11. Debbie Pappyn and David De Vleeschauwer
If you ever dreamed of organizing a safari trip in the Polar desert, read what this guys have to tell about it…
Their Story
Debbie and David are partners in the adventure of discovering the world and writing about it. The freelance writer and the freelance photographer collaborate with dozens of travel magazines and journals (and we’re talking big names here), mixing their favorite hobby and lifestyle with the opportunity of financing them. These two are one of a kind, as while David is capturing the beauties of this world on his camera, Debbie offers her services as a consultant and a stylist for international travel companies.
The Blog
Classe Touriste became live in 2008 and since then, it documents the couple’s travel adventures all around the world. The study on Trip Advisor we mentioned before also showed that Europe is the destination of choice while traveling, especially for U.S. citizens but if you want to get some trip inspiration from these guys, you should know they love to explore the farthest and most remote hidden corners of the world. Your regular summer all – inclusive family trip plan may change in an instant if you read these guys’ adventures and see their photos taken in the Polar Desert, North Korea, Congo or Papua New Guinea. The photos are fantastic and make you want to abandon your hotel reservations in a cosmopolitan world capital and pack your gear for Africa. Their blog was listed by Christopher Elliot as one of the top 13 travel blogs of 2013, but prior to this, the site won won silver for best Personal Website at the Lovie Awards in London and People’s Category prize at the Lovie Awards.
Blog Metrics
With this kind of international recognition, their blog is nothing else than a success story
PR – 3
DA – 34
Alexa Rank – 493052
Fans and Followers: with over 2,500 fans of Facebook and over 2,500 Twitter followers, the guys don’t let their readers and supporters down for a minute, as everybody expects a new fascinating and thought – provoking post from them.
Getting in touch with Debbie and David
Their e-mails are available for everybody to contact them, or you can become one of their social media buddies. The blog doesn’t say much about advertising or guest posting, but if you want to do some travel business with them, you are free to write them your proposal.
Their philosophy
“With this travel website and blog, we try to share our experiences, tell honestly what went well and sometimes where it went wrong.”
12. Terence Carter and Lara Dunston
Their Story
This couple describes itself as “perpetual globetrotters” as they not only traveled to every corner of this Earth you could imagine, but their travel writing portfolio is so large and impressive, one can’t be but amazed. They made a career as travel bloggers and photographers and from Andorra to Oman, there are few (if there are!) places they didn’t live in and wrote about. They are the type of slow globetrotters, not intending to comprise all continents in a restricted amount of time, but they like to settle in a place for a long period, blend in the community, live and breathe like the locals and getting involved in everything that means co-habitation.
The Blog
Nominated by NineMsn as one of the top 20 travel blogs of the year, GranTourismo! can be compared to a magical realm where travelers and future globetrotters can find not only traveling stories and adventure tales, but deeply documented articles and advice for finding accommodation, together with tips, tricks and reviews regarding places to eat and drink, things to see and to do, local festivals and events they can attend, tour tips and so on, reflecting a great understanding of the concept of “sustainable travel”. Whatever corner of the world you’d like to discover, Terence and Lara already have been there and they tell you everything about it.
Blog Metrics
PR – 5
DA – 50
Alexa Rank – 192028
Fans and Followers: You can become a new member of the guys’ fan base, already counting over 12,000 followers and friends,, or you can subscribe to their blog updates.
Getting in touch with Terence and Lara
Their e-mails are available for travel chatting or even future collaborations. If you want them to guest post on your site, you should contact Lara for further details. Their media kit and coverage is also available for everybody to access it.
Their philosophy
“…on a quest to explore more authentic and enriching ways to travel.”
13. Samuel Jeffrey
Meet the perpetual “culture vulture” backpacker!
His Story
He describes himself as a “Jack of all trades”, as he started his globetrotting adventure by being an expat English teacher in South Korea, while presently he is a successful online entrepreneur who did (and does) a little bit of everything, from photography, to modelling and freelance writing. He likes his places to travel just as he likes his food: interesting, exotic, with a dash of strange. Any big plans for the future? Travel some more, or so he said in an interview for Just One Way Ticket. A digital nomad too, Samuel can tell you the most exciting travel stories ever!
The Blog
Nomadic Samuel is the blog you want to read if you want to live through Samuel’s eyes and words the fascination of visiting China or eating Finnish food. A very successful platform, the blog helps Samuel to cover his travel expenses and even put some money aside. You can find there photo documented travel stories, advice on visiting countries, making tours, finding good food and quality entertainment, get dreamy watching the photo albums or check his category of Top 100 travel blogs as an important resource for your future trips.
