Today we have the dashing Rob Schrader of the phenomenally successful Leave Your Daily Hell blog. Rob makes us woozy with his eloquent travel writing voice (Will: and sexy camel kissing photos) and offers up advice on what makes a confident and authoritative writer. We love this guy (well, I know that Will certainly does)

1. Could you briefly introduce yourself, your site and your why you wanted to write a travel blog?

Certainly! My name is Robert Schrader and I’m the editor of Leave Your Daily Hell, which is today a comprehensive source of destination information, practical advice and inspiration for more than 20,000 travelers. When I launched the website in 2010, however, it was little more than a personal travelogue of my experiences living and working in China.

2. Who were/are your major influences when decided to create your own blog?

Initially, nobody! I started my blog for completely self-indulgent reasons, the fact that a few people (mostly older men who wanted to have sex with me) followed it religiously notwithstanding. It was only after being selected as a finalist for a big blogging contest in Thailand in 2010 that I decided to pursue travel blogging as a profession, that I felt like I might have “what it takes.”

3. How would you describe your voice? How does your style differ?

Most people who know me in real life and then read my blog remark that I write exactly how I speak. And I won’t lie: I speak more articulately than most people do. Indeed, I’ve found the secret to developing a writing voice that others want to read is first acquiring an enjoyable speaking voice, then writing as close to how you speak as possible.

4. What do you think constitutes a great travel writing voice?

People read travel blogs because they want to travel more. If you want to be someone’s source of advice or even inspiration, you have to write with authority. Although my natural writing style is long, flowy and pretentious, I’ve found that writing short, snappy, information-rich sentences — with, of course, some sass and, occasionally, sex sprinkled in — is the best way to go for blogging purposes. Also, have impeccable grammar, diction and sentence structure. If you claim to be a writer and don’t write well, who’s going to trust what you have to say?

5. What time of day do you find best to write? Do you have any particular styles of getting your ideas down? Do you have a notepad or is everything digital?

Early, early morning — I usually wake up a 5 or 6 a.m. and write at least one article before doing anything, including eating breakfast. As far as ideas, my method is simple, if a bit formulaic. A couple times per year, I make a long list of potential topics and turn them into catchy titles or at least, phrases I think will be the post titles. I then schedule them out, to the tune of five per week, at least a few months in advance in iCal. Typically, a single phrase or idea is the only seed I need to write a fully-formed article — I’m lucky like that.

6. What things do you focus on in your blog posts? What makes great reading?

The focus of a particular post always relates to its title; how I illustrate that focus is what’s different. I always use a combination of hard facts and personal anecdote, but the ratio varies. If I’m writing a more info-based post (Transport Options in Colombia, as an example), facts outnumber anecdote. For editorial and opinion-based posts, on the other hand, facts are merely the foundation; my personal experiences illustrate and justify the position I’m taking. Ultimately, people want to read what will help them make a good decision, and providing what my readers want is always my top priority.

7. What are your thoughts on travel literature? What books have inspired you/what other works of art?

To be honest, I try not to read a lot of proper travel literature, although I am a big fan of Henry Miller’s accounts of his early-century sexcapades. I find that most travel writing simply makes me question my own path and as a result, is not very beneficial to me. I instead prefer to read books that tangentially relate to traveling Herman Hesse’s “Siddhartha” and Jamaica Kincaid’s “A Small Place,” for example. More than that, however, I’m inspired by music. Tori Amos’ “Scarlet’s Walk” is my perennial favorite.

8. How do you build your audience?

Social media is big. I post about 50 times per day to Twitter and several times per day to Facebook, where I also run ads to promote my fan page. I respond to every single re-tweet I get, every Facebook comment and every blog comment. I communicate directly and as extensively as possible with readers who write in to email. I guest post for blogs. I’m also kind of an SEO master: A good chunk of my articles rank on the top page of Google for their respective keywords.

 9. Tell us about your most popular post.

Funnily enough, it’s a post called Casual Sex in Brazil which uses my experiences whoring around in Brazil to illustrate the larger trend of gratuitous sex in the country. It ranks very highly in Google and gets over 5,000 unique views per month all on its own. Unfortunately, I think most of those viewers are actually looking for porn, so it doesn’t convert very well. More wholesome — and higher-converting — posts are “How To Travel Young and Middle Class,” “10 Reasons To Travel Now” and “Travel the World for Less Than $50 Per Day.”

10. And lastly, what would be your top 3 tips to a new blogger trying to find their  voice?

1. Get in the habit of speaking more eloquently

2. Write as closely to how you speak as possible

3. Read your writing aloud and re-write anything that sounds awkward

Sweet interview! Thanks Rob!

Go over to Leave Your Daily Hell to hear Rob’s travel writing voice for yourself and become a follower on Twitter.

For an interview of your own, contact us.

Today on TraveLinkSites we’re chatting with the lovely Leah, winner of the recent Go With Oh blogging competition and formidable partner in crime with Miss Lola DiMarco (who she’s set to go travel Europe with).

Leah’s about to impart lots of super advice on how to build an audience for your travel blog having built quite the large following for her own blog over at Leah Travels. Let’s see what she has to say!

1. Could you briefly introduce yourself, your site and why you wanted to write a travel blog?

Hey, y’all. I’m Leah Walker, a former English teacher, current technical writer, and want-to-be full-time travel writer. I stared my blog, Leah Travels, in September of 2011 as an outlet for my creative side. Writing oil and gas software manuals just doesn’t provide that for me.

2. Who were/are your major influences when decided to create your own blog?

I studied blogs, blogging, SEO, and social media for a good three to four months before I launched my site. I found a list of the top 100 travel blogs according to Alexa ranking and poured over each one of them. I made notes of the things that I thought would work for me. I also was able to develop a strong idea of what I wanted, and more importantly, what I didn’t want. Matt Long’s site, LandLopers, was a great source.

3. How would you describe your writing style? How does it differ?

I’m a storyteller, so my blogs are written in a narrative manner. I weave facts and travel tips into my stories so my readers are both entertained and learn something. You’re not going to find straight-up posts about the five best ways to find a car rental deal. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it’s just not my style.

4. How would you describe your travel blog audience? Are they hardcore? Do they just come the once? What do you like about having an audience like yours?

