The Travellerspoint Blog

Quote Me: Make Each Day A New Horizon

2013-05-06T01:01:33Z

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Quote Me: Make Each Day A New Horizon remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Industry Interview with Tim Richards

2013-05-01T07:49:19Z

In this month's Industry Interview we speak to Tim Richards, a Melbourne-based freelance writer. Tim is a contributing Lonely Planet author, and creator of several mobile travel apps including Australia by Rail. He blogs at I, Writer and shares travel photos on Google+.

What's your background and when did you start working as a freelance writer?

I have no professional journalistic qualifications whatsoever. I think I’ve always been writing as a hobby in various ways; pre-internet I used to be in various science fiction fan clubs and write in little magazines or newsletters for them for six years. When I came to Melbourne from Perth in 1998 I started doing a theatre review website called Stage Left—which went for six years—and that was a little bit before the era when people were making money out of websites. It was a bit like a glorified hobby but I realise now it was like an apprenticeship in a sense, for the freelance writing, because it got me dealing with PR people. It got me editing; writing; organising; thinking about how these things work online, so I think that was probably a good curtain-raiser.

When I became redundant from an internet company job in 2003, I had just been to New Zealand so I thought I should try this freelance writing thing for six months and see how I go—not just travel writing but freelance writing in general—and I thought I should give it a go to put some money in the bank and I’ve been doing it ever since.

I think the key to good travel writing is an emotional component, so it’s not just about factual stuff like 'I went here. I did that' or fake, glossy brochure stuff that pretends that all travel is perfect

Your writing covers a diverse range of topics. Which stories do you find the most enjoyable to write?

Obviously travel but I used to write pet stories for a while and they were great: you need to be an expert on something you have no idea on regarding cats and dogs; you learn something as you go.

Travel is the main thing, that’s the main way I make money, the thing I love doing. There’s no way you’d be a famous travel writer because you are in it for the money, it’s just such a nutty way to make money partly because travel is so time-consuming, not just money-consuming. A lot of other journalistic jobs you can do from a desk or you can do locally very quickly, whereas travel is time-consuming in a general sense.

I think the key to good travel writing is an emotional component, so it’s not just about factual stuff like 'I went here. I did that' or fake, glossy brochure stuff that pretends that all travel is perfect, but actually going there and observing in detail. Not just observing the way things look physically but also the emotional component and observing your emotional reactions to things, and in the end being able to relay that through writing so that hopefully the person who is reading it knows what it’s like to have been there in that place on that day and has an emotional connection with what you felt. That sort of writing is what I enjoy doing and obviously some destinations or attractions lend themselves really well to that and some don’t so much.

You're also a regular contributor to Lonely Planet guidebooks on Eastern Europe - where else have you travelled and where is your favourite spot?

I will give you the standard answer: there is no favourite spot, they’re all just chalk and cheese. I like everywhere I’ve been for different reasons. Even the places that at first glance you think 'this is a bit challenging', if you dig under the surface there are interesting things.

I go to Poland quite often and to cities like Krakow—where I lived for a bit in the '90s—and when you arrive there you have no trouble figuring out why people like it but you go to Warsaw and you might step out from the central train station and think 'God, where have I arrived?'. It’s not that attractive in that area and there is a lot of concrete in the city because it was basically destroyed in World War II and rebuilt, but once you know the history of the place, once you dig under the surface, once you meet a few locals you start to realise—it is actually one of my favourite cities.

... but you look on the map and there’s still so much to visit, so much to see you can't run out.

I go to Poland a lot, so therefore I have also gone to countries surrounding Poland because I want to build up more material for writing stories, so I have been to a lot of those former communist countries in Central Europe particularly Hungary, Slovenia, Lithuania, and Slovakia. Otherwise, the more obvious places, like I’ve been to Britain a few times. I’ve written stories about Ireland, Germany, France, and Austria. I’m going to Sweden this year and Scandinavia for the first time now that it’s actually relatively affordable because of [the Australian] dollar. I lived in Egypt for two years in the '90s, so while we were there teaching English we went on holidays and saw lots of bits of Egypt, also Syria and Jordan, which are great countries. It’s just such a pity that it’s difficult to travel to at the moment. North America: in the US I’ve only seen Montana and North Dakota, which is very obscure but they were actually great states to visit; in Canada I’ve been to all major cities. South America: I’ve been to Chile and down south to the glaciers and I’ve seen very specific islands as part of that trip and other trips. Asia: bits of China, Shanghai, the Yangtze River, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. I went to Delhi last year and Agra—sort of every continent except Antarctica—but you look on the map and there’s still so much to visit, so much to see you can't run out.

What are your favourite travel tips?

This is obviously a cliché but pack light. I only ever take one cabin-luggage-size bag with me on a trip of any duration. I had it in Thailand for a week, I had it in Europe for eight days, I had it last year for two months but everyone is different and pack light means different things. I don’t mean you just have to take cabin luggage—that won’t work for everyone—but pack as light as you can. You can buy stuff where you are going, you do not need all those shoes. A lot of the places you are going you know you are not going to anything formal so you only really need a limited repertoire of clothes. It’s taken me years to get to that point but I’ve got it pretty well nailed now.

If you can travel with a bit of a theme, if there's something you are particularly interested in—it might be something to do with history or literature or pop culture—a little theme gives you a quest, it gives you something to look for. It might not be everything you do on the trip, for example if you are in Poland or one of those countries you might be fascinated by some of the surviving Communist-era architecture. If you were in Britain, for example, there’s so many well-known TV shows that you might decide to track down some of their locations. I think having little themes, even sub-themes, that may be based on your interests is a fun way of just packing up, especially if you are going back to a place where you’ve already seen all the big sights.

Oh and one more tip: never drink coffee at train stations or on trains.

Do you have any advice for writers looking to join the travel industry?

I would say every person who’s got a travel story published has been published for the first time. Editors don’t care who you are really, they are just interested in interesting stories. If the story is interesting and well written they don’t care whether you have been published a million times or never, so use your observational skills. Really observe, really take good notes. Observe not just physical attributes but emotions, what you feel when seeing a place or doing an activity or whatever it is and then relay that in your writing. I know it sounds easy but it’s hard, it is actually really hard. Note things more than you normally would, including emotions and reactions, and then you have solid material to put together a story.

If the story is interesting and well written [editors] don’t care whether you have been published a million times or never, so use your observational skills.

I always say you’ve got two extremes you should avoid as a travel writer: one is glossy travel brochure writing where it’s just full of insanely over the top adjectives and everything is perfect and idyllic and pristine and tranquil and all that sort of thing (which is just boring because it’s not real and everyone knows travel isn’t perfect); and at the other end it’s what I call the What I Did On My Summer Holiday essay where you just go 'I went to breakfast then I went out the door then I did this then I did that.' It’s very dull with no emotional component, no selection in it, and those two extremes are both not right and somewhere in the middle where you’ve got emotions and its interesting and alive but it's not just a bland brochure either—again, sounds easy but not so easy to actually do.

***

Check out our other posts in the Industry Interview series:

Industry Interview with Tim Richards remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Destination Of The Week: New Orleans

2013-05-01T07:07:33Z

Aside from our ongoing commitment to profiling travellers and industry professionals, we're now showcasing spectacular destinations through a regular Destination of the Week feature. This week we take a look at New Orleans; a riot of culture, food, and music.

Photo by Lavafalls.

America's most interesting city, New Orleans has a unique multicultural heritage. Spanish and French settlement heavily influenced the city's impressive architecture but further cross-cultural development has resulted in its world-famous cuisine, rich music traditions, and a wealth of historically important sites.

One of the most visited cities in the USA, travellers come to experience the Big Easy; taking in Bourbon Street, Jackson Square, and Preservation Hall. Other notable sites include City Park, the National World War II Museum, and Saint Louis Cemeteries.

Known also for their big celebrations, the city hosts major events Mardi Gras and the Jazz & Heritage Festival—but this is just the beginning! There is so much to discover about New Orleans.

Photo by paulymx.

