Best Round-The-World Travel Blogs
Posted October 23, 2009 , comments closedBest Round-The-World Travel Blogs
Here at BootsnAll, we’ve been trying to inspire and help people plan round the world (RTW) trips for over a decade now. We also host thousands of travel blogs ourselves, with many of them being RTW journals and sites. You might already realize that there are so many thousands of travel blogs out there that finding the best of the best is just about impossible, but that hasn’t stopped us from at least trying to point out some excellent sites that we consider to be among the finest.
First off, what makes a great travel blog?
If you are interested in just keeping track of your journey for your own sake and the interests of friends and family, then it’s totally fine to use an existing template and just cover whatever you prefer. But if you want to put together a site that will appeal to people who’ve never met you, it’s a bit more complicated. Everyone has their own preferences, but generally speaking these are the things that will make your site stand out and appeal to a wider group of people:
- Use lots of photos, on almost everything.
- Make sure your site is easy to navigate, so people who enter on any one post can easily find posts on the same topic or different topics.
- Create an “About Me” page that is easy to find (If random readers can’t tell if you are a 22-year-old female backpacker or a 51-year-old man on a temporary retirement, it’s much harder to feel a connection with you).
- Be opinionated.
- Use lots of photos (seriously).
Here are some RTW blogs that we feel stand out:
Gobackpacking.com
This started out as a standard RTW blog written by a guy in Virginia, USA, who spent 20 months on the road, but now it’s being expanded into a helpful resource for independent travelers. It’s nicely designed and easy to read and navigate, but the content itself is the key. His article describing the actual costs of a RTW trip is a great example of the practical advice he dispenses. And it seems he is looking to expand through outside collaborators now too, so check the site if you are interested.
Nomadicmatt.com
If you follow the online travel and social media community, chances are you’ve heard of Nomadic Matt. He’s another who hit the road a few years back and has barely slowed down since. His site is filled with really helpful tips, and he isn’t afraid to be opinionated, which is refreshing. On his site you might miss his actual blog, but it’s worth a look, especially for solid entries like this recent post called Everyone Say I’m Running Away.
Everything-everywhere.com
Gary Arndt brings a fresh perspective to his site. He’s an entrepreneur who has evidently done well enough to afford a life more or less on the road since 2007. Most RTW blogs concentrate on hostel dorms and barely-existent budgets, so it’s nice to read posts by someone who isn’t forced to travel as a backpacker. Gary is also a good writer who has lately become a key player in the travel social media community, including as the host of a new weekly podcast called This Week in Travel. His site also features a stream of great photographs, so it has the distinction of also making our Best Photo Blogs list.
Alittleadrift.com
This site is the work of a 25-year-old Florida native who says she had a “quarter-life crisis” and decided to hit the road in 2008. She’s a good writer who does an excellent job organizing things so the site is easy to navigate, and there are always plenty of great photos too. She also puts together articles that are meant for a broader audience, including her budget tips and declaration that RTW travel can be cheaper than you might realize.
Ottsworld.com
Sherry Ott was in her 30s when she decided the corporate world just wasn’t for her anymore. She traveled around for around two years and has been based in Vietnam for about a year, teaching English. Now she’s on the road again, but she’ll continue to write and try to help others break away from the corporate grind. If you are unsure whether you can or should hit the road yourself, have a look at her section on taking a career break.
Wherethehellismatt.com
You already know this guy, Matt, from his amazingly inspirational and successful videos of him doing the same goofy dance in some of the most picturesque places on earth. His first trip and video got him so much attention that Stride Gum sponsored a second one and then a third one. He’s now been to 80 countries, at last count, and does actually have a proper travel blog/journal on his site, in addition to the videos and such.
Forksandjets.com
Some colleagues and I discovered this one a few months ago, and we were immediately hooked. It’s written by a pair of “amateur foodie traveloguers” who left Los Angeles in 2008 for a nomadic lifestyle, and the moment the page loads you’ll see they also have a definite sense of style. Once you get past that cool retro look and font you’ll notice that the site is filled with great photos and stories on the food and culture everywhere they go. Check out their observations and frustrations with Morocco as a good example.
Nodebtworldtravel.com
Brian described his mission as “One guy’s attempt to travel as far around the world as he cheaply can” and he’s another who has made a name for himself in the online travel social media circles. It’s not so much a travel journal anymore as it is a useful hub for travel information and advice. He’s recently put together an ebook, in which he’s compiled some of his best stuff. One great example of his style is his article discussing just how much can you save by staying in hostels instead of hotels.
