It almost always happens. Whenever I finish giving a talk or lecture about travel blogging (and blogging in general), I am almost always asked which other travel blogs I read and recommend.
Travel blogs come in various forms, shapes, and colors and each has its own purpose. Some promote destinations by providing useful information (travel guides), some showcase incredible images (photo blogs), others chronicle their memorable trips (travelogues). Like most online users, I too am a fan of other travel blogs that help me plan my next trip or inspire me to travel more and write more, or both. Here are eight of my absolute favorites in no particular order. (This list does not include blogs of friends who are very close to me.)
1. Eazy Traveler
Edgar Allan Zeta-Yap is a wordsmith as well as a lensman. His photographs alone are enough to make me come back to his blog often (sometimes more often than he updates). But that’s not the only thing that makes Eazy Traveler the blogging gem that it is. Edgar has a way with words. He describes each place he visits with such clarity and precision that the place becomes a character, a driver, the type you are dying to know more about; and the writer becomes the vehicle. His articles are short but is never deprived of action — a brief encounter but always remarkable. In his posts, the place is alive and this life is what he brilliantly captures in his concise paragraphs and incredible photographs.
2. Langyaw
Like most good things in this world, the articles on Langyaw.com are short and sweet. These bite-sized posts offer a glimpse to Estan Cabigas’s moments on the road, captured in pixels and letters. Estan prefers the road less traveled. His tone is always conversational and unpretentious, like a friend narrating in flurry a recent adventure or discovery. But this friend shares, not brags. And don’t get me started with his pictures.
3. Flip ‘n Travels
What happens when you put travel, wit, sarcasm, and great writing together in one corner of the web? Just add a sprinkle of intimacy (read: sex) and you’ll have the recipe for a rare substance called Flip n Travels. I have yet to meet in person Ron Cruz and Monette Fernandez, the writers behind this ridiculously addictive blog. Not that I need to. After all, the blog is so personal, the reader is treated not just to an exploration of a place but an adventure through their unambiguous and distinct points of view. A treat, yes, because what sets the blog apart is their unique perspectives, not very common these days.
Photo by Melo Villareal
The one thing that I adore most about FlipnTravels is that it shifts the focus from the place to their relationship with it. It refuses to be confined by the pressures of SEO and travel guides. The place is highlighted enough but it becomes a mere setting, albeit active and essential. The focus is the experience — the odd, the hilarious, the insightful — told through words carefully chosen from their bottomless box of humor and stash of witticisms.
Travel blogging can’t be any more entertaining (or sexier) than this. It’s highly addictive. And this serves as your warning.
4. The Transcendental Tourist
Another personal travel blog that I have fallen madly in love with is the Transcendental Tourist by AJ Poliquit. The guy is a wizard. He masterfully fuses useful information and entertaining experiences in one article that can be taken by the reader without getting lost. His beautifully woven sentences not only grab the readers and teleport them to that place but also make them think, feel, and appreciate it both as a physical space and as an experience, transcendental or otherwise. Still, AJ manages to keep his storytelling enjoyable by throwing quips and personal remarks about his encounters in the already potent mixture. Like FlipnTravels, the Transcendental Tourist adds humor and personal touch to his experiences to make a blog that boasts effective substance and excellent form more than anything.
5. Lakad Pilipinas
One look at Lakad Pilipinas and you know the guy behind it is a talented son of a… Oops, that’s my envious alter-ego talking. But seriously, there’s just so much to envy about Christian Sangoyo and a big chunk of that is his impeccable photography. His unassuming blog is teeming with photos so hypnotic you’ll be tempted to pack your bags and plan a trip to that place right away. Or if you’re me, you’ll be left sulking, wondering why you didn’t have right DNA to produce pictures as captivating as his. But it doesn’t stop there. His writing is just as excellent, putting the reader right with him when he was there, sharing how he sees the world. And it’s a beautiful world, indeed.
6. Ambot-ah
A bombardment of awe-inspiring photos awaits you when you visit Ambot-ah, the flagship travel blog of Marcos Caratao. He turned his back on his profession to pursue a “free-spirited journey of adventure and self-discovery.” This journey has led him to the many corners of the country and Southeast Asia and he chronicles these trips on this blog in great detail. Ambot-ah is a visual feast, serving captivating landscapes and gripping portraits. Heck, even his selfies look like they were taken by God (Lol). Aside from the shots, he is also a storyteller and a helpful one at that, posting his itineraries for those who wish to follow his tracks. And he’s a nice guy, too!
7. Travel Up
She’s a traveler, a geek, a gamer, a biker, a motorcycle enthusiast. In one word, Kara Santos is an “adventurer,” ready for any type of adventure be it virtual or real. And nothing else documents the exciting and adrenaline-driven life she leads than her blog — Travel Up! The name of her blog was inspired by the video gaming concept of leveling up, “gaining higher levels of completing tasks and challenges.”
Kara’s writing style is simple, easy to digest, and very “relatable” — allergic to empty adjectives. Yet, she successfully takes the reader on a ride to the edge. Yes, that may be it! The subject, the experiences themselves, is edgy enough that there really is no need to embellish it with words that only impress and intimidate. With her adventures, Kara makes Travel Up a fun and engaging read, and she does it oh so effortlessly.
8. Lakwatsero
I have always been a big fan of Lakwatsero even before I became travel blogger myself. Lakwatsero is a great go-to blog for comprehensive travel guides to destinations in the Philippines, from crowd favorites like Boracay to best-kept secrets like Cuyo. Angel Juarez, Lakwatsero himself, seems to have a knack for many things thrilling. He runs, treks, and dives, allowing himself to witness and enjoy the wide array of “worlds” that travel has to offer. You could say Lakwatsero is the ultimate Pinoy Travel blog if you throw in high quality photos… Oh wait, he has those, too!
A great deal of descriptive skill is required to properly narrate a spatial experience in a factual yet entertaining fashion. I may have been a personal blogger for almost eight years now but I am new in the travel scene and, like I always say, I still have so much to learn. Travel blogging isn’t easy (or not as easy as others think). It’s a rough, bumpy ride, I tell you, but the eight blogs above surely make it look like they’re just gliding through. And that, my friends, is pure talent.
So the next time you need travel ideas or inspiration, give these sites a visit and you’ll find yourself delightfully drawn by their restless spirit into their wildly nomadic worlds. And there’s no turning back from there.
Credit: THE POOR TRAVELER
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