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Everything You Need To Know About Creating Your Own Popular And Profitable Travel Blog

by | Oct 1, 2013 | , , | 26

creating a travel blog

For those of you who want to share your adventures in the form of a travel blog, this is the guide for you. Setting up a travel blog – or any kind of blog – can be a a lot to wrap your brain around initially. I’ve broken down the most basic components from blog to blogger and everything in between. Let me start by saying this early: if you’re already in the midst of a RTW adventure, career break, or otherwise traveling, enjoy your trip before you begin thinking about blogging. Your travels are a critical part of the blog you want to create. With that out of the way, if you’re ready, let’s get started.

large shovelHardware – Not So Important

Blogging has a relatively low cost of technological entry, especially if you’re not doing any kind of serious video editing. Although you probably won’t need to upgrade your computer to one of the best travel laptops, blogging solely from a tablet is going to be comfortably cumbersome at best. A decent desk or laptop that doesn’t smoke when opening up web pages will do fine.

Pick Your Platform Wisely

Most of the blogging you’ll do will take place online, through one of several major platforms available in one of two categories: hosted and self-hosted.

The big difference between the two hosting options is the amount of work, control, and money required of you to blog. Hosted platforms provide you with the server – the hardware running a blog – for free. Going this route limits what you can do with the look of your site and its functionality. For casual bloggers this is usually the preferred method, with those wanting more control using self-hosting (or switching) along the way. Self-hosted blogging requires you to select a hosting company for server space at monthly fees starting around $5-20.

foxnomad tumblr

Recommended Hosted Options

wordpress edit postHow To Go Self-Hosted

There are a number of good Web hosts to choose from but I personally recommend Media Temple – what this WordPress-based travel blog is running on right now. Speaking of WordPress, I can easily recommend the blogging platform for its ease of use, customization, and vibrant base of over 70 million users. (Including CNN, TechCrunch, UPS.) WordPress is free and hosting on Media Temple begins at $20 a month.

  • Ghost – A very new blogging platform launching soon, developed in part by my friend and previous live chat guest, John O’Nolan. Although I haven’t had a chance to use it yet, I trust his work. Sign up is free if you’re looking to be one of Ghost’s first users.

For a more thorough look at your blogging options, Lifehacker has good rundowns of the best blogging platforms and popular web hosts. Finally, to spice up your blog, DIYthemes, WooThemes, and Genesis Framwork have excellent customizable templates.

Become A Better Blogger

Travel blogging is a blend of writing, photography, and the occasional choppy video. We’ve all got our strengths and weaknesses (see: my choppy videos) that can be improved by taking good advice.

Personally, I think content is something most new bloggers don’t focus nearly enough on. What grabs people is a combination of the message and the transmission. (This illustrator who let her 4-year old daughter finish her drawings is a wonderful example.)

And of course I also have a website dedicated to teaching you how to become a better travel blogger, aptly named, Travel Blog Advice.

You Now Have A Host, Blog, And Some Words On It – How To Build Audience

To overcome the background Internet static you need your words to get noticed in the places people tend to hang out. Find yourself on Twitter, create a Facebook page plus check out Instagram and YouTube too.

duman azerbaijan

Once your traffic picks up, you may want to consider regular updates using a service like Aweber, which I use to send my bi-monthly newsletter.

bulgarian beerMake A Bit Of Souvenir Money

There are very few travel bloggers making a living directly from their sites, so while turning your blog into a career may not be on the agenda, you can easily earn some extra beer money.

Additionally, a number of travel companies run affiliate programs that reward you with small commissions for every sale, one of 4 simple ways to make money with your travel blog.

the ultimate tech guide for travelersGet Some Tech Help

Although blogging’s not explicitly covered in my ebook, The Ultimate Tech Guide For Travelers Version 2.0, if you purchase it now before the end of the month, I’ll extend my 6 months of tech support to include your new travel blog as well. Best of all, it’s on sale right now for $9.99 and comes with your own personal IT consultant. Me.