I have my regular readers, just like most bloggers, but I do get people who find my site for one reason or another and become regulars. I often discover that when I’m writing about a particular city/region/country that I attract fans of those places. My goal is to create quality content that will keep those new readers coming back.

5. What is the best way to get a reader’s attention? How have you managed to stoke your readers’ interest so frequently?

I’ve found that some of my most-viewed posts are ones that are deeply personal to me. Take for instance my very first post, “Why I travel: A Dedication.” I write about my mother’s battle with ovarian cancer and how it led me to embrace life and travel more. It continues to strike a chord with readers, and I think it’s because it’s written from the heart.

Titles are also a great way to grab a reader’s attention. I knew my recent post, “I Hate Cruises” would stir the pot, and boy did it. I also did a guest post on Mrs. O Around the World on my tour of H. Stern Jewelry in Rio de Janiero.  I entitled it, “Getting Stoned in Rio.” It really turned some heads! Don’t underestimate the power of a title. Often it takes me longer to come up a title than to actually write the entry.

6. How do you interact with your audience? What tools work best?

I make it a point to respond to every single reply, Facebook comment, email, and tweet I receive. I think it’s important to engage and answer everyone. After all, people are giving me their most precious commodity:  time. It’s the least I can do. I also make sure to visit and comment on other people’s blogs. There are certain ones that I look at on a regular basis, but I also try to visit new ones. As a blogger, you want people to come to your blog, so you need to reciprocate. I think it’s selfish not to.

7. What are your thoughts on networking with other bloggers to grow your audience? How do you do it and how does this help?

I think networking with other bloggers is not only beneficial, but absolutely necessary. I’ve learned so much from other bloggers and made wonderful friends in the process. I’ve participated in Tweetups in Austin and Chicago this year. Some might think it crazy to visit people you’ve never met before, but I’ve been rewarded with like-minded friends. I’m also attending the TBEX (Travel Blog Exchange) conference in Keystone, Colorado in June. I plan on not only meeting a host of travel bloggers and industry leaders, but also learning more in the lectures. Networking is definitely key to being a successful blogger.

8. What is the best thing about having a wide audience? What do you get personally from people sharing in your travels?

I’m still trying to build my audience; it’s an ongoing process. I toyed with the idea of just blogging about Texas travel since I saw a void there. Ultimately, I elected not to, at least for now. I didn’t want to be pigeonholed as the Texas blogger. Just like with my stocks, I feel it is important to diversify. I could easily write ten posts about New Zealand in a row, but I might lose a certain percentage of my audience, those not interested in New Zealand travel. I try to mix it up as not to bore anyone. I want to keep it fresh. I’ll probably still be blogging about Ireland six months from now, even though my trip was in April.

Sometimes I think travel blogging is a very vain thing to do. What makes me think others want to read about my adventures? However, I think it depends on how one approaches blogging. I’ve tried to use my voice to inspire others to get out of their comfort zone and do more, even if it doesn’t involve travel. Sometimes it’s hard not to come off as braggadocios when writing about your travels. I might be guilty of that on occasion, but I make an effort not to.

A writer I admire, Frank DiCesare, recently told me that he likes the approach I take towards my blog, that it is as if I have a mission statement. I’m glad he noticed, because in creating Leah Travels, I thought of it as if I was creating a small business. I hope to monetize it and make the site a source of income soon. But more than that, I love to write. I take pride in the words and photographs I put on my Website, and take it as the highest form of flattery when someone reads and comments on the posts. To know that others read what I have to say and are genuinely interested, makes all the time spent worthwhile.

9. Tell us about your most popular post.

I love American college football, and in the fall of 2011, I had a series featuring the best places to experience college football games.  On eight Fridays, I featured a different university. Not only did I write about the game day experiences, but also the places to eat, drink, sleep, and visit within the cities. I loved the series, and I feel like I was very thorough and presented excellent resources for those looking to visit the places I featured. All of the posts got a lot of traffic, but one in particular just blew up. In a span of just 17 hours, I received almost 3,000 hits on my Texas Tech University feature. For a site only one month old, I think that’s a huge number. I’m extra proud of this post since I’m a Texas Tech graduate. Coincidence? Perhaps. But I think it had more to do with how I marketed it. I’m going to keep that secret for myself.  ;-)

10. And lastly, what would be your top 3 tips to a new blogger trying to build an audience?

1. Provide great content:  That’s probably the most obvious thing. Proofread your stuff several times. Reread it even after it’s published. With fresh eyes, you’re sure to see something you’ve missed.  Great content extends past just the words on the page. Don’t forget to have great images and a visually-appealing layout. If you’re not the best photographer, search the Creative Commons in Flickr for beautiful photos. Just make sure you adhere to the accompanying license and give credit. One of my pet peeves is people using something that’s not theirs and not acknowledging where it came from. Perhaps that’s the former English teacher coming out in me. Plagiarism is wrong and illegal!

2.  Don’t stop learning and improving:  Rarely does one start something new and immediately become the best. I go back often and reread old posts, not just for proofreading, but to see what I like and ways to improve each one. I try to look at them objectively. I read travel blogs of people I respect and pull strategies from them. There’s nothing new under the sun, folks, but being a copycat isn’t going to get you anywhere. I put my own twist on ideas.

Also, to be a great writer, one must practice. Even though I taught writing for a decade, I forget some of my own lessons. I’m guilty of telling and not showing with descriptive words, using too many to be verbs and not enough action verbs, and misplacing commas. Brush up on your syntax and remember what your English teachers used to preach: show, don’t just tell.

3. Don’t get too big for your britches:  I haven’t yet achieved the level of success that makes this a danger for me, but nothing puts me off of someone more than when they’ve forgotten where they started. Nobody begins at the top in the travel blogging world. As I’ve already mentioned, I think it is very important to interact with your readers. A simple “thank you” is the least one should do. The same goes for Twitter and Facebook. Acknowledge a retweet or a Facebook share or comment. It’s not that difficult and is the polite thing to do. I really value those more established bloggers that lent and continue to lend me a hand, and I feel it only appropriate to do the same for others just getting started. I think it’s important to give back and keep that ego in check.

Thanks to Leah. Quite the born storyteller, she left no stone unturned in this interview!

