Travel Newsletter: 19 May 2023

The great bird quest, Lisbon is the new Paris, Dalifornia, the High Arctic, Taipei, accessible beaches, and more travel reads.

Hello from Hua Hin! I haven’t left the city border since I arrived here, which was part of the plan. I’ve been hanging out in the cool cafes here and going for afternoon walks on the beach. It also helps when a cafe has a beach view, such as today’s office.

- Photo via @nomadicnotes.

Here is this week’s assorted travel reads.

Travel reads

• What It takes to see 10,000 bird species

“Peter Kaestner has traveled the world on an adventure-filled quest to become the first birder to hit 10,000. Ornithologist Jessie Williamson hitched a ride on a rollicking South American mission that involved land, sea, and (you guessed it) air.”

• On Lisbon as this century’s Paris byGlobal Natives

“What’s happening in the Portuguese capital goes beyond pan-Europeanism and into a global sense of both place and identity. Something new is being born in Lisbon.”

• For easy living and California vibes, China’s digital nomads flock to ‘Dalifornia.’ Can it last?

• Beaches, hippy communes and coworking: How Goa is pushing for India to become a remote work hub

• Encountering the High Arctic

“How nature is revealed when you are most helpless.”

• Why the best way to see Japan is on foot

• Hey Taipei! - Part One byTales of the Orient by Simon Ostheimer

“Visiting the island for the first time in 40 plus years, I discovered an amazing city full of great food, friendly people, and a wealth of attractions. Here's why you should go too.”

• Ennedi Massif: Africa's remote geological wonder

• Greece is making hundreds of beaches more accessible

“Remote-controlled, wheelchair-friendly ramps will allow vacationers with mobility challenges to enjoy the sea.”

🚆Train travel

• This lesser-known train between Kyoto and Osaka is an affordable, peaceful ride

Subscribe to Japan Rail News for more articles about train travel in Japan.

• Colombo to Badulla Railway – Sri Lanka’s true icon and an engineering marvel

• Once described as the 'eighth wonder of the world', the grand old Zig Zag is back on track

✈️ Air travel

• 98-member group boards Kuching-KL flight in traditional garb (Video)

This would be fun to see! Gabungan Orang Asli Sarawak/Sabah members dressed in traditional attire on the way to the Borneo Native Festival. Here is the video on Instagram. This happened last year as well, so it could become a traditional event in itself.

• Why Airbus and others are betting on hydrogen-powered planes instead of electric planes

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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