Podcasts about travelfish

In this insightful episode of the Low Season Traveller podcast, host Ged interviews Stuart McDonald, founder of Travelfish, a comprehensive online travel resource focused on Southeast Asia. Stuart shares the evolution of Travelfish from its humble beginnings in 2004 to becoming a trusted guide for independent travelers, his journey into responsible tourism through his master's degree, and his upcoming ambitious 64-day overland journey from Bali to the UK.Guest Profile: Stuart McDonald is the founder of Travelfish, an independent online travel guide focused on Southeast Asia. With nearly three decades of experience traveling in the region since 1993, Stuart has transformed from a backpacker and guidebook writer to an advocate for "less bad travel" - his term for more sustainable and responsible tourism practices. He recently completed a Master's degree in Responsible Tourism Management at Leeds Beckett University in the UK.Notable Quotes"Travel fish is like an old school guidebook, like a Lonely Planet or Rough Guide or whatever. But only online." "The pandemic wasn't great for business. I went back to school, back to do my masters at Leeds in the UK in responsible tourism management, and that sort of turned me on to a lot more of the stuff around sustainable tourism and responsible travel." "A lot of the issues that we face today in tourism are not new... they were writing about them in the seventies in academia... This knowledge has sort of been sitting around for perhaps 50 years, half a century. And the industry side of things, they're only just sort of starting to think about maybe getting on board with some of these concepts in the last decade." This episode offers valuable insights into the evolution of sustainable tourism in Southeast Asia through the lens of Stuart McDonald's extensive experience. His journey from traditional guidebook writer to advocate for responsible tourism practices demonstrates how the industry is slowly shifting toward more sustainable models. Stuart's upcoming overland journey represents his commitment to "less bad travel" and provides a fascinating case study in making more responsible travel choices despite the inconveniences they may present. Listeners interested in sustainable tourism, Southeast Asia travel, or alternative modes of transportation will find this conversation both informative and inspiring.Resources Mentioned:Travelfish website: A comprehensive online travel guide for Southeast AsiaCouch Fish Newsletter: Stuart's regular updates on travel and tourism in the regionGlass: The photo-sharing platform Stuart now uses instead of InstagramSeat61: Helpful resource for train travel planningCaravanistan: Resource for travel in Central AsiaUncornered Market: Development work in Uzbekistan and Central Asia

"The term 'sustainable tourism' has been bankrupted. It's meaningless now". None of the environmental and social issues confronting tourism are new, but how do we address them more realistically? How can travellers tread more lightly and be less impactful on the places and communities they visit? What is "Less Bad Travel"? How does it differ from staple travel industry terms, such as responsible tourism? This week, Hannah is joined by Bali-based Stuart McDonald, founder of Travelfish and a highly experienced South East Asia travel editor, writer and trip advisor, to navigate the way forward for low-impact travel. Don't expect standard jargon or easy rhetoric. Stuart challenges the tropes we often hear, and is especially scathing about sustainable tourism certifications. Plus, we discuss the impact of AI on hotel employment, coastal development in Vietnam, The White Lotus in Thailand and responsible diving. And, Stuart sets out his plans for an epic 64-day overland trip from Jakarta to Leeds to collect his MSc in Responsible Tourism Management.

“Influencers are forever reinforcing the same images. They’re spending no time in the actual place, other than the requisite time to take the photo. From the local community’s point of view, these kinds of tourists bring very little value.” –Stuart McDonald In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Stuart talk about why Stuart chose to make his office in West Bali, and why South Bali has developed something of a bad reputation in terms of over-tourism (2:30); the mythos of Bali, how it became a “dreamscape” in the Western consciousness, and how it has changed in recent years (6:30); why certain areas in Bali become over-touristed, and how it has recently been affected by “influencers” (18:00); how black magic and ghosts are part of the belief systems of Balinese, yet few travelers ascertain this (24:00); and how much social-media travel content leaves out essential cultural context (31:00). Stuart McDonald (@travelfishery) is the co-founder of Travelfish.org, a travel planning website covering Southeast Asia, which he launched in 2014. He has been traveling in that part of the world since 1993, and living there since 1997. Notable Links: The Vagabond’s Way, by Rolf Potts (book) Bali Hai Immigrant Song (YouTube mashup) Dutch presence in Bali (colonialist history) Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert (book) Canggu (coastal village in Bali) Fly-in fly-out [FIFO] (term for temporary laborers) Digital nomads (remote workers who travel) Lonely Planet (travel guidebook publisher) Infinity pool (type of swimming pool) National Geographic (magazine) GetYourGuide (tour company) Gates of Heaven (photogenic temple in Bali) Balinese sacred textiles Kastom (Melanesian traditional culture) Kava (sedative drink in Melanesia) Listicle (article structured as a list) Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture, by Kyle Chayka (book) Externality (indirect economic cost) This episode of Deviate is also brought to you by AirTreks, an industry leader in multi-stop international travel. If you've ever planned a trip with multiple stops, you know that finding the right flights can be difficult. Between balancing travel logistics and cost, it often becomes impossible to build an itinerary that matches your travel goals.  AirTreks is a distributed travel company with employees working from all corners of the world to help with your flight planning, specializing in complex routes with up to 25 stops. The AirTreks website offers suggested pre-planned travel itineraries to help you get started, but can customize to fit your journey. The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel's 2017 album Lumber. Note: We don't host a “comments” section, but we're happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.

