I’m looking for your best post from 2009 for an upcoming list I’m compiling. I’d like to publish a collection of your favorite 2009 links from your travel blog in in the next few days. If you don’t have a travel blog, that’s ok too, just send me your favorite post from any travel blog. You can leave your links in the comments below or send me an email.
I plan on organizing the list sometime tomorrow (on the 30th) so don’t wait to send me your best material and 1-3 lines on why it’s you chose it.
EDITED [12/30]: I’ve gotten many great links and have already begun putting together the post. Please leave your links in the comments if you haven’t gotten in touch already.
Our most popular post in 2009 was this one:
http://www.sharingtravelexperiences.com/you-deserve-time-off-really/
And with a title like “You Deserve Time Off… Really” pretty much is self-explanatory on why people really empathised with it. A lot of our newsletter subscribers forwarded it on to friends, who got in touch to say “Yes damn it, I do!” Doesn’t everyone deserve time off?
My most popular post BY FAR was this one “Go Now: Why You Shouldn’t Wait to Travel”:
http://twenty-somethingtravel.com/2009/07/go-now-why-you-shouldn%E2%80%99t-wait-to-travel/
It was actually one of the first things I ever wrote for my blog and I think it really encapsulates the entire message of my blog.
Second most popular was: “Why Travel Won’t Solve All Your Problems (and Why It’s Still Worth it)”:
http://twenty-somethingtravel.com/2009/11/travel-solve-problems-worth/
both kind of philosophical posts, which was surprising to me although it’s starting to make sense.
My most popular post is a photo I took in Kaifeng, China – http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/2009/08/21/photo-friday-kaifeng-china/
I guess when it comes to words, less is more. 🙂
I think our best post was a series we did on the Grand Canyon. The series covers the canyon from native heritage to geology and everything in between. The series starts with… http://seethesouthwest.com/533/mysteries-surround-formation-of-grand-canyon/
Our most popular post this year was “Michael Bontempi: How My Career Break Helped My Career” – http://briefcasetobackpack.com/2009/07/michael-bontempi-how-my-career-break-helped-my-career/
There is already a lot of great travel advice on the internet, so the fact that this particular post spoke to readers the most demonstrates how American’s really do want to embrace the idea of a traveling career break.
It was even highlighted on Rolf Potts Vagabonding site: http://www.vagablogging.net/vagabonding-on-a-career-break.html
My most popular post (and the one in which most readers commented) was “I’ve always relied on the kindness of strangers,” which tells the story just how amazing and kind strangers really can be … This post is a part of my Croatia “Adventures of D” stories.
http://dtravelsround.com/2009/10/22/ive-always-relied-on-the-kindness-of-strangers/
The most popular post on our website in 2009 was 7 Habits of Highly Effective Travelers: http://www.uncorneredmarket.com/2009/09/7-habits-of-highly-effective-travelers/
I believe its popularity is due to the fact that it combined the themes of travel and personal growth. People could relate to developing life skills through travel and bringing these skills back home.
Our most popular post was on our pre-world trip freak out (http://theroadforks.com/offtheroad/pre-world-trip-freak-out) I think it encapsulated a lot of our fears and many long-term travelers’ fears about taking the giant leap. This year, I plan to write a follow up post about how our fears have panned out.
My most popular post is one of those philosophical ones too.
http://news.airtreks.com/post/2009/10/why-travel-around-the-world/
I think people click through to it most often because it revitalizes the idea of why traveling is important, as if we didn’t already know this. I think people just like to be reminded why so much of their lives revolve around either actual travel or travel-related ideas.
Gosh – had to brush off the Google Analytics for this one!
My top three posts were boring ones on how to set up my featured content gallery, feeds and headers on my blog theme.
But my favourite post was this one about the cake I was given for free by the stall-holder outside the mosque in the backstreets of Sidon in Lebanon. It brings back happy memories of my road trip with my girl-friend who lives out there, eating mezze in a small shop in the souk and then being shown kindness & hospitality which epitomises my memories of that trip and the lovely Lebanese people.
http://www.heatheronhertravels.com/cakes-outside-the-mosque-in-sidon-lebanon/
What an interesting idea Anil P. Of course I would love to contribute. It’s hard to chose, but I guess this one at least is quite representative:
Mini Cruise on Oslo Fjord in Norway
Why:
The theme of my blog is to show Norwegian traditions, culture and habits. On this perfect fall day, my wife and I took a cruise on the fjord and where able to show my readers; Oslo in a nut shell.
