Nomadic Notes

Jalan Jaksa – The slow demise of Jakarta’s backpacker street

On my first trip to Indonesia in 2009 I travelled from Medan to Bali by ferry, bus, train, and plane. Midway through that trip I arrived in Jakarta with a copy of Lonely Planet Indonesia in hand. The Book directed me to Jalan Jaksa – the backpacker street of Jakarta. I don’t remember where I […]

Jakarta Airport Rail Link – Train details, and which stations are best for visitors

Jakarta is famous for being one of the most congested cities in the world, so the introduction of the airport rail link has been a welcome relief for visitors to the Indonesian capital. The Soekarno–Hatta Airport Rail Link was built with the combination of a new railway connecting to an existing track. As such the […]

Notes on Jakarta – Metros, moto apps, an airport train, and a giant seawall

Jakarta has been making headlines in 2019, and not always in a good way. In August the Indonesian government announced that it was planning to move the capital of Indonesia to a location in the jungles of Borneo. This news, coupled with high-profile reports that the city is sinking, has led news agencies around the […]

Palembang to Bandar Lampung by train – riding the coal-subsidised railway of South Sumatra

Sumatra is the sixth largest island in the world with a population of over 50 million people, yet there are only a few railway lines on the island. There are plans to unite the current lines to form a trans-Sumatran railway that would travel from Medan to Bandar Lampung. This is a distance of over […]

Where I’m At: November, 2019 – Ubud edition

Greetings from Ubud and another edition of Where I’m At – my monthly summary of where I’ve been and site news. Where I’ve Been Here’s where I’ve been over the last month. Follow me on Instagram for real time updates. Saigon View this post on Instagram A post shared by James Clark ✈️ (@nomadicnotes) on […]

Notes on Palembang – The port city of South Sumatra

Looking out of my window to the barely visible palm oil plantations below I was wondering what the hell I was doing voluntarily flying to Palembang in the midst of the great hazepocalypse of 2019. Apparently I was arriving on a good day. It got so bad later on that flights were being delayed due […]

Dong Hoi – Like Da Nang, 10 years ago

Dong Hoi is the gateway city for travel to the UNESCO World Heritage Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park. Most visitors to Phong Nha go straight through Dong Hoi, and I nearly did as well. After spending a day looking around though, I think Dong Hoi might be a place you’ll hear more about […]

Could Hue be the next Chiang Mai?

The more I travel around Vietnam the more I see how much of a tourism giant this country could become. There are so many places that have yet to realise their potential, and Hue is one of those underachievers. While Danang and Nha Trang are now booming as beach destinations, Hue could easily position itself […]

Experience the Phong Nha Caves and rural life in Vietnam

Phong Nha is in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam in Quang Binh Province. The area is home to the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, which is often referred to as the Phong Nha Caves. For reference here it is on the map. [Map of Phong Nha – Vietnam] This national park was listed […]

Where I’m At: October, 2019 – Saigon edition

Greetings from Saigon and another edition of Where I’m At – my monthly summary of where I’ve been and site news. This month features that time I met Bruce Dickinson, the hazepocalypse of Southeast Asia, and riding new railways of Indonesia. Where I’ve Been I began the previous month in Saigon, where I base myself […]