Yeah, yeah, yeah. There are a lot of great travel blogs out there. I could do a list of the “top 59 blogs to feature on your own blog to drive more traffic to your site.” But to Hell with that. As is extremely apparent to the 5 people who read this blog, I’m not one to worry too much about site traffic.
But I do like to be entertained, so I’m sharing this little list of sites that keep me laughing in the hopes that you will enjoy them and be inspired to write something clever in the comments below. Or at least tell me about something funny you read once, fer Chrissakes.
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1) Unbrave Girl
What it’s about:
After leaving Buffalo to teach English in Japan for a few years, Sally is now pushing further into Asia. Slowly. After a few adventures and odd jobs, including boat building in Malaysia, she’s settled into Chiang Mai, Thailand with 312 other travel blogging expats. Yes, Sally, you’re crazy. But yes, it’s a good crazy.
Why it’s on the list:
Every post Sally writes makes me laugh. And the bonus is they’re all the length of novellas, so you get more bang for your click-through. Whether it’s her battles with bugs and cats in Thailand or her frequent admission to spending most of her globe-trotting time on the couch eating cookies, she’s my kind of traveler.
The Must Read post:
unbrave girl at the movies: a belated review of eat, pray, love
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What it’s about:
Someone needs to do a 21st century version of the Grease song and call it “Corporate World Drop-out” because there are a lot of people who can identify with Ayngelina’s departure from the world of advertising to travel South America. She is able to keep up with writing a post nearly every day as she goes from country to country in Central and South America. A couple of key features are the “Have you met… x?” – profiles of people she meets on the road and the photos of her traveling companion Mr. Bacon.
Why it’s on the list:
Ayngelina isn’t necessarily writing comedy on a regular basis, but she does have a great wit, she’s one of the nicest bloggers I know and the site’s name alone makes me laugh, even months after I first heard it. Her “12 Things I Hate About Travel” was funny while being a wonderfully cathartic vent, getting an eye-popping 65 comments from people who could identify with having a bad day on the road
Must Read Post:
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What it’s about:
Much less of a personal blog than the rest, Bret and Jackie share offbeat travel news, funny lists and unusual things to do while traveling. They also do have the requisite blog entries that provide a wonderfully lighthearted look at their own travels.
Why it’s on the list:
A great daily round-up of what’s going on in the world, with a news of the weird vibe. It’s an entertaining place to visit for a few laughs and to learn about odd attractions around the world that you won’t generally find in Lonely Planet. This is the blog I’d like to run, if I had the time. And ambition.
Must Read Post:
69 TOWNS AND CITIES WITH FUNNY DIRTY NAMES
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What it’s about:
After losing her job in the US last year, Janet hopped off to a volunteer experience in India, then made her way to the Philippines to live with her parents in her childhood home. Her blog chronicles some amazing experiences and things she’s done along the way, always with a refreshing openness and sense of humor.
Why it’s on the list:
Janet never ceases to inspire me. There are a lot of people who claim to “tell it like it is” but I have never in my life read posts from someone who absolutely refuses to filter what’s on her mind, whether it’s masturbation or shaving her head. Her search for direction and adventure has led her to the Philippines where she’s done things most people would never even think of doing – like staying in a Buddhist monastery for four months and then a month later walking 400 miles along Palawan island.
Must Read Post:
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What it’s about:
En route between a little town in Australia and a new job in London, Chris took an extended diversion to travel Europe. In addition to some of the well-known icons, he has also spent a fair amount of time in less-traveled corridors of Eastern Europe, providing information and tales from little known places, always with an Aussie’s wit and penchant for a pint.
Why it’s on the list:
One common thread I’ve found amongst the humorous travel blogs is that they have a palpable love for their lives, which is why the energy and lighthearted mood come through so well. Well, Chris has more personality than the average 10 blogs put together. Somehow, with his “Vegemite Challenge” he has conned a number of people into trying to eat the foul Aussie creation. And sending him videos of it. I think the videos qualify as “torture porn” like Saw 8, but that’s just me.
Must Read Post:
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What it’s about:
This is the personal blog of Mike Sowden, who’s left the world of archaeology to become a freelance writer. While Mike writes extensively for travel sites and about places he’s been, his personal blog isn’t exclusively a travel blog, unless you want to invoke a cliché and say that life itself is a journey. But I would never be so lame as to say that.
Why it’s on the list:
In addition to a stunningly wicked sense of humor, Mike is an exceptional writer. He also has a bit broader series of posts than just travel destinations, as he regularly writes about writing, reading and even a bit of science fiction. With how dear all those things are to me, how could I resist reading a site that mocks them?
Must Read Post:
50 Amazingly Achievable Things To Do Before You Die
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What it’s about:
After leaving a computer nerd career to start a perpetual trek around the globe in January of 2010, Abbey stopped a few months later because she fell in love. Not with a man, although those have certainly come into play. Abbey found a home and a job in a tiny town in the south of Spain that felt so right that she halted her world tour for a while. Great stories and great information from someone who’s even raunchier than I am.
Why it’s on the list:
Abbey was once given some blogging advice that her site name might be misinterpreted negatively. When she replied “yeah, that’s the point” I knew I had found a winner. She was a bit too happy living in Spain for so long, so I’m hoping that being back in the US for a while will bring the mean and nasty side back. She also has a fondness for signing off emails by saying “penis” instead of “Best Regards” so how can you not love that?
Must Read Post:
The Biggest Tomato Fight IN. THE. WORLD.
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8 ) Johnny Vagabond
What it’s about:
One of the few independent world travel bloggers who’s in my age range, Wes Nations shows off gorgeous photography and an outstanding ability to tell a tale everywhere he goes. In his hands, the most random encounter turns into a fascinating and laugh-out-loud anecdote. He’s left on a one year (or more) trip on the slow road, making his plans up as he goes, but always taking time to see the less traveled destinations and meet the locals.
Why it’s on the list:
A great wit, but more importantly, Wes has an uncanny ability to step into the most bizarre, off-the-wall situations imaginable. From con men to crazies, he doesn’t shy away from encounters even when any sane person would. Instead, he dives in further and has been mostly unscathed for it. As in the post noted below, he’s also a bit of an “over-sharer” which is always great comedy.
Must Read Post:
Three Mistakes on a Hot Day in Bangkok
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What it’s about:
Candice. The World. Candice’s writing background ranges from children’s books to technical manuals for deep sea equipment, and she’s also an associate editor at Matador Network, one of the best known travel resources on the web. In her blog, Candice chronicles her life in Newfoundland Canada and travels as often as she can, tracking down nightclubs and trouble like a shark tracks a wounded seal.
Why it’s on the list:
It’s her role as a trouble-magnet that makes Candice a joy to read. When she’s off on road trips with friends, it’s like Lucy and Ethel Go To Cabo. When all the buzz was about Chatroulette a few months ago, Candice braved the perils most people feared and wrote about the experience. In excruciating and disturbing detail.
Must Read Post:
P-Mates, for the Girl Who Has Always Wanted to Pee Her Name in the Snow
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And there you have it. My favorite travel blogs when I need a dose of humor. If any of you comment that I only listed 9 blogs, you’re missing the obvious one. And screw you for that.
