Travel Newsletter: 6 September 2024
A prelude to a newsletter relaunch, unique travel experiences away from the algorithm, cafes in Vietnam, England by canal boat, and more travel reads.
Welcome to the Nomadic Notes Travel Newsletter, where I curate the best travel reads of the week.
Greetings from Chiang Mai. I’m working on some projects while I am off the road this month, and one of those projects will be a relaunch of this newsletter.
Nomadic Notes is my online home for writing where other ideas spring from. Future Southeast Asia emerged from Nomadic Notes, and it’s now the site I spend most of my time on.
After Future Southeast Asia, I started writing more about metro systems, and I have some sites that are gaining traction and need more attention. That will mean reorganising content on Nomadic Notes to other sites. There is also the fact that Google doesn’t like general travel blogs, so it’s time to refocus my niches.
While I’m in this reorganising mode I figured it was time to reconfigure the travel newsletter. Stay tuned next week for a new look!
Travel reads
• Away from the algorithm, do unique travel experiences still exist?
“Whether it’s overhyped beauty spots, Tiktok travel fads or a nagging feeling that hotels are all starting to look the same, we explore the role algorithms are playing in shaping the travel experience – and how to break free.”
• A letter from Saigon, the city of countless cafes
“How many cafes are there in Saigon? Well, no one knows. But perhaps the important thing is to find one you love, or, better yet, one that feels like home.”
Another great read from Our Man in Saigon (disclaimer: I have been to countless cafes with Connla, and I have been quoted in the article).
• 4:00 am coffee club: Da Nang’s youth swap sleep for sunrise
I mentioned in a previous Instagram post about how I was amazed to see so many people on the beach in Da Nang before sunrise. I didn’t go to the riverside cafes before sunrise, but this doesn’t surprise me.
• How I spent 16 months journeying from the top to the bottom of England in a canal boat
• Travel: Surf ’s up in northern Taiwan
“Sleepy beach town Waiao in Yilan County offers a time capsule back to Bali before the backpacker buzz became beach clubs and boutique villas “
• From the River Thames to the Golden Horn.
I’ve previously featured John Wreford’s writing in the newsletter, and now he is about to embark on a bicycle ride from London to Istanbul. Follow along on his Instagram at @geezeronabike.
• Sydney Central Train Station is now an architectural destination (archive)
• 4,000 Miles, 6 small towns: a whistle-stop tour of America (archive)
“Most people who ride Amtrak’s Empire Builder route between Chicago and Seattle watch the heartland whiz by. Our writer hopped off to explore a few remarkable places you might otherwise miss.”
• Europe's stunning high-tech luxury train
“Tracing a medieval trade route through the Swiss Alps and valleys, the GoldenPass Express isn't just one of the world's most scenic train rides; it's an engineering marvel.”
• The stuff TSA confiscates from you gets sold by the pound at auction
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[The remains of Wat Pan Sat near the Chang Pheuk bus station in Chiang Mai. via @nomadicnotes.]
James Clark – Chiang Mai, Thailand.