15 of the Best Expat Blogs

Of all the entertaining varieties of travel blogs out there, there’s one category that sets itself apart in a way that I find most appealing – and that’s the expat blog. I’m a wannabe expat myself, so clearly that’s part of the draw for me, but I also think the way an expat approaches blogging is inherently different from any other travel blogger. In fact, many of them wouldn’t even consider themselves travel bloggers, and there’s a good reason for that.

It’s because they’re not.

Being an expat blogger can mean writing about cultural observations about one’s chosen home, or about the new cafe or shop or museum one discovers in the getting-to-know-you phase of living in a different place. But once you’re settled in, it can be hard to continue to look at where you live as a traveler might. Which is why so many expat blogs are one part travel guide, one part cultural anthropology class, and one part “what I had for breakfast” blog.

Obviously, with this kind of ingredient list it takes a good writer (or photographer) to keep things interesting. So in this article I want to highlight a few of what I think are the best expat blogs out there.

15 of the Best Expat Blogs (in No Particular Order)

Miss Expatria (Rome & Montpellier) – Christine Cantera, AKA Miss Expatria, is one of my favorite bloggers, period. She’s hysterically funny but also unfailingly charming with her enthusiasm for everything. She’s like a kid in the candy store of the world, and no matter where she is she’s in love with something enough to tell you about it. Reading her blog, you feel like you’re chatting with an old friend over coffee. Or wine. Or both.

David Lebovitz: Living the Sweet Life in Paris (Paris) – David’s a food writer who lives in Paris, so the blog is equal parts food porn and Parisian (sweet) life. His cultural observations are amusing as well as interesting, and a recent post about what he’d miss if he moved away from Paris was particularly enlightening. (His Twitter updates are immensely entertaining as well.)

Alexandre Gervais (Tokyo) – Alexandre Gervais’ self-titled blog is a showcase for his photography, and what beautiful photography it is. He’s from Montreal, and moved to Japan to learn Japanese – thankfully he’s also a top-notch photographer who enjoys sharing his surroundings with the rest of the world. The words are minimal on the site, but the pictures are huge; and, for photo-geeks, the technical details of each picture are provided, too.

Traveling Mama (Morocco) – Tina and her family are, technically speaking, in the middle of something of a round-the-world trip. It’s just that they’ve been in Morocco since early 2007 and her husband runs a language school there – so I think it’s probably more accurate to call them expats than travelers at the moment. Either way, the blog is beautiful (the fact that Tina’s husband is also a skilled photographer doesn’t hurt!) and the writing lovely.

Danish Accent (Portland) – One of the best things about an expat blog is the potential for seeing your own home country in a new way, so finding expat blogs in the United States is particularly fun – especially when that blogger lives part-time in your home city, too! Peter Fogtdal is an author who splits his time between Copenhagen in his native Denmark and Portland, Oregon, where he’s a literature and writing professor. His blog includes posts about his travels and cultural observations, as well as information about the books he’s written.

Still Life in South America (Buenos Aires) – As the about page of this blog states, it’s “part travel journal and part resource for fellow travelers,” which is a pretty good combination for an expat blog. It’s written by an American writer and English professor who moved to South America in early 2008 with her husband in order to learn Spanish, and they’ve lived in Buenos Aires since mid-2009. You may never know the name of “the writer,” but the writing is great, and the photos are plentiful.

Isoglossia (Slovenia & Bulgaria) – I’m oddly drawn to Isoglossia, despite it feeling like it’s more about things like potty-training and other child-rearing topics than about travel, because the author is bitingly funny. John is an American who recently moved his family from Slovenia to Sofia, Bulgaria, so it’s possible the new environs will inspire more travel-esque posts in the future. Even if that’s not the case, however, the site is worth stopping by for a good chuckle now and then (as is the Twitter feed). And any travel trivia freak will be happy to know just what an isogloss is.

Rome Photo Blog (Rome) – There’s no shortage of “daily photo blogs,” but I particularly like Jessica Stewart’s. She’s a talented photographer who has a knack for spotting things in her adopted city that you might miss if you were just passing through (she’s particularly fascinated by street art). Looking at her photos makes me look at my surroundings, wherever I am, in a new way – which is a great attitude to have whether you’re traveling or not.

Diary of a White Indian Housewife (Mumbai) – Sharell met the man of her dreams in a Kolkata nightclub while on leave from her job in Melbourne, and that changed her life forever. They got married and moved to Mumbai, where she is – as the blog title indicates – a “white Indian housewife” who writes about travel in India for About.com and about life in India on her blog. There are cultural observations, travel tips, and tidbits about daily life – and there are also lots of pictures.

