Congratulations to The Travel Photographer, Ken Kaminesky and Adventures of a GoodMan – you’re our top three!

1) The Travel Photographer – found tweeting @thetravelphotog
At number one is The Travel Photographer – an expert blog documenting the world in pictures. It’s penned by Tewfic El-Sawy, a photo expedition and workshop leader, among other things, who splits his time between New York and London and has a particular penchant for the Big Apple. The photos are lively, colourful and downright amazing as Tewfic explores countless sub-genres and unusual themes across the globe from the Far East to, of course, NYC. It’s a very cutting edge blog indeed – clever stuff – so we suggest you take a look.

2) Ken Kaminesky – found tweeting @KenKaminesky
At number two is Ken Kaminesky’s blog – a witty and incredibly charming site filled with fantastic posts, interviews, articles and reviews and, of course, fab photography. Ken has spent the last decade shooting commercial lifestyle images for stock agencies, including Alamy and Getty Images – two favourites of the press and glossy media. His expertise shines through in his lively blog in which, for someone whose forte is photography rather than journalism, he can’t half write. His blog is steeped in honesty, engaging descriptions and the odd anecdote or joke pertaining to travel photography. It’s also a great place to check out Ken’s amazing portfolio and order some prints if you fancy.

3) Adventures of a GoodMan – found tweeting @GregGoodman
Wow. Who needs words when you have such fantastic images? The photography on this blog is stunning and, of course, we particularly love the night time images of London, illustrating the London Eye, The Thames, Big Ben and Houses of Parliament. Blogger Greg Goodman, who has lived all over the world, also shares his travel stories, some of which are hilarious – like the time he narrowly avoided an international incident and sneaked his late Great Aunt Donnie’s ashes past security and into the Taj Mahal.

4) Mitchell Kanashkevich: The Blog
This visually stunning blog makes us want to pack our bags and head off on a volunteering or conservation journey to the heart of Ethiopia – because that’s exactly where travel photographer Mitchell Kanashkevich is. He captures local life – not just here but across Asia and Eastern Europe – beautifully. The images and supporting text help to bring home what’s important and Mitchell’s snapshots of a very different way of life will almost make you want to weep. But far from being filled with sad tales of underdeveloped countries, Mitchell’s blog gives the lowdown on the good, the bad and the ugly, honestly and without holding back. We think it’s a good read and a great eye-opener for anyone planning to travel to Africa and beyond.

5) Martin’s Travel Photo Blog – found tweeting @travelphotoblog
For enviable snaps of all your dream destinations, Martin’s Travel Photo Blog is the one. From Johnny Cay island to Machu Picchu to Sighisoara Romania, Martin Wilkins has snapped a diverse range of locations across the globe and isn’t done yet. In his blog, he also thrashes out the pros and cons of taking time out to travel – a page no doubt useful for anyone facing the dilemma ‘should I stay, or should I go?’ Perhaps the most exciting part, however, is on the page where he reveals his big travel plans for 2013 – a European road trip in a transit he plans to convert into a campervan. We think it’s a brilliant idea and wish him all the luck in the world.

6) Georgia About
Georgia About journals one Englishman’s experience of living in Tbilisi after making the leap and moving to Georgia several years ago. Naturally, it’s picture led and gives a great insight into the place, its culture, history and, above all, food. With followers in 90-odd countries, it’s quickly gaining momentum and we can see why. It’s well written, well laid out and an absolute pleasure to read so hats off to the man who pens it: Mike Day.

7) Anywhere But London – found tweeting @anywherebutlond
Anywhere But London isn’t your typical photo blog but with its iconic images of British town and country, not to mention pie charts, infographics and screen grabs, it’s pretty visual so we think it fits the bill. Apparently this blog is read by the likes of David and Victoria Beckham and has attracted suggestions from Sir Stephen Fry. It certainly champions Great Britain and we love author Andrew Denton’s concept of focusing on the UK’s other great assets away from London. Thumbs up to him for offering an alternative to Olympic 2012 overload in the 150-day run-up to the event.

8) Anywhere But Home
Join photographer Naomi as she travels far and wide – and believe us, she’s covered some serious miles. She’s lived in Europe, North America and now Asia with no future plans for a permanent abode. Our favourite piece has to be her favourite Moroccan finds, entitled Treasures from the Souk, in which she has snapped some of the most gorgeous, colourful wares and trinkets to be found in North Africa. The spelling isn’t always spot on but we love this 20-something gal’s approach to travel.

9) alexasigno.co.uk – found tweeting @alexasigno
Meet self-confessed ‘mad traveller’ Alex, whose images of everything from Black & White Tip Sharks and Polish weddings to Moscow’s metro and Auschwitz will leave you inspired and hungry for more. His blog is substantial and jam-packed with lots of great tales, tips and travel trivia. But the stand-out post for us is his food safari, in which he explores weird and wonderful delicacies from around the world, including Japan’s infamous sh*@t burger.