This is Part 2 of our interview with Stuart MacDonald, Asian tourism expert and founder of TravelFish.org, arguably the best single resource for traveling in Southeast Asia. In this half of the interview, Greg, Ed and Stu revisit the tricky topic of ‘overtourism,' an issue which attempts to find a balance between economic revenue from tourism, which in theory is good for local economies, and damage to the environment, which of course can in the long run make things worse for local people. Stu gives his take on how to find the right balance. The old friends then address the perennial (and perplexing) obsession with ‘high-quality tourists' by the Thai government. Stu gives new insights on the problem of ‘leakage' (which is almost as gross as it sounds) - revenue from tourism that ‘leaks' out of the local economy and into foreign investors and companies. It turns out that higher end tourism results in more of this drain, with a lower percentage of revenue actually making into the hands of local people. Backpackers for the win! Last, the guys discuss the (green) elephant in the room: the decriminalization of cannabis in Thailand and the likely effect it will have on Thai tourism. Stu discusses the likely possibility that more tourists will flock to the Kingdom to experience the new freedom to indulge, but also points out the oversaturation of the market that can turn people off, whether it's tourists or locals themselves.  Tune in to hear a true expert's insights, rather than two random guys yammering! :)  Don't forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we'll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Greg and Ed interview their old friend Stuart of Travelfish, master of all things travel and tourism in Southeast Asia. Greg begins by reading a quote from an article on the weird duality of tourism: by sacralizing a location, tourism results in its ‘desecration by footprints.' Stuart gives his take and undoubtedly agrees that this is generally true, hence his take on ‘environmental tourism,' or tourism that is very conscious of its effect on the locations it promotes. He explains that the cons of tourism for locals (such as crime, drugs, environmental damage, etc.) can often outweigh the pros of increased income.  The guys then discuss the overall effect of the COVID pandemic that more or less shut down tourism around the world. Stuart notes that he had hoped that the shutdown, which resulted in the rebirth and reconstruction of some areas hit hard by high volume tourism, would lead to an increased awareness of the damage and perhaps a new policy upon re-opening. Unfortunately, most countries, including Thailand, have reverted to a ‘growth at all costs' approach in an effort to get back to pre-pandemic visitor numbers. Stuart laments this outcome in great (and grave) detail.  The old friends continue with other tourism related issues, such as the growth of ‘secondary tourism,' or alternative destinations off the beaten path. Stuart notes that this was actually MORE common in the early days of tourism in Thailand, when backpackers would essentially wander the whole country. Alas, over the years, a small number of destinations became so popular that alternative destinations fell by the wayside. Stuart sees glimmers of hope that if the Thai government won't limit overall tourism numbers, at least they will try to spread the tourists to more locations which could of course limit some of the negative effects of overtourism. Tune in next week for Part 2 of our interview with Stuart MacDonald.  Don't forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we'll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Slow travel is a buzzword that's been kicking around a while. A “trend” in the travel industry, some might say, in the vein of ecotourism. Just as the terminology has evolved from global warming to climate change, however, more humans are increasingly considering their footprint, both on the environment and on the destinations they visit, often in an economic way. If slow travel means more than massive exhaust output of air travel – if slow travel means picking one particular destination instead of dozen and then using local means of transportation, bikes or hiking even, to explore an area more in depth, at a more leisurely pace, then I'm all for it. Today, we have a returning guest and longtime friend of the destinations he lives and works in, Stuart McDonald, to give us his understanding of and experiences with slow travel in Asia.

