Gap Year Escape welcomes guest posts from other writers. How does this benefit you?

Guest posting allows you to showcase your talent to a related audience that isn’t your own and expand your readership. We have a large global readership among budget travellers and backpackers. We’ll include a by-line that includes a link back to your own content or profile.

What do we ask for?

• The content must be original and not posted elsewhere on the internet.
• We don’t set a word limit as such. Approximately 500 words but this can be more if the subject matter demands it.
• Images for inclusion in the post are desirable.
• Links are acceptable within the post but excessive linking to unrelated content is not.
• Subject matter can be varied. Our aim is to inform, inspire and entertain. If your article does at least one of these then we will consider it.

Some previous Guest Contributions can be found here:

Grenada, The Spice Isles – HopandJaunt.com

The Other Side of Bali – GreenAroundTheGlobe.com

Top 10 Tips for Safer Travel in South Africa – AussieTravelAdvice.com

We reserve the right to edit articles for SEO purposes. Quality is of utmost importance and submission does not guarantee acceptance. So if you are interested in featuring on Gap Year Escape you can send post ideas or on spec posts to Amar.Hussain (at) rocketmail (dot) com or get in touch here.

I must admit that blogging and running an online business started off as a hobby and became a lifestyle. Like any successful business, they grow, which of course means more work. I thought it was about time I got an intern.

I do need to manage your expectations. The work you will be doing isn’t glamorous, may even lean towards tedious at times but it’s fundamental to what I do.

What will you be doing for me?

• Search Engine Optimization
• Social Media
• Article writing
• Networking
• Research for my new book
• Advertising
• Reviewing tours and activities in Australia and New Zealand

What I am looking for?

• The ability to commit to approximately 15 hours a week.
• Available for a 6 week period starting August/September.
• You have plans to travel to Australia and New Zealand end of 2010 or 2011.
• A keen interest in writing, travel and social media.
• The ability to work efficiently and self-motivate.
• Professionalism. You will be representing Gap Year Escape and that means me.
• Good written English.

What do you get in return?

• My knowledge on social media and online marketing.
• Ongoing mentoring through the life of your blog.
• A reference should you apply for an online media or marketing role.
• I have also arranged for you to attend on my behalf (worth over $1200):
• 5 Day Sydney to Byron Bay Surf Tour, Australia
• Great Ocean Road, Australia
• Mornington Peninsula, Australia 
• White Water Rafting, New Zealand
• Franz Josef Glacier Hike, New Zealand 
• Additional tours and activities may be arranged nearer the time.

To summarise, in exchange for doing some less than glamorous work online from the comfort of a computer anywhere in the world you get; knowledge, experience and awesome trips. Sound reasonable to you? So if you’re planning on travelling to Australia and New Zealand in the near future and are interested send an e-mail to amar.hussain [at} rocketmail [dot] com. I’m a businessman so I appreciate a CV but this is online media. Be creative if you want to get my attention and a writing sample would help. Also, don’t try and astound me with eloquent prose. I’m not that kind of writer.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

Amar

P.S If you think this may be of interest to someone else please pass it on or Digg, Stumble or Tweet. Thank you.

Looking to get away for cheap this summer? HostelBookers, the leading budget accommodation specialist have just launched a ‘Summer of Love’ sale.

The summer accommodation deals on offer are across 28 top destinations worldwide including New York City, Sydney, Venice, London, Rio de Janerio and Paris.*

With a vast range of hostels on board offering nights at discounted prices customers can get at least 20% off the normal rate! Here are just some of the great offers:

-Barcelona Hostel ‘Barcelona Dream’ has 20% off

-Sydney hostel ‘Syndey Central Backapackers’ has 20% off

-Paris hostel ‘Home Latin’ has 20% off

-Dubrovnik hostel ‘Ivo Guesthouse’ has 20% off

To take advantage of this offer customers need to place a booking by 31^st July 2010 and travel completed by the 30^th of September**.