New Orleans on Travellerspoint

Forum Discussions

Must see tips for short stays

Foodie delights of New Orleans

Photo by jancassoe.

Blog Entries

Food, music, and festivities in the French Quarter

Tastes of New Orleans

Mardi Gras week

New Orleans' fascinating history

Mardi Gras and the mighty Mississippi

Photo by donvega.

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Destination Of The Week: New Orleans remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Destination Of The Week: Thailand

2013-04-22T00:06:23Z

Photo by mustangsrc.

The Kingdom of Thailand features stunning natural wonders, a proud cultural heritage, rich religious traditions, and superb cuisine. This extraordinary country consistently delivers unforgettable experiences for visitors.

Thailand's vibrant cities are popular destinations but it is the wealth of historically important sites that also act as big visitor drawcards, including Kanchanaburi, Ayutthaya, and the Isaan region. The country's natural beauty can be found in abundance in the islands of Phuket and Ko Samui.

Known as the 'land of smiles', Thailand is also famous for their celebrations. Popular festivals Songkran and Ko Pha Ngan's Full Moon Party regularly draw big crowds. End the fear of missing out and discover more about Thailand.

Thailand on Travellerspoint

Forum Discussions

Backpacking tips

Great advice for first time travellers

Safety tips for Thailand

Photo by Wardsan.

Blog Entries

Elephants, adventure, and the White Temple

Dive Thailand

Historic Sukhothai

Photo by rea-neill.

Thailand Blogs

Seeking cultural Thailand

Experience Thai highlights

Photo by BramRamaut.

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Destination Of The Week: Thailand remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Destination Of The Week: The Philippines

2013-04-10T07:45:59Z

Aside from our ongoing commitment to profiling travellers and industry professionals, we're now showcasing spectacular destinations through a regular Destination of the Week feature. This week we focus on the Philippines, a unique paradise for pleasure and adventure travellers.

Photo by dleeak.

An archipelago comprising 7,107 islands with a unique blend of Spanish and American influence, the Philippines is an Asian country unlike any other.

Containing some of the world's finest beaches, exceptional biodiversity, a vibrant cultural identity, and adrenaline-pumping action, this island paradise deserves a spot on every traveller's itinerary.

More than pure white sand and palm trees, however, visitors also enjoy the Philippines' five UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the historic town of Vigan, Baroque Churches, Tubbataha Reef, the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, and the impressive Puerto Princesa Subterranean River.

Home to modern spectacles Manila Ocean Park and Imelda Marcos' Cultural Center of the Philippines, this exciting country is always on the move. If you haven't been yet, get in a jeepney and discover the Philippines.

Photo by Exposure.

Philippines on Travellerspoint

Forum Discussions

Top travel and must-see tips

Philippines visitor information

Short stay tips for the Philippines

Photo by TLWH.

Blog Entries

The Boracay top 10

A taste of the Philippines

Manila, diving, and World Heritage Sites

The natural wonders of Palawan

Photo by Sander938.

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Destination Of The Week: The Philippines remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Quote Me: I Know Where I Am

2013-04-08T08:03:39Z

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Quote Me: I Know Where I Am remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Destination Of The Week: Russia

2013-04-10T06:16:20Z

Aside from our ongoing commitment to profiling travellers and industry professionals, we're now showcasing spectacular destinations through a regular Destination of the Week feature. This week we focus on Russia, a popular country for its vast landscape and romantic rail journeys.

Photo by Ofelia.

With a rich cultural and historical heritage, impressive wilderness, bleak Soviet-style architecture and elegant designs of pre-Stalin Russia, this country has an enchanting complexity for visitors.

Home to 160 different ethnic groups, Russia's arts culture, architecture, and history has had many influences. Popular attractions include the Kremlin, Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, Hermitage Museum, and the Bolshoi Theatre. The Golden Ring, Kamchatka, Lake Baikal, and Mount Elbrus draw travellers to explore the diverse landscape of the world's largest country.

Also boasting the world's largest forest reserves, the country's impressive size and history mean a traveller can always discover more about Russia.

Russia on Travellerspoint

Forum Discussions

Russia's best season

Trans-Siberian travel tips

Advice for short stays in Russia

Photo by IvaS.

Blog Entries

Exploring Saint Petersburg

Russian landmarks and visas

Culture in the capitals

Russia's highlights

Photo by sabrinakam.

Russia Blogs

Tales from an exchange student

Teaching English in the republics of Russia

Photo by Gelli.

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Destination Of The Week: Russia remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Destination Of The Week: Rome

2013-03-29T09:23:35Z

Photo by maridod.

Known as the world's biggest open-air museum, this gorgeous city offers exceptional historical and cultural assets, including a wide variety of art galleries, ancient ruins and stunning architecture.

Many of Rome's magnificent sights are well-known to travellers—captured in books and artwork for centuries—but it is the wealth of history and culture that sees the streets filled with a beauty and character of their own.

A major hub during many different art and architecture periods, Rome has a timeless appeal. Visitors will appreciate the city's sights of significance, such as the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Villa Borghese, and the Colosseum. Other popular sights include the Bridge of Angels, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps.

Not just for history lovers, Rome also contains all the delights of Italian cuisine—from traditional pizza to pasta and gelato. If you dream of the romance of Italy, it's time to discover more about Rome.

Photo by ian 800gs.

Rome on Travellerspoint

Forum Discussions

Must-see tips for short visits in Rome

Budget advice for Europe

Trip planning and hostel help

Italy recommendations

Photo by Herr Bert.

Blog Entries

Roman holiday

Tips, tricks, and quirky attractions

Culture and a Vespa

Classic Rome

Photo by PhotoGlen.

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Destination Of The Week: Rome remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Travel Planning Made Easy

2013-03-20T13:47:25Z

You might have noticed a few mentions of a new planning tool recently and we are pleased to now share with you what we've created. The team have been coding, testing, and tweaking non-stop to make travel planning an easy and enjoyable experience (as it should be!).

The new Travel Planner allows you to keep all of your travel plans in the one place.

Rather than managing bookmarked webpages, favourited images, and a text file of well-researched notes, the planner is built around the Travel Plan bookmarklet to create a detailed personalised itinerary.

Below are some of the tool's main features:

Bookmarking

After adding the bookmarklet into your browser, you can use it to organise your online travel research in one handy place.

Using individual city stops on your trip plan, webpages are saved to the stop or destination they are relevant to.

A stop for pre-trip planning is automatically included when a trip is created so you can save important information like travel guides, insurance quotes, and packing lists.

New stops can be added to your trip through the bookmarklet or from the planner. You can even create a new trip directly from the bookmarklet, so you don't have to interrupt your online browsing.

It's the first time that I have seen an itinerary planner that I would use - Phil Lees, Tourism Victoria

Collaboration

To save problems arising later, travel companions can be invited to help plan your trip from the beginning.

Any plans you save will instantly be available to them. You can also add important notes to the bookmarks for them to see.

Transport

For a complete itinerary, you'll need to find transport between stops.

To that end, we've integrated results from travel search engine Rome2Rio to provide you with all the local transport options. Not only flights, but combinations of buses, trains, and driving directions.

Each option lists the travel times and distances involved, so you can make the choice that best suits you.

As a fan of Pinterest, I had been creating boards for different cities, and 'pinning' websites of tours, restaurants and activities to do in Europe. Now though, I can bookmark them to a specific destination on my itinerary. - Kelly McNamara, A Quarter, Two Dimes and a Penny

Map

The planner is integrated with our travel maps and automatically creates a map of your itinerary that can be shared with friends.

The mapping integration means you also have access to your personal travel stats.

***

How To Guide

We've put together this step-by-step guide explaining the bookmarklet and how to use the planner. Have a look!

***

Over To You

Our new tool is an ongoing project, so we'd love your feedback. Tell us what you think in our Forums, on our Facebook Page or on Twitter.

We have also included lots of little extras not mentioned here, so start planning your trip!

Happy travels!

The Travellerspoint Team

Travel Planning Made Easy remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Destination Of The Week: Ireland

2013-03-19T01:50:53Z

Photo by RJ222.

