The Travel Blog by TravelPod

So, you want to write a travel blog? Here are five tips to help you spiff up your online travel journal.

1. Read.

You can find great ideas, and explore new ways of describing the world around you by reading some of your favourite authors. Bill Bryson, Thalia Zepatos, J Maarten Troost and Will Ferguson are frequently cited as some of the best.

2. Use your five senses.

The best descriptions come when a writer uses sight, sound, smell, touch and taste to describe their trip.

So remember the things that you saw, like spectacular views and strange people or things. Using your tastebuds, you can write about something you ate. When describing sound, try and remember any music, animals or crowds that you heard.

3. Carry a notepad

To really remember all of these experiences, it’s best to jot them down while they’re happening. An unexperienced writer tends to assume they will remember everything they saw while they are in the situation. However, the reality is that even a few hours later, the memory has already started to fade. Sitting in an internet cafe later on at night, it’s surprising how much information your brain has failed to retain. I personally favour a notepad with a rigid or semi-rigid back, so that the paper is protected, and you will always have a sturdy surface to write on.

4. When you can’t write, take photographs

While taking amazing photos of beautiful sights is a great way to enhance your blog. It’s also an excellent way to improve your memory. Digital technology has made it possible to take pictures of virtually everything. Forgot your notebook and want to remember that delicious noodle dish you are eating for dinner? Easy, take a picture of the menu! I have found it helpful to take photos of signs outside of historical monuments instead of writing down the information.

5. Be Selective

Not only do you need to use all your senses, you need to stay alert to your surroundings at all times. If you’re a wise traveller, you should already be doing this automatically. But it’s impossible to capture everything, so the tricky part about writing a good travel blog is selecting those nuggets of your day that will make a good story. A five minute debate on European politics with an elderly man on the bus, your first glimpse of the vast Pacific ocean, these are all small moments in time that are priceless. A good writer knows when he or she is witnessing greatness. Keep that in mind as you travel, keep the good stuff and don’t be afraid to ignore the mundane.

What are some of your travel writing tips?

Share them in the TravelPod travel forums.

Louise Brown

TravelPod Community Manager