One technical aspect of blogging you shouldn’t neglect is loading time. Flashy slideshows and high-resolution photos can make your travel blog look sexier than Justin Timberlake, but if it takes longer than 400 milliseconds for your site to load, nobody will see it. Today’s Internet users (that’s you!) are impatient so use implement the basic ways to reduce your blog’s loading time.

You’re Going To Die (Sorry) But Your Blog Doesn’t Have To

The amount of shisha I smoke around the world has likely cut decades off my life but that still means I’ll be around for a while. (I’m still holding out for scientists to cure aging or figure out how to download me into the Matrix by then.) In the unlikely event that immortality isn’t cracked before I go off to Stovokor, I have a little plan to keep foXnoMad around for a while. Your travel blog too will contain memories, journals, photos, and intellectual property – making it a good idea to enact a simple after-death plan as well.

legacy locker

  • Give Access To Someone You Trust – Create login accounts to your website and hosting provider (if you have one) for a family member or good friend, with some instructions emailed to them on how to proceed if you get hit by a bus. (Ideally, before you get hit by the bus.)
  • Legacy Locker – This service automates that process for up to 3 of your online accounts for free.
  • CodeGuard ($5 monthly) – Regularly backs up blogs and websites, so your trusted person could download all of your posts and photos from there if needed.

The New York Times recommends several digital death services, most of which (for a few dollars) can keep your travel blog alive for years after you’ve gone to party with Elvis.

There Is No Right Formula

Much of my advice for traveling goes for blogging: do it the way you want, why you want. These are the basics to putting together a travel blog, but missing a key ingredient I can’t supply or begin to quantify. As I mentioned in the beginning, it’s all about you – the one on the adventures. Don’t forget to focus on your travels because a travel blog lives with your experiences and you live for the experiences. Happy blogging.

Tibetan Seeds Of Calm Amid Chaos: A Photo Essay Of Dharamsala, India

by | Sep 24, 2013 | , , , | 14

Sitting at the base of the Himalayas in northern India, far from the crowded streets of New Delhi and the border ballet in Wagah, is the city of Dharamsala. Home to a fluctuating population of approximately 19,000, Dharamsala is often the first stop for Tibetan refugees escaping Chinese occupation. Numbers are unclear but by some estimates, up to 1,000 Tibetans annually make the dangerous 6-12 month trek through rugged Himalayan terrain.

The lucky who survive the elements and Chinese troop patrols make their way to McLeod Ganj, a suburb of Dharamsala, looking for assistance from the Central Tibetan Administration. The CTA helps relocate Tibetan refugees to other parts of India and the various nations around the world that accept a quota of Tibetans per year. Despite the chaos and uncertainty that inevitably hangs around the political and personal situations of many people in Dharamsala, it is absolutely one of the most peaceful, relaxing places I have ever visited.

dharamsala monks praying meditating

Dharamsala’s most famous resident however is undoubtedly the Tenzin Gyatso, better known as the 14th Dalai Lama. Living in McLeod Ganj since 1959, the Dalai Lama is only here for about 4 months each year due to his nearly continuous travel schedule.

mcleod ganj clouds

The presence of Tibetan Buddhism is felt everywhere in McLeod Ganj from its epicenter – the small temple in front of the Dalai Lama’s gated home. These prayer wheels are filled with sacred scrolls which are believed to be amplified when spun.

dharamsala mcleod ganj prayer wheels

Prayers in Dharamsala come in many forms…

dharamsala candles

and hope, as it should, in child-sizes.

tibetan child dharamsala

Contrasting India’s typical tongue charring chilies, Tibetan cuisine is shy on spice, not on noodle. Not that I would ever argue with Gakyi’s recipe, whose owner treats every dish like a favorite child.

tibetan nooodles tofu

The kind of winter comfort food you can feel giving you an insulating belly of love as you sip in its heat. For the right amount of black pepper to break into a cold sweat, I recommend Norling.

tibetan noodles norling

To bring the flavors back home with you, the secret is somewhere in these bags.

tibetan spices

Secrets you can uncover with a 1 hour cooking lesson at Recommended Lhamo’s Kitchen, which is literally, his kitchen. You’ll learn to turn this:

momo ingrediants

Into momos.

tibetan momos

Aside from traditional cuisine, efforts are made to retain many aspects of Tibetan culture.