Boasting breathtaking scenery, historic national monuments, strong Celtic traditions, a rich musical heritage, and increasing modern development, it is no wonder this island country is the destination of choice for many travellers.

Home to no less than three World Heritage Sites, Ireland's many historically important sites are big visitor drawcards, including Blarney Castle, Glendalough, and Holy Cross Abbey. Ireland's natural beauty is also on display in Connemara, the Cliffs of Moher, and the vast Wicklow Mountains.

While the nation's traditionally simple dishes and heavy, potato-based diet may not appeal to visitors, the ever-popular folk at the Guinness Brewery consistently draw a crowd. A new cuisine is emerging in Ireland, however, now featuring a wider variety of vegetables and seafood thanks to international influences. If you haven't tried it, now is the time to discover more about Ireland.

Ireland on Travellerspoint

Forum Discussions

Top itinerary and must-see tips

Handy advice for short trips in Ireland

Photo by paulymx.

Blog Entries

A torch, a pint and an Irish road trip

Tour iconic Ireland

Photo by Luis M.

Ireland Blogs

Touring Ireland by motorcycle

Inspired by country towns and castles

Seeking historic, scenic Ireland

Photo by ariel444.

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Destination Of The Week: Ireland remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Industry Interview: Rod Cuthbert, author of Vacation Rules

2013-03-08T06:14:30Z

In this industry interview, we talk with Rod Cuthbert, founder of Viator, current CEO of Rome2rio and co-author of a great new little book called Vacation Rules.

What inspired you to write this book?

I had a period of three years where I spent a lot of time on the road, doing tours and sightseeing and talking to a lot of my fellow travelers. I was always surprised at the broad range of responses people would have to experiences and activities, and wondered why that was the case. As I asked questions I began to see patterns and from those patterns I formed some theories. One of the first observations I made was that when people told me that they were weren't enjoying a particular place or attraction, it was invariably not a reflection on the place, but on the state of mind of the individual. That was a good starting point for more research!

Are there any situations in your own past travels where one of these rules would have really helped you out?

Certainly the first trips I did when I was younger I tried to do too much. So "Do less. Enjoy more." would have been a good lesson to learn a little earlier in life. Really, 36 hours in Venice is stupid, you'd be better off saving your money, but you don't realise that until you are a little more experienced. And "Goals are better than escapes" would certainly have helped; I've definitely been guilty of going places with no real goals in mind beyond "getting away" and that type of trip generally ends up being less successful than one where I've had a goal, even something as ethereal as "recharging my batteries."

Do you think there are ways that the travel industry could maybe help people travel by these guidelines and in the process have happier customers? Or maybe some good examples of companies already doing this?

I think travel companies have a lot to learn from the research that underpins the book. One example is understanding the "peak-end rule", which says people have a tendency to remember clearly the peak and end experiences of their trip, while the rest is often somewhat blurrier. If I was a hotel or resort operator I would put real effort into the last day or two of a guest's stay, offering them complimentary drinks, activities, transfers, whatever, and generally paying attention to them as their stay comes to an end. Another example, and perhaps the biggest opportunity that we touch on in the book, is getting people off planes and onto trains in Europe and other parts of the world. If I was a travel site-- an OTA or an operator--I'd be looking at how I could make money selling rail, and how I could promote rail to an audience that may think the best way to get from Barcelona to Madrid, for example, is on the plane!

One of the rules I particularly like is to "worry about the right things". With adults often worrying endlessly about their kids going off travelling, is this book maybe going to be a good present for the parents?

Well, parents will always find something to worry about! I hadn't thought of that, but it's a good point. Your kids go to South East Asia you worry about a tsunami. Not much chance of that happening, but there is a chance that they'll get some sort of tropical disease, so why not ensure they understand those risks, have some basic understanding of water purification, whatever. Focus on stuff that's likely, not stuff that's one in a million.

Who you travel with matters more than where you go

There is a good part of the book focussing on relationships in travel. This is frequently brought up in our forums as a point of discussion - people whose travel partners have bailed for example leaving them wondering what to do. How does the concept of solo travel fit into this? Maybe making new relationships on the road?

First of all I'd say our rule "Who you travel with matters more than where you go" is SO important. Some BFF's are lousy travel companions! True fact! Keep those friendships safe at home, don't sacrifice them on the road.

An unexpected thing is that we've had plenty of "private feedback" from people who say their love their partner dearly but they don't enjoy traveling with them! This is a hard topic to bring up with your partner, but I suspect if people could bring it up they might find their partner agrees, and we'd see a lot more women heading off with their girlfriends in one direction, and guys heading off with their mates in another, doing entirely different (and perhaps predictable!) things, completely separately. That seems odd when you first say it, but we've heard it enough times now to know it's real!

As for solo travel and making new relationships: it's so personal, any advice we give on things like "try a solo trip" would be as useless for some as it would be useful for others. But most of the rules are good for solo travelers, especially "Meet the locals." I think the Travelerspoint community know that one already!

What we think

The book is not your average travel book. Instead of delivering tips on how to get from one place to another or ideas on what to pack, it is written to help you think differently about your trips and achieve happiness when travelling. I think we're all familiar with the feeling of returning home from a trip more tired than when we left. The rules outlined in this short book are based on psychological principles that help achieve happiness.

I found it a great little read and would happily recommend it to anyone heading off on a trip, no matter how short or long. When you think of the amount of time and money invested into organising a trip - a little investment (it's only $5) in understanding how to make it work for you is well worth it. It's worth re-reading a few times to really let the concepts sink in. Or if you're a young person and have some worrywarts for parents - buy this for them to help them understand a bit better what you're going to do.

You can buy the book through Amazon *

***

Some other posts in the Industry Interview series you might like:

Industry Interview with Travel Photographer Richard I'Anson
Industry Interview with Anthony Asael from Art in All of Us
Industry Interview with Alexis Grant of The Traveling Writer
Industry Interview with Colin Wright of Exile Lifestyle
Industry Interview with Stuart McDonald of Travelfish

* note, the Amazon link is affiliated and a small commission from any sales will support the Travellerspoint Foundation.

Industry Interview: Rod Cuthbert, author of Vacation Rules remains copyright of the author Peter, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Mapping Your Travels: Bigger Not Necessarily Better

2013-02-07T08:29:29Z

A recent question in the forums has raised the hot topic of travel map size.

Not usually ones for a travel brag, we thought we would take a quick peek inside the collective Travel Stats of the twenty most travelled members (by distance) and came up with some interesting statistics. Here are the ones we thought you'd like:

The average number of trips taken was 125.3. That's a lot of airport check-ins!

Photo: jackcheng

Together they have mapped trips to 206 countries and states.

Our most travelled member by distance covered is ThoiryK with a whopping 3,504,676 km!! Phew!

ThoiryK's travel map

The most popular countries were the United Kingdom and United States of America. Followed closely by China, France, Germany, and the Netherlands.

marcwiz is the only one to map trips to both Antarctica and Greenland.

The total distance travelled by all twenty members is roughly equivalent to 97.6 trips to the moon!

Want to see your own travel stats?

Simply make sure you've mapped a trip on Travellerspoint and head to your custom stats link.
Eg. http://www.travellerspoint.com/stats/username/. View your statistics for all travel or filter results for individual year or trip stats.

You can then brag to your friends and family via the social buttons! If you want to, of course.

Happy mapping!

Mapping Your Travels: Bigger Not Necessarily Better remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Travellerspoint's 17 Best People Photos

2013-01-08T04:16:11Z

The Best of 2012 Photo Competition received more than 1100 entries, from which 160 finalists were voted on by five expert judges and the Travellerspoint community to come up with our two winners. With so many deserving finalists though, we are showcasing their talents in a series of photo posts.
Enjoy this collection of the best people photography of 2012 as voted by the community.

Happy, India. Photo by jaytukun.

Waka waka, Zambia. Photo by Chirosima.

Cebula, Philippines. Photo by guanyehon.

Smile, India. Photo by jaytukun.