10) Taboo Photography
The photos on this new, would-be travel blog are simply amazing – however, the blog content isn’t really up and running yet so we’re watching this space with eager anticipation. It’s also a one-stop-shop for buying and downloading images of Asia and photographic prints and canvases for a small donation, which is split between two linked educational and support-aid charities.

All our winners and finalists are invited to download their badges of honour here.

For your blog to be considered in the following upcoming categories, contact lynda@mytravelmoney.co.uk:

Top 10 Overland Travel Blogs
Top 10 European Travel Blogs
Top 10 Wine Tour Blogs
Most Humorous Travel Blogs
Most Controversial Travel Blogs

The post Top 10 Travel Photography Blogs appeared first on MyTravelMoney.co.uk.

Congratulations to STA Travel, Travelstore and Thomas Cook on being our top three winners.

1) STA Travel – found tweeting @STATravel_UK
We’re sure any avid traveller, particularly enjoying a gap year, will be aware of STA Travel and, for that reason, we’re not going to patronise you by explaining what this blog is all about. Instead, we’d like to enthuse about how fab its images are and what great content it provides. We’ve been overwhelmed by its imagery of red back spiders, koalas and emus and just love the content which supports these snap shots. Well done, STA, you’re top of our list!

2) Travelstore – found tweeting @TSVacations
Here’s one travel website that’s so classy that it offers a ‘travel journal’ rather than a blog – and we love it. More of the same please! It takes the classic notion of keeping a journal, Michael Palin style, and logs it online – so much more high end than most travel accounts. Hats off to its writers who keep the content short and sweet but invaluable at the same time for anyone looking for a true account of great things to do in this big, wide world. Travelstore, please don’t ever change…

3) Thomas Cook – found tweeting @ThomasCookUK
Thomas Cook earns kudos for its budget blogging – we’re refreshingly pleased to see that these travel giants are not only acknowledging but embracing travellers’ ever growing needs to travel on a shoestring and admire its up-front approach to tackling money savvy topics like cheap activity holidays, its cheapest deals and great golf on a budget. Dismiss this blog at your peril!

4) Virgin Atlantic – found tweeting @VirginAtlantic
This is a great blog – albeit mostly about Virgin services. It does, however, give a good insight for Virgin Atlantic travellers and the odd independent review. We like how it reads in plain English and is easy to navigate. But, of course, it’s especially insightful if you’re planning to travel Virgin Atlantic in the near future.

5) First Choice – found tweeting @FirstChoiceUK
We admire the surprising blog topics of First Choice. Far from stuffy, you’ll find an eclectic mix of destinations coverage, top lists like the five greatest waterparks and, perhaps more topically, how to throw an Olympics party. It’s a bright and colourful blog full of hidden gems and ideal if you’re planning a First Choice get-away.

6) Island Holidays
If you’re into special interest holidays like spotting wildlife and hiking in far flung destinations and you haven’t read this blog yet, then you really must. It’s one to capture the imagination and really re-evaluate life. We can’t ‘big it up’ enough. The only downside is that we couldn’t find it on Twitter.

7) Brightwater Holidays – found tweeting @e_j_walker
The Brightwater Holidays feed is a humble blog by Graeme Mitchell, covering the monthly highlights of his industry experience and where he’s been travelling to in the name of research. It has an incredibly ‘couthie’ feel – especially with the company being based in Fife, Scotland – and what comes across is a real affinity for its guests and travellers. The Twitter feed above is managed by Groups Manager Ellen Walker.

8) easyJet – found tweeting @easyjet
We’re big fans of the easyJet blog and, in particular, its annual Bloggers Challenge. Last year, our chief travel editor was lucky enough to win the Blogger Challenge prize – a trip to Paris – after nominating Europe a la Carte’s Karen Bryan, who took up the gauntlet to spend 15 hours in the European city on a limited budget. It’s been developing for a while now and we can’t wait to see what the easyJet blog throws up in future.

9) KLM – found tweeting @KLM_UK
Everything from the brand’s social media strategy to ash clouds are covered in this blog which, although, basic is a great port of call for loyal KLM travellers or anyone who’s recently booked a KLM flight. The reading is a little bland unless you’re interested in the topic specifically but, for what it’s worth, we can recommend their flights to Japan via Amsterdam. In-flight service is fantastic!

10) Munros Travel – found tweeting @MunrosTravel
Munro’s carries all the latest updates relevant to business travellers, which the firm specialises in catering for. Based in Aberdeen, the travel company has been providing comprehensive travel management for more than 40 years and isn’t about to stop now. Its main focus is to reduce travel spend – which it does with ease while keeping clients and potential clients abreast of industry news, such as visa collections and deliveries during the Olympic Games, UK Border Agency strike plans, Chinese Embassy updates and much more.

Well done to all our winners and finalists who are welcome to download their MyTravelMoney.co.uk badges of honour here.

Any queries or award nominations can be directed to lynda@mytravelmoney.co.uk

The post Top 10 Travel Agent & Tour Operator Blogs appeared first on MyTravelMoney.co.uk.