Make sure you click over to Leah Travels and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Contact us for an interview

Today TraveLinkSites makes it’s way to Guatemala and the fabulous couple that make up Traveled Earth. Ashley & Mike are currently gallivanting around Europe but we thought we’d go back and ask them about their time in this gorgeous Central American country.

Over to you guys…

1. Could you briefly introduce yourself, your site and your experience travelling in Guatemala?

We’re Mike and Ashley Lenzen, a couple from small-town Saskatchewan, Canada. Saskatchewan is a praire land, flat as the ocean and with bitterly cold winters. In July 2011, we quit our jobs, sold our house, and left home on a one-way ticket to Cancun, Mexico. We have been travelling without an itinerary ever since. Our blog, Traveled Earth, chronicles our journey and adventures, offering travel advice and tips along the way. While we have grand ambitions of traveling around the world, we got a little “stuck” in Central America for the first nine months of our trip, spending 3 months in Guatemala.

2. What made you choose this country and what were your first impressions?

We chose Guatemala as a starting point for our travels because it has lots of cheap Spanish language schools. Some of our travel friends recommended a school on Lake Atitlan, so we spent six weeks living there and taking classes. We loved Guatemala from the beginning. The landscapes are beautiful and while the country is poor economically, it is rich in culture.

Indian Nose - Lake Atitlan

3. How much money can someone travel around Guatemala for? What are the greatest expenses? What things are relatively cheap?

We spent about $13 a person per day traveling through Guatemala ($20/person if you factor in the cost of six weeks of Spanish lessons). Our greatest expenses were the Spanish lessons, accommodation during Semana Santa and eating out in cities like Antigua. Outside of Semana Santa, accommodation is quite cheap… we paid anything from $4 a night for a private room with private bath in Lake Atitlan to $12 a night for dorm beds in Antigua. Street food and market food is also cheap and delicious.

4. What is the local cuisine like? Did you find yourself trying new things or pining for the familiars of home?

The local cuisine of Guatemala is handmade corn tortillas (the best in Central America!), beans, and fried chicken. You could also find tortas (sandwiches), tacos, and empanadas on the streets. Our favourite local drinks were ponche de leche (spiced hot milk) and etole de maiz (a thick corn drink, kind of like drinking corn muffin batter). We never found ourselves pining for the familiars of home and were happy to try new and unusual things (like raw eggs in orange juice).

5. What cultural activities and events would you suggest everyone seeing or taking part in while travelling in Guatemala and why?

If you can time your trip just right, we would suggest that everyone tries to take in Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Guatemala. Antigua is the most well known city to do this in, but you can find celebrations going on just about anywhere. Semana Santa events take place in the week leading up to Easter, and include several religious processions and intricately designed carpets made of wood shavings, flowers, and fruits carefully laid out in the streets. It is definitely something to see.

Independence Day (September 15) is another cultural event worth seeing. We were in Quetzaltenango (Xela) for Independence Day, where they have a large festival and fair each year. Beware of pickpockets at any cultural event or in any crowd of people.

Finally, if you are lucky enough to visit Guatemala during an election, you can take in a lot of local culture. We were at Lake Atitlan for the six weeks prior to the national elections, and witnessed nightly political rallies, fireworks, parades, and marching bands.

6. What is your favourite thing about travelling this country? What is your least favourite thing?

If we have to choose just one favourite thing about travelling in Guatemala (besides the incredibly reasonable cost), it was probably watching women wearing traditional Mayan dresses hand making corn tortillas in front of a backdrop of lakes and volcanoes. There was just so much to take in!

Our least favourite thing was the danger of pickpockets and thieves… we were pickpocketed twice at festivals and were wary of the chicken buses near Guatemala City.

Semana Santa Preparations

7. What things do you focus on most when you blog about this country? Why do you choose these things?

When we blog about Guatemala, we focus on describing the experiences we’ve had (both positive and negative) and we try to include useful information about methods of transportation, costs, and sights to see. This is because our blog is written for two audiences – first, it’s for our family and friends so they can see what we’re up to. Second, it’s for other travellers, so we try to include enough detailed information to make it useful to them.  We also share the statistics we keep about our travels (how much we’ve spent, how many different beds slept in, etc.) – this is the result of the nerdy math side of Ashley shining through.

8. What’s one thing you can’t travel around Guatemala without?

You can’t travel around Guatemala without a camera. There are so many cultural moments to capture. But that’s kind of a boring answer, isn’t it? You could say that about anywhere. So let’s try again… you can’t travel around Guatemala without a raincoat and a warm sweater. We were there in rainy season, which meant rain every afternoon. And if you want to spend any time in the highlands of Xela or Lake Atitlan, warm clothes are a must!

9. What kind of response have you had to your blogs about Guatemala? What post had the most interest?

We had a great response to our blogs about Guatemala. This was the first country that we really explored in depth, and the blogs told the story of that. Our Tikal post probably had the most interest (mostly through Facebook, Twitter, and other media) because of the picture of Ashley with a tarantula in her mouth.

10. If you could think of one thing you wished someone told you before you started travelling in Guatemala what would it be?

We wished that someone had warned us about pickpockets at festivals. We were expecting them to be there, but we weren’t expecting them to be that good… we lost a camera from a zippered front pocket. That took us by surprise.

Thanks guys!

I’m not sure I will ever recover from the site of a tarantula in your gob Ashley but we’ll keep reading your Traveled Earth blog anyway…

Make sure you all check them out on Facebook & Twitter

You want to be interviewed by us don’t you? Got a blog you want to chat about? Contact us.

Well this hunk has got Kiri’s heart racing… Hello Gareth of Tourist 2 Townie!  He’s been missioning around South America, making us laugh (and jealous) and here he tells us about his love for Bolivia. Might just have to fly to Bolivia now…

1. Could you briefly introduce yourself, your site and your experience travelling in Bolivia?

Ladies and gentleman of the world, my name is Gareth Leonard but my Latin friends call me Andres. About two and a half years ago Tourist2Townie.com was cultivated to document my pursuit of traveling deeper throughout Latin America as I attempt to venture beyond monuments and landmarks to experience places through the culture and people who define them. I focus on one mission for each destination and so far I’ve bartended in Buenos Aires, Argentina, learned to Salsa in Medellin, Colombia, and I’m currently volunteering with a literacy organization in Sucre, Bolivia.