Malawian Smile, Malawi. Photo by mzanecchia.

School girls crowd round us on the road, Vietnam. Photo by jparsons.

Contrasts on the back seat, China. Photo by Chirosima.

From the darkness, Lithuania. Photo by Chirosima.

Coaxing Mamma Through the Window, India. Photo by DebdattaC.

Painted Lady, USA. Photo by pdxnorma.

Devotion, India. Photo by pp_saha.

Malawian Peanut Farmer, Malawi. Photo by mzanecchia.

Gracefully Old, Nepal. Photo by travelexplorer.

The Window Seat, Afghanistan. Photo by the_goat.

Local catch, Nepal. Photo by Neil1983.

Dominican Republic, Dominican Republic. Photo by Leidenfrost.

Reflections in Dali, China. Photo by theibis.

***

Check out the results of past competitions:

Travellerspoint's 17 Best People Photos remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Travellerspoint's Top 12 Wildlife Photos

2013-01-08T04:12:25Z

Travel and photography go hand-in-hand for most people and the Travellerspoint community is no different. When we put the call out for our Best of 2012 Photo Competition, we had no idea of the response we would receive.

After more than 1100 entries and countless hours looking at beautiful travel photos (poor us, right?), we put forward the top 160 photos for the community to vote on their favourites. We presented the winners in a Best of 2012 post but there were so many photographers that deserve a mention that we will be showcasing their talents with a series of photo posts. Enjoy this collection of the best wildlife photos of the year as voted by the community.

Bath, India. Photo by pp_saha.

Konik horses in the Muese valley, Netherlands. Photo by ramon.stijnen.

Bird Bath, El Salvador. Photo by jjkingan.

Ready...Set..., New Zealand. Photo by dinah1.

Forfeiting freedom, China. Photo by ningningtomato.

Lion's Feast, Zambia. Photo by oliverparish.

Happy Pelicans, Peru. Photo by geeza21.

Impala, Kenya. Photo by geraud.

A shiny Starling, United Kingdom. Photo by fretmonkey.

Falcon, Scotland. Photo by trish54.

Barramundi Cod, Australia. Photo by KobusM.

Pink Flamingo, Pink Water, Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. Photo by jjkingan.

***

Check out the results of past competitions:

Travellerspoint's Top 12 Wildlife Photos remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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The Best Travel Photos of 2012

2013-01-08T04:06:35Z

Judge's Prize Winner: A Monk Passer By The U Bein Bridge, Myanmar. Photo by thinkofazote.

People's Choice Prize Winner: Tuscan Morning, Italy. Photo by ronnybas.

Sunset at Horseshoe Bend, USA. Photo by ronnybas.

The Bridge, USA. Photo by artem.kevorkov.

Novices at The Corridor of Shwezigon Paya, Myanmar. Photo by thinkofazote.

Umbrella Repair Man, Italy. Photo by beinbalance.

One monk reading smiling, Myanmar. Photo by yuliang11.

Happy, India. Photo by jaytukun.

Bath, India. Photo by pp_saha.

Cebula, Philippines. Photo by guanyehong.

Reflections at Lake Louise, Canada. Photo by JustMike87.

***

Every two months, Travellerspoint holds a competition for our members. The photos above are the top photos from the Best of 2012 Photo Competition.

Congratulations to thinkofazote, who won the Judge's Prize and has won himself a signed copy of Lonely Planet's Guide to Travel Photography, an amazing 160x120cm ixxi photo collage, and $500 cash.

The People's Choice winner ronnybas wins a 160x120cm ixxi photo collage and $250 cash.

Check out the results of past competitions:

The Best Travel Photos of 2012 remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Industry Interview with Richard I'Anson

2012-11-07T06:56:34Z

In this month's Industry Interview we are pleased to chat with Richard I'Anson, freelance travel photographer, and author of ten Lonely Planet books including the recent India: Essential Encounters and four editions of Lonely Planet's Guide to Travel Photography.

You have been passionate about travel photography for over 25 years; how did you come to work with Lonely Planet?

After two overseas trips totalling nearly three years and lots of travelling in Australia, I had built a fairly comprehensive collection of images covering most of Asia and Australia. At that point, I went knocking on doors. The timing with Lonely Planet was just right as they had recently made a decision to start using images from sources other than their authors and I had the kind of images they were after.

Rock formation known as Zoroaster Temple from Yavapai Point.

Where can we find your work?

Apart from in my own books, website and Facebook page of course, my photographs are licensed around the world for use in books, magazines, newspapers, websites, travel brochures, posters, postcards. A couple of the most notable uses, which also demonstrate the diverse sizes and places the images can end up, were as Australia Post stamps and on a massive tarpaulin protecting the contents of a 53 foot truck trailer.

Family group making offerings and praying before Ganesh statue on Chowpatty Beach during Ganesh Chatsuri festival.

What has been the most challenging photograph or assignment for you and how did you overcome it?

I think it would have to be an assignment in Antarctica. The main challenge being the total lack of sleep due to the long days, as the sun was setting around midnight and rising around 2:30am (and not getting dark in between) – consequently, I just didn’t go to bed for four days straight. But the real challenge came because napping during the day was also out of the question, as there was so much to photograph from the ship and during the two shore landings each day, that I couldn’t imagine missing any of it by falling asleep.

Describe your case contents for a standard photography trip.

I take the same gear on most trips with the aim of giving me the flexibility I need to capture the wide range of subjects I cover while being easily manageable and accessible, so that I can shoot quickly and efficiently. So, I take two Canon DSLR bodies (5D MkIII and 5D MkII), two Canon lenses (24-70mm and 70-200mm), a Fujifilm X-Pro 1 camera with 18mm, 35mm and 60mm lenses, and a Gitzo G1228 carbon fibre tripod, plus a laptop and two 750 GB portable hard disks. The only variation to this kit is when wildlife photography is a key component of the trip, and then I’ll take a Canon 300mm lens and a 1.4x teleconverter.

We have many promising photographers on Travellerspoint – any words of wisdom?

Learn the technical stuff (ISO, shutter speed, aperture, exposure) and your camera’s controls so that the mechanics of taking a photograph become second nature. You’ll then be able to concentrate on, and enjoy, the creative side of picture taking seeking out interesting subjects and great light and you’ll have a much better chance of capturing those fleeting moments and expressions that make unique images.

Considering all the travel you have done, is there a destination still on your wish list?

Of course! Lots of them! I always have a rolling ‘top 5’ destinations that I want to get to. At the moment it’s Rio de Janeiro for Carnaval, Alaska, Iran, Uganda to see the gorillas, and Madagascar. The list will need updating soon, though, as I’m heading to Madagascar in December and to Rio for the carnival next year.

***

Win an autographed copy of Richard's book Lonely Planet's Guide to Travel Photography in the Travellerspoint Best of 2012 Photo Competition.

***

Check out our other posts in the Industry Interview series:

Industry Interview with Richard I'Anson remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Talking Travel with Jonathan Shapiro (jonshapiro)

2012-10-31T04:43:40Z

In this month's Talking Travel series we chat to respected TP blogger and photographer Jonathan Shapiro (aka jonshapiro). A semi-retired psychologist, Jon has travelled all of his adult life. Wanting to spend more time on the road, however, he left his full time practice seven years ago to undertake a nine month journey to Central and South America. Since then he has also spent time teaching in China, traveling in Southeast Asia, Burma, India, and most recently in Europe, Morocco, and Turkey.

He lives in an old house in upstate New York with his wife of many years, Nanette. He has two grown children, both girls, one of whom is a therapist in California, and the other a surgical resident in New York City. When at home, Jon teaches English to Burmese refugees, writes and edits his blog, Vagabonding at 60, and spends as much time as he can outdoors, hiking and skiing. He also spends time fantasising about—and planning—his next adventure.

Jon in the Trinity Alps, California

What does travel mean to you?