Norbulingka Institute

At the Norbulingka Institute, a 20 minute car ride from McLeod Ganj, various crafts are taught and cultivated to slow the dilution of Tibetan traditions.

norbulingka institute

These prayer flags are strung up throughout the mountain paths of Dharamsala to bless those who walk them – especially in a strong wind.

tibetan prayer flags

The sound of Tibetan monks chanting and the tourists watching them chatting.

Whether in groups or alone however, none of the worshipers seemed to notice.

tibetan monk praying

Dharamsala is almost as refreshing as the cool mountain winds that chill bones and beers perfectly in the evening hours – especially for travelers needing a break from India’s crowded festivals and cities. In a deceptive way, Dharamsala can also make you think Tibetans in McLeod Ganj are content without Tibet or within their current predicament. Until the shops close down for a few days in honor of several more who’ve died of self-immolation to protest occupation, it feels as though peace that was never lost, has been achieved.

You can see all of my pictures from Dharamsala in my gallery here.

7 Everyday Travel Technologies Originally Designed For War

by | Sep 17, 2013 | , , | 18

We are truly a remarkable species, accomplishing amazing things in a short time, like removing ourselves from the food chain, building the Great Pyramids (suck it aliens!), and making space tourism a reality. Necessity is the mother of all invention and throughout our history, the need to move weapons and troops has arisen frequently… to say the least. But what works for the battlefield – efficient transportation, communication, and navigation – has had massive benefits for us travelers today.

1. The United States Highway System

World War I exposed the limited capability of US trains to move solders and supplies, so in 1921 the Phipps Act was passed, authorizing plans for the first interstate highway network. The original layout, called the Pershing Map, was presented to the Bureau of Public Roads by the Army, who drafted the original design.

us interstate highway system

2. Global Positioning System (GPS)

When the first GPS satellites began launching in 1978 (after development in the 1960s by American scientists Bradford Parkinson, Roger L. Easton and Ivan A. Getting) they were limited to military use only. It wasn’t until 1996 the technology was made available for commercial use so we could yell at our dashboards; GPS however still remains under the authority of the Department of Defense.

streets of cairo night

3. Pressurized Cabins

We take for granted the fact that commercial planes can fly above 3,000 meters without us requiring oxygen masks, or beyond 12,000m without enlarging our hearts and permanently damaging our bodies. There’s also the bonus of avoiding most weather systems – the type that can crash planes. Although cabin pressurization was in use limited prior to World War II, it’s all of those mentioned benefits (specifically for bomber pilots and crew) that pushed development forward.

japan airlines business class

4. Jeep

The word “jeep” might be a result of mumblers like myself mashing through the words “g-overnment purpose”; the reason they were invented in the first place. Prior to the United States entering World War II, it commissioned several companies to come up with an all-purpose reconnaissance vehicle. The American Bantam Car Company came up with the winning design, with the Willys & Ford Motor Company manufacturing the vehicles. And a durable one it was, you can still see World War II “jeepneys” being driven around the Philippines.

philippines jeepneys

5. Hot Air Balloons

They weren’t quite developed with the sole purpose for use in warfare, but it didn’t take more than 11 years for them to be used by the French military as a spy posts. (In 1794 against the British in Antwerp, Belgium.) Hot air balloons didn’t see widespread use in battle until World War I, when the Germans used Zeppelins as bomber aircraft.

hot air balloon goreme turkey cappadocia

6. Air Traffic Control

Prior to 1915 and the outbreak of World War I, once airplanes took to the skies, pilots were pretty much on their own. To reduce the amount of time it would take to receive reconnaissance information, the American Army began equipping aircraft with two-way radios. Fortunately for all of us, it made landing planes easier for pilots as well.

