Best Travel Blogs – Post-COVID
We are in a new world when it comes to travel. Let's take a look at some of the best travel blogs out there post Covid right now for tips.
This article is more than 2 years old
One of the countless areas affected by the COVID pandemic has been the way we go about moving around the country, if not the globe. It was pretty much a free-for-all in the days prior to COVID, but as it began to take hold, travel life as we knew it was pretty much gone. As things slowly begin to move in a positive direction and we learn how to start living our lives post COVID, the world is slowly starting to open up again for business. But how do we know the where’s and the how’s? One good way is travel bloggers, so finding the best travel blogs post-COVID would be a great start.
There is travel before COVID and there is travel now, post COVID (if we are even past COVID at this present time). Pre-COVID found families planning for fun summer vacation destinations, couples looking for romantic getaways, and individuals needing that long weekend adventure. Oftentimes, those in need would turn to the best travel blogs to decide where to go.
But COVID had other plans. Prior to the pandemic, the tourism sector grew practically uninterrupted for decades. In fact, since 1980, international arrivals jumped from 277 million to almost 1.5 billion in 2019. It was unprecedented and the best travel blogs were enjoying life and leisure. But then came COVID, something that dwarfed the 2003 SARS scare and the 2007-09 global financial crash in terms of devastation.
So, devastating has the COVID pandemic been on the tourism side that international arrivals have only seen a 4% growth during the second year of COVID. This means that compared to pre-COVID times, international arrivals are seeing one billion less today than they did before COVID claimed the world as theirs. The best travel blogs pretty much went into hiding. They had nothing to blog about and were looking for the post-COVID day to arrive so they could get back out and do what they do best and travel blog.
Credit: Statista
Most experts don’t see 2022 or 2023 as being full recovery years in terms of travel. There are too many COVID variants still poking around that have not allowed for fully opened countries, internationally speaking. In the United States, things are easing much faster although those pesky variants are beginning to make some noise. What effect will they have on travel as the summer season is right around the corner? Will the best travel blogs be able to find their sea legs? Well, let’s see what they are and how effective they can be in a post COVID world.
WHAT IS A TRAVEL BLOG?
Simply put, a travel blog is a place where one documents all aspects of travel to certain locations. The blog will relate experiences, tips, warnings, pricing, and any other information necessary to make one’s travel easier and with as less surprise as possible.
These travel blogs are typically posted to a website. On top of all the included above information, they can also have photographs, images, and even the occasional podcast that concerns every part of your destination. The best travel blog will offer everything at your fingertips, often from a very personal experience.
WHAT MAKES A BAD TRAVEL BLOG?
We know bloggers need to make money. Most of those on the internet is in some way tied to ads and popups to bring in their cash. It’s the American way, right? We don’t have an issue with that BUT if you click on a travel blog and in the first ten seconds or so you are hit with more than one pop-up or ad, you may want to reconsider that blog.
Being fake is another reason to move along. You are going to want a travel blogger who actually has been to the places they are speaking of and you are researching. It is pretty easy to see who has been to a destination and who hasn’t. If you are a “niche” traveler (family-friendly, backpacking, adventure, luxury), find the travel blog that best suits those needs and make sure they have actually done the requisite travel.
WHAT MAKES A THE BEST TRAVEL BLOG?
Travel blogs never used to be a thing. Heck, you can go back even a decade to see just how unpopular they were. Not that they weren’t well written or full of useful information, the average traveler just never really took to them. But as travel became more and more frequent, people began to realize just how helpful a good travel blog could be. They could find out, all in one place, everything they needed to know about a popular destination. They could find out, all in one place, everything they cared to know about unpopular destinations as well, places that the best travel bloggers would recommend.
The best travel blogs in this post COVID world will read like your best friend is giving you advice. If you are planning an important (i.e., fun, romantic, relaxing) getaway, you aren’t going to ask the advice of just any friend or person. No, you are going to go to someone you trust. This is how the best travel blog will read. Someone you can trust to give you the best information on your destination of choice.
Those of us who have traveled, in-country or internationally, know that travel doesn’t come cheap. Skyrocketing prices from gas, to hotels, to airline tickets, have made travel more dependent on “exacts.” Families need to know what they are budgeting for. Couples need to know just how much romance they can afford. Solo travelers need to know just how “lost” they can get.
Funds are tight in post COVID times. Planning is becoming more of a necessity than anything else. This is why finding the best travel blog can be key to your success in making your next adventure the best you can have. So, let’s take a look at some of the best.