I travel because there is a world out there, far greater than my own, and I want to experience it first hand. Why not just read about it and experience it from the comforts of my living room? Why do I go to out of the way places and put myself out there? Why take the risks? Isn't that the point; to go beyond your comfort zone so that you can have a fuller understanding of yourself and how you cope with experiences and cultures that are alien to you. How can I, and you the reader, really understand your own culture without getting outside of it? How can you understand yourself?

So I travel to gain this understanding. An understanding that can only come from deliberate dislocation. This dis-location creates the space for me to see what I could otherwise only intuit; what it is like to be a foreigner, to be "the other." Of course, many people experience this as immigrants or refugees, often under duress. My experience will never be that and yet it gives me some insight into their lives, not so different than my own ancestors. It is so easy to forget what their lives must have been like. I see the children of my Burmese ESL students, already so American in the few short years they have been here and so different than their parents, who will always remain foreigners. Perhaps if I was not two generations removed from the immigrant experience, I would not be so eager to seek it out. And yet, unlike my forebears and my literacy students, I can and do return home. I climb down from the rarefied air of the high mountains of travel and return to the everyday, the mundane, the easy ways of the familiar. I bore my friends with stories and pictures of where I have been. I resume the everyday chores of cooking and cleaning, and the not-so-everyday projects of filling in a large area of erosion and building a retaining wall, so that the stream on my property does not swallow up more trees along its steep banks. I hurry to take care of other neglected areas, both inside and out, in order to maintain my old house before the winter sets in and before I set out on my next journey.

I consider the ways in which my extended trips have changed me. I find that with the richness of my experiences of the past few years, the real question is not 'why travel', but rather, why stay home? And home doesn't feel quite the same. Despite living here in upstate New York for more than 35 years, I find myself less attached. Perhaps it is partly cutting way back on my work life, but perhaps some of the bonds have been loosened by being a vagabond. The paradox is that I'm somehow more connected to any number of places and people but less so to my home.

13,000 feet above sea level on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

A question that I am often asked is, after being away from home for long periods of time, am I really glad to be back? "Well," I hesitantly answer, "in some ways, but not in others." "Aren't you glad to see your children, your family, your friends?" "Of course, but...." It's hard to explain to someone who has not had the experience of long term independent travel. Many of my friends have traveled, but not in the same way. The people who do understand are out there traveling, working or wandering, and perhaps creating new homes in far off places. In some respects I feel more of an affinity for that community than to my own. These folks understand the ambivalence of ending a journey and yearning to plan the next one. No need to explain. Perhaps some of them choose to become permanent expats, or else wanderers living on a shoestring, avoiding all but temporary attachments. Are they just running away? No doubt some of them are, but aren't all attachments temporary?

And my own attachments? My wife, Nanette, comes with me when I travel, and my children have visited me abroad. My extended family has never been that close. My close friends are still here, but the peripheral relationships seem less important. Yet I have made some new and important relationships both with fellow travelers, and with the local Burmese refugee community, which I never knew existed before. My attachment to things, to stuff, was never that great, but it is even less now. Living out of a backpack and wearing the same clothes for months on end makes it easier to realize how little I really need. Okay, so I do have five pairs of skis in my garage. And yes, I'm attached to my house. It's been here a long time, 200 years or so, and I want to see it loved and cared for. Yet in some respects it's become an albatross, preventing me from getting away and taking up my time. My cat Nala, very recently deceased, was another impediment to getting away. On the other hand, she held a grudge if anyone moved her, and was known to counter-attack hours later. Now, her death serves as another reminder of my own mortality. Another reminder that I can't wait too long before setting off on the next journey. Is this a temporary, fleeting stage of my life? No question, but one that I feel blessed to have, thankful for what I have seen and done, and looking forward to the next great adventure.

You've travelled extensively in South America and Asia - what are your most memorable experiences?

In terms of most memorable experiences, it's always hard to pick out particular ones to focus on, but here goes: at the top of the list would have to be our Jeep tour of the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia. When we left on our trip to South America, neither of us had heard about the Salar.

Snow falls during Jon's tour of the Salar

Tell us more about your motto in life: 'Take risks and experience as much as you can'.

My years of working with patients as a clinical psychologist got me thinking about what it is that many of my patients had in common. I won't bore you with too many clinical details but suffice it to say that most of them were risk-averse. They got stuck into patterns of self-defeating behavior and relationships because in the end, that is what was familiar and yes, comfortable for them. To some extent we all do this. We stick with what we know because it is easier and it feels safer, and yet it is very limiting, and often the feeling of safety can quickly evaporate. My personal experience with this came 15 years ago, at age 48, when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. I felt like my body had betrayed me, despite the fact that my father died of the same disease when he was 70. However, I took better care of myself, or so I thought. I ate right; I exercised—how could this happen to me?

I liken it to being in the Garden of Eden and taking a bite of the apple: all of a sudden, I knew I was going to DIE. This really shouldn't have been news but it was. I knew I was going to die not in some abstract, far off way, but now I felt it viscerally and immediately. Of course, that didn't happen, or I wouldn't be writing this now, but it was a wake-up call. It made me realize that SAFETY IS AN ILLUSION; anything can happen at anytime, no matter how safe and secure we feel, and no matter how careful we are in how we live our lives. And what is the price to be paid for living a 'safe' life? It means that there is so much that we don't get to see and experience. There is so much that we miss out on because we opt for what is only an illusion.

Some of my friends might argue that I am an adrenaline junkie, that I deliberately put myself in harm's way—I guess it's all a matter of degree. I'm certainly not an extreme athlete—never have been—but I do want to get out of my comfort zone, because as I mentioned earlier, the alternative life is simply not as interesting. I don't really think there are any big answers to, as Guy Noir puts it, 'life's persistent questions'. I'm not religious and so for me, if you will, the meaning of life is to be found in living it to the fullest and experiencing as much as I can while I am on this earth; experiencing what this life has to offer in all its richness. I guess if there's something to experience later on, I'll find that out, but I'm not counting on it, and I'm not waiting around in the meantime.

Even when you're not travelling you post vivid entries about past trips. Do you have any tips on keeping a blogging routine?

In terms of my blogging routine, I never blog when I am actually traveling. The reason is that I want to take time to reflect on my experiences, and then to cull out parts that are not so interesting and highlight others. It takes a lot of time to edit what I write about, and it is very difficult to do this on the road. I do take copious notes and of course photos, so I can go back later on and reconstruct what I have seen. This gives me a little distance from the trip and, I think, makes for a better read. At times I take out whole sections of my notes, add other things that I might have forgotten, and I can take time to edit my pictures. It also gives me the opportunity to relive the experience a second time.

Dali Rocks, on Jeep Tour of the Salar

Will there be more wandering in future? 'Vagabonding at 70' has a ring to it…

There will certainly be more vagabonding in the future. I am currently blogging about our last trip in the Spring to parts of Europe, Morocco, and Turkey. The neat thing about this trip was that we set up our itinerary to visit several friends that we met on previous excursions—that was great. This winter we are planning another trip to Southeast Asia, which we have already visited a few times. After that I want to get back to the Himalayas, while these old bones will still carry me up there. That journey will probably include Sikkim, Bhutan, and possibly Lo Mustang in Nepal. I always say, 'never end the last trip without thinking about the next'. That way, I always have something to look forward to.

***

Check out these recent interviews in the Talking Travel series:

Talking Travel with Jonathan Shapiro (jonshapiro) remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Best Price Budget Accommodation

2012-10-30T06:47:04Z

We've been working out how to provide the most relevant accommodation search results for travellers. In the world of budget accommodation, we know not all hostels are created equal, or at least not equal for all backpackers. To this end, the team have put together some cool new features and we're excited to formally introduce them now...

The Price Slider helps you choose what is most important—low cost or top rated. For the best of both worlds, just leave the slider in the middle like this:

Map View is for when location matters: be it a conference, sporting event, or festival. Enter your preferred dates and the address or landmark you would like to stay near.

For example, if you wanted to see the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, your search would look like this:

Available properties will show on the map with a green marker and are listed in order of closest to your specified address. Any red markers indicate properties in the area that are not available during your selected dates.

