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Posted by on Dec 16, 2013 in Articles | 17 comments

Top 5 travel blogs for 2013

Top 5 travel blogs for 2013

I’m not a typical digital nomad, but someone who travels really light, with a tiny backpack and nothing else.  Until recently I had no idea what a blog was, let alone thinking about writing one!

plane-traveling-to-south-america-10581782

I have to admit I’m not a blog junky and while I’m on the road I barely log in, except to update my own blog which is still a newborn and sneak into these 5 great projects that blew my mind. These 5 blogs are amazing, written by special people with a lot to share. They’re humble, honest and have a very dynamic relationship going on with their readers. I’m discovering a bran new world of like minded people, a friendly community of wanderlust souls who share the same passions, struggles and desires.

These are not the  top 5 travel blogs in the world, as we all like and search for different things. These are my favorite blogs, the ones  I believe exceed and stand out from the crowd.   I couldn’t number them, from 1 to 5, so I decided to post them by ALPHABETICAL ORDER. Although there are literally thousands of blogs out there, these few stole my heart.

What makes a great blog in my opinion?

– The interaction with the readers/blogger

– Honesty – the good and the bad of a long term traveling lifestyle

– Interesting destinations and personal accounts, not just citation of numbers and addresses

– Originality

– Easy to read and easy to navigate

 

ADVENTUROUS KATE

http://www.adventurouskate.com/

Photo: adventurouskate.com

Photo: adventurouskate.com

If one thing sets Kate apart from most travel blogs, is the fact that Kate will actually share her experiences of life on the road with an honesty and sincerity no one else does. Most of the time I feel blogs are trimmed and manicured to make everything look pretty and fluffy…. Life on the road is great, but it has it’s bad days and dark sides and Kate is not scared to warn, advise and inform people about certain situations, dangers or annoyances.

Her blog posts always feel real to me and whenever I want the absolute truth about some a country or experience I know no one will deliver it the same way Kate does. Her posts are more than a guidebook filled with facts, tips and numbers, but her experiences are filled with emotions and soul.

When I wrote a very controversial post about my experience with sexual harassment in Penang (Malaysia) I got bombarded with horrible and negative anonymous sexist messages defending the men who did it and blaming me. I got seriously disturbed by that…. I took down the post and wondered if it was worth to be bullied in order to warn other females about sexual harassment, so I wrote Kate asking how she deals with aggressive messages and if it was actually worth the stress? Her answer was exactly what I knew deep inside, to be  honest and loyal about what we share ALWAYS, the good and the bad, specially when we can warn other people for certain dangers.

I admire and respect her deeply not because she became big and “famous” but because she’s in my opinion unique in what she does.

 

ETRAMPING

etramping.com

photo:etramping.com

photo:etramping.com

I was doing some research on Couchsurfing 6 months ago, when a female couchsurfer got raped in Lisbon when I bumped into Agness article about “sex surfing”.

This duo of best friends is awesome! Their posts are always fun, easy to read and very original. I’ve noticed they keep an outstanding relationship with their readers, which doesn’t happen often with bloggers who have high numbers of followers.

They’re down to earth and an absolute inspiration. I also love their guest posts which bring a lot of dynamic and freshness to their blog, which never gets boring.  I can’t wait to see where these two are heading next!

 

 

GIRL ABOUT THE GLOBE

http://www.girlabouttheglobe.com/

photo: girlabouttheglobe.com

photo: girlabouttheglobe.com

 

This girl is doing something different than most travelers and bloggers. Down to  earth, humble and honest when sharing her experiences. She’s a solo female traveler with a serious passion for the road, but always keeping in mind the need to travel lightly and with the lowest impact possible.

Her blog is extremely comprehensive, well done and easy to read. Full of tips and info, specially about countries that are less commercial, I truly admire her and sneak in her blog often!

 

GOATS ON THE ROAD

http://goatsontheroad.com/

photo: goatsontheroad.com

photo: goatsontheroad.com

I absolutely love this couple’s blog. They’re funny, humble, honest and our interests are extremely similar. They explore the “last frontier”, places that are still not overwhelmingly commercial.  That’s actually how I found their blog, while searching for info on the “stan” countries in Youtube and later their adventures in Iran.

I started following their adventures and got so hooked, I made my housemate watch all their videos with me (now, we’re 2 fans here!)

I’ve noticed how much they interact with their readers, answer questions and are always available to be in touch. I really value that interaction.  They don’t only talk about their travels and adventures, but also inspire other to follow their bliss, to leave their fears behind and dare to follow their dreams.  The fact they’re still a recent blog, makes it all more interesting, and it’s a pleasure to see them growing and succeed!