Reminiscences of Southeast Asia – my most popular post:
http://dont-forget-your-passport.blogspot.com/2009/08/reminiscences-of-southeast-asia.html
Our Top 10 Big Island of Hawaii activities for families travelling with teens and tweens series was a big hit. The landing page links to individual write ups on each activity with lots of links and pictures. Hope you can include it:
http://travel-with-teens.com/2009/12/hawaiis-big-island-offers-something-for-everyone/
Hello! I’m an expat blogger living in Buenos Aires, Argentina. My most popular post was one that I just put up, actually! (Just in time for 2009 🙂 ) It’s a summary of some of the cultural observations I’ve made after living here for the past two months: http://unlostwanderer.wordpress.com/2009/12/28/cultural-observations-about-buenos-aires-part-1/.
But personally, one of my favorite posts was about my recognition that I had to shift my attitude about lacking certain amenities that I was used to at home: http://unlostwanderer.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/a-case-of-the-first-worlders/. Thanks for reading!
Hard to pick just one. I really liked my recent post about Ybor City, Florida (http://holeinthedonut.com/2009/12/12/ybor-city-cuban-neghborhood-tampa-florida/), but I also really like the post about lesser known Boke Tower Gardens in central Florida (http://holeinthedonut.com/2009/10/13/bok-tower-gardens-carillon-florida)
The most popular post on my Kerala travel blog was ‘Kerala Houseboats- The Essential Guide’
http://www.keralaindiatravel.net/kerala-india-travel/kerala-houseboats-the-essential-guide-part-1
It’s actually a five part series and answers all the questions you may have about this popular activity in Kerala in India.
One of my favorite posts, and also very popular with my readers, was about hiking to a green sand beach on Hawaii. It’s a glimpse of the Big Island that many resort guests never see. http://myitchytravelfeet.com/2009/05/27/hiking-to-a-green-sand-beach-in-hawaii/
The most popular posts on my blog, StudentsInEurope.com, are:
12 Pubs of Christmas: http://www.studentsineurope.com/2009/12/04/12-pubs-of-christmas/
Le Marais: A Paris Favorite: http://www.studentsineurope.com/2009/11/02/le-marais-a-paris-favorite/
Autobahn Adventures: http://www.studentsineurope.com/2009/12/14/autobahn-adventures-mitfahrgelegenheit/
Have fun compiling your list. Great idea!
Hi Anil
These are some of my best travel links ranging from food, transport to interesting sights.
Trying out the Yummy Sacher Torte at the famous Vienna Cafe Sacher
http://www.passportchop.com/europe/austria/vienna-cafe-sacher-review/
Read my attempts to dispel notions of train robbers onboard the night train from Krakow to Budapest
http://www.passportchop.com/europe/hungary/night-sleeper-train-to-budapest-from-krakow/
Some tips to avoid being ripped off by Prague taxi drivers
http://www.passportchop.com/europe/czech-republic/prague-taxi-public-transport/
A peek into the eerie Kutna Hora church made of bones from over 60,000 people
http://www.passportchop.com/europe/czech-republic/kutna-hora-sedlec-ossuary-bone-church/
More of my travels around the world at http://www.passportchop.com
Thanks for organizing this list. 🙂
ZQ
My most popular post was in a series I did on ‘How to drive a motorbike in Vietnam’. Learning how to drive a motorbike in Saigon was my New Years Resolution last year! It’s a series of 17 posts from the acquisition of the bike to the assimilation into the culture. But the favorite was The Motorbike Diaries vol. 14 – The Great Horn Divide – http://www.ottsworld.com/blogs/the-motorbike-diaries-vol-14/
It includes commentary on horns, but also the cultural differences between the East and the West.
The most popular post on Kaleidoscopic Wandering was 7 Questions with a Backyard Explorer: http://kaleidoscopicwandering.com/2009/10/19/seven-questions-with-a-backyard-explorer/
One of my favorite posts (and one that I hope we keep discussing in the upcoming years) is The National Park Debate: http://kaleidoscopicwandering.com/2009/08/25/the-national-park-debate/
Thanks!
This post on the first week of the 2009 Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow has proved to be an evergreen one this year
http://musicroad.blogspot.com/2009/01/celtic-connections-2009-images.html
Thanks for sharing your link Kerry!
Hi Anil, What a great idea having bloggers contribute their most popular posts in 2009. You’ve compiled a great list.
My readers tend to especially love posts that show the other face of a destination that they thought they knew.
My most popular post in 2009 was about bicycling on the mainland of Greece. While many people associate a Greek vacation with island hopping, bicycling is a way of really getting in touch with the land and its people while also seeing some notable historic sights.
http://www.jthetravelauthority.com/2009/09/greece-beyond-its-isles.html
Wishing you a great 2010
Jeanine
http://www.jthetravelauthority.com