istanbul sunset

7. Combat Trousers Cargo Pants

If you love pockets, you have the British Armed Forces to thank for inventing what were then referred to as combat trousers in 1938. Quick-dry and with convenient places to pack bullets, a radio, and cigarettes, they’re still as useful for today’s travelers as they were to soldiers during World War II.

rei travel pants

Connecting After Killing

Like most technologies, it’s our use of them that can fluctuate between good and bad, rather than the innovation having some innate moral leaning. Many of the inventions above were developed to keep groups of people separate, yet connect us more than ever in today’s modern society. The lessons of battle don’t stop with the physical, you can still use The Art Of War to win battles at the ticket counter, nearly 2,000 years after it was written.

The Best Point And Shoot Cameras Travelers Can Buy Right Now

by | Sep 12, 2013 | , , | 12

tourist pictures amritsar india

With mobile phones creeping up in quality and DSLRs coming down in price, it can seem as if the point and shoot niche is being squeezed out of relevancy. While you can turn your mobile phone into a better digital camera, in low light situations it can be hard to tell Shanghai’s city lights from illuminated dust specs on a pinhole lens. A good point and shoot camera saves money and conspicuousness, something all these cameras below can do for you, without sacrificing quality.

Panasonic Lumix ZS30 (TZ40 Outside Of United States)

One of the gadgets and tech gear I travel with, the Panasonic Lumix ZS Series cameras are a sexy blend of durability, lens quality, and long battery life. Personally, I use many of the Lumix’s manual features (it has over 40), but know a number of people who never use anything but Auto mode – which produces stunning pictures for a point and shoot. The Lumix boasts a 20 times optical zoom on its front cover, but you’ll find the 24 millimeter wide angle useful as well, especially if you don’t like falling over the back of balconies and rooftops when snapping pictures of your travel buddies.

panasonic lumix dmc zs30

When I asked what point and shoot do you use when traveling, many of you responded with a model of Lumix.

canon powershot g16Canon Powershot G16 (October 2013)

Before I went with the Lumix, I strongly considered Canon’s G Series, mostly for its manual features and quality of lens. What held me back, and is an issue in the upcoming Powershot G16, is weak video and sensor quality that seems a camera-generation behind. The (current) Powershot G15 is still a solid camera and although Canon is releasing it’s replacement G16 next month, the changes are subtle enough to keep the G15 on this list through October.

Olympus Tough TG-2 iHS

Drop up to 2 meters and drown down to 15, what you give up in image quality and zoom, the Olympus Tough TG-2 iHS makes up in physical strength. There are obvious advantages for us travelers and you can add one more – the Tough TG-2 iHS boots extremely fast – ready to take a picture within .9 seconds from off to on. For the millions of times you’ve fumbled to take a picture, only to get snap of elephant dust to post on Facebook, you can take the Tough and literally throw it at the problem.

Nikon Coolpix S9500

nikon coolpix s9500The S9500, Nikon’s high-zoom camera, is a grower, not a show-er. The Coolpix S9500 has a wide focal range of 25-550mm, but keeps that massive zoom in a slender 3 centimeter frame. In ample-light situations the S9500 knows how to use that lens as well, taking fairly crisp photos at safe distances from wildlife that may want to eat you. Especially if some idiot you’re traveling with threw their Olympus Tough TG-2 at a pack of elephants.

Sony DSC-RX100 II

This is not a cheap point and shoot camera, with a price around $750. At first look, it doesn’t seem to have the impressive specs some of the other cameras on this list do – a relatively mundane 28-100mm zoom lens – but it has a large sensor for a machine its size. Sensors are a highly overlooked component for most amateur point and shooters; they how much light incoming from the lens can be recorded. The Sony DSC-RX100 II has a square 2.54 cm (1 inch) sensor, roughly 55% larger than the Lumix above.

