Stuart McDonald
@travelfish.bsky.social
Asia-based, Australian-made. Founder of Travelfish, author of Couchfish, serial moaner, and late to most parties. Rambles on travel, tourism garbage fires, hot bowls and cold drinks.
Wear a helmet, have insurance, have a licence. Please. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
One Australian dead, another badly injured after Bali scooter crash
DFAT is supporting the families of a NSW Central Coast man killed and a woman injured in a scooter crash in Bali.
www.abc.net.au
January 4, 2026 at 1:15 AM
Wear a helmet, have insurance, have a licence. Please. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Perhaps instead of asking “how do we attract high-value tourists?” we should be asking “how do we become high-value destinations?”
www.travelfish.org/couchfish/ne...
www.travelfish.org/couchfish/ne...
Couchfish: How About A High Value Destination?
Turning high value tourists on its head
www.travelfish.org
January 3, 2026 at 12:06 PM
Perhaps instead of asking “how do we attract high-value tourists?” we should be asking “how do we become high-value destinations?”
www.travelfish.org/couchfish/ne...
www.travelfish.org/couchfish/ne...
Tracking all these down would make for a great piece of travel writing or book even. orionmagazine.org/article/moon...
Moon Tree - Orion Magazine
Field notes on the tree seeds that took a trip around the dark side of the moon
orionmagazine.org
January 2, 2026 at 10:34 PM
Tracking all these down would make for a great piece of travel writing or book even. orionmagazine.org/article/moon...
New year, so I guess is time to break out some new tourism plan from the who could have imagined this would happen bucket.
Unless this is a national policy—it isn’t—will go nowhere.
en.antaranews.com/news/398224/...
Unless this is a national policy—it isn’t—will go nowhere.
en.antaranews.com/news/398224/...
Bali to screen tourists' finances under quality tourism plan
The Bali Provincial Government plans to begin screening incoming international tourists by verifying the adequacy of their financial resources as a ...
en.antaranews.com
January 2, 2026 at 12:13 PM
New year, so I guess is time to break out some new tourism plan from the who could have imagined this would happen bucket.
Unless this is a national policy—it isn’t—will go nowhere.
en.antaranews.com/news/398224/...
Unless this is a national policy—it isn’t—will go nowhere.
en.antaranews.com/news/398224/...
The pure Bali experience: Australian tourist riding motorcycle on footpath smashes into side of me on my bike as I pull out from a store, proclaims its my fault (bike fine, tho imagine I have a solid bruise on leg on the way), and then rides off because “she has to get to yoga class”.
December 30, 2025 at 2:12 AM
The pure Bali experience: Australian tourist riding motorcycle on footpath smashes into side of me on my bike as I pull out from a store, proclaims its my fault (bike fine, tho imagine I have a solid bruise on leg on the way), and then rides off because “she has to get to yoga class”.
Doggies like Star Wars.
December 27, 2025 at 1:37 AM
Doggies like Star Wars.
Stranger things fail.
December 26, 2025 at 1:01 AM
Stranger things fail.
Xmas eve: Die Hard, snoozing dogs, faux dengue, melted chocolates, and a full belly. Could be worse.
December 24, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Xmas eve: Die Hard, snoozing dogs, faux dengue, melted chocolates, and a full belly. Could be worse.
Wasting time chatting with AI about how to buttress my business. It’s main tips:
1. Hard paywall (already)
2. Block AI engorges (already)
3. More of your attitude (ok,if you insist)
4. More of your emphasis on ethical and slow travel frameworks as (quote) “AI is trained on the popular internet”
Amen
1. Hard paywall (already)
2. Block AI engorges (already)
3. More of your attitude (ok,if you insist)
4. More of your emphasis on ethical and slow travel frameworks as (quote) “AI is trained on the popular internet”
Amen
December 20, 2025 at 7:14 AM
Wasting time chatting with AI about how to buttress my business. It’s main tips:
1. Hard paywall (already)
2. Block AI engorges (already)
3. More of your attitude (ok,if you insist)
4. More of your emphasis on ethical and slow travel frameworks as (quote) “AI is trained on the popular internet”
Amen
1. Hard paywall (already)
2. Block AI engorges (already)
3. More of your attitude (ok,if you insist)
4. More of your emphasis on ethical and slow travel frameworks as (quote) “AI is trained on the popular internet”
Amen
Blood pressure drops.
December 18, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Blood pressure drops.
Perfect conditions for the ride to Amed.
December 18, 2025 at 5:56 AM
Perfect conditions for the ride to Amed.
I will never ever adjust to the Indonesian concept of time.
