The Travel Wire: best travel reads #43

The Travel Wire is a weekly newsletter of the best travel reads from around the web, edited by James Clark from Nomadic Notes.

Travel reads

• Discovering Spain’s Sierra de la Demanda: the land that social media forgot [The Guardian]

"While other parts of Spain struggle with the pressures of over-tourism, these wild, expansive and almost tourist-free mountains are a lungful of fresh air."

• A peek inside North Korea’s huge new beach resort (archive) [SCMP]

"North Koreans are already splashing about at the mammoth Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone, built to accommodate nearly 20,000 visitors."

• Optima Express – Europe’s longest train journey from Villach 🇦🇹 to Edirne 🇹🇷 (Part 2: The Experience) [Rail Away]

"The Optima Express is now one of the only ways to travel across the Balkan region of Europe with a unique non-stop journey through six countries linking Austria to Türkiye. Though primarily serving Turkish expats, it offers a unique slow travel experience with couchettes and onboard dining. Part 2 is all about the journey experience…"

• Backyard coffee and jazz in Kyoto, Japan [The Deleted Scenes]

"A "magical" experience, and what we get when we let people pursue their passions."

• The quokkas of Rottnest Island, Australia – cuteness overload! [Hole in the Donut Cultural Travel]