Blog Metrics
Success is measured by the people who love you, right?
PR – 4
DA – 58
Alexa Rank – 21289
Fans and Followers: His latest Facebook post (at the time this article is written) shares Niall Doherty‘s article regarding the costs of living in Hong Kong. It’s a small world after all, isn’t it? You can become a part of his world together with his almost 100,000 Facebook fans or the Twitter community counting almost 12,000 followers.
Getting in touch with Samuel
You have many social media options to become his friend and chat with him, and also his e-mail is available for people wanting to chat with him. If you’re a travel blogger too, you can contact him also for guest posting on his site, but if you just want to read his stories, you can subscribe to his updates with just few clicks.
His philosophy
“In my opinion, travel is filled with moments of splendor and moments of woe and I hope to capture both sides of the coin – at times not afraid to touch upon subjects that are off limits to others.”
14. Alexandra Baackes
This New Yorker knows a little something about frugality. But she also knows almost everything about globetrotting…
Her Story
In her own words, she escaped New York for a life of travel and adventure as the wanderlust was haunting her since her teenage years. Going solo to Thailand at nineteen years old was the first step in her globetrotting future and now she is still on the trip of her life. Southeast Asia seems to be the drug that all wanderers get hooked by, making them leave everything behind and spend the best years of their lives on the road. She is a huge scuba diving fan and if you check her archives, you will be amazed of the underwater photos this girl can take.
The Blog
She named her blog Alex in Wanderland not only because she is a quirky adventurer loving another quirky character always ready for adventure, but because she is truly in the wanderland of her childhood dreams. The site was listed by Wanderlust and Lipstick as one of the most exciting 20-something solo women travelers blogs available and it was featured on international publications. You can find there not only travel stories, but also an interesting page regarding traveling gear and products. And if you want to really be amazed, check out her post and photos about Indonesia sharks. Really. Sharks.
Blog Metrics
Listed by The Expeditioner among the top 50 travel blogs of the second quarter of 2013, Alex in Wanderland counts roughly 13,000 monthly visitors. But let’s see the other metrics:
PR – 3
DA – 40
Alexa Rank – 80789
Fans and Followers:With 2,317 Twitter followers and countless users loving her photo albums on Flickr, Alex is really a social person loving to stay in touch with her fans.
Getting in touch with Alex
She is available for contact via e-mail, and if you have a partnership proposal for her, as advertisement on her site or sponsored posts, she’s open to negotiate and talk to you further on the details.
Her philosophy
“I am unable to articulate why I wander. I guess this Earth we live on is such an amazing place filled with such fascinating people, it almost seems a waste not to see every corner of it possible.”
15. Shannon O’Donnell
This little adrift solo woman traveler has some story to tell, we’ll give her that…
Her Story
She left sunny California and an acting career to fulfill her dream of wandering the world. She now travels and works as an online consultant, freelance writer, public speaker, photographer and storyteller. She is one of those beautiful people whose motivation for travel was volunteering and making a change in people’s lives. Last year she published a book – The Volunteer Traveler’s Handbook which received many positive reviews from established publications and online media. Shannon keeps traveling and discovering the world, while her blog is a constant resource of information and entertainment for he following community.
The Blog
A Little Adrift took life in 2008 and since then it developed into one of the Internet’s favorite travel blogs. It focuses on a few core themes, such as long – term travel planning, cultural blending through the culinary arts, resources for those who want to work and travel abroad. Shannon’s writings were featured in a number of important publications and in the media, mentioning here only BBC Travel, USA Today and Lonely Planet, among others, which further increased the success of her site. Also, this site was gifted with a sister, Grassroots Volunteering, Shannon’s way of connecting travelers with local causes that need support from all over the world.
Blog Metrics
PR – 4
DA – 52
Alexa Rank – 149727
Fans and Followers: Shannon takes pride in an ever-growing community of fans, counting over 4,000 Facebook connections and over 9,000 Twitter followers.
Getting in touch with Shannon
You can subscribe to her monthly newsletter or contact her via e-mail. She has made a goal of keeping her site free from advertisement, so no banners and no sponsored posts either.
Her philosophy
“…though it seemed a distant possibilities in the early days of travel, I have managed to make international travel the focus of my life and work.”