Please help us by taking our first Bangkok Podcast listener survey! Click here to get started, it only takes a few minutes. Everyone who fills it out will get 50,000 baht!* Greg and Ed discuss the current state of Thai tourism and whether the recovery is behind or ahead of predictions. Ed begins by citing a chart for the last full pre-COVID year of 2019, when Thailand came very close to having 40 million foreign tourists. Shockingly, that number went to nearly zero in 2020 and 2021, and the recovery began slowly in 2022. So where are we now? Well, in short, the prediction is that 2023 will see about 25 million tourists, roughly 60% of pre-COVID numbers.  The guys admit this is probably ahead of schedule, given previous expectations, and do their best to explain what's going on. Ed notes that there are thousands of Russians and Ukrainians fleeing the war, which has probably boosted numbers somewhat. He even reads an article about the exploding real estate prices in Phuket, due to the influx of Russians with money. Greg then reviews the up and down nature of Chinese tourism, which has recently jumped due to relaxed visa restrictions. Regardless of the reasons though, the current outlook for Thai tourism is a rosy one. Greg then raises the important question of overall tourism numbers, and whether that really should be the goal anyway. “Overtourism” has been an issue raised on the show several times before, and unfortunately it seems as if the Tourism Authority of Thailand is still focused on total numbers, to the detriment of other issues such as the quality of the experience and potential harm to infrastructure and the Thai environment. The guys finish with a bat signal to Stuart of Travelfish to come back on the show and give us his take. Or should it be a fish signal? Either way, we need Stuart!  *This is not even remotely true Don't forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we'll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

"It just doesn't feel like a living Vietnamese town." Environmental impact, carbon emissions and artificial intelligence (AI) are three of the hottest topics in tourism. This week, Gary & Hannah welcome back Bali-based Stuart McDonald, Founder of Travelfish, to take on these vital talking points. Stuart recently travelled through Vietnam, where he tracked his carbon footprint using the Capture and Path Net Zero apps. He discusses his findings and observations while travelling from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi by train. Stuart also discusses the contrasting challenges (and current outcomes) for tourism in Hoi An and Hue. Taking a tangential turn, we chat about AI chatbots in tourism, and the building of AI-generated content into travel products and information services. Rounding out the discussion, we address a phantom train in Cambodia (which tops the search rankings) and diving in Raja Ampat in Indonesia. And listen out for the rooster!

The prolonged closure of Bali has been a global media case study for the two-year decline of travel in South East Asia. As it slowly reopens, Gary chats to Bali-based Stuart McDonald, Founder of independent travel information company Travelfish, a prolific travel journalist and a respected voice on tourism in South East Asia. In April 2020, Stuart came onto the show (episode 13) and said: “I think we're looking at least 2 to 2.5 years from today before any kind of substantial recreational tourism restarts. Obviously, I hope I'm wrong.” He reflects on that statement and describes what has (and hasn't) changed across Bali, including popular destinations such as Canggu, Ubud and Kuta. Having taken a recent trip to Flores, Stuart discusses ongoing development in Labuan Bajo - one of Indonesia's Super Priority tourism investment destinations) - and changes under way at the Komodo National Park. He also recounts tales of diving one of Indonesia's best sites, meeting Bulgarian backpackers and speaking with elders in a beautiful remote village. Plus, why is travel insurance a bigger issue than ever before, and why did Stuart decide to return to study for an MSc in Responsible Tourism Management?

The travel trade media has experienced huge disruption during the pandemic. Story angles have been forcibly changed as South East Asia's decade of growth disintegrated and destination borders stayed shut. But what happens next as governments in the region prepare to bring back travel and tourism? This week, Gary chats about the intricacies of COVID-era travel journalism with Bali-based Julia Winterflood. During the pandemic, Julia has been Head Writer of The Bali Beat, and a travel journalist for Travel Weekly Asia, BBC Storyworks and Travelfish. In a broad-ranging discussion, we vicariously journey from Bali and across Indonesia to Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Laos and Cambodia. We ask whether local people's rights and the expectations of travellers and travel industry staff will be listened to in future. And how should the travel media report the industry's responsibility to the environment and the planet's natural resources? The show finishes in Julia's home country, Australia, as we touch on the issue of 'national healing' after the controversies and state schisms it has experienced over the last 18 months.

Will Bali reopen for inbound tourism next month? This week, Gary and Hannah are delighted to welcome back Stuart McDonald, Bali-based founder of Travelfish, to talk all things travel and tourism in Bali and beyond. Bali originally planned to reopen to international tourists last September, but that was postponed. It's now aiming for July 2021, but will it happen? Much relies on two things, getting sufficient residents vaccinated and finding inbound markets that will permit their citizens to visit Bali. Stuart discusses how COVID-19 has impacted travel businesses and daily life around Bali, the outlook for domestic tourism and the current economic situation in Bali and Indonesia. He also addresses the ‘Digital Nomad Visa' and ‘Work From Bali' proposals, potential competition for visitors with Phuket and media articles about the behaviour of foreign visitors in Bali's beach towns. We also assess the challenges for reopening tourism elsewhere in South East Asia, such as Singapore, Cambodia and Laos, and the prospect of tourism adopting a more sustainable stance in future.