Kiwifamily
This is one of the busiest travel blogs hosted here at BootsnAll, and it should be inspirational to anyone thinking about long-term travel with kids. In their own words, this is about “A Kiwi family with eight kids and a grandpa chronicle their pilgrimage from Singapore to London and beyond…..overland all the way.” You don’t see many large families on the road, so it’s interesting to read about some of the unique challenges, like this post from Bulgaria.
Theworldeffect.com
Here’s another one that is new to us, but caught our eye quickly. It’s written by a couple who obviously have a great sense of visual style. Right now they are in Africa and they have posted some of the finest pictures we’ve seen on a travel blog. An excellent example is this fairly recent post from Serengeti National Park.
Livingspree.wordpress.com
This site is also written by a couple who thought about dropping out of the rat race, and then went ahead and did it. They’ve been a lot of places, and this one isn’t the easiest to navigate, but it’s filled with good writing and useful information. Folks thinking about going to Southeast Asia might especially appreciate the way they break down their exact expenses. Particularly interesting is this post called Wish I Knew It Last Month, where they collect their best tips and insights from the road, after plenty of experience.
Roundtheworldticket.com
This one isn’t a RTW blog in the traditional sense, but we’ll forgive that since it’s part of our own travel network. It’s a site that is loaded with RTW-specific advice and resources, and even though it’s not as active as it once was, you’ll still find some interesting stuff here. In particular you might be interested in Places You Should See on your RTW Trip and Not So Obvious Reasons to Go on a RTW trip.
Do you know of any great RTW travel blogs that we didn’t include? There are lots of fantastic sites out there, so if you know of a site that deals with circling the globe, let us know in the comments.
Photo by aranarth on Flickr
The Netflights Autumn Sale ends Midnight Tonight!
Posted , comments closed) If this rain isn’t enough to make you want to book a holiday, the prices in the Netflights autumn sale will be but hurry up and get booking, because it ends at midnight tonight!
The Netflights autumn sale has seen prices drop on flights, hotels and holidays worldwide. Over the last six days, Netflights customers have benefitted from up to a massive 60% off hotel prices, up to nearly £400 off worldwide flights, and brand new holiday packages, with free nights, free food and drink, free child places and reduced rates all up for grabs. Today is the last day you can take advantage of these fantastic prices so get booking!
If it’s inspiration you need this autumn, look no further than the latest offers pages at www.netflights.com, so jam packed with special offers and exclusive deals you’ll be spoilt for choice! Choose from a collection of brand new holidays in Thailand, Dubai, Florida and Barbados. Get some guaranteed sunshine if you book one of these fabulous packages before midnight tonight! What’s more, as part of the Netflights autumn sale, get up to four nights in amazing destinations like Las Vegas, Mauritius and Malaysia absolutely free, not to mention free half board and kids go free offers at world class resorts in stunning destinations, including Borneo, Bali, Orlando and the Maldives. Now that’s what we call a sale, and it ends soon!
British holidaymakers have struggled through the decidedly dreary “Credit Crunch” summer of 2009. But with the economy looking up, so Netflights flight fares come down, making this autumn the perfect time to book a holiday. Until midnight tonight, get cheap return flights to the USA, starting at an incredible £329, cheap flights to the ever popular Bangkok and Hong Kong at a jaw dropping £337, and return Dubai flights from only £269. Offers like this don’t come along every day, and this sale ends in just a few hours’ time, so visit www.netflights.com and see how much you could save on a fantastic last minute holiday this autumn.
About Netflights
Netflights is part of the Thomas Cook Group and guarantees fantastic offers on flights, hotels, holidays and car hire worldwide. Thousands of discounted airfares from over 135 airlines, reduced rates at over 15 000 hotels, great holiday offers and cheap car hire are all available at www.netflights.com, giving you easy access to all the latest and best travel discounts.
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To book, visit www.netflights.com TODAY. Sale ends midnight tonight!
River cruises keep on rolling on the Danube
Posted September 24, 2009 , comments closed- Doing Europe sans backpacks
- Radosa private club and the origin of the art of travel
- Tourism both in and out of Russia hit hard by crisis
- New guidebooks for the love of Slovenia
- Russian outbound tourism strong as ever
- UK cruise market is on an upswing
- Tour operators: “Ageing Europeans are financially independent, and eager to travel”
- Mobile travel services - debut at ITB Berlin
By
Lori Rackl |
Sep 24, 2009
DANUBE RIVER — It looked like a picture out of my high school German textbook: A perfect, suntanned family frolicking in the shallows of the Danube. They stopped their splashing and laughing to wave at our river boat as we sailed by.
