Travel blogging

Most modern travelers like to get online and catchup with home and what's going on in the world.  In just about every country you will find Internet access stores, cafes or shacks.  They vary greatly and it's worth looking around.  Here are some tips to get the most from your money, avoid pulling your hair out, and prevent losing your precious photos:

• Morning time is best - Almost everywhere gets busier as the day goes on, so visit early in the day to get a comfy seat and the best possible speeds.
• Do it yourself - If you want to upload camera photos, use a USB stick, etc, and are confident in what you are doing, insist you do it yourself.  Many Internet access place staff are employees with no real knowledge of computers.  People have lost photos because of silly mistakes before.
• Make sure it works - Don't put up with a keyboard with keys that don't work, or a mouse that has a mind of it's own.  Tell the staff it doesn't work.  This will prompt them to (eventually) fix it.
• Got you own laptop? - If you have your own laptop look out for cafes offering free WiFi. A cup of coffee can be stretched to an hour, and will cost you about the same as an hours Internet access.  Some bigger Internet access places have zones for laptops, with a power socket and a network cable you can plug in.

Whether you are new to travel blogging or and old hat, there are always resources that can help you. I have listed and discussed some of the online resources I use.

Travel blogs

Here are some of the most popular, and my favorite travel blogs. Look at what people are doing, and learn from their work and experiences.

• Ed's gone south - A great travel blog of Ed's adventures, mainly my motorbike. Not updated very often though. I guess he's too busy traveling?
• Hobo Traveler - An old and established blog written by Andy. Andy has traveled with world for 10 years with the money he makes from his site. The site is quite cluttered though, mainly because Andy rarely gets to go online and tinker with his site.

Travel directories

Directories are a great way of getting more visitors, and backlinks to your website or blog. Here are some travel directories you should consider submitting your website to:

• www.traveldirectory.org.uk

Making money blogs

There are a number of blogs that have lots of good information about blogging, and making money from your blog or website.

• ProBlogger.net - Darren's blog is full of great information about good blogging, and monetizing your blog. He is very experienced and regarded as one of the best, no-nonsense bloggers.
• John Chow - John Chow openly tells you how he makes money, and he is good at it. Recently penalized by Google though, for carrying out practices they don't agree with. His information is still valid though.
• ShoeMoney - Jeremy is a master at making money online. His blog is often controversial, but crammed with good information and his own research and findings. Don't believe everything though. His disclaimer even says you should consider everything he says is a lie.

To make money from your travel blog or website you need advertising and affiliate programs. I use both. I'll talk you through all of the options so you can see what is the best option for you. Read More »

I travel blog when I am home, and when I am traveling. By taking the right equipment with me when I am traveling I reduce my luggage, my work load and get my information online more quickly. Let me show you what I use and how I do it.Read More »

Have you ever dreamed of making money from traveling?  If you love traveling then you probably have.  Most jobs in the travel industry are low paid, hard work,usually require long and unsocial hours, and you never get to do any travelling as you are working too much.  One of the exceptions however is travel writing.

Travel writers generally have a pretty good job.  The send their time travelling to various places, and writing about their esperiences.  And they get paid to do this!  Sounds like a great job doesn't it?  Well it is, but it's not an easy job to get into. 

Most travel writers write for guide books publishers. The publishers have established teams of writers

Many hotels will offer a discount to travel journalists
in the hope of a good review or referrals.  Print some business cards
describing your travel journalism (website address, etc.) and ask about discount
when checking in, obviously produce your business card at that point.  It
is generally better to ring ahead and mention that you are a travel
journalist.

Writing your own travel blog is a great way of expressing yourself, sharing your travel thoughts, tips and photos, and given enough time and work you can also make money from travel blogging.

I'm a professional travel writer and blogger, and here are my tips and ideas to help and inspire you to start your own travel blog or website. Read More »