THE FIVE BEST TRAVEL BLOGS POST-COVID
BLOG – WHERE ARE THOSE MORGANS?
WHY WE LIKE IT – Setting out the travel full-time is no easy task. It requires quite a bit of planning, and more than a little daring when it comes to just getting out there and doing it. The Morgans, Mark and Kristen, get this and want to help. Their blog is about as comprehensive as it gets and it’s coming from a couple of scientists who thought the lab life just wasn’t for them. As they put it, they decided to go on a honeymoon and never really come back.
Where Are Those Morgans combines comprehensive travel itineraries with a personal touch because they’ve actually done it themselves. This couple has been at it going on four years now and have road trips, city guides, hiking excursions, and National Park tours all lined up on their blog. And it’s not just the United States either. These two have explored Europe, South America, and Asia as well. You won’t find many travel bloggers that haven’t covered as much ground as the Morgans.
BLOG – THE BLONDE ABROAD
WHY WE LIKE IT – We like it because everyone loves it. Kiersten’s (Kiki, as she is known) travel blog is sort of a cross between fashion and travel for the female adventurer. She offers advice and tips to women on things like what and how to pack, what to wear, and things to see overseas. She leans a bit more towards the luxury side of travel, but all advice and tips she relays are top-notch.
Men, even though Kiki’s focus tends to be more on the woman’s side, there are more than enough tips and hints for everyone to get something from one of the best travel blogs post-COVID on the internet. You won’t be disappointed with Kiki’s blog.
BLOG – WANDERING EARL
WHY WE LIKE IT – When it comes to veteran travel blogging, Wandering Earl is the man. He has been at it since 1999, pretty much before anyone even had an idea as to what a travel blogger was. Wandering Earl is one of the best travel blogs post-COVID (and pre-COVID) because he doesn’t just share his stories, he provides readers with helpful advice and resources so you can accomplish any type of travel.
If you are looking for someone who offers a wide range of travel advice, Wandering Earl is where you need to go. Along with his easy and practical advice, he also has a crazy story or two (like the one where he got kidnapped and lived to blog about it) that he shares.
BLOG – DAN FLYING SOLO
WHY WE LIKE IT – If you are looking for a getaway that has less fanfare than say, Disneyland, then Dan Flying Solo is the best travel blog post COVID for you. Dan’s destinations land in the more exotic locales with the main focus on less known places.
On top of being a great blogger, Dan is also a great photographer. Much of his travels and photography have been featured in National Geographic and Travel + Leisure. If you like exotic, then Dan’s should be your choice.
BLOG – EXPERT VAGABOND
WHY WE LIKE IT – For over a decade now, Expert Vagabond had been traveling the globe either solo or with his wife and baby, offering a wide range of tips and travel advice for an equally wide range of potential travelers. For this reason, he is one of our picks for the best travel blog post COVID. But what also makes Expert Vagabond a great travel blog is the fact that he doesn’t just offer his expert travel advice.
The Expert Vagabond brings more to the table than simple travel writing, which he does with a high degree of professionalism, or his fantastic eye for photography, he also offers pertinent advice on the actual writing of blogs or taking pictures so as to help you build your own brand if travel blogging is your goal.
BLOG – GOATS ON THE ROAD
WHY WE LIKE IT – Come on. The name alone should draw some interest. Dariece and Nick are a Canadian couple who love to travel, so they began one of the best travel blogs post-Covid. According to the couple, they chose the name because, in reality, goats have a tendency to wander all over. That’s how they see themselves.
What makes Goats a great travel blog is that not only does the couple take you on their adventures, but they go many steps further. They offer followers free e-books and free e-courses for those out there who may wish to follow in their footsteps and become travel bloggers of their own. They teach people how to get out there and earn money and make a living while out exploring the world.
FINAL TRAVEL BLOG THOUGHTS
When it comes to the best travel blogs post-COVID, you can’t really go wrong with any of the above blogs, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t toss out a few more of the best travel blogs post-COVID. Travel Freak, Nomadic Matt, The Points Guy, and Going Awesome Places are but a handful of resources to look into if you are planning to travel.
The best thing to do is give them a read and see which one speaks to you. It all depends on where you wish to travel – staying local, traveling out of state, traveling to a big-time destination such as Disney World or the Grand Canyon, or traveling internationally.
There are so many fantastic places to see out there in the big bad world and so many travel blogs that specialize in specific travel. As you search for that next family vacation, that next romantic getaway, or that solo adventure, find the best travel blog post-COVID that offers what you seek. Remember, the world is your oyster, make the most of it. Happy trails!