2. How does Bolivia compare to the rest of South America in terms of things to see and do, its food and its culture? Is it very similar to other countries or very different?

Bolivia is traditional, humble, and one of the most naturally beautiful places I’ve ever seen. Like all South American countries, Bolivia has so much to experience from border to border that you could spend years exploring. When it comes to food, saltañas are a highlight of an otherwise modest selection compared to other South American countries, like Peru and Brazil.

3. How much money can someone travel around Bolivia for? What are the greatest expenses? What things are relatively cheap?

Bolivia is the cheapest country in South America. Food, accommodations, tours and land travel are all very inexpensive. I guess one of the most expensive aspects of the country is just getting in ($135 for US Citizens).

4. What are your favourite destinations in Bolivia and why?

Sucre has been my home for the last 4 months so that’s definitely at the top of my list. The city it peaceful, the people are friendly and the weather is great. Otherwise, on and around Salar de Uyuni in Southwest Bolivia definitely lived up to the hype and mountain biking down the World’s Most Dangerous Road outside La Paz was also incredible.

5. What cultural activities and events would you suggest everyone seeing or taking part in while travelling in Bolivia and why?

The pueblos (small towns) of Bolivia have festivals going on all year. Whether it’s as well known as Carnival in Oruro or miles from the tourist path like dancing with bulls on Easter in Morado K’asa, there’s always something to do, even outside the big cities like La Paz and Santa Cruz. Pueblos in Bolivia, like most Latin American countries, are the heart and soul of the culture.

6. What is your favourite thing about travelling this country? What is your least favourite thing?

Favorite has to be the affordability and safety. Least favorite has to be the inefficiency.

7. What things do you focus on most when you blog about this country? Why do you choose these things?

Like anywhere I go, I focus on the people. In Bolivia in particular, I’ve focused on the volunteer work I have done with BiblioWorks. An organization based in Sucre, which builds and facilitates libraries around the Chiqusaca region.

8. What’s one thing you can’t travel around Bolivia without?

Potatoes… they’re everywhere!

9. If you could have lived anywhere else in the country where would it be and why?

I loved the weather and eye candy of Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

10. If you could think of one thing you wished someone had told you before you started travelling in Bolivia what would it be?

That if I ever got stuck in a road block that I could call them and they would come pick me up in their helicopter and take me wherever I wanted to go. Patience is a virtue in Bolivia.

Thanks to Gareth or should I say Andres!

Go over to his Tourist 2 Townie and follow him on Facebook and Twitter too.

Contact us for an interview

Look at these two, aren’t they lovely?! And that is a pint glass that Will and I like a lot! Today we go back to our Travelling Couples theme and talk to Cole and Adela of Four Jandals. These guys get stuck into as much adventure as possible and we simply love them.

1. Could you briefly introduce yourselves and your site?

We are Cole and Adela, the Kiwi Adventure Couple who have been travelling for the past two and a half years with our trusty Jandals (New Zealand slang for flip-flops).

We have shown that everyone can do adventure travel activities through the Four Jandals Adventure Travel Blog.

2. Tell us the story!  How did you guys meet and what made you choose to write a travel blog?

We are both water lovers and actually met poolside while playing Underwater Hockey (and yes it’s a real sport)! I guess Adela just couldn’t resist me in my speedos J

We started travelling over two and a half years ago in Canada but didn’t start our blog until only 8 months ago. We thought it was about time to start sharing our adventures and from there our adventure travel blog has just continued to grow.

3. Individually, what are the things you are best at when it comes to your blog?

When we started it was just Cole who did everything from web design, writing, social media and taking the photos. Luckily he was well stocked up with food and support from Adela. Now that we have grown Adela has begun to get a lot more involved with writing and takes some of the best photos.

We are still trying to build a video section on the blog and this will be the next big focus for us.

4. What has been your favourite place so far?

Overall it would probably be in Jasper high in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. We lived there for 10 months and was so hard to leave. However, we just returned from two weeks in Turkey and fell in love with the food and the scenery on our Sail Turkey trip.

5. Tell us about the best cultural experience you’ve had? And what’s been your worst moment?

The best cultural experience would have to be our trip to Egypt. Seeing the Pyramids in person and floating down the Nile is something we will never forget.

But not all travel is as fun. In Marrakech, Cole became really sick after kissing a snake and lost 10 kgs in just 2 weeks. Unfortunately these things happen but it means Cole doesn’t want to go back to Morocco now.

6. How do you handle spending so much time together? Any secrets to share?

Alone time is the key. It may sound weird travelling as a couple because you don’t really get the chance for alone time. But having a short break from one another to do your own thing works. For example, Adela is quite happy to sleep in while I have to get up and out there. So will often have an hour or two to kill some time.

7. What are your biggest challenges with travel blogging?

There is not enough time in the day for travelling and blogging. Ironic considering we have to travel to blog! I find it really hard to sit down with the laptop at the end of a hard day of travels and needing to edit photos, write posts, reply to emails and then spend a couple of hours on social media! But somehow we still love it all.

8. This is the dangerous one… Is there anything you would change about your partner when it comes to your experiences travelling? (Now no fighting please, criticism is productive remember!)

Cole needs to learn to pack earlier than the last minute! While Adela needs to be a little bit more careful with some of Cole’s precious gadgets like his camera! Luckily even though we do fight when we travel we will often get over it and make up quickly. You can’t be mad at someone when they may be the only other English speaking person in hundreds of miles J  

9. It’s a common sweeping statement in the travel world that ‘you’re not really travelling if you’re with a partner’. Seeing as so many people travel as a twosome, this seems a little odd to us. What do you have to say about this?

We actually admire solo travellers that can head off into the world by themselves. But think that is a ridiculous statement because we love to share every experience with one another. And so often you will find that solo traveller end up meeting up with other solo travellers to partake in activities together anyway.

10.What’s next on your agenda? Do you have any travel goals for the year?

We are actually about to take off on our next adventure to Italy at the beginning of June. We have 6 weeks to tour around with a couple of press trips to various areas of Italy. And then we will be enjoying (maybe enjoying is the wrong word) Running with the Bulls in Spain. After that we actually have no idea but should be returning to Edinburgh, our current home base, and Cole will be trying to blog from there full time.

Check out their adventure travel blog, Four Jandals, and join their travel community on Facebook and Twitter too.

