STA travelbuzz http://www.statravelbuzz.co.uk We love travelling and we love web – so we’ve decided to bring you all the honest insider experiences, opinions, tips and trends from fellow STA travellers on the net. 2011-07-04T15:51:34Z hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 STAtravelbuzzhttp://feedburner.google.com Three cheers for STA travelbuzz… http://www.statravelbuzz.co.uk/three-cheers-for-sta-travelbuzz%e2%80%a6/ 2011-07-04T15:51:34Z webmaster It’s with a tear in our eye — and a mug of cold green tea in our hand — that we lower the curtain on one of the most explosive, inspiring, and energetic travel websites of recent times. STA travelbuzz has been a wonderful platform for many people, including ourselves, but we’ve made the difficult decision [...] It’s with a tear in our eye — and a mug of cold green tea in our hand — that we lower the curtain on one of the most explosive, inspiring, and energetic travel websites of recent times.

STA travelbuzz has been a wonderful platform for many people, including ourselves, but we’ve made the difficult decision to draw the project to a close.

To get us in the mood, we’re going to pause here for a moment, to enjoy a sunrise together.

New Zealand Fiord 4

Lovely — you’ll find more pictures like these in our Flickr Group.

To give STA travelbuzz the send off that it deserves, here’s a collection of memoirs from the people who made it such a success; some of our most devoted members, and some of the web’s best-loved travel bloggers:

“The travelbuzz site connected you with other young people doing the same thing (with the same kind of mentality), talking and going to places that you had been or were going to; a great way to get the on the ball information with some personality behind the words.”
Toni of www.reclaimingmyfuture.com | @toniwonitravels

“I got involved in STA travebuzz to see how I could combine my photojournalism with my gap year – more on a whim as something to keep me busy than thinking it would lead to anything. Through the Travelbuzz I met loads of great people and my own blog – now relaunched under www.BackpackerBanter.com – has grown rapidly allowing me to share my experiences with more readers as well as opening some great opportunities for myself – including press passes to Byrons Bluesfest and several freelance photography and writing commissions. It’s been a great journey that has ultimately led me getting a job with STA Travel and making some good friends along the way – so here’s to the ‘Buzz *cheers*”
Chris of www.BackpackerBanter.com | @BckPackerBanter

“My blog Gap Year blog had only been around for a few months when I was contacted by STA travelbuzz to join their merry band of bloggers. It’s was a friendly community centred on what we all know and love; travel. STA travelbuzz was a great platform for launching a new or undiscovered website into the blogosphere. There were some very talented writers on STA travelbuzz.”
Amar of GapYearEscape.com | @GapYearEscape

“Goodbye STA travelbuzz! You helped me first get my blog off the ground, introduced me to some incredible people and treated have me to some great nights out! I toured the world with you for STA’s 30th birthday and have enjoyed plenty of nights at the pub with fellow explorers.”
Alice of alicegoeswalkabout.wordpress.com

Please continue to support these bright young bloggers by visiting their blogs, and don’t forget to visit www.statravel.co.uk for the latest deals and inspiration!

Thank you, from the entire STA Travel team.

Hip hip…

]]> Tour of Tokyo with Mr. Satoshi http://www.statravelbuzz.co.uk/tour-of-tokyo-with-mr-satoshi/ 2010-10-28T13:15:31Z Sam Our travel blogging friend foXnoMad, and former Travel Tuesday fellow, has announced the winner of his most ambitious competition to date – the Live The Backpacker Life contest. The winner was Dave Brett who put together this video titled Mr. Satoshi’s Tour of Tokyo – featuring the delights of Pokémon and sushi you can’t really go [...] Our travel blogging friend foXnoMad, and former Travel Tuesday fellow, has announced the winner of his most ambitious competition to date – the Live The Backpacker Life contest.

The winner was Dave Brett who put together this video titled Mr. Satoshi’s Tour of Tokyo – featuring the delights of Pokémon and sushi you can’t really go wrong.

There is plenty in the post on how the decision was reached and some details on those videos that gave Dave a close run for the winner’s spot, as well as some details on the next foXnoMad competition… and seeing as this time around the prize was a one week backpacking trip to the place of Dave’s choosing, including round-trip airfare and hostel accommodation, it’d probably be wise to see what’s in the pipeline!

]]> STA Travel – Volunteering http://www.statravelbuzz.co.uk/sta-travel-%e2%80%93-volunteering/ 2010-10-26T13:37:44Z Sam Have you ever volunteered abroad? The idea of responsible tourism and contributing to the country you’re visiting is gaining in popularity as it is seen as a great way to expand your horizons – in more than one way. STA Travel offer all sorts of opportunities to contribute to great causes while enjoying an amazing travel [...] Have you ever volunteered abroad? The idea of responsible tourism and contributing to the country you’re visiting is gaining in popularity as it is seen as a great way to expand your horizons – in more than one way.

STA Travel offer all sorts of opportunities to contribute to great causes while enjoying an amazing travel experience. The brand’s recent partnership with Planeterra, a traveller’s foundation, is a further commitment to this as stated on the website,

“Working with Planeterra, we are supporting worldwide community development projects through our new volunteer travel projects and through direct funding of important initiatives. STA Travel has committed US $1 Million over five years to Planeterra to develop our new volunteer travel programmes.”