Le Franco Phoney (La Clusaz) – As you can probably tell from the cute blog name, this blogger has a sense of humor. Australian April Hollands moved to the French Alps after two stints living in England in order to be closer to snow (she loves winter sports), and has been blogging since mid-2008. April’s a writer with a background in journalism, but don’t worry about getting overwhelmed by hard-hitting serious topics on her blog. You’ll find more in the way of funny observations about life in France on the blog than anything else, and that’s one of the things that makes it so delightful.

Touching Up My Roots (Croatia) – This blog is about one American family’s journey tracing ancestral roots in Mrkopalj, Croatia. The blog’s author, Jennifer, is the one with the Croatian family ties, but her husband and their two kids are along for the adventure, too. There’s evidently a book in the works, but you can follow along before publication on Jen’s Croatia blog – full of photos and colorful local personalities. And for fun, check out the kids’ blog, too.

From Russia With Love (Rostov-on-Don) – Eileen Emch is a missionary in “the largest city in southwest Russia,” Rostov-on-Don, and has lived there since 1999. She’s been blogging since 2006, and her blog is full of observations on both the local culture and what travel is like in the former Soviet Union. She’s an experienced and eager traveler (not to mention an eager blogger), and she takes lots of pictures.

Living in Egypt (Cairo) – As Maryanne Stroud Gabbani says on her website, “I have experienced Egypt myself as a tourist and then as someone living here on a day to day basis. I know the difference.” Maryanne’s been in Egypt since the 1980s, blogging since 2003, and she now leads horseback riding tours in Giza. Her perspectives as both a long-time local and yet still an outsider make for an interesting read.

Emilie Johnson (Paris) – There’s a nice mixture on this blog of travel tidbits and what Emilie’s daily life is like in Paris, plus she takes lovely photos. The cast of characters includes her French husband and his adorable daughter as well as her in-laws, so you get a feel for French family life in addition to expat life. Read up on Parisian life quickly, though, as it appears Emilie’s returning to New York (with her French family in tow) in early 2010. Let’s just hope she keeps blogging.

Ahoy, Hanoi! (Hanoi) – Although the author of this blog is starting to bounce around a bit location-wise, he’s still firmly outside his home country and pretty funny no matter where he is. Ben August had planned to spend six months in Hanoi, but then he met a girl – you know how that goes. He ended up staying for more than a year, and even returned after traveling for awhile. Ben’s got a great sense of humor, and posts lots of photos and video of his life in Vietnam and his travels throughout the region.

Finding Expat Bloggers

We’ve all heard how everyone has a blog these days, and sometimes that feels true – which is why I said this is only a list of some of the great expat blogs out there. There are, as you might expect, a kajillion (that’s a technical term) expat blogs, and a huge number of them are really interesting.

If you’re looking for more expat blogs, one handy place to look – especially if you’re looking for blogs in a specific location – is the Expat Blogs site. You can find blogs by country, and you can also find information about living in that country.

And if your favorite expat blog wasn’t included in this list above, please let us know what it is in the comments section below. We love finding out about new expats worth following.

About the Author

BootsnAll staff writer Jessica Spiegel is midway through the excessively long paperwork process involved in becoming a legal immigrant to Italy, and in the meantime she continues to write about Italy travel for BnA on WhyGo Italy. You can also find her on Twitter @italylogue.

photo by mangpages

Chris Guillebeau: An Interview With a Successful Entreprenuer, Writer, and World Traveler

This is the first in a series of brief interviews with some of the important movers and shakers in the travel business. In some cases you’ll be familiar with the person but in other cases they might be someone you should know about who has been playing a role more behind the scenes.

Chris Guillebeau

Chris lives a lifestyle many of us only dream about. He’s an entrepreneur and writer based in Portland, Oregon, who is currently 119 countries in to his goal of visiting each of the 197 nations on earth.

If you have any desire to travel the world while sustaining an appealing lifestyle using your talents at the same time, Chris is someone you should be following. The first part of his philosophy on life is “You don’t have to live your life the way other people expect you to,” which is a thought that should resonate with many travel fanatics who aren’t always understood by their non-traveling friends and families.

His site, chrisguillebeau.com, is loaded with interesting articles that will help you get started down the path you desire, and his first book, The Art of Noncomformity, is due out soon.