Want to be interviewed? Contact us.

We’re getting all up in your face about photography today as we turn over TraveLinkSites to everybody’s favourite Canadian, Brendan van Son.

Brendan is the man behind Brendan’s Adventures and Vagabundo Magazine, and is currently travelling the world blogging and taking plenty of photos along the way. 

1. Could you briefly introduce yourself, your site and your travel experiences?

Hi. I’m Brendan van Son from Brendan’s Adventures and I’ve been travelling for about 3 years and blogging for just a little less than that. I spent around two years living in South America and have also spent a lot of time in North American and Central America. So a lot of Americas! Right now I’m in Morocco, having just completed a trip through Europe.

2. How would you describe your photography style?

I’d say I’m pretty much a jack-of-all-trades. As a travel photographer you have to shoot a little bit of everything. So wildlife, people, architecture, urban scenes, landscapes, everything, all these things make it into my photographs and I try to get a little bit of everything if I can.

3. How did you get started in travel photography?

I probably started aged 13 when I went to Japan on a school trip. Then I just had a little disposal camera but I remember shooting pictures the entire time I was there and I really loved it. I guess that was where it all evolved from. I’m not sure if at that point I knew that it was going to play a major part in my future though!

4. What are your top three tips for people looking to improve the travel photography on their blogs?

The biggest thing I think is that you have to change the point of view, the perspective. You have to try to look at things from a different eye level. Everybody sees things from a walking eye level but you have to climb up things, go down things, explore different perspectives to get the more interesting results. The other thing is that I think you have to shoot what you really enjoy shooting. If you are just taking pictures of things because you think its what you should be shooting but that you aren’t really into, then you’re not going to enjoy it and pretty quickly you’ll start to hate photography. The third thing is to do some research. So many people take pictures with their cameras and they have no idea how to work them. So just learning the basic functionality of your camera – even if it’s just a simple point or shoot or an iPhone – it makes a big difference.

5. How do you market yourself as a travel photographer? What works and what doesn’t?

I mean I don’t really do a whole lot of marketing as a photographer. I just kind of let things go on my website, on Brendan’s Adventures, and wish for luck. A lot of people use sites like Flickr and Smugmug – and I’ve just gotten on Smugmug – but I don’t spend so much time trying to sell myself as a photographer, I try to just sell myself as a traveller and use my photography to help that.

6. What gear do you carry and why?

I try to stay as light as I can, but that being said I don’t really stay that light! I carry one camera body,  a Canon 60D, and then I carry a kit lens, an 18-135mm lens and a 50mm fixed prime, that’s an F1.8, and then I carry a 200 mm fixed prime Canon which is F2.8. I also carry around a tripod, a monopod, a light diffuser, a light reflector, a macro-extension tube and a 2X extender. Also some other things which I can’t remember right now!

7. What’s the best way for someone to get started in travel photography? What books can you recommend? What gear can you recommend?

You have to do the minor research first and decide if you really want to take pictures. If you decide that taking photographs is really what gets you going there are some books you can use to get started. Scott Kelby’s Digital Photography book, which really simplifies photography and teaches you how to get a certain shot without being too technical, I also have my own book for point and shoot camera users, it’s an eBook and I think that works as well. It’s a good product for beginners!

8. What one travel destination would you absolutely love to photograph that you haven’t already?

I think Africa is on my schedule but it’s almost one dimensional with wildlife. I think India would be a great place to shoot or maybe Burma, somewhere that has landscapes and really colourful people and a lot going on.

9. What is the best destination you’ve photographed and why?

It’s probably 50/50 split between Antartica and the Galapagos Islands. They were really great destinations. I’d say Antartica probably wins though because it had the wildlife and then just insane landscapes and natural backdrops.

10. Any last words for bloggers or photographers hoping to doing the same as you?

Figure out if its something you really want to do and if you decide its something you’ll willing to set aside the rest of your life to do then do it. But if you’re not willing to set aside your life and then think carefully!

Brilliant tips there from Brendan! If you’re looking to improve your travel photography head on over to Brendan’s site at Brendan’s Adventures and be sure to follow him on Twitter.

If you’d like to be interviewed, contact us.

Not Australia, but most definitely Ian

If only words could express how indebted we feel to Aussie (look we spelled it right this time) hunk of muscle Ian Cartwright for joining us today to talk all things travel Australia, well, then we’d probably write a decent enough introduction.

Ian is the wrist-spinning, record wicket-taking, XXXX-swigging blogger behind the thoroughly decent travel blog Eager Existence and we’re extremely privileged to have him here today! Take it away Ian…

1. Could you briefly introduce yourself, your site and your why you wanted to start a travel blog?

My name’s Ian, I’m almost 30 years old *shock*, and I’m a travel blogger. I used to work in IT, but quit the 9-to-5 to explore some of this magnificant earth before I ‘settled down’. I blog on solo travel, adventure travel, and basically just doing whatever-the-hell-you-feel-like.

I started my blog, like most, to keep a journal of my adventures and tick off the bucket list. Somewhere that I could let people know how I was doing (without individual email updates), develop my writing skills, and gain Internet stardom at the same time.

I used to keep a written journal, but I kept losing it, and once it was even stolen! My little black book (*cough* genuine moleskin) of memories, phone numbers, and sleazy sex stories gone forever!

2. What are your experiences travelling Australia?

Umm… I was born here; in the West (WA). That makes me a local boy. Aussie mate. “Throw another shrimp on the barbie”. All that shyte. Besides that, I’ve been quite a few places in Oz… except the big touristy places like Ayers Rock, and Great Barrier Reef. Should really get onto that someday.

I’ve done a few places in the West including my home town of Perth; Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast. Haven’t really ventured into the Kakadu yet, or been up to Darwin. But I think a Baramundi fishing trip is on the cards. Wanna come?

(cc) Lost in Australia

3. How much money can someone travel around Australia for? What are the greatest expenses? What things are relatively cheap??

If you’re travelling on a budget, or haven’t got an income while you travel… Australia might sting a bit. The cost of living here is quite high (but we have nothing on Switzerland!). Hostels can be upwards of $30 a night. Train tickets can be $5 a piece. A pint of beer can cost $11. But, just like all backpackers, there are tips I can share with you to make your stay come in under budget.