16. Matthew Teller
NineMsn describes him and his blog as following: “Middle East expert Matthew Teller consistently brings you stories and issues from the region that don’t make the news.” So let’s see what this is about:
His Story
We have a true journalist among us, ladies and gentlemen, a man who has built an over – 20 years career reporting from all corners of the world. Not your regular “escape thee cubicle” globetrotter, but a man who has done and seen things many of us read (or not) on newspapers. Matthew keeps a personal traveling blog speaking truths and revealing wonders from the Middle East, Switzerland and northern Italy, all sprinkled with a dash of his own personal experiences as an independent traveler. His work is mostly commissioned, but Matthew does a great job of offering his blog readers information and stories which they can’t discover otherwise, and you can read one of his four travel books.
The Blog
Quite Alone is a melange of journalistic articles, personal impressions, photography and stories meant to reveal the reader the most interesting of facts, events and tales, gathered from all corners of the planet. His tips and tricks about visiting less popular touristic countries (like Palestine or Israel for instance) are a delight and an important resource of knowledge for everybody with the travel bug pushing them from behind to choose niche destinations.
Blog Metrics
PR – 4
DA – 36
Alexa Rank – 800406
Fans and Followers: You may be one of his over 8,200 Twitter fans or one of the thousands of BBC, CNN, National Geographic Traveler, the (London) Times, the Independent, Wanderlust (and so on) followers.
Getting in touch with Matthew
Social media is one opportunity, as well as his personal e-mail and updates subscribing possibilities.
His Philosophy
“I like to travel alone, finding unusual stories in familiar destinations.”
17. Troy Floyd
Friends call him T-roy, but NineMsn calls him and his travel blog “striking”…
His Story
Another example of escapism from the stressful working life, but this time it was a six figure job and a strong need to pursue happiness (sounds very much like the famous movie title) traveling around the world. It wasn’t Southeast Asia to motivate Floyd to give up his career, but Australia. In 2009 he made the choice of living his life to the fullest and moved to… guess where: Thailand. Living out of the backpack worked for a while, but then he started working on his photography skills, leading today to a world wide recognition of being one of the best photo travel bloggers to dwell the world.
The Blog
FOGG Oddysey is indeed striking as Floyd uses his camera to catch the beauty of people and human instances more than he is focused on landscapes. His stories are about places, people, everyday life, little details and tips you should know if you want to follow his footsteps in India, Colombia or the U.S. NineMsn lists Floyd’s blog among the 20 best travel blogs to find on the Internet, while browsing through Floyd’s archives you will see he made it to Colombian news, being interviewed for Telemedellin.
Blog Metrics
PR – 3
DA – 36
Alexa Rank -537765
Fans and Followers: Floyd has around 1,300 Facebook fans and an average of 3,000 Twitter buddies. You can subscribe also to his updates by mail.
Getting in touch with Floyd
You can contact him by mail or through the social platforms
His Philosophy
This is the best part and a reason for everybody to throw their hats at Floyd’s feet!
“My goal in life is what I call “Reverse Retirement”. Not sure if I’m coining this phrase or not but my plan is to not work a regular job until I am 40 (currently 31). What is Reverse Retirement you ask? It means I don’t want to work till I’m 60 and then be to old to enjoy the things I want to do now. I never understood the pressures of society that “they” put on people to work work work then enjoy the years where you are wearing diapers and having to wake up 5x in a night to take a piss. When I turn 40 I’ll get a real job (maybe) as I want to enjoy my youth still and can work after I have had my fill of play in life. Then I figure I’ll just get a job and work till I die. Some might say I am crazy, to them I say I am.”
18. Cheri Lucas
Cheri is not only a traveler of the world, but a traveler through life. Passionate about discovering a little special in everything she sees, she’s into urban experiencing more than about checking countries on a list. She also loves to write about writing and being a part of the digital world without losing your spirit. Capturing bits and pieces of real life, at the street level, beyond time and space, Cheri is the type of wanderer who sees beyond reality’s veil and writes with her heart and eyes open. Her notes on home, life and love are spectacular and following her footsteps is like entering a new realm you only imagined it existed.
The Blog
Writing through the fog is the place where Cheri lets us see the world through her eyes. It was referenced in the Atlantic, The New York Times and The Verge, along with Nine Msn Travel and listed not once as one of the most intriguing and thought – provoking travel blogs out there. A collection of personal stories and musings, beautifully backed – up by photos, her blog is the place to be when you want to see the world from a different angle.
Blog Metrics
PR – 5
DA – 50
Alexa Rank -603857
Fans and Followers: Cheri’s fans and followers aren’t counted by the millions, but by their capacity to understand nuances from neon colors and mind – whirling ideas from state – of – the matter facts.