Who: Chris Guillebeau, Portland-based traveler & soon-to-be author

Blog: The Art of Nonconformity, documenting his quest to visit every country in the world and lifestyle design.

What is your favorite packing trick?

Pack less and never check bags. Terribly obvious, I know, but sometimes the obvious is the best. I also leave things like books and clothes in random stops along the way.

Do you have a luxury item that you don’t leave home without?

Not really. I suppose my laptop is somewhat a luxury, but it’s also vital to what I do. I work from wherever I am in the world.

Do you have a repeat offender destination?

Yes, I visit a number of places each year as jumping-off points to new countries. I’ve probably been to Hong Kong more than a dozen times in the past two years. I also like South Africa a lot, although I only get there about once a year these days.

What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve eaten while on the road?

I’m a vegetarian and therefore not a huge adventurer when it comes to eating outrageous things. The next time I get to Malaysia, though, I’m planning to visit an “All-you-can-eat Durian Stand” that I saw in Kuala Lumpur last month. I figure since I have to skip the Chinese dogs and African rats-on-a-stick, the least I can do is try durian sometime.

Backpack or wheelie?

Wheelie + laptop bag. It’s worked for 119 countries and counting!

Iron Horse Hotel, Milwaukee

Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee

21c Museum Hotel in Louisville, KY

Gramercy Park Hotel, New York

The Nines Hotel, Portland

The Joule, Dallas

11 Volcanoes in the Americas That You Can Climb

Maybe it’s because they seem primordial, or because you did really well in rocks for jocks, or actually know a thing or two about geology. Or perhaps just because it’s there, and well, so are you. But for some (perhaps magnetic) reason, where there is an accessible volcano, there are travelers (and sometimes locals) bathing in its hot-springs, scaling its slopes and marveling at its lava flows.

As you make your way around this still-forming planet, consider the following fairly accessible volcanoes for part of your next been-there-done-that party. It goes without saying that climbing or getting close to an active volcano carries risks, but most travelers find that those risks pale in comparison to lava, fumaroles, lava tubes, tumbling rocks and the kshgrrrrburbleburble that volcanoes whisper and shout to you when you’re nearby.

Below you’ll find a list of accessible volcanoes for your hiking and viewing pleasure in the Americas. Sadly, Kilauea in Hawai’i is politically but not geographically in the Americas, so we’ll have to save that for a special ring of fire edition of the volcano walking for the mildly intrepid. For now you’ll have to make do with these beauties.

Mount St. Helens – Washington, USA

Since May of 1980, when Washington state’s Mt. St. Helens blew her cone and covered Seattle with ash that my friends tell me looked like snow, she has gained respect from locals and travelers alike. On a clear day, she is visible in the distance, from Seattle and Portland, Oregon as well, a flattened giant that blew her top.

Since 1987, the southern slopes of Mt. St. Helens have been open to climbers who wish to climb close to (but not into) the crater. Monitor Ridge is a popular trail that starts at Climber’s Bivouac, and takes between 7 and 12 hours to climb. Climbers can gain views of the crater, blast area and other nearby volcanic peaks, but those wishing to climb above 4,800 feet (the rim is at 8,365) must seek a permit.

More details are on the Mt. St. Helens website.

Mt. Redoubt – Alaska, USA

Mt. Redoubt is an active stratovolcano that erupted violently in March 2009, and is probably best seen from nearby, as opposed to up close. Until recently, climbing Redoubt required some technical expertise, fixed rope climbing and a peakside scramble to the top, but there’s no telling what things will be like after the eruption finally stops, so do your research before packing your gear.

For now, views of Redoubt volcano (from the Russian Sopka Redutskaya meaning “fortified place”) are best taken from afar. The 9,000-foot volcano is less than 200 miles from Anchorage.

You can also get a (less sulphuric) peek from home at the Alaska Volcano Observatory webpage.

Tequila Volcano - Mexico

In Mexico, there are a number of volcanoes that can be easily accessed, including Tequila Volcano, where visitors can actually drive to the edge of the crater and peer inside to see the forests that have sprung up inside. Not surprisingly, this volcano is located a stone’s throw from the town of Tequila, better known for another kind of liquid fire.

Rock climbers will want to summit “the plug”, a lava column that formed inside the mouth of the volcano and was then thrust upward by geologic pressure. Its sheer walls are not for the uninitiated, nor the acrophobic.