We have to congratulate Britain’s inner cities on this one as many of the contenders focus on travel and lifestyle within the likes of London, Manchester and Birmingham – and we love it! Isn’t it great to celebrate Britain and what we have right here on our doorsteps?

We also have a few surprise finalists since we’ve included an eclectic mix of lifestyle blogs, from those that specialise in motor home travel to a unique guest house blog.

Congratulations to all our finalists but, in particular, to our winners, which are Campingly, Manchizzle and World Out There – landing our Gold, Silver and Bronze awards respectively.

1) Campingly – found tweeting @campingly
Haul your folks’ VW campervan out the garage and hit the road because that’s exactly what this inspired blog beckons you to do. There are more hints, tips, advice and inspiration on campsites, vans and motor homes than you can shake a stick at and we love that it celebrates the UK by steering readers in the direction of great things to see and do. It even throws in a few wine and book reviews and isn’t afraid to help us appreciate the simple things in life again. It gets a big thumbs up from us and that’s why it’s our overall Gold winner in this category. Oh, and PS, there isn’t a hint of mince about it

2) Manchizzle – found tweeting @katefeld
Who would have thought you could fall in love with Manchester all over again just by reading Kate Feld’s blog? Well, take it from us… you can! From eating local in Ramsbottom to eating your way through Reading Terminal Market, Kate captures everything that’s great about this part of the UK – and she’s not biased at all. We love her picks of the best bits of Manchester and the surrounding areas – which have even been praised by The Guardian. She has a strict ‘no guest post’ policy which means that each entry is lovingly penned by her own fair hand so it’s just as well we agree with her taste and judgement. Well done, Kate, you’ve landed our Silver award for services to travel and lifestyle blogging.

3) World Out There – found tweeting @World_Out_There
When we first featured Laura Mannering in a profile piece on our website, we had no idea we’d fall in love with her blog quite so much. Yes, we knew it was good but what we didn’t realise is that she’d have us hooked. Laura’s is such a feel-good blog that you feel the sun is shining even when it’s not. A real-life journalist, Laura is at the very cutting edge of travel writing and isn’t afraid to blog about biscuits, bars and even being behind bars for the night. We love it so she gets Bronze – what a femme fatale!

4) The Guest House Eastbourne
You might think this finalist is a little unconventional but, trust us, once you’ve read this blog you’ll agree it’s certainly not to be overlooked. Yes, it’s part of a commercial business but the blog is purely independent and covers the best of the beautiful continent we live in. It certainly doesn’t centre on Eastbourne but the width and breadth of the UK and is definitely worth a good read even if you’re not paying a visit. We couldn’t find a Twitter handle but maybe that’s our mistake.

5) Backpacker Becki – found tweeting @backpackerbecki
Some might say Backpacker Becki should have been featured in our Top 10 Blogs for Backpackers category and we’d have to slightly agree. But the way blogger Becki travels is, of course, a way of life and we couldn’t help but honour this solo female traveller for the insights she’s given us along the way. Our favourite post is, undoubtedly, ‘An orphanage is not a tourist attraction’. Becki has really paid attention en route and we love this heart-felt account of how she’s never actually visited an orphanage for the day and why she deems it to be in bad taste. You’ll love the photography and, like us, will completely see her point.

6) Tired of London Life, Tired of Life– found tweeting @tiredoflondon
Don’t be fooled into thinking this blog is a huge slur on London because it’s anything but. It’s more for seasoned London-goers, or Londoners in fact. It takes a look at alternative things to do in London, away from the mainstream and gives a useful ‘one thing a day to do in London’ account of what’s new, what’s good and where to go once you’ve seen everything else. It’s highly informative and great for anyone looking to experience more of London than the usual tourist attractions.

7) Ldn – found tweeting @LDN
LDN really is the insider’s guide to London – featuring posts from other blogs, carrying news updates relating to the capital and profiling the best places to go out and party. It has an extensive following and is a great guide for anyone living in London – even for the short term. Needless to say, it’s one of our favourite resources when it comes to the weekend.

8) Londonist – found tweeting @Londonist
Londonist reads like a What’s On guide for what to do in London, featuring upcoming gigs, exhibitions and cinema listings. It’s much more than that, however, with reviews, competitions and how to embrace ‘cheap London’. This could well be the real tourist information site to the capital.

9) Exile Lifestyle – found tweeting @ExileLifestyle
Let’s doff our caps to Colin Wright, who not only writes a damn good blog but has the ‘you know whats’ to feature a profile picture of himself relatively naked – covered only by an Apple Mac. But what we really love about Colin is that he lets his readers decide where he lives next. Check it out – he’s a maverick.

10) Birmingham: It’s Not S*@t
We’re nice, clean cut, wholesome travel aficionados here at MyTravelMoney.co.uk so we’re sure you’ll understand why we couldn’t quite bring ourselves to display the true title of this brilliant blog but we’re pretty certain you’ll get the idea. In short, this blog bigs up Birmingham and it’s great.