Click your preferred property and the walk to your hostel will be mapped for you:

Use Quick Compare to search for a hotel based on the facilities available. We've chosen some common inclusions to begin but you can add or remove facilities as needed:

We are always looking to improve our site and its features, so we'd love to hear your feedback. Leave a comment below or tell us what you think by posting in our Forums.

Happy travels!

Best Price Budget Accommodation remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Talking Travel with Naomi Dickinson (worldweave)

2012-10-31T04:13:59Z

In this month's Talking Travel series we had the pleasure of chatting to Naomi Dickinson (aka worldweave). One year, 17 countries, 44 blog entries, and almost 5000 photos later, Naomi's round the world weave has entertained readers with a range of cultural and gastronomic delights. A curious traveller, Naomi takes inspiration in the words: 'Life is precious, live it well!'.

You have recently come back from a 12 month round the world trip, tell us more about this?

Taking a year to myself was just what I needed. Although I am well-travelled through my profession, my career had involved international transfers, which created a holiday-like change but in the end was never really a proper break where I could switch off completely. After the sudden death of my brother in 2009, I had a burning desire to embrace life and live well. So it was an easy choice to travel around the world in the end. I'm a curious person by nature, forever intent on understanding and appreciating the world around me, and I was keen to go somewhere completely different, possibly learning a new language along the way. South America had always been a dream, as had Antarctica, so I quickly laid out my plans to facilitate getting to these places. I also hadn't been back to Germany in five years, so I was keen to meet up with dear friends over there and pretty much planned the route I took to accommodate all of this. For the first time since I was 18, I felt like I was stepping into the big unknown, and this was scary and exhilarating for me. My love for language, culture, and especially food helped me immerse myself in the countries I visited, and provided the kind of depth I like when meeting people. Being a talker, I learn languages pretty quickly, and I found that I was welcomed pretty much everywhere I went.

What I loved about the year is that I had no real goal. I could pick and choose what to do each day with no time pressure. If I wanted to sightsee I did, and if I wanted to follow any of my interests like cooking, hiking, or cave diving, I did. If I wanted a day off from my holiday, I would simply lounge about my accommodation, chatting with fellow travellers and making new friends. I made a conscious decision not to think about working at all, not until I stepped foot back in Melbourne...and only then a month later after the Melbourne Food and Wine festival was over...mission accomplished!

Your trip covered many different destinations and cultures. What were some of the cultural lessons you learned while travelling?

I learned a lot more about the history of the places I visited, rather than specific cultural lessons. I really began to understand 'whoever wins the war, writes the history'...especially with Australia's British influences in our schools, and tabloids not focusing on this part of the world, so I had a lot of catching up to do.

Although I loved all of the countries I visited in South America, the two that stood out for me were the two I least expected to: Chile and Mexico. The other countries were fantastic holiday destinations, especially Bolivia and Colombia, where I felt completely safe and could have spent much more time chilling out with the locals. I only intended to spend about 2 weeks in Chile but left 3 months later, speaking pretty good Spanish for a beginner. Chile is incredibly diverse in its natural environments, immigration history, and culture. My time there triggered my yearning to explore the history of the continent, the influences on the land, the people, and the political history, with all its complexity. Now, Mexico just made my heart bloom! My only goal for Mexico was to complete the highest level of my cave diving training, in one of the most famous and spectacular cave diving regions in the world. But Mexico grew on me. I went from indignation towards the cartels and the blatant corruption, to seeing the warmth and pride of an accommodating folk. The strong sense of identity and expression moved me. It is truly an amazing place and one I would easily spend a lot more time in. I guess the big cultural difference for me as a single female traveller, were people's reactions to me and utter amazement that I was travelling alone and for so long 'without a man' - for the umpteenth time! The further north I headed, the more the women would giggle at the thought. Generally, I found people to be curious, kind and protective towards me.

Cave diving in Mexico

The Italian influence in Argentina was evident, and I couldn't walk down the street without some guy cat hissing at me...a bit disconcerting at first but you get used to it...it's meant to be appealing...yep.

Chilean men and women are amusing...criticising each other constantly. I was intrigued to learn that many Chileans simply don't marry, preferring de facto relationships...and this is apparent in marriage trends dating back a good 50 years. It was here that I felt the strong German and British influence...whilst walking to school each day I'd see people cleaning their windows and footpaths, I could buy kuchen (cake) at the bakery, and listen to German-influenced music!

Bolivians seemed to be really nice and gentle. This country is a real gem in the heart of the continent. Although I had seen a great difference in the economic diversity in the countries visited so far, it seemed that no matter how poor, the Bolivians had a solid house. I really admire their stone masonry and couldn't help but think if I were Bolivian, I'd be using this to my advantage; in my mind they are the builders of the continent.

Colombians were amongst the most welcoming people I met and keen to encourage safe tourism.

Then the peace of Mexico....in fact all the attention I had been getting in South America stopped dead when I got here. It took a few days to register this, and much to my joy I started to observe family and friends walking down the road, simply digging each other...fabulous and refreshing. Just like the food!

Across all the countries I could see a great depth in communication and thought, with many notable Nobel Prize Winners for Literature. Music and dancing were integral to the cultures of each country.

Where's your favourite place in the world?

I guess being a Melbourne girl, I'm in a pretty peachy position to be born in such a great city with so many offerings at my doorstep. There are numerous places I could mention that I love here but I think I'm going to have to start a new blog to do just that! Off the top of my head, the Royal Melbourne Botanic Gardens are stunning and I spend a lot of time there. Right down south of my state (and the country) is Wilsons Promontory...it is beautiful on so many levels and the place that our locals love to get to.

In the end I am intrigued by the world, and I don't really spend my time trying to contemplate or compare which place is better than the next. Each place I have ever been to has been beautiful in its own way. I'm a strong believer that you can find beauty if you simply look and see. When a local shows you something that they are proud of then there is a reason for it, and it's my job to respect this and understand why. That they actually took the time and interest to show me, is something I cherish and enjoy giving back.

Naomi has a King Crab thrown at her in Chiloe, Chile

Your blog entries include many beautiful (and delicious!) photos, what is it you love about travel photography?

Photos can express so much. If I manage to capture what I am experiencing at that moment, then I can't help but be pretty pleased with myself. I'm more of a snap shot taker than a photographer. It's an obsession really..I'm like a kid in a lolly shop sometimes, taking one of those, and those, and ooh yeah..that one too. Admittedly, I have far too many photos of the same thing but I also had a lot of fun taking those shots. Using Travellerspoint to write my blog and publish photos, provided me a forum to experiment with both writing and photography for the first time. It has been inspiring for me to see the perspectives and skill that other users have, and my style and interest in photography has developed in the course of the year. It has been really encouraging and welcoming to receive feedback from fellow TP members, and I feel like I have blossomed as the year has progressed.

My food shots really took off for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I have a food obsession (including cooking my way through each country as well as adding to my already mammoth cookbook collection, as I went). Secondly, it was easier taking photos of the recipes than writing it all down in a language I was just becoming accustomed to. Food is great. I'll try anything, and on my trip I was fortunate enough to sample the most amazing fresh produce..how could I not take a photo of it?

Delving into Spanish cuisine in Barcelona

Something that I thoroughly enjoy when travelling is really seeing what is going on around me. So many of us get busy in our lives forgetting to take a moment. When I'm walking through a city, I might stop for a second and stare at the buildings around me...after the initial impression of the magnificent architecture, I start to see the detail that someone put a lot of thought into when creating the building, and it's the sum of all these parts that led to the overall beauty...before I knew it, I found myself, capturing these moments. Now that I'm back, I'm planning to take a professional course with the aim of getting to know my new camera and improve the quality of my shots.

Do you have any tips for travellers contemplating a RTW trip?

This really boils down to the individual trip the person is taking. Anybody is welcome to write me a message if they have specific questions about places I visited.

