[The Travel Wire #89] The changing face of Johor Bahru, what it’s like to travel with a weak passport, Athens taxi driver knows Greek hospitality, and more travel reads. Travel reads • From Casa Vicens to the Sagrada Familia, Architect Antoni Gaudí left an indelible mark on Barcelona [Smithsonian Magazine] “To honor the pioneer of Catalan […]

[The Travel Wire #88] Japan’s tourism troubles, the advantages and disadvantages of guidebooks, Hội An’s basket boats, and more travel reads. Travel reads • Why you should explore Sweden’s longest canal by bike [National Geographic] “A waterside cycle route through Sweden offers the chance to slow down and appreciate the small things, from local crafts to […]

[The Travel Wire #87] Australia’s famous Twelve Apostles, Songkhla’s hidden charm, Tashkent’s extraordinary metro stations, and more travel reads. Travel reads • Bali to Leeds Day 1: Bye Bye Bali [Couchfish] Stuart McDonald from Travelfish took a (mostly) overland trip from Bali to Leeds in 2025. His newsletter (Couchfish) is now posting a daily travelogue of […]

[The Travel Wire #86] A visit to Laos during the Cold War, Silesia, Turkmenistan, and more travel reads. Travel reads • Tristan da Cunha: The busiest place you’ve never seen [NPR] “Photographer Julia Gunther and writer-filmmaker Nick Schönfeld chronicle the rhythms of daily life on Tristan da Cunha, the world’s most remote inhabited island.” • A visit […]

[The Travel Wire #85] Where Sicily faces Africa, inside North Macedonia, the Banyo crossing, and more travel reads. Travel reads • A journey through the jewels of Uzbekistan – how the Central Asian country is revealing itself to tourists [Independent] “Inspired by the words of Milton and Keats, Geordie Greig sets off along the Silk Road […]

[The Travel Wire #84] One day in Jakarta, shooting for Lonely Planet, Ngorongoro Crater, and more travel reads. Travel reads • Inside the world’s best airport: Why does Changi keep winning? [BBC Travel] “Singapore’s Changi Airport is famous for its waterfall, butterfly garden and seamless transit. But its real competitive edge is behind the scenes.” • The […]

[The Travel Wire #83] Kerala’s houseboating scene, Outside the resort walls in Jamaica, Greenland’s last ferry, and more travel reads. Travel reads • Lessons from 10 months travelling in Iran (archive) [Financial Review] “I’m often asked what Iranians are really like and what it’s like to travel there. From being arrested to redefining hospitality, this is […]

[The Travel Wire #82] Hiking the Annapurna Circuit, Valencia, Bucharest’s accidental urban wilderness, and more travel reads. Travel reads • A cruise through history on the Canal du Midi [The Guardian] “Designed as a shortcut between the Atlantic and the Med, today the scenic waterway from Toulouse to Sète is seen as a living ‘work of […]

[The Travel Wire #81] Surf in Malaysia, travel in the early 2000s, Kilimanjaro, hike around this Spanish island, and more travel reads. Travel reads • ‘It was too much to handle’: What happens when remote travel goes wrong (archive) [BBC Travel] “The idea of being a castaway on a desert island has an irresistibly romantic appeal: […]

[The Travel Wire #80] What 1990s travel can teach us about the coming airfare crisis, a return to Nagasaki, Bali is not “ruined”, and more travel reads. Travel reads • Turkey’s best budget train ride is an 800 mile journey east [Independent] “In search of an affordable way to cross the country, Richard Collett boarded the […]