The Travel Wire: best travel reads #23

Discover Shimokitazawa (Tokyo), the weird psychology of airports, the hidden side of Ho Chi Minh City, Uzbekistan's tourism boom, and more travel reads

Welcome to The Travel Wire, where I curate the best travel reads of the week.

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Travel reads

• Discover Shimokitazawa, Tokyo’s boho music and thrifting mecca [Roadbook]

"Affectionately known as Shimokita, this grungy counterculture neighbourhood has a long history as an indie music incubator. Discover the restaurants, cafes and shops in Shimokitazawa."

• The weird psychology of airports [The Conversation]

"National borders, time and place all dissolve at airports, making some people very anxious while others feel liberated."

• The hidden side of Ho Chi Minh City (free login might be required) [Escape Artist]

“Exploring the backstreets and alleyways of old Saigon.”

• Is there such a thing as ‘responsible trespassing’? This man walked 500 miles—and says yes [Adventure.com]

"In August 2024, Damien Gabet walked 500 miles from Hastings in southeast England to Gretna Green on the England-Scotland border. But it was no ordinary hike. This one included a series of trespasses."

• Coast to coast on two wheels [Outside]

“One adventurer’s solo journey across the U.S. on an Aventon Level 2 e-bike embraces the art of slow travel.”

• 'It risks becoming a Venice in the desert': The dark side of Uzbekistan's tourism boom (archive) [BBC]

• Take a ski safari across the Dolomites—home of the 2026 Winter Olympics [National Geographic]

• How Alaska’s historic roadhouses are standing the test of time [Smithsonian Magazine]

“The multipurpose lodgings along trails and rivers capture the state’s pioneering culture and spirit.”

• This island in Nova Scotia seems more like Scotland than Canada [Atlas Obscura]

"Cape Breton’s cliffside scenery and old-world Celtic traditions rival those of Scotland."

• On board the maiden sleeper from Brussels to Venice: we got there in the end [The Guardian]

• One of the world’s weirdest cruises is in the heart of a desert (archive) [Traveller]

• ‘It’s not a theme park’: As tourism surges, Canary Islanders call on visitors to show more respect [euronews]

• Coldplay drops new music video shot in Singapore & it's basically an entire tourism ad [SAYS]

• Backpacker in Thailand taken on 1,200km detour [Bangkok Post]

"Man driven to Chiang Mai instead of Surat Thani also loses wallet, but tale ends happily."

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James Clark (Nomadic Notes)