There is plenty of content on the internet describing every place you could possibly want to visit. What are the benefits of reading travel blogs in particular?
There are many reasons why people read travel blogs, for example:
- They are passionate about travel and want to read more about other people’s experiences
- They are trying to decide where to visit next and need ideas
- They are thinking about traveling somewhere in particular and want some more information
- They have decided where to go and are doing research on the details
- They have come across a travel blogger they like and want to follow their journey
- They haven’t traveled before but really, really want to, so they read about it
- There is a specific aspect of traveling that they want to know more about, like how to backpack or travel on a budget
Given this whole website is all about travel blogs, let’s discuss these ideas a little further…
Blogs/reviews are useful and practicalIf you were given the task of arranging dinner at THE BEST restaurant in the world, you might hop online and find a few options that look AMAZING. But your research wouldn’t really be complete until you looked into the experiences of other people who have already been there. Maybe the website is great, but the reality is very different. Maybe the food is awful, or the customer service is appalling. Sometimes things are not as they appear. Or maybe you find there is one amazing dish that everyone loves, and now you know which dish you must order when you get there. Wouldn’t you be glad that you checked those reviews before you turned up with your friends, family, and money?? Now you can get your money’s worth and ensure you have a great time!
Reading someone else’s experience of traveling is like a detailed review of not just a restaurant, but a COUNTRY. Going to another country (or any trip, really) is a lot more time, effort, and money than just going to a restaurant, so spending some time doing research is worthwhile. You want THE BEST travel experience, so travel blogs are a way of doing some in-depth research.
There are so many helpful tips and suggestions that you may not know about when you are planning your trip. For example, maybe you hadn’t thought about booking tickets in advance online for the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel on a trip to Italy. As mentioned in that travel blog, I booked my tickets in advance based on a friend’s recommendation and walked past people who were in line for hours to get tickets. I was grateful for my friend’s advice, and so I shared it online to hopefully help someone else on their trip. Another thing I enjoy reading in travel blogs is detailed info of how to get into town from the airport, without paying an arm and a leg. This part of the trip often gives me some anxiety, so I like to find the best way in advance.
The world is your oyster… what this actually means is that the choice of places to visit and things to do is endless! This can be a blessing and a curse.
Have no idea of where you want to go or what you want to do? Browse through some blogs and see what catches your eye. Reading travel blogs on a few of the potential places that interest you can help you narrow down where you actually want to go.
Trying to choose between a few countries? Reading a few blogs on each will help you get a feel for which place appeals to you more and maybe you’ll see something that inspires you to make that trip. You might even add a few more places to your ‘to visit’ list!
Even if you have narrowed down which country you want to visit, there are usually SO MANY options of what to do and where to eat, that you don’t know how to narrow down your options… Beach? City? Town? Countryside? Volunteer work? Teach English? Food tours? Museums? Restaurants? Special events? Travel solo? Dietary needs? Luxury trip? Budget trip? Travel bloggers will have covered so many possibilities, and outlined if they were positive or negative experiences, that you will be bound to get some ideas of where exactly you want to visit and what you want to do there.
Understanding the good and the badBy reading someone else’s travel experience, you get a glimpse of what that experience could actually be like for you. Maybe it will appeal to you, maybe it won’t. Either way, you have just learned something that will help you narrow down your list of places that you do or do not want to visit.
For example, a friend of mine was thinking about visiting Marrakech (Morocco) but wasn’t sure if it would be too crowded for her liking. Based on my experience from living in Morocco for a few months, I told her that Marrakech would probably not be the right place for her – especially as she blatantly looks like a tourist = target. I remember walking through the Marrakech markets with a British friend and having my arms grabbed from all directions, it was not pleasant. I pointed out that she might enjoy a beach town like Agadir, but there is a very big contrast between the tourist areas and the local way of living and I think she would much prefer somewhere that she could experience the real life culture consistently. For various reasons, she’s removed Morocco from her list and is contemplating some other countries. No tourism company is going to point out the negative aspects of traveling there. This is where wisdom from people who have actually done the journey can be beneficial.
On the other hand, maybe there is somewhere (obscure) that you are interested in, and you want to know more. This is the bigger benefit of reading travel blogs – finding out MORE about where you do want to go. There are a few experiences I went on where I would have loved to know more before I took the plunge. This includes teaching English in Spain through the Vaughan Town program and doing volunteer work on a wildlife sanctuary in Namibia. Both amazing experiences that I would love to encourage others to do. This is a large part of my motivation for writing a travel blog – to provide information and answer questions for people who are thinking about doing the same thing.
Reading some travel blogs will be sure to give you plenty of ideas and inspiration on where to go and what to do there. AND where not to go.
There is a lot of love and effort that goes into writing a travel blog. Text, pictures, editing, formatting, not to mention all the set up of having your own website in place. Keeping a travel blog (or any blog) is to some extent a work of passion. No one has to document or share their travel experiences, but they choose to do it for themselves and/or for potential readers who are interested in what they experienced while traveling.
That’s not actually a reason for why you should read travel blogs – but it is a reminder that time and effort has gone into sharing this experience with you, the dear reader, and you are giving the blogger credit by appreciating their effort and reading their blog. Reading and making use of that information makes it all worthwhile.
Whatever your reason is for reading them, I hope you enjoy the growing selection of travel blogs and articles on All the travel blogs and keep coming back for more.
Written by Shama