Get up to date with everything you need to know that's happening in the Travel Massive community this week, with your host Joel Chevaillier.

It's 6 months since Bali-based travel publisher and commentator Stuart McDonald joined us on the podcast in April, which seems like a distant era. This week, Gary and Hannah chat with Stuart about the outcome of Bali's reopening to domestic tourists, and its postponed attempt to reboot inbound tourism. Stuart provides some poignant and revealing insights about how the island is coping without mass tourism. We also discuss Thailand's special tourist visa, Singapore's decision to allow Australian and Vietnamese air passengers to return, and we look at what happens next for countries in ASEAN that are stubbornly refusing to open their borders. Is a vaccine the only way to revive the region's devastated tourism industry? All this, plus a soothing soundtrack of surf waves from Stuart's beachside perch.

Imagine that you run a successful and respected online travel guide that focuses on Southeast Asia's myriad of fascinating backwaters and diverse cultures.Over 15 years, travelers have used your site for tips on where to go and unusual things to see and do, including finding accommodation and places to eat that ordinarily the more high-profile guides fail to showcase.But then, coronavirus hits and travelers stop coming to the region - not only is your reason for producing content put on the backburner but the business model is under pressure.This is the story of Travelfish, run by Indonesia-based Stuart McDonald.In this week's episode of InPhocus we find out how McDonald had to quickly rethink his world of travel publishing for a readership that couldn't travel any time soon.He created Couchfish and, six months on, things aren't exactly back to pre-COVID levels but there is an interesting purpose to his endeavor that has since spawned a successful crowd-funding campaign to keep the family-run business alive.Presenting this episode of InPhocus is PhocusWire's Kevin May.

We had a wonderful discussion with Stuart McDonald the Founder of one of South East Asia's oldest and best sources of information- the website Travelfish. Stuart has seen nearly every nook and cranny of South East Asia, and weathered nearly every change in the Travel Industry. But facing the hydra of Climate Change, Over-Tourism and Big Tech disrupting and destroying traditional life throughout Asia, I wanted to discuss with Stuart if this is perhaps the Travel Industry's reckoning, and we are moving on to the end of the Travel Industry, and perhaps travel as we know it. It's a fascinating chat that covers Tech, Imperialism, History and of course Travel. If you want to know more about Stuart and his project, please head to travelfish.org or follow him @travelfish on Twitter. And for more information about who we are, what we do, and the creative travel we do in Asia (which we think stands out from the herd), head to Asiaarttours.com!

We chat with Stuart McDonald, founder of online Asian travel website Travelfish.org, about exploring the unexplored. As a tourist destination, Asia’s getting busier by the day. More and more people have money to travel, visa restrictions are disappearing and traveling by plane is more affordable than ever. Once tranquil sites like Angkor Wat, Kyoto and others are today packed with tourists. But the good news is there are still tons of wonderful places to visit that are void of crowds. On this episode we’ll chat with Stuart McDonald, founder of online Asian travel website Travelfish.org, about why so many unexplored places remain unexplored?

On this week's show, we begin (1:20) with a conversation about the just-concluded Asian Olympics and what they mean for Vietnam, especially in terms of football and the incredible reaction to the success of the mean's team. Then (14:07), we cover Saigon's collection of museums and their generally poor quality. Why aren't their better museums in the city, and which locations would we recommend? Our interview guest (22:55) is Stuart McDonald, a co-founder of the independent travel website Travelfish. We call Stuart at his home in Indonesia to talk about travel in Southeast Asia. Check out the website here: https://www.travelfish.org/ As always, we end with Banh Mi Banter (41:43).

In this episode of Brewed in Bangkok, Siddhant meets up with co-founder of Travelfish.org, Stuart McDonald, in Bangkok.…