Getting in touch with Cheri
She can be reached by mail or through the regular social media platforms. Her Facebook page displays a lot of great photos so enjoy them as much as you can.
Her Philosophy
“I’m preoccupied with time, memory, and relationships in a digital world; the struggle between wanderlust and home; and the writing life. Concrete answers don’t exist for these things. There’s a haze I sift through daily: a perpetual fog.”
19. Jennifer Miner, Kara Williams and Beth Blair – The Vacation Gals
Not your regular globe trotters, but some women who know how to enjoy life at its fullest! Jennifer, Kara and Beth are travelers, wives, mothers and bloggers who show you the true meaning of living the life to the extremes. What does that mean? Well, imagine taking your infant child through a journey in China or spending a holiday on luxurious islands with hard names to pronounce, while knowing that you will have to come back home and re-take on the laundry where you’ve left off. These girls are all about spending time with their families abroad, running away together in a girl escape somewhere in the world or just vanishing (each with her husband) on some secluded place on Earth to spend some quality time together. Here on TenMania we already wrote about top luscious islands and decadent hotels, but these girls have been to places we didn’t even dream to arrive to.
The Blog
The Vacation Gals is the place when it comes to finding ideas, tips and tricks and funny stories about family vacations, girls get-away, romantic escapes and honest, in-depth accommodations, restaurants and gear views and reviews. They seem to have traveled everywhere and their stories are a delight, both from an educational and entertaining point of view. Last year the blog won two golden medals, a silver and a bronze one within the North American Travel Journalists Association Annual Awards and this is just a little exponent of their trophy cabinet.
Blog Metrics
They write separately and they write together, making this blog one of the most appreciated travel blogs of the year. And most importantly, they are in this together, always willing to share their good advice and teach us a little bit about treating ourselves with a luxurious trip.
PR – 5
DA – 57
Alexa Rank – 84230
Fans and Followers: The blog gathers over 3,000 Facebook fans and a rough 11,500 Twitter followers. It is hard not to follow them around the world from Mexico to China when their stories are so compelling!
Getting in touch with the girls
They can be reached individually by mail or Twitter, or you can write to all of them. They are willing to be hired for writing, but no selling of text links. They also speak at events and give interviews and given their online presence, their ads policy is quite friendly for whomever interested.
Their Philosophy
“The Vacation Gals walk the walk when it comes to travel; annually we take at least 36 trips for business and pleasure. We’re all about traveling with our families — after all, what better way to unplug from computers, carpools and commitments and connect with our kids than on a vacation? Yet as much as we enjoy introducing our children to new places and new experiences, we also appreciate getting away with our spouses sans children, and we think there’s nothing like a girlfriend getaway to return home refreshed, recharged and rejuvenated (and ready to tackle the laundry pile again).”
20. Raymond Walsh
We talked about cubicles so far and here we have him, a man on the lam who actually managed to escape the cubicle! Just as he says, he is not an escaped convict running for his life, but a man (just as many of the globetrotters presented here) who decided he is too young not to live life to the fullest, so he quit the job and embarked the journey of his life. He is a travel writer and his stories made quite the impression with National Geographic, Mashable, BBC Travel or CNN GO, among many others. Raymond has a very soft spot for oddities and if you weren’t at all decided to take a trip to Spain next summer, in spite of the famous Spanish luxurious beaches and incredible architectural masterpieces such as the Mercury Fountain, you can read Raymond’s “5 Quirky things to do in Costa Brava”.
The Blog
The Man on the Lam comes with a fresh perspective on the world as we know it. The quirky things Raymond talks about aren’t restricted only to Europe, but to other interesting places on Earth, such as Maui or Cancun, Mexico. And we thought our travel ideas were interesting! You might as well check out his hotel recommendations and some very useful tips and tricks regarding travel and accommodations.
Blog Metrics
A fun guy is always accompanied by a fun bunch!
PR – 4
DA – 52
Alexa Rank – 80729
Fans and Followers: Become one of Raynold’s over 4,800 Facebook fans or 4,700 Twitter followers. You can subscribe to his posts or add him to your Google+ circles.
Getting in touch with Raymond
You can contact Raymond to say “hi” via his e-mail or talk about advertising opportunities, as he’s open to talk business with you. You can also subscribe to his latest updates and follow this adventurer as he discovers the world.
His Philosophy
“But the only hard time I’m trying to avoid is that cubicle-shaped cell I was prisoner to for far too many years.”