A little further along the waterway, I jealously watched from the boat’s top deck as a stream of cyclists pedaled on the river banks, with the emerald grapevines of Austria’s Wachau Valley as a backdrop. In the fast-flowing water of Europe’s second longest river, a fly fisherman cast his line.
“There’s so much scenery, so much to look at,” said Joan Bell of west suburban River Forest. Bell and her husband, Ray, were on Viking River Cruises’ 15-day Grand European Tour, traveling from Budapest to Amsterdam via three rivers.
“If I was on a regular cruise,” Ray chimed in, “I’d be in the middle of the ocean surrounded by nothing but water.”
The Bells had cruised before, but this was their first experience with river cruising, that rare sector of the struggling travel industry that’s experiencing a growth spurt — at least on the international stage.
While the modest fleet of U.S. river boats continues to dwindle, major operators in Europe, Asia and Egypt keep churning out new ships and itineraries. (One exception is the German company Peter Deilmann Cruises, which is pulling out of the river cruise business next month.) Both Avalon and AMA Waterways launched a pair of new river boats this year. Uniworld recently debuted the newest member of its family, River Beatrice, on the Danube, and its all-suite River Tosca hits the Nile next week.
Viking, the world’s largest river cruise company, introduced the 189-passenger Viking Legend this summer. The Legend is the largest — and greenest — of Viking’s 21 vessel fleet. The diesel-electric hybrid engine uses about 20 percent less fuel than comparable diesel-only ships.
I got the chance last month to spend a few days aboard the Legend as it made its way along 1,100 miles of the Danube, Main and Rhine rivers, passing through 67 locks and under 260-plus bridges, some so low we had to duck our heads.
Time constraints meant I could only do the Danube portion of the Grand European Tour, which stopped in a total of five countries, four capitals and myriad smaller towns.
“This was the most efficient way to see a lot of countries I hadn’t seen before,” said Joan Prims, a retired stockbroker from west suburban Hinsdale. “You can avoid long drives and flights, and you don’t have to keep packing and unpacking.”
Prims is in her 70s. So were a lot of passengers on this trip, where the relaxed pace and length of the journey — a little over two weeks — seemed to appeal primarily to older retirees.
I knew going in (read: dreaded) that as a freshly minted 40-year-old, I’d be one of the youngest people on board. Sure enough, our daily walking tours ashore had more canes than a sugar plantation. But I soon eased into the slower rhythm of things.
Rather than visit every church in medieval Regensburg, I was content to spend a few hours strolling around the well-preserved German village and linger over a weissbier and plate of finger sausages in the shadow of one of Europe’s oldest stone bridges.
Instead of museum hopping in Vienna, I sat back in an air-conditioned motor coach and watched the stunning baroque buildings pass by, listening as our guide explained that many Viennese specialties actually came from other places. Wiener schnitzel? Thank Milan, Italy. Apple strudel? The dough hailed from the Turks. Ditto for Vienna’s famous coffee.
Over the years, I’ve cruised on ships with 10 times as many passengers and never got to know a one of them. River cruises are much more social. Most have a communal, open seating dining format (Legend’s smallest table seated six), so they’re ideal for meeting new people. I imagine that makes them not so ideal for a romantic getaway. Although one evening I did sit next to a couple of honeymooners from Lakeland, Florida. He was 92; his bride, 85.
“Zo you’re zee ones in zee cabin next door making zo much noise,” joked a Frenchman at our table. (The vast majority of Legend passengers came from the United States. All of the ship’s staff members — except the German captain — spoke English.)
The average riverboat holds roughly 100 to 200 passengers, making them far more intimate than your typical cruise ship. The tradeoff is you won’t get all the amenities, entertainment and dining options that come with a bigger boat.
I had a mini panic attack when I discovered the Legend didn’t have a gym — not even a tiny room with a couple pieces of exercise equipment. This ended up being more of a blessing, because we often docked steps away from jogging paths that led me through scenery I’d never see on a treadmill.
The relatively small size of river cruisers like the Legend are also their biggest asset. These boats are tiny enough to get prime parking spots alongside historic city centers, meaning you can walk off the ship and into town without waiting in long lines to be tendered ashore. Other pluses: Seasickness isn’t an issue and daily sightseeing excursions are included in the price.
“I had this grand life plan,” said Prims, the retired stockbroker from Hinsdale, as we sat in the Legend’s lounge. “I’d visit exotic Third World countries in my 50s, Europe in my 60s and finish the U.S. in my 70s.