From a cute lil’ gazebo on the rooftop of a newly-renovated hotel in Chinatown, Greg, Ed, and Stuart from Travelfish.org jump into the complex issue of “overtourism” in Thailand. Beginning with a definition of the term (roughly when the number of tourists exceeds the capacity of the existing infrastructure to properly service them), Stuart describes the situation in a number of popular tourist destinations in Thailand. It’s a tricky subject - if one destination starts to get a bit too touristy, does this then mean that tourists (and expats in Thailand) should re-route their trips to lesser known destinations? Stuart thinks it’s a good idea, pointing out that in recent decades, tourist destinations in Thailand have actually gotten less diverse, as more regional options open up and compete for the almighty tourist dollar. The guys then discuss other possible solutions to the problem, but all three express doubts about the Thai government’s willingness to sacrifice short term tourist numbers for long term preservation of Thailand’s position in the world of tourism. What do you think? As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Before we get into the ins and outs of travel insurance with one of the most well-traveled people out there, we dive right back into the shallow end of debating whether or not Bangkok's traffic has improved. Why would it improve? Well, last month the police commissioner said that traffic police will no longer be setting up checkpoints...so, did it work? Evo weighs in (because Greg drives a car, and they get pulled over way less that motorbikes, which he's really happy about). But the real reason we're here is to talk insurance. Travel insurance, specifically, and why it's so important. Stuart McDonald, the founder of Southeast Asia's best site for independent travel - that's Travelfish.org in case you live in a cave - was kind enough to join us from his home in Bali about his experiences traveling, writing about traveling, and giving advice to people about traveling. For instance, did you know that if you ride a motorbike without a helmet and get in an accident, your insurance might be void? Why? Because you're breaking the law silly, and insurance companies loooove to find little loopholes like that. But these days it's more complicated than simply buying insurance and then heading off on an adventure. Among other things we talk about: The ubiquity of social media and how it changes how bad news is spread and how people view travel The importance of putting the effort into understanding how your insurance policy works in different countries Why travel insurance probably isn't going to cut it if you cross the line from traveler to expat Why most of these elements can be covered by simply using your noggin (to think with, not as a helmet holder) Trust us folks, you'll be hard pressed to find someone as knowledgeable as Stu on how to travel properly. He's also a father, as well, so that makes his opinion doubly valid. Don't make him come back there! Love, Loathe, or Leave Have you ever put your hand into your pocket and pulled out a fistful of dollars baht? Evo has, and he hates it! It vexes him, the nasty coinses, and he's going to tell you why! It's a good thing too, because Greg had no idea what he was talking about until Evo explained his oddly specific coin rage. We Love Our Supporters! You want bonus episodes? You can get bonus episodes! This week we talked about germs, vacation days, and what it's like to take a holiday while working at a Thai company. Here's a hint: you don't have time to go very far. You can get that full episode when you join dozens of other people who help us keep the show free of annoying by supporting us on Patreon. Please?  Thank you! Want More Bangkok Podcast In Your Life? If it’s your first time experiencing The Bangkok Podcast, you really should get our show downloading to your phone automatically every week. If you use iOS, it’s a breeze to listen via Apple Podcasts. Android users are be able get the show any number of ways. And for bonus points, leave us a review on those platforms or however you listen to the show. We’d love to hear from you! You can add our official LINE account, comment on a post or send us a message via our Facebook page, tweet to us @bangkokpodcast, or simply via the contact form on our website. You may also be interested in Greg’s tweets of snarky Bangkok goodness, and you can see way too much of Evo’s face  on Instagram. If you’re really new, the Bangkok Podcast is co-hosted by Greg Jorgensen and Evo Terra. Together the have over 20 years expat experience in Bangkok, and are self-certified experts in living in the City of Angels. (Not Los Angeles. Thailand, silly!)

http://www.tropicalmba.com/travelfish/ This week I was lucky enough to catch up with Stuart McDonald, the founder of Travelfish, which one of the most respected sites on the web for South East Asia travel information. If you peak over the shoulder of a random backpacker in Bangkok cafes, expect to see a "TravelFish" URL along with Facebook blue.

Southeast Asia is an absolutely magical place full of gorgeous beaches, amazing food, and incredible culture. Couple all that with the fact that it’s insanely cheap, and you’ve got one of the best places in the world to visit. And no one knows that better than Stuart McDonald, founder of of the amazing online guidebook Travelfish, who has been living, working, and hanging out in the region for over 20 yea

Today we're joined by Stuart McDonald, President, Founder, CEO and all around big boss at Travelfish.org, one of the most respected independent travel websites. Stu gives us a fascinating look into building of a travel site from nothing, and shares with us a few inside tips on the travel industry, like how to remain anonymous when reviewing hotels, how the guidebook industry is evolving, and what 'travel' means for different people. He also talks with us about what he does when he realizes another website is ripping off his content, how Thailand may be in danger of losing its crown as Asia's top travel spot, and what part Travelfish and sites like it play in the over-touristing of a chosen site. We're also joined by Ryan White, a filmmaker who is working on a film called Mondo Banana. It sounds weird to our limited western way of thinking, but bananas actually have some pretty serious cultural and religious significance in Asia, and you'll be surprised just how far his journey has taken him into a world most of us know nothing about.