Greetings from Sarajevo! After a wonderful month in Croatia it’s good to be in a new country (new to me at least). I’ve technically been to Bosnia and Herzegovina before, but I was just passing through on my first visit. I’ve just posted my monthly roundup which explains more about the technicalities of when you can say you’ve been to a country, and more news on what I’ve been up to.

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Where I’m At: October 2021 – Sarajevo

COVID-19 and travel

These are the main stories I’ve been following this week:

• Australia reveals plan to reopen international borders to fully vaccinated citizens

I will be able to return to Australia sooner if there is no longer a hotel quarantine system.

• Thailand to reopen to more vaccinated visitors from November

Thailand is also talking of scrapping the hotel quarantine in November, so that is another option.

• HCMC regains groove on first day of new normal

Saigon reopened today after over one month of hard lockdown. There is still no timeline for when international travel will resume. I am happy to see my friends able to emerge from inside.

• How Asia, once a vaccination laggard, is revving up inoculations

“Several countries are now on track to surpass the United States in fully vaccinating their populations, lifting hopes of a more permanent return to normality.”

And hopefully more countries in Asia are ready to reopen in early 2022.

Assorted travel reads

• My accidental visit to the pandemic’s party capital

“Kyiv was supposed to be a quick layover for the writer Rosa Lyster. But its underground nightlife turned out to be just what she needed.”

• We leave the country for the first time in two years

• The blue men of the Sahara

• Proposed railways of the Central Highlands in Vietnam

I made a map of what a Central Highlands railway could look like.

• Angkor was never a “lost city”

“Angkor was never abandoned or forgotten. Enough already with this outdated trope.” (via the Travelfish Newsletter).

• Qatar Airways is voted the World’s Best Airline for the sixth time at the 2021 World Airline Awards

• This dog flew Singapore Airlines business class from Sydney to Italy

“High-flying fido is upgraded from a kennel in the cargo hold to row 1 in business class.”

• China’s ugliest buildings are being put to a vote

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The Nomadic Notes Travel Newsletter is a weekly newsletter of the best travel reads and interesting travel news from around the web, and random ramblings by the editor.

- James Clark