  • An Analogy For Understanding Sensor Importance– Imagine photons as drops of beer raining from the sky, the sensor as a bucket: bigger bucket=more beer saved (yay!). In other words, more photons generally results in better image quality.

Within Shot

There are a few other cameras worth mentioning if you’re still not convinced or need to feel better about a recent purchase. The Canon Powershot SX280, Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5, and Nikon Coolpix P330 have their drawbacks but should hardly be dismissed outright. Remember, good cameras don’t necessarily give you good photos and you can learn to take better pictures without getting a better camera, change your focus for memorable shots, and spice up images without professional software after your next trip.

My Goal Of Visiting Every Country Is, At The Moment, A Bit Screwed Up

by | Sep 10, 2013 | | 6

klingons star trek las vegas

Somewhere over the the past 6 years of inciting riots in Canada, figuring out Bulgarians nod backward, and visiting haunted Egyptian palaces, I set the long-term goal of visiting every country in the world. Not as a race but rather a steady march toward a defined objective, though I’m not sure using the entire planet as a boundary was very limiting. The world is a big place – the only place – we can travel, unless I can convince an aerospace engineer to send me into orbit.

Although I’ve been to over 60 countries, my progress lately has stalled. There’s a lot to experience within the arbitrary borders on a map and it’s hard to cover it all. The scent of Copenhagen’s breakaway neighborhood Christiania is enticing and I could move to Romania for their Usain Bolting Internet speeds, at least until winter rolls in at either place. I’ll be back in Spain two weeks from now for the third time, if you’ve ever eaten there, you know exactly why.

Words And Whims

Thanks to all of you, this blog has grown from an obscure meeting place for my friends who detested writing, to being read by thousands of travel-tech junkies daily. All of our journeys begin between our ears (you can argue they never leave) but any motion requires more focus than fuel. I’ve been struggling for words lately, looking for inspiration that’s been sitting right in front of me, but not on my keyboard. Fascination and fear, the ingredients to any inspiration worthwhile, is sitting just beyond our comfort zones. That’s where I’m going next. My zone, not yours, unless you’ve got an open bar.

yemen Kalashnikov

Traveling, A Head

Anything worth beginning deserves a proper ending, I’ve spun the globe and am picking spots. As you’ve always been, you’re invited along for the ride. For those of you who’ve been feeling a bit fox-blog lost lately, let’s reconnect in the comments below. Where are you headed and what has sparked your imagination of late? If you let me know, I’ll put down the Kalashnikov, which many of you pointed out on my foXnoMad Facebook page, I’m not holding properly 😉

Ask A Fitness Expert: How Can I Stay In Shape When I’m Traveling All The Time?

by | Sep 5, 2013 | , | 65

yasmin al atracheOf all the things I miss from having a stationary life, going to a gym and staying active are high on my list. I trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu for years and aside from a few sessions here and there around the world, keeping up regularly has been nearly impossible. It’s only been over the past few year that I’ve made working out a priority again but it’s not easy when you travel often. My live chat guest today however can help you reach your fitness goals, particularly if you’re a frequent flyer.

Yasmin Al-Atrache holds certifications in Personal Training from the National Academy of Sports Medicine and IDEA Health and Fitness and ran Vitruvian Fit, training dozens of clients in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. In addition to medically supervising weight loss practices and treating patients suffering from obesity, Yasmin holds a degree in Exercise Science and Physiology from George Mason University and is currently working on Master’s degrees in Public Health and Health Science.

The chat is now closed, thank you everyone for participating!

Yasmin will be online later today for two hours to answer any and all of your fitness and diet questions about staying in shape, in the comments below. Additionally, Powerstick will be giving away a PowerTrip ($99 value) and Powerstick+ Portable Charger ($69 value) to the fitness question that gets the most likes. Ask away!

About Anil Polat

foxnomad aboutHi, I'm Anil. foXnoMad is where I combine travel and tech to help you travel smarter. I'm on a journey to every country in the world and you're invited to join the adventure! Read More

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