More Notes for Nomadic Notes

A new social media experiment, the best train trip in Vietnam, the Pacific's strangest cruise ship, and Taiwan’s forest railway.

Hello from Hoi An! Here are this week’s site updates and the best travel reads of the week.

Substack Notes: A new social media platform

Substack is the platform that publishes this newsletter, and they have just released a feature called Substack Notes. It’s sort of like Twitter, which I have been looking for a replacement for. Here is a post example:

Substack describes it as a place to share links, short posts, quotes, photos, and more.

I will use it for things that don’t fit in the newsletter like I used to do on Twitter.

Substack Notes got a boost this week when Twitter started blocking Substack links. This was the warning message when trying to post Substack on Twitter:

It’s early days, so who knows where this will go? I am still posting on Mastodon at https://mastodon.social/@nomadicnotes, which I wrote about last year. My Instagram and Facebook updates get dunked by the algorithm so I am not posting there as much. Ultimately, I think a fragmented internet will be a better place, and at least with a newsletter, it has the best chance of being seen.

Visit substack.com/notes or find the “Notes” tab in the Substack app. As a subscriber to Nomadic Notes Travel Newsletter, you’ll automatically see my notes. Feel free to like, reply, or share them around! You can also share notes of your own.

Latest posts at Nomadic Notes

• Da Nang to Hue by train via the Hai Van Pass

This was from a trip I did last year. If you take one train trip in Vietnam, make it this one.

Updated posts at Nomadic Notes

• International train services in Southeast Asia is now updated with the launch of the Vientiane - Kunming train service.

Travel reads

• On board the Pacific's strangest cruise ship

I’ve never been on a cruise, so if I was to cruise I wouldn’t mind doing this. This article is by Tony Wheeler of Lonely Planet fame, so maybe this hybrid cargo cruiser is appealing to aging backpackers.

• Venice is saved! Woe is Venice.

“After centuries of flooding, Venice has at long last raised seawalls to save itself from high water.”

• Something in the ether by

And Yet, Here We Are

“Fire season in Chiang Mai cyclically deflates digital nomad community.”

• Your phone is ruining your vacation

“When in Rome — or Cabo or Tokyo — put down your phone.”

• No-reservations travel sets you free

“Ditching travel planning turns out to be a liberating experience in Thailand.”

🚆Train travel

• Taiwan’s extraordinary 111-year-old forest railway gets a makeover

• Notes from an author: Paul Theroux reflects on the evolving nature of rail travel

• What it’s like to spend 23-hours on Amtrak Silver Star overnight train from Florida to New York

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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