 

WILL TRAVEL FOR VEGAN FOOD

http://wtfveganfood.com/

This was actually the very first blog I’ve ever read back in 2011. Kristin had an amazing goal, traveling the 4 corners of the US in search for vegan restaurants and what they had to offer. I’m glad I got to see the very beginning of her dreams come true and later on the success of her project.

She’s so humble and filled with life, offering amazing tips for vegans and vegetarians who love to travel without starving. There are not many vegan or vegetarian oriented travel blogs and hers is definitely my favorite one.

 

 

17 Comments

  1. Ah thanks so much Yara. I was just reading through your post and about to write a reply to say how much I admired Adventurous Kate as well and then saw my blog mentioned! I am so honoured so even be on the same page as Kate. There are so many great bloggers out there and sometimes I think I should be writing more ‘How to’ posts but like Adventurous Kate says: ‘You need to stay true to yourself.’ Travelling alone does have its challenges and you were right to put your Malaysia post on your blog. As with anything in life you have ups and downs and it’s important to show it how it is. Thanks! :) x

    • Hi Lisa, nice to hear from you! I think you stand out because you’re different, your style is unique. You explore different things and your posts feel very real to me. I know you won’t fluffy things up just because it’s easier and that’s what sometimes I think it’s missing on the travel blogging world.

      I love your honesty, the soul and emotion you put on your writing and the fact you can have that, plus all the great tips and facts, makes your blog a very special one. I noticed you won an award, I’m not surprised, you’ve put a lot of work and energy on the the girl about the globe and you totally deserve it.

      As I said, everyone searches for different information and types of blogs. Some want very easy/practical guides, others want to know what the writer felt and experienced, there are really no better or worse ones, just the ones we identify the most with. I absolutely love yours because I identify with you and your style :)

  2. Yara! Thank you for the kind words and supporting my journey. I’m honored to be included on your top 5 list. ::blush:: :) xo

    • Thank you for sharing your journey with us! You’re an inspiration :) I’ll never go hungry again next time I travel across the US, it can be hard to be a vegan traveler sometimes, but you made it much easier for us all! xox

  3. Yay! Will Travel for Vegan Food is the best! <3

    • It is! I loveeeeeeeee her blog, her adventures and those photos always make me drool :)
      I don’t even dare checking her FB updates in the morning before breakfast, those photos make me so jealous (in the good way, of course!) Does it happen the same thing to you as well or is it just me? lol

  4. We’re so flattered to have made this list along with all of these awesome bloggers! Thanks so much for your support.

    Your blog looks awesome we’ll be sure to start following along!

    Cheers and happy blogging.

    • Thank you for sharing yours adventures… you have no idea how many times your videos made me laugh (specially that one hotel in Mongolia, what was that??!! lol) and how your adventures across the least traveled spots made me feel more confident :)

  5. I can hardly wait to go check all of these out! As someone who is new to blogging, I need examples of great travel blogs :) Thanks for this!

    • Hi The caffeinated day tripper, nice to hear from you and nice nick as well, I actually think I’ve seen it somewhere, it looks quite familiar :)
      So we’re both very new to blogging, which means we still have a very open mind :) I really like these 5 in particular, I hope you fall in love with their work as much as I did and hopefully for mine as well, lol
      We’re all doing something very different from each other but at the same time, we’re still a very like-minded community of creative travel folks.

  6. A few of these are also some of my favorites and a couple others I haven´t read yet. I´ll have to check them out! thanks for the recomendations :)

  7. Great Collection of Travel Blog Yara Coelho, I think I just need to follow these travel Blogs to increase my more travel knowledge ! Thanks Anyway Yara.

    • They’re all unique and have their own style. I love them :)

  8. Nice to see some new names in a list of favourite bloggers. I will be sure to check those I don’t know out, soon.

    Re: you receiving negative comments on your Penang post, I remember reading it and thought how important it was that you shared your story and really admired you for writing about it. Unfortunately there are a lot of trolls out there but it’s important to not let them make you stop writing. I write as honestly as I can on my blog but that doesn’t always mean a positive response…

    • Jade, thank you for your message and support on the Penang post. Yes, I got a LOT of angry and hate messages, specially from Malay people who said I was giving the country a bad reputation. I guess you’re right, we have to share the truth, warn people about certain dangers and move on.
      As far as the blogs, I love the work those guys are doing!

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