Travel writing in the blogosphere

I would say that travel writing in the blogosphere has many advantages over the traditional way through books, newspapers or magazines. And this comparison between online and print can be generalised to any area of writing. The use of links makes the writing go quicker and smoother, without a lot of interruptions for in-between-the-brackets explanations. Another plus is the use of video clips and a lot more pictures.

Some travel publications, like Wanderlust and National Geographic, have a section for blogs on their websites. Real Travel also offers the opportunity to the reader to create his or her own travel blog, through its webpage. Travel blogs can very often be found in the online version of newspapers as well, as with The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and The Daily Mail.Aside from the established publishers, I have found some very interesting travel blogs.

Let’s have a look why they caught my eye.

The Travel Rag: Most of the posts have interesting angles. For instance, a recent feature on Lake Como, Italy, recreates Henry Fox-Talbot’s photography from 1833, using a similar camera in the same places. You can also read about rugby in Paris and religion in Arkansas.

World Hum: It has an easy to navigate layout, which would be better if the scrolling down in the opening page was shorter. It has a tell-me-your-experience style, so you can expect to read about a blogger visiting Vietnam who asked a local waitress out at New Year.

Vagabondish: It is not just about travelling; it is about a travelling life style. It has a section on travel news and like most of the blogs, it uses twitter, delicious and all other available gadgets.

Travel Blogs: Great layout, some crazy ideas and a section for travel literature, several blogs together on one platform. One of the best I have found.

Illustration:davidastle.wideweb