Other climbable volcanoes in Mexico

Also near the state of Jalisco is the Nevado de Colima volcano (inactive), which can be climbed, and Volcan de Fuego, which is active, and therefore best seen from down below. High-altitude treks would take climbers to the peaks of Iztaccihuatl and Orizaba (the highest peak in Mexico at 18,404 feet), but these are not for the inexperienced, the guideless or those who are short of time as they require a few days.

Volcan Arenal - Costa Rica

This starring player in Costa Rica’s ecotourism route is far too active and explosive to be climbed safely. It is often socked in with clouds, but nighttime visits to the nearby hot springs bring vantage points to see the small lava explosions and red-hot rocks tumble forth from the cone.

The area has grown in recent years with Costa Rica’s runaway tourism, and you may find more souls with whom to say “oooh” and “aaaah” than you were expecting.

Several hotels and outfitters in the town of Arenal, and nearby Fortuna, run tours, and the Arenal Observatory Lodge offers volcano views from right inside.

Horseback riding and bicycling are popular in this area, with all eyes trained towards the volcano, day and night.

Pacaya - Guatemala

Guatemala’s Pacaya volcano’s ash-lined slopes have been calling to travelers since the gringo trail first appeared. Volcano-lovers generally stay in the colonial town of Antigua, where tours can easily be arranged, and which is a pleasant, oft-visited spot on its own.

The hike up Pacaya starts with a steep climb through a pine forest, up through a strenuous section up slippery ash-lined slopes (two steps forward, one step back). Views from the top extend down to the pacific lowlands and all the way to El Salvador. A guide is recommended as the volcano’s activity is unpredictable, and the route may not always be clear. Also, historically there have also been muggings on this volcano, so going with a tour is a safer option.

For those aspiring vulcanologists for whom one Guatemalan volcano is not enough, you might consider taking a five-day tour with an outfitter that leads hikers up Pacaya, Sta. Maria, Acatenango and Fuego with camping on the slopes of the volcanoes.

Ometepe - Nicaragua

Nicaragua is home to several active volcanoes, including Masaya, which can be toured at night, and which has lava tubes which visitors can explore. A headlamp is a nice touch, as it keeps your hands free, but a flashlight is fine as well. Nicaragua’s Ometepe Island in Lake Nicaragua attracts volcano lovers as well for the two volcanoes that comprise the island (Ometepe means two mountains), Maderas and Concepci?n, neither of which tops 6,000 feet.

Concepci?n is the world’s highest lake island and is considered a fairly perfect example of a cone volcano. It remains active. Maderas is terraced in places where farmers take advantage of fertile growing conditions on her slopes.

For those visitors for whom these three volcanoes in Nicaragua have not quelled their need to see the world’s geology lab might consider also visiting Cosig?ina, in the northwest corner of the country. This volcano’s violent eruption in 1859 spewed ash and rock, and contributed to the formation of some of the islands in the Gulf of Fonseca. It’s now considered dormant, and is only 900 meters high, and covered in dense vegetation.

Boiling Lake - Dominica

Of sixteen active volcanoes in the Carribean, Dominica is home to nine, and since no significant eruptions have taken place since Columbus’ time, the rainforests are lush and mostly undisturbed. Visitors to this eco-destination can visit Morne Trois Pitons National Park, a World Heritage site since 1997, which is named for the remains of what was once an enormous volcano.

The park contains several volcanic features, including the hot springs at the Valley of Desolation and a 13 km, 3-4 hour hike up to the world’s second-largest boiling lake, a bubbling, burping greyish-blue 200-foot-wide lake which geologists believe to be a flooded fumarole. Locals consider it to be a right of passage, but except for the guides, you won’t find many repeat visitors. It’s messy business, especially since in addition to being highly volcanic, Dominica is also the rainiest of the Carribean islands. “Stinking hole” is another feature here, a lava tube in the middle of the forest that leaks sulphuric fumes.

For those who prefer their waters a little clearer, Dominica also offers an unusual underwater view of volcanic activity in the form of Champagne, an underground vent system that releases ticklish sulphuric bubbles that visitors can snorkel through. This is accessible by tour, or by kakaying out to the access point.

Soufri?re Hills - Montserrat

The formerly dormant Soufri?re Hills volcano on Montserrat came back to life in 1995, triggering fears of an imminent eruption, and chasing half of the island’s 12,000 inhabitants away. In 1997, the volcano made good on its threats, and covered the southern part of the island, including Plymouth, the 200-year-old capital, with a giant, lava-spilling eruption.