Aussies are a friendly bunch. So milk it! Stay at someones crib for free (CouchSurfing). Pre-Drink before a big night out, enjoy the free activities — like our glorious beaches and parks.

(cc) SteveR-

Why do you think the Great Aussie BBQ is so popular? Because a meat pack is under $20, and a carton of VB around $35. That, and a cricket bat and ball ($15), and you have fun-and-games for the whole family!

4. What is the local cuisine like? What Ozzie foods should us lot be trying?

First off, you spelt Aussie (ED:oops!) wrong. Secondly, do we even have a local cuisine?

When I bummed my way around Europe last year, trying to score a free nights accommodation whereever I could; a common request was “Cook us something Australian!!”

My reply was often “Alright. Ideas for where we can go Roo Shooting?”.

If we’re not eating our native wildlife, I’m not sure that we have anything uniquely Australiana. Maybe Lamingtons, Vegemite, and Pavlova? I don’t think we can claim the Sausage Roll or Steak Pie.

We could go all traditional and do a Damper, Billy Tea, and some Witchetty Grubs.

Of course when you’re here, some clown will make you try Vegemite. You’ll also get into Tim Tams, and Milo. The Aussie Meat Pie is a great hangover cure.

(cc) chanyinkeen

And the Reef & Beef (also known as the Surf & Turf) is a fantastic way to grill a steak. Basically, if it’s got meat on it. We eat it.

I’d also recommend trying Crocodile, Emu, Kangaroo, and Baramundi. I wouldn’t go trying Koala or Platypus, unless you want to get arrested.

5. What cultural activities and events would you suggest everyone seeing or taking part in while travelling in Australia and why?

6. What is your favourite thing about travelling this country? What is your least favourite thing?

7. What things do you focus on most when you blog about this country? Why do you choose these things?

8. Whatís one thing you can’t travel around Australia without?

Sunscreen. Of course.

Oh, and anti-venom …just kidding.

9. What kind of response have you had to your blog posts about Australia? What post had the most interest?

10. If you could think of one thing you wished someone told you before you started travelling around Australia what would it be?

Today TraveLinkSites is super excited to be featuring one of the most popular and widely read travel bloggers out there, Ayngelina Brogan of Bacon Is Magic.

Ayngelina is an absolute star in the field of travel blogging and has built a strong army of followers since she started her blog over two years ago. Today she’s going to talk about how you can do the same!

1. Hi Ayngelina! Could you briefly introduce yourself, your site and your why you wanted to write a travel blog?

I’m Ayngelina and I publish Baconismagic.ca. I started my blog in January 2010 to document a 1-2 year RTW for friends and family. I wrote this small blog for my family when I went to New Zealand for a month so this was going to be a bigger one.

2. Who were/are your major influences when decided to create your own blog?

Wow that seems like an eternity ago. I know I followed Uncornered Market, The Road Forks, Two Backpackers and The Professional Hobo but I’m sure there were others.

In the early days I was part of a great group that started at the same time: Johnny Vagabond, Go See Write, The Aussie Nomad, The Traveling Savage,Nomadic Chick, The Jungle Princess, Travels of Adam, Monkey Brewster, 20 Something Travel, Adventurous Kate. They were probably my biggest influence as we all learned together and supported each other, commenting when no one else was, sharing tips and advice. Without them I’d still be writing for only my mother.  

3. How would you describe your writing style? How does it differ?

I write the blog as if I am writing for a good friend, so it’s very personal. I don’t tell people what I do every day but what affected me that day or how I felt. I write about being lonely, stupid or eating at McDonalds and feeling guilty about it.

I don’t write tips posts or how to get from A to B. But I am working on a new project to build some travel guide directories because I do get a lot of emails asking where I stayed. This will be in a different section of the site under resources because the focus of my site is really about introspective travel.

4. How would you describe your travel blog audience? Are they hardcore? Do they just come the once? What do you like about having an audience like yours?

My readers are really loyal and I think/hope they feel like they know me. I was in my 30s and deemed successful by other people’s standards. I had no idea where I was going with my life once I “made it” and wondered if this was all life was about. I think a lot of people can relate to that. I decided the best thing to do was buy a one-way ticket to Mexico and figure it out. I don’t believe everyone needs to do that. But as I write about what the hell I’m doing with my life I think people feel less alone on their own path.

No one read my site for a really long time, which is probably good because it was really boring in the beginning before I found my writing voice. By the time I landed in Colombia I started getting significant traffic and it just snowballed.

My readers tend to be a bit older, 27-45 and they aren’t all backpackers. In fact a lot of them will never stay in a hostel and prefer resorts. But because I don’t write about budget saving tips and rather shared something about the culture, my site is still relevant.

5. What is the best way to get a readers attention? How have you managed to stoke your readers interest so frequently?

In terms of getting new people social media is the way to do it along with guest posting.

To keep reader attention I think you need to be consistent. I have a groove of what I write about and what I won’t write about. You’ll never see tips or budget information or even hotel reviews. People know what they are going to get. That said I have tested things a bit, I have written about yoga and food politics and so far it doesn’t seem to have alienated anyone.

6. How do you interact with your audience? What tools work best?

Different tools work for different sites. I have a few that work for me.

I respond to every comment on the site and I use a plug-in that sends people an email of my response.

I do interact with people on Twitter, but its a different kind of audience because they are creators/bloggers so while they may read my site they are more often part of my community.

I also begrudging started a Facebook Page because a year ago Michael from Go See Write insisted I do it and as usual he was right.

Lately I’ve also been really active on Foodspotting, it’s a great community and a good fit with my site. But again that works for my site because I’m so into food, for other sites Google+ or Pinterest may be a better fit – I’m there too but I don’t focus on them.

7. What are your thoughts on networking with other bloggers to grow your audience? Can this help?

Well without them in the beginning I would have never survived. There are a lot of bloggers I have never met, such as Mike from Fevered Mutterings, who I consider a dear friend. And then there are those that I have met, like Michael from Go See Write who jokes that I’m his blogging wife because we talk so much about blogging and how to become better and reach more people.

Other bloggers are my supporters, sounding boards, promoters and friends. They are the only ones who understand what you are going through and encourage you when you want to give up. In the beginning my only readers were my mother and other bloggers. I owe a lot to the community and I try to give back as much as I can. I have a lot of new bloggers write asking for advice and I’m always happy to help because when I started I had no idea what I was doing either.

