletter was written in today. Please forward this newsletter on to any friends, family, strangers in bars, bus drivers, som tam ladies and massage men you think might be interested to receive it. Good travels, Stuart, Sam and the Travelfish team Soapbox Traveller tech replaces traveller services A few weeks ago I stayed in Bangkok’s Chinatown. I spent one night at the lovely Loy La Long right on the Chao Phraya (4,000 baht a night for their black room) and a night at Asa Hostel (A$29.40 for a private room with pristine share bathroom). I saw another family and single traveller in the common area at Loy La Long, and a single traveller brushing her teeth at Asa. That was it! Sure, it’s the hot, low season (as much as there is a low season in Bangkok these days), but Chinatown is hardly overrun with travellers: It was just the same as I wandered around Chinatown’s stunning historical streets. From Samphaeng Lane and its junky but intriguing stalls, to the smattering of hip bars that open late during the evenings, and the ungentrified, industrial shopfronts, I bumped into barely another traveller-face. It was glorious and a world away from the queues at the Grand Palace. And while I’m not (that much of) a travel snob—there are reasons many places are overrun with tourists, generally that they are amazing in some way—I realised that these days it’s far easier to avoid traveller ghettos like, say, Khao San Road than it used to be. Adoption of tech means that you can eschew the usual traveller services of yesteryear. People complain about travellers having their heads stuck on their phones instead of mingling with the people around them, and naturally there’s some truth to this changing the vibe in guesthouses. On the other hand, if you have a smartphone, picking up a local SIM card on arrival in a new country now means that you are freed from the tyranny of needing the usual slew of traveller services that used to only be available in places like Sukhumvit or Khao San Road in Bangkok. Google Maps, for instance, means that not only do you not need to pick up a paper map (though Nancy Chandler’s is still a lovely guide) but you can totally go for a wander and still manage to find your way back to your guesthouse. OTAs mean you can book your next night's accommodation yourself online in two minutes. Online guides mean you can plan your next stop yourself. ATMs meanwhile mean travellers cheques have gone the way of the payphone and you can check the exchange rate online. So if you’ve got a smartphone, why not take a punt and stay somewhere a bit more out of the way the next time you hit the road? Explore a neighbourhood you might otherwise think is a bit out of the way. It’s not as far off the map as you might think—in fact it's difficult to get off the map nowadays (but that's another soapbox...) Safe travels, Samantha 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! Places to stay: [Agoda]( [Booking]( Tours and activities: [TourRadar]( [GetYourGuide]( Ground transport: [12Go Asia]( Travel insurance: [World Nomads]( Featured Baan Dam The buildings scattered across the well maintained and beautifully laid out parkland are a mixture with some modern, concrete constructions and [some ancient Lanna-style wooden designs](. Each building houses a series of installations of ancient and new, found and created objects interspersed among the animal skulls. Some are locally found or locally inspired while there are African masks, Balinese and Burmese influences and plenty of unique creations. The grounds also include rock sculptures and menhir stone circles. What we're reading I Shot the Buddha (A Dr Siri Paiboun Mystery) by Colin Cotterill I Shot the Buddha is number 11 in Colin Cotterill’s delightful Laos-set Dr Siri Paiboun mystery series, and [it’s out next month in paperback](. Off the forum Can you help with advice on any of these questions? [Two-week trip with kids: Chiang Mai or Khao Sok National Park?]( [Suggestions for a 3-week Kalimantan trip]( [Vietnam Cambodia itinerary route]( [My Second Honeymoon.]