Ever since the volcano stabilized, travelers teem there to see the aftermath, and investments pour in from abroad to keep the economy going. Guests at Hot Rock Hostel get front row seats to the spectacle, and hiking and boat tours are also available. For details on what the volcano is doing at any given time, you can also visit the Montserrat Observatory site.

An overview (if brief) glimpse of the contrast between the two sides of the island, destroyed and unscathed is perhaps best gleaned from up above, which you can achieve by flying to one of the nearby islands, such as Dominica, a volcanic powerhouse in itself (see above). In fact, some experts suspect that Dominica is primed for an eruption on a similar scale to that suffered on Montserrat.

Villarica Volcano - Chile

Villarica Volcano is 19 km from Puc?n, Chile’s adventure sports capital in the Lakes District, in the middle-south of this stringbean of country. Outfitters charge a pretty penny to suit you up with mountaineering boots, a nifty waterproof jumpsuit, helmet, and piolet, or ice axe. A several hour-long climb takes you up to about 9,000 feet, and when the snow cooperates, much of the descent is done on little sleds on snow chutes set up by the guides, and stopped (hopefully) through self-arrest with an ice axe, which has led to more than one emergency-room visit in recent years.

Thousands of hikers climb this volcano every year, though weather turns many people back before reaching the top. Depending on the wind, the sulfur fumes can be blinding, and the temperatures punishing up at the top. Other volcanoes in Chile that can be climbed in a relatively short time period include Guallatiri in the far north, and Lincancabur and Lacsa from touristy San Pedro de Atacama. The Llaima and Chaiten volcanoes (in the south) have both erupted very recently and at the moment are not considered climbable.

There is also a short ski season during the southern winter up on the slopes of Villarrica and Osorno (near Puerto Varas) volcanoes. The mother of all volcanoes, and the highest (probably active) volcano in the world is Ojos del Salado on the Argentine/Chilean border, but this is a several day trip that requires serious mountain gear.

Cotopaxi - Ecuador

Ecuador is home to Pichincha, Riminahui, Cotopaxi and Chimborazo volcanoes, and of these, Cotopaxi is perhaps the most emblematic and the most frequently climbed, though is does require an overnight at a refuge. At 19,347 feet, it is the second highest volcano in Ecuador (the first is Chimborazo), but not on the continent. That honor goes to Ojos del Salado, on the Chile/Argentina border (see above)

From Quito, you can hire a guide, though since the starting point of the hike is at nearly 15,000 feet, a number of days’ acclimation in Quito beforehand, as well as climbing some smaller, nearby mountains would be wise. Hikes up Cotopaxi start the day before, gain several hundred feet of elevation over the course of a few hours, and then have climbers resting/sleeping from 6 PM to around midnight. At 1 AM climbers begin their summit attempt. It generally takes approximately 7 hours to summit and 3 to arrive back to the parking lot. For those who just want to get close and then put the volcano behind them, some Quito outfitters offer mountainbike trips down from the park’s entrance.

El Misti - Peru

Beautifully symmetrical El Misti Volcano is 19,101 feet high, and is accessible from “the white city” of Arequipa in Per?, which itself is 2400 meters above sea level, which will help travelers to acclimate. Misti (which means the gentleman in Quechua) last erupted in 1870 and is the source of much of the white stone of which the city itself (the second largest in Peru) is constructed.

This trip takes two days and one night, and gives hikers the chance to descend into one of the three concentric craters, should energy abound. The first day involves a 4×4 trip to the end of the road, followed by a 6-8 hour hike, a night of “sleep” at 4800 meters, and a 4 AM wakeup to make the summit in about five hours. Participants can expect to drink copious amounts of coca tea and be cold, even in their -15C sleeping bags. Tour agencies recommend booking this trip before arriving in Arequipa, as it is quite popular.

For a list of volcanoes of the world, visit the Global Volcanism Project. For a list of volcanoes with recent and ongoing volcanic activity, please see the International Volcano Research Centre’s website.

If you’ve climbed one of these volcanoes, or another in the Americas, let us know in the comments.

Read about author Eileen Smith and check out her other BootsnAll articles.

Photo credits:
Mt. St. Helens by barcar on Flickr, Redoubt on wikicommons, Tequila by mickou on Flickr, Arenal by pawpaw67 on Flickr, Pacaya by Bruno Grin on Flickr, Conception by tarariffic7 on Flickr, Dominica on wikicommons, Monserrat on wikicommons, Cotopaxi on wikicommons, Villarica by andyinsouthamerica on Flickr, El Misti on wikicommons