8. What is the best thing about having a wide audience? What do you get from people sharing in your travels?

The feeling that I am not alone. The more I share and open up about my insecurities, inabilities, fears, the more I am comforted that others feel the same way too and were too afraid to say it. I can go into most countries and find a reader or friend of a reader who wants to meet and share their world.

9. Tell us about your most popular post.

Hands down The Year I Walked Away from Love. Although I say in my bio I left a great boyfriend, that was where the story behind my love life ended. I don’t write about dating or anything like that, it’s the one thing I leave for myself, but so many people were writing me asking how I did it and how I was so brave.

The truth was I wasn’t brave but actually heartbroken and I hadn’t shared it. I felt like I owed it to my readers the truth. I had spent the year working through it and because so many people were going through similar things I wanted them to know they weren’t alone.

10. And lastly, what would be your top 3 tips to a new blogger trying to build an audience?

1) I don’t believe bloggers should write for other bloggers but they are low hanging fruit and a good source of traffic starting out. When I was new I was commenting on about 50-100 posts a day. A lot of people found me that way because I was their reader and they returned the favour. It’s a quick and easy way to get immediate feedback on your site and start meeting other bloggers.

Right now I don’t have time to do it but I do make a habit of commenting on everyone’s site who comments on one of my posts. I think it’s only fair as they have taken the time to support me that I should do the same. It’s also a great way to discover new sites.

2) Guest post as much as you can. A lot of bloggers will guest post on their friend’s sites and it is good starting out but I also recommend guest posting on other niches. For me food works really well as do women’s lifestyle sites. I know Nomadic Matt has guest posted on technology, marketing and finance sites and it works well for him.

3) Experiment in social media. Social media can be really daunting and it feels like you should be everywhere but you won’t have the time. Facebook is a priority for me because my readers are consistently there, Twitter is where my friends are. I tried Google+ and Reddit but they didn’t do well so I dropped it. Pinterest also drives a lot of traffic for some but not others. There is no magic bullet.

And when you do participate in social media, you should be posting more from other people than you do for yourself. When someone adds me to Twitter I have a quick look at their feed, if they are only tweeting their own stuff I won’t add them, not because I want them to Tweet my stuff but they aren’t into building relationships with people but just broadcasting their own work.

Wow! What a fantastic interview jam-packed full of amazing advice. Ayngelina you are a true credit to travel and blogging alike. We salute you!

Make sure you check out Ayngelina’s fantastic site Bacon Is Magic and be sure to follow her on Twitter.

If you’d like to be interviewed, contact us.

Today on TraveLinkSites we’re talking to one of mine (Will’s) favourite bloggers and big-time inspirations (when it comes to learning Spanish), Benny Lewis. Benny is a force of nature when it comes to travelling the world and learning languages and runs a hugely popular blog at Fluent in 3 Months, focused on helping and inspiring thousands to do the same.

We’re super excited to be talking to the man himself and sure he’s got plenty of useful tips for those setting off on an around the world travel trip.

1. Hey Benny! Could you briefly introduce yourself, your site and your travel experiences?

My name is Benny Lewis – I graduated as an electronic engineer and have been travelling the world ever since. It’s coming up to about a decade of total travel time (9 years consecutively), although rather than constantly hitting the road, it’s more a case of 3 or so month stays in a place.

Since I did poorly in languages in school, I never figured I had it in me to learn a language like Spanish, and even after living in the country for six months, made very little progress. Then I tried a much more efficient approach, which I’ve improved over the years to help me learn a language even quicker.

About 2 years ago, I started the blog fluentin3months.com to document my intensive language learning experiences and to share them with the world! It’s grown very well, and I use it as a platform to share my language learning tips and my travel experiences! I’m currently travelling in China, using the Mandarin I had learned in 3 months at the start of the year.

2. Could you give us a rough breakdown of where you’ve been in the world thus far?

Mostly Europe and the Americas. So I’ve genuinely lived in, for several months (and learned the languages of, although I don’t maintain a few) Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Czech republic, Hungary, Turkey, Holland, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, the US, Canada, Thailand, the Philippinnes, Taiwan, China, India and maybe a few more! I’ve visited some other countries for a few days, but everything on this list is a place I feel I genuinely lived in.

3. Why did you decide to travel around the world as opposed to focusing on a specific region? What countries are you looking forward to visiting most that you haven’t done so yet?

I don’t have a grand plan, and only tend to think of the current and next destination. So I’ll pick one interesting country, rather than a “region”. For example, in South America, I’ve only ever flown to one country and then left the continent, each time, rather than have a South America trip. Same with Asia.

I don’t have a base anywhere in the world (I travel with everything I own), but I do go back to Ireland frequently to spend time with my family around the holidays, so that’s sometimes the focal point between trips.

At the moment I know that I’ll be visiting the states in July, and I’m looking forward to some western comforts for a few weeks, and I’ll be back in Ireland in August, but after that I really don’t know. I’ll think about it later and then look forward to it! It will very likely involve another intensive 3 month language learning project though, so a 2 month break speaking English and Irish (Gaeilge) will be nice!

4. What are the most important preparations you need to make when planning on travelling around the world?

I’m not big on planning. I try to have a decently priced airline ticket, and make sure my travel health insurance is covered until the end of a current trip. Generally I wing it most of the time. In my early travels when I was on a tight budget, I didn’t even save up that much money (a huge issue I find with Americans who feel the need to have 5 figures in the bank before hitting the road), and figured out a way to support myself on arrival.

You won’t starve to death; absolute worst case scenario, you can always get a relative to Western Union you emergency money to get home or something. Learn to spend less, and embrace minimalism, rather than saving up for every possible contingency or luxury. Travel is more fun when it’s spontaneous!

5. What should people think about, based on your experiences, most when travelling around the world?

Learning the local language has changed my travel experiences, so I’d highly recommend you make the tough choice to not hang out with other English speakers. It will indeed make it less fun at first (I missed the expat parties I could have taken part in, in many places), but after you have learned it, you open up your world to absolutely everyone you could possibly meet!

Otherwise, keep an open mind and try to be flexible. Go out of your way to make it about the people – snapping photos and trying local food is great, but making cool new friends is what makes travel special for me.