The below are 25 Travel Blogs you should know about. I am sure there are lots more but they tend to be quite hard to find. They are a mixture of new blogs (6 months old and less) and some which just deserve a bit more attention. Personally I think it’s nice to see a newly started blog. Especially when you see that buzz and enthusiasm of a new traveller which tends to resonate through their writing. It’s also interesting to see them develop their writing style and watch them grow. We all started somewhere didn’t we?

So if you fancy supporting some new blogs or want something fresh in your RSS or Twitter feed, take a look at the blogs below.

1. Traveling Fashionista
2. Travel Go Girl
3. Nancy Under The Stars
4. No Place To Be
5. Aussie Travel Advice
6. Filling The Pages
7. Adventurous Kate
8. A Wandering Sole
9. Travels of Adam
10. Traveling Savage
11. Explore Dream Discover
12. The Travelling Editor
13. Alison Bell
14. Solo Female Traveler
15. Vagabond Roots
16. Unstoppable Family
17. Gvee
18. Live Vicuriously
19. Curious Cheese
20. Carolina Nomad
21. The Aussie Nomad
22. Scott and Kenna
23. Traveling Canucks
24. Chelsea and the World
25. My Beautiful Adventures

I’m at Crescent Head, about 5 hours north of Sydney, ripping up the surf and having a great time. I had been surfing for around two hours that morning when I finally decided that it was time to come in. I just wanted to catch that one last wave…

My hands are under my chest and I’m ready to pop up. The next thing I know I am flung head first off the board. Now imagine someone held you by your ankles and smashed your head into the floor. Ouch right? Even though my head hit sand it still hurts, a lot.

Now I am fully aware I have a neck but it was only when my head connected with the ocean floor that I have ever ‘felt’ my neck. Every bone, every muscle, every nerve and joint. I felt it all. It’s even worse when you are upside down, underwater and gasping for air.

Obviously when accidents happen people focus on what they can see. After about 5 people had asked me if my head hurt I started to get a little annoyed. As far as I was concerned my head was fine (unbeknownst to me was that I had a nice gash which was dripping blood). My neck on the other hand was a different story. I was petrified. You don’t mess around with neck injuries. I tend to associate neck injuries with either death or quadriplegia. Maybe that’s my fault for watching too much Grey’s Anatomy.

As I was lying in hospital so many crazy things were running through my head. It might have been a mixture of morphine and that you think about random things in these situations.

I thought about my mum freaking out and whether my dad would be fit to travel such a long haul flight to Australia. Whether I would have to go back to England and how much a CT scan costs these days. I thought about whether the nurse had ever fallen for a patient before and even asked the doctor to take a picture. Yes these things make no sense and are unrelated but that’s what was running through my mind at the time.

I’m strapped down, neck braced up and unable to move. It’s something you take for granted; tilting your head in reaction to a noise. I was wheeled from room to room, x-ray to CT, test to test. I just distinctly remember how alone I felt gazing up at that dull hospital ceiling. Everyone I love is quite literally on the other side of the world.

The doctor came back with my test results looking rather serious. He led with “you’re very lucky” which was always a good sign. By some miracle I managed to escape with no broken bones, no ruptured discs or any neurological damage whatsoever. I recall just saying “cheers dude”. Good one. The guy has years of medical training, a doctorate and is a skilled professional and I call him “dude”.

The effects of morphine and the sympathy of twenty Scandinavian women.

I’ve seen a couple of doctors now and they’ve all said the same thing; that I am lucky. Do I feel lucky? I’m not really sure. On the one hand I am laid up in bed, find it difficult to sleep and have to drink through a straw because I can’t tilt my head back. On the other hand I can walk. I can wriggle my toes and press my thumb and index finger together. It’s peculiar taking pleasure in something so simple. It’s like that moment in Kill Bill when she tries to wriggle her big toe.

I’m now on the road to recovery. Yes it still hurts and yes I am going to moan about it from time to time. But nothing or no one is going to bring me down. The physiotherapist says six weeks. I’ll do it in four.