Well done to all our winners and finalists, who can download their badges of honour here. To be considered for our awards, please contact lynda@mytravelmoney.co.uk

The post Top 10 Lifestyle Travel Blogs: Our winners appeared first on MyTravelMoney.co.uk.

We found ourselves all at sea with this one as there are so many fantastic blogs in this category. But we’ve picked our favourites nevertheless and hope you’ll enjoy checking them out as much as we did. The expert bloggers listed below are so good they now have the entire MyTravelMoney.co.uk team saving up for a cruise!

Congratulations to all our winners and finalists and, in particular, The Cruise Blog, Cruises From The UK and Tom’s Cruise Blog – which have landed Gold, Silver and Bronze respectively.

1) The Cruise Blog – found tweeting @JaneArcherUK
This fantastic blog is penned by leading UK cruise journalist and enthusiast Jane Archer, who has written for the likes of Travel Weekly, Cruise Trade News and Selling Cruising. She’s also a Daily Telegraph Travel columnist and will be speaking at this year’s Daily Telegraph Cruise Show in London, Birmingham and Glasgow. Her in-depth knowledge of cruising and indeed her ability to produce brilliant copy shine through in this well presented blog which is currently offering a free download of Travel & Cruise Magazine for every visitor. Congratulations, Jane, you’ve struck Gold!

2) Cruises From The UK – found tweeting @CFTUK
This blog is our Silver winner and another bookmarked favourite – keeping readers up-to-date with what’s happening in the cruise industry, including who’s sailing where, who’s winning what and which ports are diversifying. The blog is part of the larger website where you can search for cruise holidays leaving from the UK but what’s great is that it’s still unbiased and impartial. Hats off to the Cruises From The UK team for including cruise facts, news and the most comprehensive information on UK cruise terminals on the web.

3) Tom’s Cruise Blog
No, not Tom Cruise’s Blog but Tom’s Cruise Blog! Meet 60-something-year-old Tom, who’s married to Val and developed a penchant for cruising in 2005 and, after many trips at sea, went on a special 35-year anniversary voyage in 2010 which really helped to seal the deal. Tom’s blog is a very personal account of the couple’s cruising experiences which you can’t help but fall in love with. It’s highly informative for anyone considering a similar trip and even has a resources page where you can find links to other cruise-related info. We can’t get enough! But sadly, we’re not sure if he’s in the Twittersphere because we couldn’t find a handle yet he’s landed our Bronze award all the same.

4) Captain Greybeard – found tweeting @CaptGreybeard
Captain Greybeard, aka John Honeywell – a self-confessed cruiseaholic, was a finalist in our Best Blogs for Travel Advice category but we just had to honour him again in this very fitting category as he really is the ultimate cruise expert. If you’ve seen his blog, he really needs no introduction – and that’s why he’s landed our Finalist award. Find him blogging over at The Mirror online for a chance to vote in the 2012 Cruise Awards and win a holiday.

5) Cruise Critic – found tweeting @CruiseCritic
For cruise news and reviews, visit Cruise Critic where you’ll find a surprising mix of short posts seasoned with a touch of humour. ‘The sunlounger race: Why do the Germans get there first?’ post really tickled us – as did the competition to win a ‘How to make towel animals’ DVD. Here, you’ll also find a great review on three apps for exploring port on your own and we love the great photos of some truly beautiful cruise liners.

6) Cruising World: The Cruising Blogs – found tweeting @cruisingworld
The Cruising Blogs are brought to us by Cruising World magazine from the Bonnier Marine Group Network and are among our favourites because they’re by different writers with a passion for sailboats as well as cruising. If you’re a lover of all things nautical and are interested in the finer details like sizes of engine, how many knots etc then this blog will be right up your street – or waterway, should we say?

7) Cruise
This site sure does pack a lot in and can be a bit sore on the eyes until you adjust to the information overload that’s going on but, once you do, you’ll love this site as much as we do. You can read more than 30,000 individual and unbiased reviews from real cruisers, track down your next holiday and read hoards of cruise guides. Not a blog as such – but a great review site.

8) James Cusick’s Blog
Follow James Cusick, Executive Purser on board Aurora, as he travels around the globe working on cruise ships for P&O for an insider’s take on what’s impressive and what’s not. Although James features the P&O Twitter feed on the landing page, the views are entirely his own on this very personal weblog and not those of the cruise operator. James gives some great insights into the inner workings of large cruise liners as he describes his job in great detail and the features of different ships. A great read, but we couldn’t track him down on Twitter – only P&O.

9) Choosing Cruising
This blog might not look as fancy as the rest but there‘s literally loads of information to be gleaned from this fantastic site which not only has a blog, but brings you the latest cruise offers and has great advice for adventurers, singles and those looking for a themed holiday. Blog posts are short and to the point relating to cruise news and mean you can have a ten-minute read and be completely clued up about the latest comings, goings and developments in the cruise world. Sadly, we couldn’t find these prolific bloggers on Twitter.