( Notes from the road BURMA: Wooden boat rides [BURMA: Wooden boat rides]( A visit to wonderful Saddar Cave is one of Kayin State’s highlights. The limestone karst scenery of Zwegabin and the numerous jagged, mountainous outcrops sprouting abruptly from the paddy surrounding Hpa-an host myriad spectacular caves. Saddar involves a cave temple but also a hike through underground passages to the far side of a mountain [and a return by wooden boat](. It really is something special. CAMBODIA: Wooden houses [CAMBODIA: Wooden houses]( Coming out of the silk centre, turn right to go back towards the ferry, and then take the first left to follow the road on a long arc around which takes you past typical [Cambodian wooden houses]( in some of which looms are set up; you can step in to watch the process and buy their wares. INDONESIA: Wooden train carriages [INDONESIA: Wooden train carriages]( On Sundays the appeal of the Indonesian Railway Museum is increased tenfold, as you'll have the opportunity to ride a historic train in [original wooden carriages]( pulled by an antique diesel engine. ISLANDS: Wooden bungalows [ISLANDS: Wooden bungalows]( Set on idyllic Kepa Island just a short boat ride off the southwest coast of Alor, French-run La P’tite Kepa delivers on just about everything we look for in a remote [hippy-chic wood shack beach getaway]( we loved it so much we booked a second stay before we even left the first time. LAOS: Wooden carving village [LAOS: Wooden carving village]( Established in 1890 and named after the surrounding small lakes, Nong Bueng village is famous for its [wood carvers](. From handcrafted sculptures and carved reliefs to practical items such as outdoor lamp posts, chances are you’ve already seen their work in guesthouses and hotels throughout southern Laos. MALAYSIA: A walk in the woods [MALAYSIA: A walk in the woods]( FRIM is a living museum, with six distinct types of woodland and abundant bird, animal and insect life. It has four main walking trails running through it, as well as jogging and mountain biking tracks, wildlife watch-towers, [traditional Malay wooden houses]( botanical gardens, picnic areas, and even spots to go for a dip. SINGAPORE: Wooden window shutters [SINGAPORE: Wooden window shutters]( Emerald Hill Road was laid out in 1901 and construction of the Peranakan-style shophouses began shortly afterward. Most of the buildings that survive were built between 1905 and 1925 and you’ll also spot Chinese Baroque and art deco architectural styles. Look for the grand entrance gates, ornate friezes, [wooden window shutters]( and, if you can get around to the back, the external spiral staircases. THAILAND: Wooden penises [THAILAND: Wooden penises]( Riveting legends and [wooden penises]( are what make the Phra Nang cave shrine famous. Located in a corner of the same-named beach, locals flock here to ask the resident goddess-spirit for help, especially when it comes to catching fish and having kids, while foreign travellers stand around looking bewildered. Want to know what’s behind the phallic frenzy? Read on. VIETNAM: A wooden sanctuary [VIETNAM: A wooden sanctuary]( It's a modest, [wooden sanctuary]( set on, naturally, one concrete pillar, over a pond that blooms with lotus blossoms during summer. The shrine is dedicated to Quan Am, the Goddess of Mercy, and is designed to look like a lotus, a symbol of enlightenment in Buddhism. News from the region BURMA I: Myanmar, an unfinished nation "In the late 1920s Rangoon, now Yangon, [rivaled New York as the world's largest immigrant port]( receiving 428,300 people in 1927 alone (when the total population was around 10 million). Rangoon became an Indian city." BURMA II: The girls being sold into sex work in Myanmar " 'If you are the woman in the family and not educated, your only choice is sex work. Life is very hard here, [especially in Yangon]( and we have to find money for our family to survive,' she says fighting back the tears. 'In this industry I can earn a lot of money, pay off my debt, feed my children and support my family.' " BURMA III: Ethnic minorities face range of violations including war crimes in northern conflict " 'The international community is familiar with the appalling abuses suffered by the Rohingya minority in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, but in Kachin and northern Shan States we found [a similarly shocking pattern]( in the Army’s targeting of other ethnic minorities.' " INDONESIA I: The schoolgirl thrash metal band smashing stereotypes in Indonesia "Kurnia is vocalist and guitarist of Voice of Baceprot, the metal group she formed in 2014 with drummer Eusi Siti Aisyah and bassist Widi Rahmawati. The band is now [blasting its way into the Asian music scene]( causing consternation among more conservative peers and bringing the three young women death threats and hate mail." INDONESIA II: Rude Russians in Bali [Tourists behaving badly]( episode 45,766. INDONESIA III: Indonesia's 'smoking baby' kicked his habit but the battle against tobacco rages on "'I kept watching people smoking and it looked delicious. It feels good when smoking. [But now I think chocolate is better than smoking]( Aldi tells us." INDONESIA IV: Tiger emergency