My concerns were around safety and finances mostly. I'd heard many a horror story and even seen a documentary or two but in hindsight, these came from people who hadn't actually been to the places where I was going. Having said that, I arranged a travel card, so that if it was stolen or I was kidnapped that my main finances weren't going to be hit. Further, I updated my Will..a bit of a sombre topic for some but I gained a lot of peace doing this. After all, I didn't expect anything to happen but I knew that everything I wanted had been clearly regulated if something did. Of course I had travel insurance. Mostly I found, like I do in life, that respect goes a long way. If you are genuine, ready to learn, and listen, and especially treat people as you would hope they do you, then you'll find that they are usually wonderful, welcoming and caring. I have found this everywhere I have been in the world.

Give yourself time to go with the flow. Nothing really works out as planned but as it should be. The rest you learn as you go. So, just do it!

* * *

Check out these recent interviews in the Talking Travel series:

Talking Travel with Naomi Dickinson (worldweave) remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Post tags: talkingtravel interviews

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8 Travel Blogs to Inspire Your Next Trip

2012-06-06T05:35:35Z

We periodically hold a writing competition for our members. Travellerspoint shortlists the top entries and a panel of experts judges the winner. The blogs below are the best entries from our first Travel Blogging Competition.

Crossing the Border by Keith Ruffles.

Drinking Beer In A Burkha by Ofelia.

For The Love Of Coconuts by Marianne Comilang.

Aztec ruins, an Augustinian monastery, and exhuberant nature by margaretm.

Adventures in Chinese Dining – Tip #2 by Steve Skabrat.

Orient Express Order by John Boivin.

Best things about travelling: Street Food by Iain Montgomery.

Nuestra Señora de La Paz by Natasha Malinda.

* * *

Congratulations to Keith Ruffles, who won the competition. He receives the Art In All Of Us World Art Book and the latest Apple iPad.

Thanks also to our esteemed panel of judges: founder of Travelfish, Stuart McDonald; photojournalist and travel writer Sue Gough-Henly; and writer and Passports with Purpose co-founder Pam Mandel.

Thanks all for your entries and don't forget we have a fresh budget travel tips competition kicking off next week!

8 Travel Blogs to Inspire Your Next Trip remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Welcome to Travellerspoint!

2012-06-05T05:07:45Z

One of the best parts about joining a community is feeling part of the community, however, we admit most of our members will not have noticed our latest site feature.

We understand that joining a large and active community like Travellerspoint can be overwhelming for new members and this is why we have developed the Welcome Committee!

Photo by Marie-Jose

A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.
Henrik Ibsen

The Welcome Committee is a group of members committed to helping new users get the best out of Travellerspoint: from help finding the right guide info to understanding how to use the forums.

Some of our respected members have already been asked to join the Welcome Committee and have truly embraced the role. They have already helped more than 20 new members become familiar with the Travellerspoint site and in turn become active members themselves.

If you would like to join the Welcome Committee, please submit your details on the Committee page here.

* * *

We are always looking to improve our site and its features, so we'd love to hear your feedback. Tell us what you think by posting in our Forums, Facebook Page or Twitter.

Happy travels!

The Travellerspoint Team

Welcome to Travellerspoint! remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Blogging For a Cause

2012-04-10T07:24:33Z

Travellerspoint Travel Blogging Competition

You might have seen this image around the site but what is it about?

As Travellerspoint hosts an active blogging community, we are thrilled to offer an exciting opportunity to make a broader social impact with your travel blogging! You might like to think of it as "more bang for your blogging buck".

We have partnered with not-for-profit organisation Art in All of Us (AiA) to give you the opportunity to aid their cultural exchange programs which aim to inspire, promote tolerance, and enrich the lives of children around the world. The programs use interactive art activities and creative exchanges to educate on cultural differences and teach children about connecting to others on a global scale.

To participate all you have to do is blog! Travellerspoint will donate $5 for every travel blog entry to AiA.

Children in St Lucia. Photo courtesy Art in All of Us

The good news is that you can submit up to three entries in the competition - yes, three! Multiple entries in a competition is somewhat unusual but the reason for this is because there are three different topics for the competition:

Food;

Off The Beaten Track;

Winter.

Bloggers can submit one entry per topic, so submit three wonderful travel blog entries and we will make a donation to AiA for each of them. This is blogging for a good cause after all!

A competition like this needs impressive judges and we certainly have a brilliant panel of professional writers: founder of Travelfish, Stuart McDonald; photojournalist and travel writer Sue Gough-Henly; and writer and Passports with Purpose co-founder Pam Mandel.

Start writing your entry now as the competition closes on 20th April and there is a top prize for one lucky winner.

World Art Book, Art in All of Us

The winner will receive a limited edition copy of AiA's World Art Book and the latest Apple iPad!

This is a great competition and we're really happy to work with AiA to bring it to you. Check out the FAQs below and good luck with your entries.

Happy blogging!

*****

My blog isn't hosted on Travellerspoint, can I still enter?
Absolutely; everyone can enter. Simply copy the URL of your blog post entry along with your email address into the entry form.

I wrote a blog post about last Winter, is it ok to submit this now?
Yes! Great blogging deserves to be rewarded, so this competition isn't limited to new content. You can submit a post from last week, last month or last season, as long as it is your original content and has not been published except for on your own personal blog.

I don't understand the topics. What do I write about?
Anything. Pick a topic you feel you would have the most interesting content about and write! Your entry can be on any aspect of the topic: ie. local food, signature dish how-to, top 10 meals around the world, etc.

Blogging For a Cause remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Post tags: competition writing blogging

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Industry Interview with Anthony Asael from Art in All of Us

2012-10-31T04:14:23Z

In this month's Industry Interview we chat to Anthony Asael, one of the founders of Art in All of Us (AiA) - a not-for-profit organisation trying to raise cultural awareness and encourage children's development through art. He's also a renowned international photographer and has visited each one of the 193 countries that make up the United Nations!

What was the inspiration behind Art in All of Us and how does it work?

I founded Art in All of Us seven years ago with the objective to promote tolerance and cultural exchanges around the world. We wanted to reach schools in each one of the 193 UN member countries of the world and give children in each country a chance to express themselves. Art was the best communication method as it is the universal language. We stimulate the creativity and curiosity of children through our interactive activities. Today, more than 155,000 children have participated in our programs around the world.

Anthony with AiA students in Thailand

What has the partnership with UNICEF done for the program?

UNICEF was one of our first partners and have been supporting us logistically since 2005. UNICEF believed in our program and approach since the very start in spite of being kind of a “crazy idea” in the beginning. They gave us a chance and opened the doors to the Ministries of Education and their own partners. Today, we have worked together in over 100 countries, and they call us regularly to train their own staff or partners in our programs or to organize photo missions.

You've travelled to 193 countries - what first interested you in travelling abroad?

My mother is from Turkey, her mother was born in Cuba and my father is from Italian origin. I shall be the only “real” Belgian of the family, even though I left my home country and my home some 15 years ago, and never really went back. I don’t have a home anymore and am kind of happy with this nomadic situation.There is so much to explore, so much to learn from, so much to exchange, that I never really could stay at one place. I remember that when I was 5-6 years old on holidays in Italy, I already wanted to cross the Mediterranean on a pneumatic boat. I effectively took a tiny boat early morning and left before my parents woke up. Fortunately a couple of hours later an Italian fishing boat found me alone in the middle of the sea…

Do you have a favourite cultural exchange story?

It is very hard to pick one, there are really hundreds of them...

Let’s choose North Korea then, as it is less known. It took me two and a half years to receive the authorization from the government to do my work in a local public school. I was closely monitored but very surprised by the fact that I was not censored in any way. The children could also ask the questions that they wanted during our sessions and we had some fascinating creative discussions. One month after our activity, the government called me back and they organized for the first time a nationwide art contest wherein the winner’s artwork is published in our book.
After my introduction workshop in the class, I remember also the first question of a local child. She was about 8 years old and asked if in Belgium the children were communist like they are. I was stunned by the question and wanted to avoid to enter in political consideration. I thought of myself not knowing what communism was at her age. After a couple of thoughts, I understood that she neither knew. Communism for her was an inherent quality. Her question was more “are the children in Belgium happy as we are” or “do they play the same games as we do”…. A question that was much easier to answer.