10) Choose to Cruise
Choose to Cruise is a nice and simple, magazine-style blog which carries all the latest cruise news from the likes of P&O and Oceania Cruises. There are great, informative posts, special offers, photos, videos and reviews for UK-based travellers with a passion for cruising. Again, we couldn’t find a Twitter handle to share – which is the only thing that lets it down. But we love the professional photography which really ‘wet’s’ our appetite for cruising. See what we did there?!

All our winners and finalists are invited to download their relevant badges of honour here to showcase their blogging achievements.

For technical help, or to request that your blog be considered for the next round of MyTravelMoney.co.uk Travel Blog Awards, contact lynda@mytravelmoney.co.uk

The post Top 10 Cruise Travel Blogs Celebrated! appeared first on MyTravelMoney.co.uk.

Read on to find out which blogs have us reaching for the champagne and smoking jackets…

The Luxury Travel Bible – found tweeting @LuxTravelBible
Although The Luxury Travel Bible is more an online magazine rather than a blog, we love it so much it just had to be in our top three. We admire the simple yet sophisticated layout which reeks of pure indulgence and signals escapism for the world’s most dedicated hedonists. Even if you can’t afford to travel to any of the resorts or destinations listed, you’ll have a field day scoping out Big Houses, Hotels with Heli-Pads and Resorts with Mega-Pools. Also hats off to The Luxury Travel Bible for managing to combine high end with humour – never an easy task. Congratulations, Luxury Travel Bible, you’re our overall Gold winner.

Simply Luxury Travel – found tweeting @SimplyLuxuryTvl
Simply Luxury Travel is fab – simple as that. And that’s why it’s our Silver winner in this category. The design is clean, contemporary and the content concise. Spearheaded by travel industry expert Yvette, who has worked for some of the UK’s leading airlines, tour operators, airports and corporate travel management organisations, this blog is all about sharing personal travel experiences and keeping abreast of industry news. The photography is absolutely stunning and editor Yvette certainly thinks outside the box when choosing what to cover. We’ll be following this blog religiously from now on so please keep up the good work!

A Luxury Travel Blog – found tweeting @luxury_travel
This blog comes to us from a team of luxury travel bloggers, headed up by Dr Paul Johnson whose travel industry experience spans more than 20 years. The Dedicated Partnership, of which he is managing director, operates more than 200 travel-related websites and represents some of the finest hotels in the world. Therefore, Paul and his team are well versed to be talking luxury and the blog itself has been dubbed ‘one of the best travel blogs in the world’ and ‘best for luxury’ by the Daily Telegraph. Although we, too, love the blog, which describes some of the best restaurants and resorts for discerning passengers, we’d love to see a better layout and definitely more images of these mouth watering places! The content and categories are great, however, so it’s definitely high up on our list – Bronze, in fact.

Luxury Travel Butler – found tweeting @lxtb
Luxury Travel Butler is another well-thought-out blog for the high end of the travel market – run by two brothers, Filip and Tom, who have undoubtedly travelled the majority of the globe, gathering priceless information as they went. Filip alone seems to have done it all – been there, seen it and got the T-shirt. Snowmobiling on Iceland’s glaciers, trekking to the Arctic Circle, jungle tours in Guatemala, and snorkelling in Fiji are just of the few travel experiences he’s clocked up over the years and what’s great is he’s happy to share them all! Follow these two siblings as they check out the best destinations, hotels and resorts in the name of research – you’ll never look back.

Mr & Mrs Smith – found tweeting @Smithhotels
Ah yes – Mr & Mrs Smith – the epitome of style, brought to you by Smith Hotels. It feels like naughty luxury and the dedicated blog captures this perfectly. Read up on the Smith Travel Blog’s Private Island of the Week, Hotel of the Week and what’s new. You won’t fail to be inspired and some bedtime blog reading might even help to rekindle your romance. Let’s just say we wouldn’t be surprised if, after reading these posts, you decided to whisk your loved one away to a tropical island or decided to renew your vows.

Luxury Travel Blog – found tweeting @ITC_Classics
Luxury Travel Blog is the brainchild of ITC Classics – a UK-based tour operator specialising in bespoke, tailor-made holidays for suitably classy travellers. The blog is great as a standalone, however, and is penned beautifully alongside gorgeous, idyllic-seeming luxury holiday hotspots. Refreshingly, this blog isn’t about the hard sell but sharing genuine experiences from around the world.

Out of the Blue Blog – found tweeting @TurquoiseUK
Great people pics, landscapes and idyllic settings coupled with top notch copy make this a great blog to add to your reading list. Yes, it’s written by a tour operator – The Turquoise Holiday Company, in fact – but the blog is all about unbiased accounts of great destinations. We say hats off, too, for managing to capture our imaginations with a landing page which you could almost dive right into.

Adventure Sports Holidays – found tweeting @advensportshol
Find great round-ups, Top 10s and reviews of luxury travel related products and equipment here – perfect for discerning adventure holidays. Great, down-to-earth posting with a little touch of funny is why this blog makes our Top 10. Don’t expect any revelations but good, honest answers to questions like ‘which travel adapter is best?’ and coverage of top travel apps, destinations and travel photography tips.