in Sumatra "The ordeal involved some shouting, and it wasn’t long before other plantation workers arrived on the scene. Some were frightened that tigers could be on the prowl in their place of work and happy to see it dead, while others considered it a kind of sin that such a beautiful creature—obviously young and probably of no real threat to anyone—[should meet its untimely end in so grisly a fashion]( LAOS: How Laos’ black market undermines China’s ivory ban "The Chinese government has agreed to close all remaining domestic legal ivory markets by the end of 2017. This decision has been hailed as a milestone in Chinese efforts to combat elephant poaching, but [the black market trade]( in illegal wildlife goods in a neighboring country may undermine such measures." MALAYSIA: Penang visitors set to face two tourism taxes for hotel stays "Penang currently charges a fee of between RM2 (S$0.65) and RM3 per room night through its local councils. In addition, the federal government [will impose a tourism tax]( of between RM2.50 and RM20 per room, per day for hotel stays from next month." THAILAND I: Dangerous Thailand: Authorities’ denial a ‘smoke and mirrors’ exercise "Unfortunately, recent bombings, violence, cross-border smuggling and sporadic acts of terrorism, clearly indicate the council [has yet to achieve their primary objectives]( THAILAND II: The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017 Related to the previous story, [make up your own mind]( and read the full report for yourself here. THAILAND III: The drug addictions devastating Thai villages "He now takes one ya ba pill every two days, and drinks kratom three times a week when he is tired from work as a rubber planter. He sometimes resorts to [stealing dried betel nuts to sell and fund his addiction]( VIETNAM I: Police open fire to stop xe om vs Grab Bike fight in Saigon "Police in Ho Chi Minh City [have had to open fire in the air]( to stop a fight between a group of xe om (motorbike taxi) drivers and their tech-based counterparts from getting more violent." VIETNAM II: Losing track: Vietnam’s ailing railway network "While other countries in the region have developed thousands of kilometers of electric dual-gauge tracks, 85 percent of the network in Vietnam still runs on the narrow one-meter gauge, [a design that has been blamed for regular train crashes]( Travel writing How to travel like a travel writer "How did I find these places? I was visiting as a travel writer. That means not traveling “like a local,” but in the company of locals—[a subtle, but important, difference]( BURMA: With a forgotten temple city, Myanmar hopes to strike tourism gold "In the centuries since, it crumbled into a backwater town in Myanmar’s troubled Rakhine state. But the city where Christians, Muslims and Buddhists once lived in harmony can still be glimpsed [in its hundreds of ruined temples, fortifications and storehouses]( – mostly ignored for more than 100 years." INDONESIA: Consuming orphans in a Jakarta mall "This discrepancy between the lifestyle and priorities of the event hosts and those of their nominal target audience was at its sharpest when the hostess plugged a department store fashion show [by making some orphans do a catwalk on stage]( VIETNAM I: Vietnam’s first international resort was simple and low impact. What happened after that? "In 2017, we have a better sense of where things are headed. And it ain’t pretty. It’s fair to say that Coco Beach’s small-scale, low-impact approach, [did not impress the nation’s tourism fathers]( VIETNAM II: So long, Halong: A peculiar journey into Vietnam's other Halong Bay Vietnam's Halong Bay is known around the world for being one of the country's unmissable sights. But a little south of the overcrowded tourist trap [lies another, lesser known bay](. VIETNAM III: Hoang Su Phi "Hoang Su Phi District in Ha Giang Province is one of Vietnam’s most remote areas and remains untouched by mass tourism. The breathtaking landscape is dominated by mountains with rice terraces and is home to 11 different ethnic minorities. The hilly terrain and countless narrow dirt trails that have connected villages for generations [make Hoang Su Phi ideal for mountain biking]( Interesting site Trip Fiction "Books set in location offer great travel reading. TripFiction was created to make it easy to match a location with a book, and thanks to our searchable database you can find a book relevant to any trip. [A resource for both actual and armchair travellers]( Travel shot [Cook up a storn in CHiang Mai.] Cook up a storn in CHiang Mai. 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](