“Well, I got very behind schedule,” the 77-year-old added, “and this has been a great way to catch up.”
AA raises $2.9 billion, will expand in Chicago, New York, Dallas and Miami
Posted September 18, 2009 , comments closed- NYC joins forces with American Airlines to bump up tourism
- AA announces summer box and bag embargo on certain flights
- American Airlines hires wine expert
- American Airlines to cut US capacity 9 percent
- American Airlines cabins to go cashless
- New flights at Logan Airport in Boston
- American Airlines announces additional flight to Florida's capital
- Airline eliminates 2 Chicago routes
Sep 18, 2009
American Airlines, the world’s second-largest carrier, said it raised $2.9 billion in cash and financing in “a show of strength” and will expand at four U.S. hubs to prepare for a recovery in travel demand.
American parent AMR Corp. rose the most in 11 months in New York trading. Credit-card partner Citigroup Inc. paid $1 billion in an advance purchase of frequent-flier miles, and GE Capital Aviation Services provided $1.6 billion in jet-financing commitments, American said today.
The cash will bolster liquidity for Fort Worth, Texas-based AMR before winter in the U.S., when travel typically slows and carriers tap their reserves to fund operations. Higher-fare business passengers have cut back on flying in the recession, helping drag the biggest U.S. airlines to losses.
“There are signs of improvement in the revenue environment and in consumer sentiment, but the winter season is still potentially a challenging one,” said Douglas Runte, managing director at Piper Jaffray & Co. in New York, who doesn’t rate AMR. “This liquidity raising is an important move.”
‘Show of Strength’
“This is the time for a show of strength,” Chief Financial Officer Tom Horton said in an interview. “As capital flows in this industry, we believe it should flow to the strongest companies. Our company represents that.”
American’s ability to access capital while the airline industry struggles has “taken the liquidity question off the table,” Horton said.
The carrier also has about $2 billion in unencumbered assets should it need to borrow more. AMR expects to have about $3.7 billion in cash and short-term investments at month’s end, including funds for specific uses. It pared debt to $14 billion as of June 30 from $21 billion at the end of 2002.
Details of the mileage sale and aircraft financing weren’t disclosed.
“AMR likely conceded certain terms, potentially on underlying collateral, in order to close the deal as AMR enters its seasonal cash burn period,” said Hunter Keay, a Stifel Nicolaus & Co. analyst in Baltimore who advises holding the shares. “But the near-term benefit of new liquidity will likely far offset any longer-term concessions.”
Hub Flights
American said flights will increase from the hubs at Chicago, New York, Dallas-Fort Worth and Miami, and some regional jets will get first-class cabins. The carrier also will purchase 22 70-seat Bombardier Inc. planes.
Daily departures for mainline jets and regional carrier American Eagle will drop by 46 at St. Louis and 9 at Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina, American said. The carrier said it’s still assessing how many employees will be affected.
Seating capacity in American’s main jet operations will increase 1 percent next year over 2009, the carrier said. Domestic markets will be unchanged, while capacity on international flights, typically the most profitable routes for airlines, will rise 2.5 percent.
The GE Capital Aviation Services agreement will provide funding for Boeing Co. 737-800s being added through 2011 by letting American sell the jets to the General Electric Co. unit and lease them back. American is buying 84 737s, which are 25 percent more fuel efficient than the MD-80s they will replace.
GE’s Role
Boeing 737s use only CFM engines, built by GE’s jet-engine manufacturing venture with Safran SA of France. Fairfield, Connecticut-based GE is the world’s biggest maker of jet engines and the largest aircraft lessor by the number of planes.
The new GE financing also includes $280 million in cash under a loan accord. American put up 10 aircraft as collateral for $225 million of that funding, and will pledge 3 more planes as security next month to tap the remaining $55 million.
American is at least the fifth major U.S. airline since 2008 to raise funds by selling frequent-flier points to credit- card issuers. The miles are distributed as awards for purchases.
Citigroup can use the miles in equal monthly installments from 2012 through 2016. The agreement also extends the New York- based bank’s co-branded credit-card program with American.
The route changes for American and American Eagle will include the addition of 57 daily flights and 12 destinations in 2010 from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. The airline will add 23 daily departures from Miami, 19 from Dallas-Fort Worth, 7 from John F. Kennedy airport in New York, 2 at New York’s LaGuardia and 2 at Los Angeles.