You're also a travel and people photographer - what advice do you have for achieving great travel photos?

Follow my rules of the 4P’s: Passion, Practice, Perseverance, and Patience.

Where's next for AiA?

I believe that we will keep doing what we do best with passion and creativity…. We also have a new book coming out soon so keep posted on our website.

Everyday we have more schools wanting to participate in our programs. Everyday, we have more travelers wanting to give a hand. Last week an old student from Jordan wrote me telling me that my visit in 2006 was her best school day of her life. Today she finished school and is part of our broad volunteer team. We hope that those students will be able to “educate” their children, their parents, and friends in the same way. I am conscious that we cannot change the world, and I know that there is still a huge amount of work to do.

Last year, I met a German girl on a train in Thailand. She never heard about Belgium, my home country – and we are neighboring countries. However, every small step can help to make many lives better. As Gandhi said “be the change you want to see in the world”. AiA will continue to follow this philosophy.

***

Check out our other posts in the Industry Interview series:

Industry Interview with Anthony Asael from Art in All of Us remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Talking Travel with Matt Watson (Watson5)

2012-10-31T04:14:49Z

In this month's Talking Travel series we chat to Matt Watson of the adventurous Watson5. Over 86 days, 4100km, 8 towns, 15 "homes", and 500L of bottled water, Matt toured Turkey's ruins (and ice cream parlours) with his wife and young children - aged 5, 3, and 18 months! The family's blog of the three month journey continues to attract visitors interested in their balance of cultural travel and child-friendly holiday.

The Watson family waiting for a dolmus in Cesme

Tell us about your trip and what led to the decision to take your family to Turkey.

The opportunity to travel occurred after I sold my business. My wife and I decided it would be great to make the most of the time off work and take the kids away to show them what a wonderful and diverse world we live in. The destination we picked was Turkey as it had everything we were looking for: magnificent landscape, incredible history, and a culture which is very family orientated and child friendly.

Initially some friends doubted that the trip was a good idea. Looking back, is there anything you would change? What do you think your family gained from the experience?

We had a mixed response from family and friends when we told them of our plans, it was either one of great excitement or utter horror - no in-between.
The trip was quite well planned 'though we didn't book anything outside of the first few weeks. We wanted freedom to travel about without having a fixed itinerary and this worked well. There's not much I would change, some things got the better of us but that's life when you're travelling whether you have kids or not. I wouldn't take a car seat for Bella if we did it again, as it proved cumbersome to carry around along with luggage and 3 children.
As far as what the kids got from the trip, they amazed me with their resilience to long haul flights and lengthy bus trips. The opportunity to try new foods, culture, religion, and language they all adapted to and accepted. Their interest in the mosques and ruins surprised me. A year later they still count to 10 in Turkish, recreate cave houses of Urgup at home playing, talk often about camel rides, hot air ballooning, scorpions, and the friends they made.

Making new friends in Istanbul

You left well prepared yet travelled lightly - what are your tips for travelling with kids?

My tip for travelling with small children is "keep it simple". We had to mix sightseeing and day trips with down time. At their age they can't go on day after day so with being away for 3 months we spent longer periods in towns taking our time. We also made things fun. Visits to mosques and ruins were balanced out with ice creams in the parks or a swim in a pool. Where possible we stuck to their usual routines in terms of the times we ate and bedtime. As long as kids feel safe and loved they will be fine.

The kids enjoy a Roman bath in Selcuk

You documented the whole trip with a popular and entertaining blog. What advice do you have for other travel bloggers wanting to share their experiences?

The blog through Travellerspoint was fantastic. We were able to connect with all our family and friends at once. It was great for posting our photos and sharing our stories with everyone back home. We ended up having over 12,000 views so we had a few others checking out our trip also.

Where's next for the Watson five?

As for what's next, I recently published my book on our trip. It's called "Hot Sun and Scorpions" and is available on Amazon Kindle or through [self-publishing company] The Copy Press. It's a humorous take on what life is like on the road with a 5, 3 and 18 month old!
As for the next trip, well that's booked. We head off on the 7th May for Vietnam and Cambodia. This time for 2 months. I'm really looking forward to taking the family away again, especially with the kids being a bit older - Holly is 7, Toby 5, and Bella 3. It will be a bit easier not having to worry about nappies, baby formula, and finding cots for Bella.
We will be using Travellerspoint to start another blog to document our travels again - so stay tuned!

***

Check out these recent interviews in the Talking Travel series:

Talking Travel with Matt Watson (Watson5) remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Post tags: talkingtravel interviews

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Industry Interview with Mark Hodson of 101 Holidays

2012-10-31T04:15:10Z

In this month's Industry Interview we chat to Mark Hodson, co-founder of 101 Holidays. A travel writer by profession, Mark spent 12 years working as a full-time freelance travel journalist at The Sunday Times in London before launching the popular travel experiences site. He co-founded the successful sister site 101 Honeymoons a year later. Mark also shares his travel recommendations on Google+.

Mark in Chile's Atacama Desert

You worked in journalism straight out of university; how did you break in to travel writing?

I’d like to say it was all part of a well thought-out masterplan but like most things in life it just happened. I had a well-paid job as a sub-editor on a national newspaper at 23 and - faced with the bleak prospect of a long career in an office gazing at a flickering screen - I quit to go travelling. I managed to spend three consecutive winters in Asia and Latin America, returning to my former employers in the summers to top up my bank balance.

It was a great life but not one that appealed to me long term. I wanted to return to London but realised I no longer had a taste for office life. So I started writing articles about some of the places I’d visited and posted them to various travel editors (this was in the early 90s, before email).

Even though I was a trained journalist and a decent writer, I got nowhere. A particularly unpleasant editor at the Mail asked me in for a chat, pulled out the article I’d sent her and (metaphorically) tore it to pieces. It wasn’t meant to be helpful, just bullying.

Then one editor at the Financial Times published a few of my pieces which gave me a cuttings file. I could then send articles to editors with these photocopies attached and suddenly I was taken seriously. Shortly afterwards, I landed a regular gig at The Sunday Times, doing two shifts a week on the desk and filing freelance articles.

Ramen Bar, Tokyo

What was the hardest lesson you had to learn as a travel writer?

The hardest was that editors don’t give a monkeys about you. If they need you, they will be nice. If they don’t, you’re out. It’s not personal, it’s just the way it works.

However, the most useful lesson I learned was that the reader doesn’t care either. Unless you are Bill Bryson or Paul Theroux, nobody wants to know about what you did on your holiday. The skill with travel writing is to know when to put yourself in the story and when to gently step aside to let the real action unfold.

What's your most memorable travel story?

After the Asian tsunami in 2004, I persuaded my editor to let me travel to the Maldives, then to Sri Lanka and Thailand to write about the devastation caused to the local tourism industry in each country, and how travellers could best help the people affected by booking holidays (which many people regarded at the time as being in poor taste).

It meant that The Sunday Times was able to lead the way in helping to rebuild confidence in tourism to those destinations worst affected by the tsunami and - I like to think - helped a few local people to rebuild their lives.

Local children, Maldives

Where's your most recommended destination?

I think if you want to experience the world, rather than skim the surface as a casual observer, you can’t beat India. It’s the most astonishing, fascinating, colourful, complex and emotional country. I also have a very soft spot for Burma.

How would you like travel writing to develop in the future?

Travel writing and travel journalism are going through difficult times. There is a surfeit of supply and a steady fall in quality, even in the so-called serious publications. I would like to see travel bloggers spend less time Tweeting each other and selling links, and more time trying to create high-quality writing. The best way to do that is often to step outside the cultural bubble created by permanent connectedness and spend time alone in a truly foreign place.

What are your top three travel tips?

Go slowly. Put down the camera and talk to people. Try to leave your ego at home.

***

Check out our other posts in the Industry Interview series:

Industry Interview with Mark Hodson of 101 Holidays remains copyright of the author KellieBarnes, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Post tags: interviews industryinterview

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