Cambodia update: Cool Kampot, and Koh Rong is so right
Lots of travel articles with 2022 in the title.
KAMPOT - I’m now in one of my favourite little towns in Southeast Asia. I was last here in 2018, and while it’s still very chilled out, there have been enough changes to warrant an updated blog post. It is same same but different (as the saying goes in this part of the world).
I also went to Koh Rong off the coast of Sihanoukville. This island has been a backpacker favourite for years, though right now there are still very few visitors. I stayed in a bungalow with a bucket shower and there wasn’t any wifi where I was staying. It felt like old-school travel, and it was great. As I said on my Instagram, how can something Koh Rong be so right.
Kampot has good wifi at least, so I am back to work. Here are the best travel reads I found this week.
Assorted travel reads
• Celebrating the ‘Great Night of Shiva’ in Kathmandu
“Every year, thousands of celebrants gather at a temple complex in Nepal’s capital in honor of Shiva, one of Hinduism’s most revered gods.”
• I quit my job to travel Africa full time
“It has finally happened. After more than a year of planning and preparations I’ve decided to pull the trigger, quit my job and commit to travel Africa full time. All of Africa, 54 countries in 10 years, hence the name 5410Africa. I am Nick from Namibia and this is going to be the most epic journey of my life.”
• 8 must-see stargazing events to watch in 2022
“The year ahead offers many heavenly delights for sky-watchers, including two blood moons, a pair of partial solar eclipses, and multiple planetary meetings.”
• Henley and Partners 2022 rankings: These are the world's most powerful passports to have right now
• Google Maps tops in 2021 as most-downloaded travel app
I use 5 of these apps.
• My seatmate was panicking - this would be no ordinary flight
• Following on from last week’s newsletter, listicle season continues. This week includes what are arguably the two most prominent travel lists of the year:
- Lonely Planet’s Best In Travel 2022, and
- 52 Places for a Changed World from The New York Times.
The NYT includes the Red River Delta Region of Vietnam, which is a gaping hole in my half-hearted quest to visit every province in Vietnam. So I was actually going to visit anyway, in case you think I was influenced by such a list.
Whenever these lists come out I think of Robert Reid’s short video of where to visit for [insert year here].
• And some 2022 travel punditry:
- The hottest travel trends of 2022
- How flying will change in 2022
• The airline passenger rights everyone should know
• An obscure and incredible Google Earth location you'll recognize the instant you arrive
A clickbaity title, but trust me, you’ll know it when you see it.
• Winter in Saudi Arabia…
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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
Kampot was a nice little town. I saw a lot of development there in 2019. Curious as to what has changed.
Thanks for the travel post! I was hoping you had time even though busy with railway work. // That is a statue of a durian at the end of the post, right? I will never get to experience a real durian, in real life...