Luxury Lifestyles – found tweeting @uk_luxury
This blog doesn’t just cover travel and boating but everything else – i.e. cars, clothing, food and drink, jewellery – luxury too. Here’s where you’ll find reviews of some of the most exclusive retreats both in the UK and around the world. This is a really forward-thinking site complemented by videos, great imagery and first class copywriting and will have you coveting most of its distinctive destinations like Palm Island Resort in St Vincent and the Grenadines, for example. There’s also currently a piece on some of the swankiest places to stay for the 2012 Olympics.

Luxury Travel – found tweeting @LuxuryTravel4U
For short, bite-sized nuggets of information on prime places to visit then check out this basic travel portal. It’s easy to read, informative and loaded with useful advertising: where to get the best books for more on your chosen destination, for example. Expect to find lots of useful hints and tips on booking wisely and which cruises go where others do not.

For your blog to be considered in the next round of MyTravelMoney.co.uk Travel Blog Awards, contact lynda@mytravelmoney.co.uk

The post Top 10 Luxury Travel Blogs: Our Winners appeared first on MyTravelMoney.co.uk.

The awards in this category are probably the most coveted of all as we all know how competitive parents can be! Well done to all our finalists and, in particular, Take The Family, Netmums and Go! Travel, which have won gold, silver and bronze respectively – no easy feat in this heat!

1) Take The Family – found tweeting @Takethefamily
Take The Family is our gold winner for being such a great resource to tap into when it comes to travelling with kids. It’s jam-packed with genuinely useful advice, with well-written posts and features from authorative guest bloggers. Some of our favourites are entitled ‘Empowering kids to travel’ and ‘Top 10 tips for holidaying on a budget’. We say: ‘keep up the good work’!

2) Netmums – found tweeting @Netmums
Netmums isn’t really a travel blog but rather a one-stop-shop for mums on the ball – with its forums, advice, competitions and more. It gets our silver award today for its fantastic holiday section and blog which dishes out great hints and tips for travelling with children.

3) Go! Travel – found tweeting @HomeAwayUK
If you want to find out what to do along the Dorset coast with kids in tow, or attractions in Wallander County, then this blog nails it. The reason it wins our bronze award, however, is for sponsoring the Best Family Travel Blog category of this year’s MAD (Mum and Dad) Blog Awards. Good stuff, Go!

4) Career Traveller – found tweeting @careertraveller
This blog is like a pick and mix of great travel observations and hotel reviews – described in such a way that can’t help but inspire. We particularly love the review of Legoland Windsor and the stunning photography of Cornwall and surrounding areas.

5) Have a Lovely Time – found tweeting @Alovelytime
Have a Lovely Time casts a ray of sunshine as soon as you open the page. It’s bright and cheery with no end of fab features, news and giveaways – and that’s why it gets the thumbs up from us. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed.

6) It’s a Small World After All – found tweeting @vwallop
The Wallop family have just returned from a whistle-stop tour around the world after capturing every moment in their blog, which details how they took their kids out of school for nine months to go travelling on a budget. It’s a great read and no wonder it’s also been shortlisted in the Best Family Travel Blog category of the MAD Blog Awards.

7) Tots to Travel Blog – found tweeting @TotstoTravel
Tots to Travel is a family friendly UK holiday company, which has been featured in The Times, Junior, Parenting & Pregnancy and on itv.com and the BBC, so the blog isn’t entirely independent but it does give a good indication of what various destinations are like for kids, along with prizes, hints, tips and practical advice – with a few shameless plugs for its properties thrown in for good measure. It’s definitely worth a read – particularly if you’re still planning your summer holidays.

8) Wandalust
This blog is a bit mysterious but a great source of travel information nonetheless. It’s author remains anonymous as does (or so it seems) its Twitter handle but we can’t help but praise its well-penned posts, many of which seem to centre on European apartment rentals – great for self catering holidays with kids. There are a whole host of other sections too and you’ll find some great advice on travelling as a family.

9) Jenography – found tweeting @jhowze
This blog by Jennifer Howze, former Alpha Mummy blogger at The Times and co-founder of Britmums, is a great reference point for parents looking for UK days out and holiday inspiration. Travel writer and journalist Jen specialises in lifestyle and parenting so you’re guaranteed a good read – and she’s also been shortlisted in The MADs.

10) Mummy Travels – found tweeting @cathywinston
Mum-to-be Cathy Winston poses the question ‘can you really keep travelling with kids in tow?’ and, lucky for us, the answer is ‘yes’! Cathy, who’s been published in the likes of National Geographic Traveller and The Independent, is another mummy blogger who’s been shortlisted in the Parentdish-sponsored MAD Blog Awards. Good luck, we say – with both the blog award and the bump!