I’ve been asked a few times whether I would stop surfing or whether I would be more careful. The answer to both those questions is no. Hate to say it but shit happens. I could break my neck surfing, choke on my food, have a brain tumour I don’t know about it. Life is beautiful and yet perilous at the same time. I’m not going to be scared to live. I love travelling the world. I’m still going to jump out of planes and off waterfalls and dive with Great White Sharks. I’m going to get my heart broken, explore the world and take chances. Do all the things that make you feel alive. That’s what living is.

I’ll be back on my feet soon enough. I’m going to recover quickly, finish physiotherapy in Sydney and head off travelling again soon.

Watch me fly.

p.s To all my family and friends. I love you. I don’t always show it and if I do it’s not always in the best possible way. I’m flawed, I know that. Forgive me.

It’s just a part of hostel life someone pinching your food. I even had my external hard drive stolen in Brisbane. I dealt with that fine, but why my cheese? I have chocolate muffins and yet they still find my cheap supermarket brand cheese slices more appealing.

Oh I am not done.

I love meeting new people. Travelling is great for that. You get ever colour, creed, race, religion and general quirky individual on earth. It’s fantastic. Do you ever find you can’t be bothered though?

I have been on the road now for seven months and I have probably done the introductory questions about a thousand times. You know the ones. Where are you from, what country did you last go to, did you go tubing, can I drunkenly climb into your bed tonight? etc. etc.

Generally I still go through it. You have to, it’s just the way of things but sometimes I just can’t bring myself to do it. When someone walks into your dorm at 11pm and they are checking out first thing in the morning, you find your enthusiasm is found wanting. To top it all off their Engrish is nonexistent.

Finally, don’t you just love disagreeing with people?

One night I was quite happily reading a book in bed. A guy had just checked in and promptly got into bed. I am miles away from the light switch, this guy is right next to it and I assumed that if he wanted it off he would have done it himself. Sure enough he asks me if I mind that the light is switched off. I’m well into my book but it is quite late so I said yeah sure. Half an hour later the light is still on. Surely he didn’t expect me to turn the light off? He turns over angrily and asks if I am going to turn the light off or not.

The light switch is right next to him and the opposite side of the room to me. I know, I don’t get it either. Stupid people irritate me, especially if they are rude.

Anyway, I clearly am sleep deprived and in need of food. I get cranky without sleep and food. Don’t get me wrong I love my life and the things I do but I can’t be happy all the time.

Rant over.

Amar, Out.

If you have ever shared a dorm room with me you will know two things; I am notorious for skipping tracks after 30 seconds and I stick songs on repeat for ages.

The first thing I do in the morning is put on music. It’s a ritual of sorts. I constantly find myself charging my mp3 player as it is always on. Music is a big part of my life; it is a great source of inspiration. My only regret is that I never learnt to play an instrument.

Nevertheless I thought I would share with you the songs that have been keeping me going on the road these last few months.

They are all associated with people or moments. Who or what, I’ll never tell…

What songs remind you of travelling? Leave a commet.

As STA’s World Travel Intern programme comes back around again this year I caught up with one of last year’s winners; Lindsay Clark.

Hey Lindsay, from your blog looks like you’ve been really busy, what have you been up to lately?

I’ve been limping around the Highlands of Viti Levu because I keep kicking rocks while hiking. I’m hanging out in Fiji, trying to create a volunteer-based project for a community I’ve grown attached to: Nakavika. Who knows if it can come together or if we must reformat the whole deal, but I’ve spent the last two months trying…all while having a grand time with some fun kids.

What would be the highlight of your time as a STA Travel Intern?

The highlight was the job itself, but I could also say the lion sightings in East Africa or the sky dive in South Africa. The real thrill came when I returned to my hotel room and put together something that encapsulated the stellar country I was in. To continuously think, "I’m getting free travel" in exchange for some stories and videos…that was the best.

Your video was incredibly entertaining. Do you have any advice for this year’s applicants?

Make something you would willingly watch over and over…and as would a stranger. Don’t settle with for first video you create…let it be a first draft and make it bigger and better from there. I made 9 drafts before the final video came to be. Think about the first 10 seconds of your video and whether it would draw in someone with ADD. Use less common music that appeals to most people – get people bobbing their heads involuntarily. Remember that the position is about being an inspiration. Don’t calm the viewer down…pump them up. And by applying for the WTI, it’s implied that you love travelling. Saying it even once is redundant, and what time you have to impress the judges is vital. Don’t waste it saying things they can already guess about you.

