Weekly travel reads: Where the French and Italian rivieras meet

[The Travel Wire #79] How Lonely Planet stopped serving the very people it was created for, Tehran, the Surin Islands, Tobacco Caye, and more travel reads.

Travel reads

• Totally Med: exploring Menton, where the French and Italian rivieras meet [The Guardian]
“Feted for its warm winters and famous lemons, the seaside border town has attracted artists and writers from around the world.”

• The demise of an empire: how Lonely Planet stopped serving the very people it was created for [Between the Dots]
“Lonely Planet used to tell you how to change money on the black market. Now it tells you the top 10 most Instagrammable cafés. That shift tells you everything about what happened to travel.”

• No taboos in Tehran [Nomadic Mind]
“Iran, where friends live. Part 1.”

• A living zoo? On the Surin Islands [Travelling Troubadour]
“In the Andaman Sea, a visit to the Moken raises an uncomfortable question: who is really on display?”

• Dreaming of a budget version of a private island? Tobacco Caye fits the bill. (archive) [NY Times Travel]
“On this tiny island off Belize, the snorkeling is great, the birds are colorful and everyone is your friend.”

• This is why Switzerland gets away with everything [GlobeFoxing]
“Zermatt and the strange ability of beauty to override everything else.”

• Brewing connection: Singapore’s home cafes [Eastside Asia]
“At Sunday Service, your coffee preferences are remembered. Kopikhoo notices when you haven’t visited in a while. Side Quest takes note of which bakes you’ve tried and which ones you loved.”

• Syria, I went back [John Wreford Photographer]

• All good down Bitcoin Beach [Far from here]
“We all dare to travel in Bukele’s new El Salvador.”

• I’ve travelled all over Sri Lanka – this is the best area for a crowd-free beach break [Independent]
“After spending two years traversing the teardrop island, Lydia Swinscoe has found a beachside idyll that’s perfect for experiencing unspoilt beaches, stunning temples and amazing surf.”

• Writing about travel while the world burns [Reverie Travel Journal]
“The guilt of writing frivolously and why I’m choosing to carry on anyway.”

• Waiting all the way to Ouagadougou [Ron’s world views]
“Four days in the care of Air Panique.”