The 88 cent train trip to Pattaya
Surfing in the Solomon Islands, bad bus stories, slow train travel in Japan, and more travel reads.
Greetings from Bangkok. This week I got the train to Pattaya as part of my expanded train coverage on Nomadic Notes. There is one local train a day and it costs 31 baht (around 88 cents USD). I figured I should ride this train that has had its ticket prices frozen before the high-speed train arrives.
From Pattaya, got a speed boat to Koh Larn. This is the easiest island to get to from Bangkok (when accounting for time and travel friction), so I wanted to see what it was like. I will do a write-up at some point.
I have two more island visits next week, including another new island for me.
Latest posts at Nomadic Notes
Travel reads
• How 'dark tourism' can pass on the lessons of past tragedies
• Welcome to the jungle – Surfing in the Solomon Islands
• The wheels go round and round
“Who doesn’t like bad bus stories?” By
• In Pictures: Professional base jumpers leap off the Kuala Lumpur Tower
• Mapped: The price of Starbucks coffee, by country
A fascinating comparison of tall lattes around the world. It’s no surprise that Switzerland is at the top of the list. When I was based in Switzerland (in 2003) there was no Starbucks, and I would always have the cafe creme, which is basically an espresso with a little milk on the side. I went back to Switzerland a few years later with a friend, and I gasped at the price of Starbucks coffee.
Another interesting point on this list is that is shows affordability. No surprise that Cambodia and Vietnam are 1st and 3rd on that list of least affordable by median daily income.
• A couple converted a Coca-Cola truck to live in while exploring Australia
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• Puerto Rico’s stunning new trail traverses a tropical rainforest
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🚆Train travel
• A nature-lover’s guide to slow train travel in Japan
As featured in this month’s
The Nomadic Notes Travel Newsletter is a weekly newsletter of the best travel reads and interesting travel news from around the web, and random ramblings by the editor.
- James Clark
Those pictures of the base-jumping -- whoa. I think I'll have nightmares for months.
As for Starbucks, as a guy from Seattle who frequented the chain when there were thirteen stores, it is so weird to see what it's become. And I'm shocked to see it's considered affordable in the US. where a grande oat milk latte on my last visit was almost eight bucks.