“I’m on the way”
Uh huh
“I’m on the way”
Uh huh
December 13, 2025 at 9:22 AM
I will never ever adjust to the Indonesian concept of time.
“I’m on the way”
Uh huh
“I’m on the way”
Uh huh
Who packed a raincoat? Nope.
December 2, 2025 at 7:44 AM
Who packed a raincoat? Nope.
Travelfish #562 The Get Out Your Wallet And Help Edition
A wrap on Southeast Asia, travel, and other random stuff I’ve come across over last week. Also a plug for a fundraising effort focused on Huế in Vietnam.
www.travelfish.org/newsletter/n...
A wrap on Southeast Asia, travel, and other random stuff I’ve come across over last week. Also a plug for a fundraising effort focused on Huế in Vietnam.
www.travelfish.org/newsletter/n...
Travelfish #562 The Get Out Your Wallet And Help Edition
A wrap on stuff worth reading
www.travelfish.org
December 1, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Travelfish #562 The Get Out Your Wallet And Help Edition
A wrap on Southeast Asia, travel, and other random stuff I’ve come across over last week. Also a plug for a fundraising effort focused on Huế in Vietnam.
www.travelfish.org/newsletter/n...
A wrap on Southeast Asia, travel, and other random stuff I’ve come across over last week. Also a plug for a fundraising effort focused on Huế in Vietnam.
www.travelfish.org/newsletter/n...
Love me my beach shack.
December 1, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Love me my beach shack.
Locals pull up, what are you doing? Watching the sunset.
It’s always like this.
It’s always like this.
December 1, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Locals pull up, what are you doing? Watching the sunset.
It’s always like this.
It’s always like this.
🔥🔥🔥🔥
Wrote an article mentioning 130 of Thailand's alternative destinations. Be warned, though, that once you fall down the alternative travel rabbit hole, it has no end.
thaiislandquest.substack.com/p/to-make-th...
thaiislandquest.substack.com/p/to-make-th...
November 30, 2025 at 12:07 PM
🔥🔥🔥🔥
Here’s Google’s AI scraping Travelfish, removing our affiliate link to Baolau and adding a non-affiliate link to 12Go (who currently isn’t even doing Vn train ticket sales). Happy days.
November 23, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Here’s Google’s AI scraping Travelfish, removing our affiliate link to Baolau and adding a non-affiliate link to 12Go (who currently isn’t even doing Vn train ticket sales). Happy days.
This guy sounded exactly like what I’d expect someone who’d played Roblox for 20 years would sound like.
We asked Roblox's CEO about child safety on the platform. It got tense www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/p...
We Asked Roblox’s C.E.O. About Child Safety. It Got Tense.
www.nytimes.com
November 22, 2025 at 8:09 AM
This guy sounded exactly like what I’d expect someone who’d played Roblox for 20 years would sound like.
Travelfish #561 The Rain Then It Pours Edition
A wrap on interesting Southeast Asia and sustainable tourism stuff I’ve come across over the last week.
www.travelfish.org/newsletter/n...
A wrap on interesting Southeast Asia and sustainable tourism stuff I’ve come across over the last week.
www.travelfish.org/newsletter/n...
Travelfish #561 The Rain Then It Pours Edition
A wrap on stuff worth reading
www.travelfish.org
November 20, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Travelfish #561 The Rain Then It Pours Edition
A wrap on interesting Southeast Asia and sustainable tourism stuff I’ve come across over the last week.
www.travelfish.org/newsletter/n...
A wrap on interesting Southeast Asia and sustainable tourism stuff I’ve come across over the last week.
www.travelfish.org/newsletter/n...
Australian moves to a tropical country, discovers it is humid and mouldy, has tropical diseases, insects and bugs, and it’s hard to make friends because the joint is “transient”.
Quality content.
www.realestate.com.au/news/thinkin...
Quality content.
www.realestate.com.au/news/thinkin...
Thinking of selling up and moving to Bali? These are the downsides - realestate.com.au
Packing up the house and moving overseas to Bali sounds like a dream but anyone thinking about it needs to read this.
www.realestate.com.au
November 18, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Australian moves to a tropical country, discovers it is humid and mouldy, has tropical diseases, insects and bugs, and it’s hard to make friends because the joint is “transient”.
Quality content.
www.realestate.com.au/news/thinkin...
Quality content.
www.realestate.com.au/news/thinkin...
How I can tell I’m back in Bali. This woman hounds me so.
November 15, 2025 at 12:35 PM
How I can tell I’m back in Bali. This woman hounds me so.