Remember, if you’d like your blog to be considered for the next round of MyTravelMoney.co.uk Travel Blog Awards, just drop our PR & Community Manager a line at lynda@mytravelmoney.co.uk

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The team at MyTravelMoney.co.uk had a great time compiling our Top 10 Travel Blogs for Backpackers because there are so many fun things to read in this category.

As a result, we’re now clued up on the best of everything when it comes to backpacking – from rucksacks and mountain ranges to boil in the bag food and great budget hostels.

Read on for the full details of our winners and finalists, with Gap Daemon; Backpacks and Bunkbeds, and Hostelbookers making our top three. Congratulations to all!

1) Gap Daemon – found tweeting @GapDaemon
Not only is GapDaemon our overall Gold winner, but this blog is the ultimate guide to planning your gap year and is jam-packed with travel tips and advice. It’s also a great place to connect with other backpackers and share your travel experiences via its neat online Postcard feature. We can’t help but love its cheeky little mascot too.

2) Backpacks and Bunkbeds – found tweeting @packsandbunks
This Tuesday’s Silver winner is the brilliant Backpacks and Bunkbeds – a well-thought-out, contemporary and funny blog that’s chock-a-block with answers to every backpacking query you might have ever pondered. Some of our favourite – and indeed the site’s most popular – posts have included ‘Top 5 Costs You Probably Don’t Think About Before You Go Backpacking’ and ‘Dorm Room Behaviour: 10-Step Guide To Pissing Off Your Room Mates’. Well worth a giggle in our book!

3) Hostelbookers – found tweeting @HostelBookers
HostelBookers, our Bronze winner in this category, is our favourite one-stop-shop for finding cheap accommodation across 3500 destinations worldwide. The blog features plenty of useful hints and tips on getting around the globe on a budget, interviews with seasoned travel junkies and even the occasional give-away.

4) Backpacking Travel Destinations – found tweeting @BackpackerBoy
For where to go and what to see when you’re backpacking, this is a great blog. Its layout is nice, clean and easy to use with lots of inspiring images to capture your imagination. Here, you’ll also find reviews, tips, accommodation advice and, for like-minded bloggers, the opportunity to guest post.

5) Go Backpacking – found tweeting @rtwdave
We love the look and feel of David Lee’s backpacking blog – most notably for its superb photography, Gear Guide and travel advice. If you ever wondered whether ESL teaching is for you or how to budget for your round-the-world trip, then this blog is for you. Did we mention how we love it so?!

6) The Gap Travel Guide – found tweeting @thegapguide
This bright and colourful blog reads like a glossy magazine, even with its own Features section covering backpacker topics like where to start once you’ve decided to go travelling. What we love most, however, are the interviews with top travellers and wildlife lovers like Richard Terry and Kate Humble. It’s definitely one for your lunch hour.

7) Backpacking Worldwide – found tweeting @backpackingww
We’re a big fan of Matt Hope’s Backpacking Worldwide blog and love its rustic feel yet cutting edge web design. We can’t get enough of story titles like ‘Hitchhiking on a Horse to Visit a Hermit’ and have to credit Matt for his ‘What I bought for Less Than $3’ post. Read all about nomadic Matt and how he decided to take time out before starting law school – he’s a real inspiration for other would-be backpackers out there.

8) Blog Packing Light – found tweeting @blgpackinglight
This website dubs itself ‘another backpacking blog’ when, in actuality, it isn’t. Yes, it covers backpacking but this is no ordinary blog. What it lacks in fancy web design, it makes up for with some of the most vivid photography and well-written, informative editorial of our time. Follow one man and his dog on a voyage of discovery – and we challenge you not to fall in love with Patch, the dog.

9) The Art of Backpacking – found tweeting @artofbackpackin
This blog by Michael Tieso has been featured on The Australian, Forbes.com, blogworld and Gadling – which is testament to its success. It’s part of the Everywhere Travel Connection Network and features UK travel videos, destination advice, food and drink tips, a gear guide and lots of other resources, including apps to download.

10) Hostelworld – found tweeting @hostelworld
Hostelworld has 27,000 properties in 180 countries and a great travel blog featuring photo essays and money saving tips, as well as some inspired and quirkier pieces along the lines of ‘5 Sports That Defy Sanity’ and ‘Europe’s Best Neighbourhoods’. The landing page is a brilliant bright blue which reminds us of swimming in the Med so it gets a huge thumbs up from us.

Don’t forget, if you’d like your blog to be considered for the next round of MyTravelMoney.co.uk Travel Blog Awards, drop our PR & Community Manager Lynda Hamilton a line at lynda@mytravelmoney.co.uk

The post Top 10 Travel Blogs for Backpackers appeared first on MyTravelMoney.co.uk.

Today we’re looking at consumer issues and the blogs which help to dispel some of the most troublesome travel-related myths and problems…

When there’s a niggle seriously affecting your travels, you need to know where to turn – and that’s where consumer issue blogs really come into their own.

Luckily, there are some great resources out there offering honest, unbiased and impartial advice and we’re delighted to have unearthed our favourite top ten.

