Each month this year I shared some of my favourite reads and links from around the blogosphere that inspired me to travel better, work better, save better, eat better, feel better, live better. Here is my round-up of the Best Travel Blogs and Must-Reads for 2012.
On How to Travel
Matt & Caro from Passport and a Toothbrush started their RTW adventure. First stop: Portugal and Life at a Work Stay
Want to save $30,000? Darlene and Pete did – by housesitting. They just released their new ebook about it on Hecktic Travels.
The How-To’s of WWOOF’ing via BootsNall. Dogs not required.
Tourist traps in Prague and how to avoid them via Dan and Audrey
Kirsten learns to live like a local in Barcelona for 3 days.
What is Authentic Travel Anyway? via Traveling Canucks
How to have an adventure when you are a weenie via Steph Twenty-Something Travel
The Complete Guide on how to book and use a Eurail Pass via Norbert @GloboTreks
If you fly a lot don’t do any of these! The Planet D lists some of the craziest Airline Travel Annoyances
On Where to Travel
Five French Towns You Should Visit ASAP via Matt at Landlopers
Video: How to Run with the Bulls via thePlanetD
The Dorm Room Sex You’re Not Having via Steph at Twenty-Something Travel
Italy’s Seaside: Rimini and Riccione via Michael at Art of Backpacking
Mariellen from BreatheDreamGo is thee expert on travel to India and she’s now offering women-only tours to India.
Monica from The Travel Hack takes a Literatour.
Where to Stay in Cinque Terre Christy and Scott are surfer dudes but know the best spots inland too!
On Ethical Travel
Iain Mallory revisits the age-old question travellers stumble upon often. Do you give money to beggars?
A Haitian boy peaking in his new schoolbag!
On Voluntourism
Teaching Travelling Insight from people who are actually doing it. Awesome links to teaching programs you’ve never heard of.
I am now starting to think about my plans to volunteer my way around the world. For anyone doing the same here are great Insider’s Thoughts on Voluntourism
Small World Pursuits My favourite new blog discovery this month! Alisha is on a personal mission to change the world.
In September I discovered EcoJot, Mark Gavin’s program that gives back to school kids in Haiti and helps save the environment too!
On Photography
Cailin O’Neill gives vloggers the breakdown of Shooting video: DSLR vs. Video Camera
Understanding your Camera: Take Great Images not just Snaps via Mallory on Travel
When you should update your travel camera via Nomadic Samuel
A Photo Essay all about Prague via Candice Does the World
Jodi from Legal Nomads shares her snap shots from Porto.
On Food
Thought you knew everything there is about coffee? Laurel gives you the coffee facts via Monkeys and Mountains
Like street food? Italian Notes found the best grub in Italy.
Mikey from Kick the Grind is a castaway right now on some secluded island to prove he’s a darn good intern but he left us with this video eating a habanaro
One of my fave new blog discoveries this year. Tim + Nat from A Cook Not Mad are fresh and deliciously authentic. They cook up hearty homemade food and show you how to experience ltaly like a local.
Trish Moratto’s Palate Perfeccion (or awesome food porn)
Easy Italian Steak Mushrooms via Italian Notes
On Budgeting
Get married for $239? Yes please! Anything to save money for travel from Squawkfox, a fellow Canadian who knows what she’s talking about. Sidenote: I’m DEFINITELY not getting married, however if I was, THIS would be my budget!
Why you should ditch hotel travel and get an apartment via Bitten By the Travel Bug.
We all need it! A TED Talk on saving more money
On Location Independence
The Hard Path To Finding Location Independence
Location Independent Career Basics I just like anything Nora writes but this post is key
LocationIndependent.com Lea is helping people go location independent. Beware! You need to book yourself solid for this one. There is soooo much useful content here, you’ll be clicking every back link!
How Bloggers Land the Best Jobs: The Next Generation of Job Hunting Jen is an army girl turned free bird
On Blogging
The Travel Blogger Academy.com All of Adam’s content is brilliant and there’s LOADS of info on this site! Best part of all, you get his free travel blogging course by signing up!
69 Travel Blogging Tips from the Top from Travel Bloggers
The realities of being a travel blogger Marie’s blunt post is inspiration for new travel bloggers and anyone who wants to live a life of travel. Experience not needed. Just discipline, passion and a crap load of hardwork!
As a trained journalist I was intrigued by How to Move from Travel Blogging to Travel Journalism via the Matador Network
Of course, September was also full of blogger conferences and great wrap-ups including TBEX in Girona, Spain via Off The Path, Runaway Juno, and Dave at Go Backpacking and TBU in Porto, Portugal via Imperator Traveler and Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler.
On a Better You
Trish Friesen’s video on how travel has changed her
Dave & Deb’s video on how travel has saved their marriage
The Time I Almost Died and how 20 seconds can change your life via Candice Does the World
One of my most memorable moments. A tale of compassion, selflessness, and pure, genuine goodness – and what this travel community is really about via Anywhereandhere.
Living the Life you want to, not the life you think you should via Bridges & Balloons
How not going to university or buying a house saved my life via Nora at The Professional Hobo
Thoughts from a traveling spinster on her birthday I love this post because Ayngelina speaks to my exact fear and so many others out there.
Career vs Travel - Amy and Kieron are faced with a question that most of us are all too familiar with – do you choose your career or travel?
Are you interesting? Copyblogger taught me How to be Interesting
Quoi de Neuf?
TBEX is headed to Toronto June 1-2 but it’s never too early to start planning! The very first person I met in the travel blogosphere now happens to be one of my coolest friends AND she is also thee T-Dont insider. Nat will be posting lots of helpful tips over the next few months on what to do, where to eat and where to stay so if you want city secrets stalk her @NearAfar. She likes food bribes.
This Spring, I was featured in Barcelona Flats‘ new e-book for Where to Eat in Barcelona
In August, Travolution was featured on thePlanetD! Check out my awesome Austrian adventure.
And LOTS of travellers got ENGAGED this year! Kieu and Gerard from GQ Trippin did it in Prague, Devon and Aaron from Answering Oliver did it in Italy, and Tawny and Chris from Captain and Clark did it in India!
Alright, now go read. Start travel planning and be inspired.
Did you discover an inspiring link? Post it below or plug your own!
A Canadian journalist turned blogger, Cristina is a 20-something food addict and traveller who traded in the conventional 9-5 to live life by her own terms. Her passion for Europe has taken her to more than 25 countries and 45 different cities. Her next chapter in travel is volunteering her way around the world. When she’s not eating, travelling or writing, she works as a Social Media and PR freelancer in Toronto.
I love ethical travel so far so thanks so much for this awesome read and links.
everglades eco tour
I read through couple of those links and they are all great. Especially the one you have included in the budgeting section. This is something I have been interested in lately.
Thanks so much for including us Cristina. We appreciate your continued support.
My recent post Reverse Wedding Crash
Thanks for including my post about staying with Roomorama lovely!
Some good reads up there. Perfect for a rainy day like today.
My recent post The day Richard Branson looked at me and I ran away… twice