You can find all the Planeterra projects on the STA Travel site. Whether you want to work in conservation, with communities, children or animals there is something to suit.

If you’ve volunteered while travelling we’d like to know about it. Tell us your stories, send us your advice or, if you haven’t volunteered but are thinking about it, share your plans – either the comments below or @statravelbuzz.

]]> Twitchhiker on Radio 4 http://www.statravelbuzz.co.uk/twitchhiker-on-radio-4/ 2010-10-21T10:46:19Z Sam If you’ve been reading STA travelbuzz for a while then you’ll be familiar with the escapades of Paul Smith, aka as the Twitchhiker. He took the power of Twitter, set himself rules and then embarked on a journey around the world relying entirely on the advice and generosity of the Twitterati. You can listen to our [...] If you’ve been reading STA travelbuzz for a while then you’ll be familiar with the escapades of Paul Smith, aka as the Twitchhiker. He took the power of Twitter, set himself rules and then embarked on a journey around the world relying entirely on the advice and generosity of the Twitterati.

You can listen to our chat with him in the post Twitchhiker chats to STA travelbuzz and you’ll notice at the end of the interview we learn that Paul’s travels were being turned into a book (*then a musical feat. Brad Pitt). Well that book exists, and only last week he was interviewed on BBC Radio Four’s Excess Baggage. The interview details the trip he took, but also delves a little deeper into the possibilities of the mix of travel and technology. Paul is introduced to the show at about 12:45 mark and then talks about his experience from 17:40 onward; you can listen here.

Naturally you can follow Paul on Twitter @Twitchhiker, visit his site here and buy his book Twitchhiker: How One Man Travelled the World by Twitter.

*This is currently unconfirmed

]]> Where would you go? http://www.statravelbuzz.co.uk/where-would-you-go/ 2010-10-18T15:28:18Z Sam This fine Monday morning *scowls at the cold and lifts collar to deflect freezing wind* the lovely Michelle, who’ll you’ll find manning our Twitter feed, asked the question, “If you could leave what you’re doing now & jet off anywhere in the world, where would you go??” Here’s a three of the responses from @mk_alpe, @40before30 and [...] This fine Monday morning *scowls at the cold and lifts collar to deflect freezing wind* the lovely Michelle, who’ll you’ll find manning our Twitter feed, asked the question,

“If you could leave what you’re doing now & jet off anywhere in the world, where would you go??”

Here’s a three of the responses from @mk_alpe, @40before30 and @nessabelle…

Also getting involved were @trekkingnut, @skjourdan, @ayearinmotion and @inzia. Click on their names to see where they’d rather have been this morning. And how about you?

Where would you rather be right now?

]]> Chris is leaving Australia… http://www.statravelbuzz.co.uk/chris-is-leaving-australia%e2%80%a6/ 2010-10-14T12:35:08Z Sam It’s been a year, and that means that for STA Travel Explorer Chris (Hang 10 and Party) it is time to depart his new favourite country – the wonderful Land of Oz. If you’re interested in travelling to Australia and are wondering what this will entail then a browse through the digital pages of The Wanderings [...] It’s been a year, and that means that for STA Travel Explorer Chris (Hang 10 and Party) it is time to depart his new favourite country – the wonderful Land of Oz.

If you’re interested in travelling to Australia and are wondering what this will entail then a browse through the digital pages of The Wanderings of a Devonshire Boy is a must. Up there he has his hostel reviews (certainly useful for a prospective backpacker), photos he’s taken a long the way and a whole lot of entries tagged with the word surf.

His time for now however is up, and the sun is setting on this Australian adventure – though I don’t think it’ll be long before a new one begins…

]]> Travel Tuesday – The Bucket List… http://www.statravelbuzz.co.uk/travel-tuesday-%e2%80%93-the-bucket-list%e2%80%a6/ 2010-10-12T10:25:56Z Sam For today’s Travel Tuesday we’re doing things a little differently to usual and featuring a travel concept rather than an individual. And that concept is the ‘Bucket List’. Call them what you will, but most people have one, a list of things to do before time catches up with you. This has been sparked by STA [...] For today’s Travel Tuesday we’re doing things a little differently to usual and featuring a travel concept rather than an individual. And that concept is the ‘Bucket List’. Call them what you will, but most people have one, a list of things to do before time catches up with you.

This has been sparked by STA Travel’s “Before You Hit 35”, something for which they created a list of 35 amazing experiences. This idea has been picked up by the aptly titled 40 Countries Before I’m 30 blog,

“After coming across STA Travels latest campaign ‘35 things to do before you turn 35′, reading Andi Perullo’s fab Bucket List and having my own personal debate over just how many countries I can visit before turning 30 it got me wondering about what exactly I wanted to see, achieve and experience whilst travelling the world.”

What follows is an inspiring collection of endeavours, to be completed, or in the case of sky-diving, all ready completed!

Andi’s list of 56 things mentioned above is equally impressive, and has a fair few entries already crossed off, including hear the Dalai Lama speak, swim with dolphins and skinny dip in the Amazon River. To read them all visit the fantastic My Beautiful Adventures.

If you’ve got a travel related ‘Bucket List’ tweet us some of the more extravagant entries @statravelbuzz.

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