American didn’t disclose a cost to add first-class cabins to its fleet of Bombardier CRJ700s, allowing the carrier to charge more and compete with UAL Corp.’s United Airlines, which sells the premium tickets on its 70-seat planes from Chicago. American will begin accepting the 22 new CRJ700s in 2010.
“We’re really focused on where you want to be big in the U.S.,” Horton said of American’s emphasis on the four hubs and its base at Los Angeles. “It is a signal for the future as to where this company is going to place its bets.”
U.S.-based carriers slashed flight capacity in 2008 and this year, first in response to record fuel prices and then to better match supply as corporate and leisure business dwindled.
Friends of the Earth grades 10 major cruise ship lines
Posted , comments closed- Bigger is better for new cruise ships
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Sep 18, 2009
An environmental group released its report card Wednesday on how well cruise ship companies operating in American waters are doing to reduce pollution, and not one received an overall grade of “A.”
Friends of the Earth graded 10 major cruise ship lines, including some of the biggest names in the business, such as Carnival Cruise Lines. Carnival received a “D-minus.”
The report issued the highest grade — a “B”— to Holland America Line. Norwegian Cruise Lines and Princess Cruises also scored relatively well, each getting a “B-minus.”
The lowest grades —”Fs” — went to Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International. Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises also scored poorly.
Cunard Cruise Line and Regent Seven Seas Cruises received about average grades.
“Typically, cruise ship passengers are attracted to cruise vacations with pictures of pristine waters and promises of unspoiled scenery and abundant wildlife, but these passengers are never told that their vacations could leave a dirty mark on the places they visit,” said Marcie Keever, who spearheaded the “Cruise Ship Environmental Report Card.”
Cruise Lines International Association, a group representing 24 cruise lines, castigated the report, calling it arbitrary, flawed and ignoring “the fact that our cruise lines comply with and in most cases exceed all applicable environmental regulations.”
“It is regrettable that Friends of the Earth authors such misinformation when in fact this industry has made tremendous progress in the past several years in advancing technology and developing programs that go a long way in protecting the environment,” the association said in a statement.
Friends of the Earth graded the cruise lines on three categories: sewage treatment, air pollution reduction and water quality compliance in Alaska waters. It also issued a simple pass/fail grade for each line’s accessiblity to environmental information.
The group said Florida, which has some of the least stringent laws preventing cruise ship pollution, also has the top three cruise ship departure ports: Miami, Port Canaveral and Fort Lauderdale.
Alaska and California have taken the strongest stance nationally against cruise ship pollution, the group said.
Keever said some of the cruise lines have been working to make its ships less polluting, especially in the area of sewage treatment. Holland America, Norwegian, Cunard and Celebrity received high marks for having advanced sewage treatment aboard their ships.
Carnival and Disney received “Fs” for sewage treatment.
Disney, with two ships and two under construction, could score better on sewage treatment next year because it has promised to make upgrades on all its ships, Keever said. The company announced last week that for the first time it would begin offering tours in Alaska beginning in 2010.
Keever said the technology is in place for cruise ship companies to meet Alaska’s stringent environmental laws — a claim disputed by Alaska Cruise Association president John Binkley. He has said cruise lines would be happy to adopt affordable new technology to meet Alaska’s tougher standards if it were available, but there is nothing that is reliable.
Binkley was not available for comment Wednesday.
In 2008, 12 of the 20 ships allowed to discharge in Alaska waters received violations, mostly for ammonia and heavy metals, Keever said. The fact that eight ships had no violations shows it can be done, she said.
The 10 cruise lines received lower grades for reducing air pollution. Seven out of the 10 cruise lines received “Fs.” Only Princess received a high grade.
Princess has spent millions to reduce emissions from its cruise ships, Keever said.
The company invested $4.7 million in the Juneau port so that ships tying up there can plug into shore-based power instead of running their own engines to provide power to passengers and crew. The company also has invested $1.7 million to upgrade the Seattle port. Keever said nine of Princess’ 17 ships are equipped with electrical plug-ins.
The Los Angeles port later this year is expected to have shore-based power at its cruise ship terminal, she said.
Without the power upgrade at the ports and the retrofitting of the ships, cruise ships are forced to burn bunker fuel while in port, a “dirty-burning” fuel that is 1,000 to 2,000 times dirtier than diesel truck fuel, Keever said.
Cruise ships also can be equipped to burn marine distillate, a cleaner-burning fuel than bunker fuel, Keever said. California recently required all ocean going vessels, including cruise ships, to burn the cleaner fuel within 24 miles of shore.