Finally, a lot of my readers dream of travelling and never get round to doing so. What would you say to them?

Even for the weathered nomad, clicking the "submit" button or giving the travel agent the go-ahead is the hardest moment in planning a trip. You’re supposed to have that choking feeling when you think, "This could be a really bad idea." I’ve never regretted a trip I’ve taken. I’ve regretted time spent bored.

And to reiterate what everyone says:
- It’s never the right time, so go now.
- The vast majority of the time, you don’t miss much at home.
- Travel when you’re young and can handle an Indian sleeper train car or a nasty bout of Giardia.

If you want to get more information or better yet apply, click here or check out the video below.

I personally follow each and every one of these Twitters. If there any gems I have missed leave a comment. Finally, as these lists take considerable time to compile, if you found this useful, please re-tweet.

1. EverywhereTrip
2. AlmostFearless
3. MatadorNetwork
4. Gadling
5. NomadicMatt
6. NomadicNotes
7. TravelFish
8. NewYorkology
9. LATimesTravel
10. HotelChatter

11. Heather Poole
12. Twitchhiker
13. TravelChannel
14. Tripology
15. TravelEditor
16. FodorsTravel
17. GuardianTravel
18. CNTraveler
19. Travelzoo
20. FrugalTraveler

21. RoughGuides
22. Black_Tomato
23. TravelRants
24. Soultravelers3
25. HappyHotelier
26. Deliciousbaby
27. itravelnet
28. TravlandLeisure
29. Nomads_Hostels
30. TravelingGreen

31. EguideTravel
32. Kathika
33. LonelyPlanet
34. TheTravelEditor
35. Hostelworld
36. AdventureLive
37. Traveldudes
38. VacationTribe
39. TripAdvisor
40. Crankyflier

41. TravelSavvyMom
42. Galavanting
43. Jetsetlife
44. Wanderluster
45. Vagabondish
46. Elliottdotorg
47. ARoadRetraveled
48. TheTravelTart
49. TwavelTweeter
50. EWanderlust

The Twitters below didn’t quite make it into the top 50 however I still feel that they deserved a mention.

BudTravel
Worldhum
Xebidy
WorldReviewer
Wandermom
TravelMuse
HipCompass
GreenTravelHub
AwayBlog
GoGreenTraveler
Karasw
Velvetescape
Foxnomad

The world of social media has undergone some changes over the few last years. Below is an article written by Hammad Ayub. He is a talented and witty writer whose article highlights how social networking sites have evolved and impacted upon our lives.

Micro-blogging – What The Twuck?

For better or for worse, social networking has become an inescapable cultural phenomenon. Someone sent me a tweet (a what?) the other day asking me if I remembered MySpace. In my old age I have a vague recollection of one such social networking site. How things change in just a few years…I don’t know anybody that isn’t on the old Facebook these days. It’s not even worth asking people if they’re on it. Can you even imagine Facebook not being in your life?

Personally, I’m not a fan of it. I have an account merely for people to have an avenue to contact me if they don’t have my mobile number. Well…that – and to chuckle at compromising pictures of my friends. I make no apology when I say I couldn’t care less what type of pirate I would be or what score you attained in Bejeweled. Seriously – stop inviting me to these things. There’s just too much faff involved.

This brings me onto my preferred networking tool – Twitter. For those of you who haven’t heard of it, or don’t know what it’s about, here’s what you need to know; “It’s a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets” (thanks Wikipedia).
In an astonishingly short time, Twitter – which does little more than circulate bursts of text limited to 140 characters to a list of people who have chosen to receive them — has established itself as an essential pillar of social networking, commerce, celebrity culture, and political protest.

Users can send and receive tweets via the Twitter website, text or external applications. The increase in sales of Smartphones such as RIM’s Blackberry and Apple’s iPhone (FTW) has increased the popularity of Twitter as an on-the-go service. I tweet in lectures, in the library, in bed, when I’m bored, and when I’m not bored – pretty much any time and any place.