Our gold award in the Best Blog for Consumer Issues category goes to Holiday Travel Watch, with Travel Rants and Europe a la Carte landing silver and bronze respectively.

1) Holiday Travel Watch – found tweeting @HTWFrank

Holiday Travel Watch takes a pretty serious view of dodgy travel industry providers trying to take advantage of innocent holidaymakers – that’s why it’s our number one. As well as giving advice on rights and legislation, holiday health, ethical travelling and a whole lot more, it has ready-made complaints documents and template letters to help steer consumers in the right direction to claiming compensation or, in some cases, justice. Its website is so comprehensive you probably won’t need to look much further for answers or reassurance. The site gets top marks from us and we’re delighted to award its team with our gold MyTravelMoney.co.uk Travel Blog Awards badge of honour.

2) Travel Rants – found tweeting @travelrants
Our silver winner is the inspired Travel Rants blog penned by Darren Cronian, who’s become such an influential voice on travel related consumer issues that he regularly pops up in the press to give his opinion. We love everything about this blog – from its user friendly layout and design to the quality of Darren’s articles and well-thought-out responses – which takes the bull by the horns. If there’s an email scam, unfair airport security or a resort which doesn’t quite meet the benchmark, you can be sure Travel Rants is all over it like a rash.

3) Europe a la Carte – found tweeting @karenbryan
The Consumer Issues page of the Europe a la Carte blog is a great pit-stop for UK travellers looking for honest customer service reviews, potential scams and general no-go’s. Editor Karen Bryan has full editorial control and bases everything on her own travel experiences – taking no prisoners when it comes to scrutinising service providers which don’t come up to scratch. If you haven’t already, we suggest you bookmark this one for future and look out for its MyTravelMoney.co.uk bronze winners’ badge!

4) Travel Watchdog
The overall design of this blog isn’t great and could do with an upgrade but it’s a good tool to use to avoid being ripped off on holiday. It can be a little hard to read with the small text and poor design but once you get used to it, there’s literally loads of handy information to soak up. You’ll find some decent destination guides, coupled with relevant warnings and legal pointers. The editorial is so thorough, US-based blogger Bob Braban obviously hasn’t missed a trick. If we could give him one piece of advice, however, it would be: tweet about it and let the rest of the world know!

5) Holiday Watchdog – found tweeting @holidaywatchdog
Not to be confused with Travel Watchdog, Holiday Watchdog is another great reference site for UK travellers. You won’t find legal advice or tips on who to hold accountable but you will find some good down-to-earth reviews and highly-rated hotel rooms to suit every budget. We particularly like how it’s on the ball and rounds up the most popular destinations of the time according to consumer habits. It also gets an extra Brownie point from us for actually being in the Twittersphere!

6) Which?
We can’t find Which on Twitter but feel we have to commend the blog anyway for its reliable travel FAQs on what to do if something goes wrong abroad. It’s a great guide to how to claim compensation and covers all the usual culprits like airline collapses and travel agents going bust. There are sample letters to download and transparent information when it comes to knowing your holiday rights. Call us juvenile, but we can’t help but wish it had more pictures.

7) Travel Blogger – found tweeting @thetblogger
For the low-down on the types of tricky travel scams that are out there, check out Travel Blogger. It’s not hugely constructive but there are lots of other fabby things to peruse while you’re there. It will teach you how to avoid travel scams, however, by using external links to relevant news stories. This blog basically posts travel-related stories from around the globe in just about every category imaginable. It might not help you in court, but it’s certainly worth a read.

8) Consumer Traveler
Consumer Traveler is such a mine of information that we know you’ll be as impressed as we are. This blog not only deals with consumer issues like ‘should I feel guilty for refusing to give up my seat to a family?’, scams and when not to believe your GPS , but it actually gives a whole host of great contacts for when you might need to call somebody to rectify a problem. We also love that the writers and their email addresses are listed so Joe Bloggs can get in touch to flag up any potential issues for the blog to tackle. Its only downfall is that we can’t seem to find a Twitter handle yet there’s certainly a button to tweet and share.

9) Living Safely – found tweeting @LS_Travel
The name might sound a tad unusual for a travel blog, but Living Safely is committed to blogging and micro-blogging (via Twitter) to help people live and travel more safely. It reports breaking travel news as and when it happens – covering consumer topics including safety, health, medical, nutrition and privacy as well as general travel issues. It’s definitely one to add to your follower’s list – you might just be surprised how much you need it.

10) UK Orbit
The UK Orbit site might be a little dated but it definitely works and does exactly what it says on the tin – or homepage rather. It’s not only a superb directory offering all the travel related products, services and advice you might need, but it some excellent categories covering everything to expect when you’re abroad – from shopping to currency and travelling with children. But it’s yet another which seems to be let down by the lack of syncing social media. We couldn’t find a Twitter handle but love it all the same.

Congratulations to all our winners and finalists. If you would like your blog to be considered in the next round of MyTravelMoney.co.uk Travel Blog Awards, please email PR & Community Manager Lynda Hamilton at lynda@mytravelmoney.co.uk

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