6. What sites and resources do you use to help prepare for around the world travel? What do you use them for?

Skyscanner.net helps me find a cheap flight, Couchsurfing’s local message boards and the Thorn Tree forum (by Lonely Planet) helps me figure out logistics that I might be confused about (visas, where to look for accommodation if I’ll be renting etc.) And Couchsurfing again helps me get started on creating a social network, since I can attend their meetings, or contact people directly.

Usually I find the local equivalent of Craigslist to rent a room for a few months. This must be done in the local language to get a decent deal, since places advertised in English have inflated prices.

If I’ve literally just started learning the language, I have found that hiring a one-task bilingual personal assistant on odesk.com or elance.com and paying them, say $50, to do all the research and even look at the place for me if they live there, saves me tonnes of stress and money in the long run.

7. What are the common mistakes people make when planning an around the world travel trip?

Giving themselves a puny amount of time in one destination. You’ll get exhausted and soon can’t even appreciate the beautiful architecture as you zoom through cities. You see nothing worthwhile this way.

Forget round-the-world trips. Focus on one destination and REALLY take it in. Otherwise you are just checking off ”been there” on some silly bucket list.

If it is indeed a once-off trip before you hit a 9-5 job until you die or your knees give (I highly recommend reconsidering this path!!) then make it about quality rather than quantity. Pick a small number of countries and spend several weeks (at least) in each.

8. How long in advance should you begin to think about around the world travel? What are the first things you need to organise? What things can wait until the last moment?

As I said above, be spontaneous! Long enough in advance so the ticket isn’t so expensive, so usually a couple of months is fine. This is also enough to sort out visas in advance if you need them. In most countries, you can get accommodation at the last minute, and in many places, it’s preferable to find it on arrival for the best deal.

The first things you need to do are to decide to only bring what is essential for you to live. Don’t carry all your crap around the world – you’ll regret it! A few items of clothing, some light digital stuff (not an SLR camera! A point and shoot is quite fine nowadays unless you work for TIME!), and an ebook reader, since physical books can be so bulky to take on the road.

9. What things do you focus on most when you blog about around the world travel? Why do you choose these things? 

People need to encouragement to see that it’s possible, they need to be reminded that bucketloads of cash are NOT the deciding factor (despite moving to a new country every 3 months, with flights and all, my lifestyle is WAY less expensive than most settled people in the west), and of course, I like to share some of my fun adventures to give them inspiration for why I do it in the first place!

10. If you could think of one thing you wished someone had told you before you started travelling around the world what would it be?

Make more mistakes. The best parts of my travel experiences have been those I’ve learned from leaving my comfort zone and figuring it out as I went along. You grow so much as a person this way.

Big props to Benny for joining us and talking about his travels thus far!

Go check Benny’s excellent site Fluent in 3 Months and catch him on Twitter. 

If you’d like to be interviewed, contact us.

Does this tall drink of water even need an introduction?!  Nope, probably not. But here he is anyway…  Mr Nomadic Matt himself – El Capitano of the travel blogging world! What this bloke doesn’t know about earning those dollars from blogging just isn’t worth knowing about.  We’re truly stoked to have him on our site.  So over to Matt and his little gems of advice on monetising a travel blog.

1. Hi Matt! Could you briefly introduce yourself, your site and its history?

I’m Matt, a native of Boston, US and writer at Nomadic Matt. I didn’t take my first trip overseas until I was 23 and if it wasn’t for a trip to Thailand in 2005, I wouldn’t have quit the rat race and made around the world travel my lifestyle of choice.

My website is about inspiring people in the same way I was by showing people that travel doesn’t have to be expensive nor does taking a long term trip require you to uproot your existence.

2. Why did you first decide to start a blog? Did you have money in mind?

I wanted to write guidebooks for Lonely Planet and I figured having a website as an online resume would help get me work. I didn’t have money from my blog in mind – I just wanted to use my blog as a way to leap into writing.

3. What would you say is your main income stream? How do your streams differ?

My main income comes from my ebooks. I get about 50% of my income from those books. Besides my books, I get money via affiliate sales, sponsorships, and some adsense revenue.

4. How would you describe the process of monetising a travel blog? How patient should you be? When can you expect to see results?

I think blogs go through a long process, especially in travel. It is much easier now that more people are paying attention to travel bloggers but you need to be patient. Focus on building an audience, then you can monetize. When you get the audience, you’ll start to see results. That could be three months, 6 months, a year. It varies from blog to blog depending on how fast they grow.

5. What is the best way to get an advertisers attention? How have you managed to rope in commercial deals in the past?

I think that after you have built an audience, you’ll find it easier to get advertisers. From day one, you’ll want to have a media kit so they can see where you have been featured and what value you bring. At some point, they come to you. But until that happens, I always recommend going to other blogs and see who is advertising and reach out to those advertisers.

6. How do you interact with advertisers? What should you bear in mind when looking to deal with them?

It’s important to be professional and clear. They aren’t always looking to undercut you and want a cheap deal. Make sure you set a limit.

7. How important is a business plan for a travel blog? How do you go about starting one?

Very. You need goals.  You can’t get to your destination if you don’t know where to go. It’s important to set goals and develop a plan to get to those goals – the bloggers that do are the ones with the most success.

8. How has making money from travel blogging changed your life? Do you sacrifice travel for work more now?

It’s allowed me to be more versatile. I can work from everywhere. It also means I work a lot more and it’s hard to balance the two. I do often have to spend longer times in destinations or not see as much as I would like because of work.

9. Tell us about where you see the future of travel blog monetisation? 

I think a lot of more travel companies will be involved and you’ll see more sponsorships, book deals, and the like. There will be less need for text links in the future.

10. And lastly, what would be your top 3 tips to a new blogger trying to monetise their blogs?

1. Be patient

2. Only accept ads or use methods that compliment your site goals.

3. Network with everyone like crazy.

A massive thanks to Matt for taking time out to share his amazingly useful tips and hints and hopefully inspire you all in making long term travel your lifestyle of choice.

Make sure you check out Matt’s massive tome of writing over on Nomadic Matt as well as catching up with him on Twitter. Kiri and I would also massively recommend Matt’s e-books which can really help you get started on making travel your life.

If you’d like to be interviewed, contact us.