Twitter went mainstream without really knowing what its service was. Its users defined it. Its users are the ones that have transformed Twitter into a global sensing entity, delivering live eyewitness reports on everything from the Iran elections to Thierry Henry’s bout of SPL (severe plot loss) against Ireland. Guilt-ridden souls confess anonymously (@secrettweet), Amar Hussain keeps us updated with his time travelling the big bad world (@GapYearEscape) and @jimmycarr keeps us endlessly amused with his witty…witticisms.

It is the no-nonsense approach that Twitter’s creators have brought to the table that I enjoy the most. When the creators designed the service, they made vital decisions (brilliant in hindsight) to create the conditions that have allowed for users to innovate. The first was emphasizing the need for simplicity. And the second was abolishing the need for equality between the writers and followers. They don’t need to be “friends”. Anyone can read anyone’s updates, and that, I find liberating. I don’t like friend requests. I would much rather social networking be more like blogging where readers can pay attention to whatever they want. That’s the best thing about it – if you don’t like what you read by me, just unfollow me. Alternatively, you can get to know me, 140 characters at a time.

Muchos love,
Hammad Ayub (@HammadAyub)

But what does this actually mean? What do you find and where do you find it?

I think everyone’s journey is different, with an infinite amount of possibilities and experiences. Two people can do exactly the same thing and see it with a completely different perspective.

I guess I had a little epiphany or moment of enlightenment. Call it what you will, something happened. I don’t think the circumstances matter as long as you learn from it.

I couldn’t even begin to explain what ‘clicked’. Unless you were me, you wouldn’t understand.

Below is a quote from Marianne Williamson that may offer you some insight. Forget the religious references if it doesn’t apply to you. At the end of the day it’s a beautiful, thought provoking and profound statement. There will always be people in your life that will bring you down. Whether it’s out of spite or ignorance, who knows. Be who you want to be and do what you want to do. It may sound like some new age psycho-babble spiritual BS but that’s for you to decide. Personally I couldn’t agree more.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” – Marianne Williamson

Let me know what your thoughts…

The idea is to leave 5 comments on other blogs and return a comment that has been left on yours. More info can be found here

So to kick start this occasion, leave a comment!

What’s the one place in the world people should visit? Is tubing better than the full moon party? Coogee or Bondi? What did you have for dinner? How many fingers am I holding up? Comment with anything you like!

Feel free to retweet this…

I just wanted to say a massive public thank you to Andreas from London Cyclist. Without him you wouldn’t be reading this blog right now.

If you have an interest in cycling during your travels or specifically cycling in London, check out his blog.

"Though our communication wanes at times of absence, I’m aware of a strength that emanates in the background." – Claudette Renner

- Over 150 travel blogs were looked at in the creation of this list.
- I used many criteria including; Alexa and Technorati ranking, RSS membership and incoming links.
- Where the blog was not the primary focus of the website it has been omitted.
- Only websites that are still currently being updated have been included.
- I can appreciate that some great websites may have been missed, so my apologies for that. The internet is a big place! Feel free to comment with any suggestions.

Without further ado…

1. Gadling
2. Brave New Traveler
3. Everything Everywhere
4. Nomadic Matts Travel Site
5. Almostfearless.com
6. Upgrade: Travel Better
7. World Hum
8. Intelligent Travel Blog
9. Elliott.org
10. Travel Rants Blog

11. The Perrin Post Travel Blog
12. The Cranky Flier
13. A Luxury Travel Blog
14. MiceChat
15. PeterGreenberg.com
16. DeliciousBaby.com
17. Uncornered Market
18. Tim Leffels Cheapest Destinations
19. Vagablogging
20. Europe a la Carte Blog

21. BudgetTravel.com’s This Just In…
22. Kyspeaks
23. Rick Steves: Blog Gone Europe
24. BrilliantTrips.com
25. Vacations Blog
26. Budget Travel Tips – EuroCheapo
27. GoBackpacking
28. Travel Guides
29. Lifecruiser
30. foXnoMad

31. Go Green Travel Green
32. