Get out there and make friends
Posted: October 3, 2012 Contents: Resources | Tags: aaron mashburn, frommers, frommers.com, locals, madeline reddington, Making friends model, travel advice, travel journalism, travel writing, traveling abroad Leave a comment »Building on Aaron Marshburn’s “Making Friends Model,” in Resources, Madeline Reddington in frommers.com, offers five ways to connect to locals while traveling. Reddington explains,
Most travelers realize in short order that our experiences abroad — and in other unfamiliar territories — are greatly enhanced by spending time with those who know it best, the locals. Whether you stay at their home, spend a weekend with them, or even chat over a beer, you’ll be opening yourself to a more intimate and genuine experience of your destination.
Reddington also recommends Triptrotting.com where travelers can connect with like-minded locals for offline meet ups.
The advice builds on the idea: Who knows the destination better than local residents?
Pico Iyer – Why travelers travel
Posted: October 3, 2012 Contents: Chapter 1 | Tags: pico iyer, travel advice, travel journalism, travel writing, why we travel, world hum, worldhum.com Leave a comment »Travel writer and journalist Pico Iyer offers this tidbit to WorldHum.com on why individuals travel:
Travel… guides us toward a better balance of wisdom and compassion—of seeing the world clearly, and yet feeling it truly. For seeing without feeling can obviously be uncaring; while feeling without seeing can be blind. Yet for me the first great joy of traveling is simply the luxury of leaving all my beliefs and certainties at home, and seeing everything I thought I knew in a different light, and from a crooked angle.
Avoid jetlag and changing clothes
Posted: October 3, 2012 Contents: Chapter 4, Resources | Tags: avoid common mistakes when traveling, avoid jet lag, budget travel, budgettravel.com, mistakes when traveling, save space when travling, terry ward, travel journalism, travel writing 1 Comment »Budgettravel.com’s Terry Ward offers advice on how to avoid the most common mistakes when traveling, especially when planning a quick getaway. For example, Mistake # 6 – travelers often forget to prepare for a new time zone. Ward suggests:
If it’s already nighttime in your destination when you step on the plane, pass on the in-flight meal and movie and pop in the earplugs for a snooze instead—that way you’ll be waking up with the locals, instead of feeling like it’s time to sleep when you touch down. Plan lots of outdoor activities for your first day in a different time zone, too—the sunlight and fresh air will keep you energized. If there’s no avoiding a snooze, try to limit yourself to a 20-minute power nap.
Ward also lists suggestions like dressing for more than one part of the day as a way to save time and space when traveling….
Know when it’s time to head home
Posted: September 30, 2012 Contents: Chapter 4 | Tags: know when to go home, matador network, matadornetwork.com, spencer klein, travel journalism, travel writing, traveling home Leave a comment »The three-by-three model discussed in Chapter 4 guides the travel journalist through the process of traveling. Included in the process is the preparation to travel, the reporting trip, then writing and publishing. Matador Network author, Spencer Klein, offers advice to readers on the exact opposite: how to know when it’s time to stop traveling and go home.
When the existential satisfaction of open time and nothingness and learning for learning’s sake gives way to distant thoughts and a yearning for routine, that’s a good sign you want to head home.
Some of Klein’s eight signs it’s time to stop traveling and go home include:
You are rationing salted peanuts, you’ve just sold your pocket knife, and last but certainly not least: you’ve agreed to write a copy for the BuenaVista Condo Development marketing brochure.
From layaway to house swapping: Options for self funding
Posted: September 30, 2012 Contents: Chapter 7 | Tags: budget travel, budgettravel.com, cheap travel, Fran Golden, house swapping, layaway, saving money on travel, travel journalism, travel journalist, travel writing Leave a comment »“How much will it cost?” Is often the first question following an idea to travel. Chapter 7 discusses the funding opportunities for the travel journalist and like Chapter 7, BudgetTravel.com’s Fran Golden investigates unique methods to saving money as a traveler.
The first method is a form of self funding:
Layaway. It’s not just for buying those expensive Christmas gifts anymore. Travelers are able to put down a deposit on a trip and pay continuously until the trip is paid for. Sites like Searsvacations.com, elayaway.com and Gate 1 Travel offer these types of services.
Golden also offers advice on obtaining lodging fairly inexpensively. Sites like homeexchange.com and digsville.com allow travelers to swap homes with a local resident of the desired destination who is also planning a trip to the journalist’s home.
Ask and you shall receive — travel savings
Posted: September 26, 2012 Contents: Resources | Tags: budget travel, budgettravel.com, deanna cioppa, frugal, frugal traveler, travel experts, travel journalism, travel savings, travel writing Leave a comment »One way to save money? Talking. BudgetTravel.com’s Deanna Cioppa advises that simple human to human interactions can lead to discounts on airfare, lodging and cruises.
The author asked several travel experts for simple questions travelers should be asking to save money. Some of the questions include:
- Is there an upgrade available?
- Are you running any local deals?
- Is there a tourism card available?
Some of these questions seem like no brainers but often times travelers forget, are too intimidated, or think its useless to ask them. According to experts, start asking these questions to ensure a more complete, inexpensive trip. Besides, it won’t hurt to ask.
Writing about home as a destination for others
Posted: September 26, 2012 Contents: Chapter 4 | Tags: backyard, karen gibson, stay home travel, travel journalism, travel writers exchange, travel writing Leave a comment »Chapter 4 offers this advice to journalists who wish to write about destinations but cannot afford either the cost or time it takes to travel: write about your home as a destination. But who wants to read about your boring old town, right? According to Karen Gibson of Travel Writers Exchange, many readers do.
One may think that their own backyard is dull and lacks excitement but, as Gibson points out, chances are people that live on a Caribbean island or in Paris probably don’t think their homes are exotic either. The author advises that travel writers do not have to stick to traditional travel publications as outlets for this work work. Rather, look to other publications about lifestyle, retirement, parenting, and food to diversify outlets and increase the chances to be published.
Getting it wrong on jet lag
Posted: August 27, 2012 Contents: Resources | Tags: jet lag, new york times, stephanie rosenbloom, travel journalism, travel writing 1 Comment »A New York Times travel advice column got it wrong on one aspect of jet lag.
Stephanie Rosenbloom, the Getaway columnist, advised that when flying east…
you must expose yourself to light early, advancing your body clock so that it will be in sync with the new time zone.
That’s the opposite of what experts advise, as the example she cited points out. When flying east, you should delay exposing yourself to light so as to retard your body clock’s syncing with the new time zone.
This isn’t new advice: I remember reading 15 years ago about air travelers from the U.S. arriving in London wearing welder’s goggles until noon or thereafter. Dark sunglassses are just as effective — and more fashionable.
SmartBrief, a news feed for travel aggregators
Posted: August 25, 2012 Contents: Chapter 6 | Tags: aggregation, asta, smartbrief, travel aggregators, travel blog, travel journalism, travel writing 1 Comment »Aggregation, or “curation” as some bloggers prefer it, is the practice of blogging about content created by others.
Most aggregators set up feeds that push content to them. SmartBrief is a daily e-newsletter that pushes content about 25 key industries — including travel. Ten travel-related associations have signed on as partners with SmartBrief to add its advertising messages to the content SmartBrief aggregates and email to subscribers. It’s free, current and useful.
I subscribe to the ASTA-partnered feed and find at least one thing of value daily.
