We’re on a roll with the interview series! Backpackers.com has been through a lot of changes, and more recently became a dedicated blog focused on events and destinations. One thing I find interesting is that they managed to get a blog on such a “high-level” domain name. It goes to show how long Pia Taylor, editor of Backpackers.com, been in the game. This is one thing we discuss in this edition of From the Travesphere.
I must say that I find the feel of Backpackers.com somewhere between something corporate and bloggy. For instance, it lacks an about page yet does have a privacy policy, but indeed has the writing style of a true and tested blog. In any case, I don’t do interviews with Travesphere bloggers I don’t admire, so I say check out the site and subscribe to the feed. It’s a gem.
Let’s first start with some questions about Pia, the traveler. When did you first become interested in traveling?
I’ve loved travelling since I was a little girl. My dad is a musician and in those early days was doing gigs around the country (South Africa) as well as neighbouring countries like Namibia and Zimbabwe. We’d often tag along (my younger brother and I), and so I got to see some beautiful places. That, and visiting my relatives in England and Denmark a number of times sparked a love of new places, sights and sounds that has never left me. Click here to keep reading…
Filed under Interviews.
In the third installment of my From the Travepshere interview series, I’ve been lucky enough to talk to Mark Ashley of Upgrade: Travel Better, who organized the Travvies, the first-ever dedicated travel blog awards. Based loosely on the Webbies, the Travvies recognizes a selection of travel blogs but also, and in my opinion more importantly, lends a little publicity to all nominated blogs. Good stuff.
This site was just a little too late in the game for last years Travvies, but who knows about next year? Check out the above link for last years winners. Despite me being late to the game, I did get most of my travel blog contacts via the Travvies
Besides all that, Mark also runs his fantastic blog. It’s consistent, great quality, and interesting to read. I hope everyone checks out his site and subscribes to his feed. This is what he said in my question-rich interview.
When did you first become interested in traveling?
I suppose it was as a kid. I got my first passport at one year of age, when my parents took me to visit relatives overseas. (My passport photo was apparently quite a drama. I’m much better now, I promise.) I’ve been traveling ever since. I’ve was once a backpacker, but not anymore. The Westin Gene has kicked in. Click here to keep reading…
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It’s been a while since I last did an interview with a fellow travel blogger. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been busy doing interviews! I have two interviews in store for you in the coming days; one with Mark Ashley of Upgrade: Travel Better (and host of the Travvies) and one with Pia Taylor of Backpackers.com. These are coming up. Today, however, we’re going to be talking with a professional travel writer who, incidentally, also blogs: Terah Shelton of Traveler’s Pen.
Terah has quite an impressive list of publications and praise. Her blog is a great reflection of her career: keeping people up-to-date on where she is, her thoughts on issues, and also has a great interview series, among other things. What is also fantastic is that she answers readers’ questions on traveling on her blog. Good stuff! In this interview she talks about how she began travel writing and gives what seems to be the essential tip for aspiring travel writers.
I asked Terah a few weeks ago about the interview. She was just leaving for a new adventure in Eastern Europe. Now she’s back. Here’s what she had to say. Click here to keep reading…
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Today I’m starting a new interview series called From the Travesphere. In it I talk to other travel bloggers about their travel experiences and their ideas about travel blogging. In this first installment I was lucky to talk to one of the Travvies 2007 finalists, Ian MacKenzie. Some might know him from his early web endeavors, but I like to think of him as having one of the most promising travel blogs in the travesphere: Brave New Traveler.
Brave New Traveler has fun and fascinating articles on experience traveling. It’s written by a group of talented young writers. The quality of everything there is just fantastic. I suggest everyone interested in such things go check out the site. They also have a lot of contributed articles. If you would like to try your hand at travel writing, I suggest you get in touch with Ian.
I sent Ian an email a few days ago asking if he’d like to do an interview for my new series. He said yes. Here’s what he had to say. Click here to keep reading…
Filed under Interviews.
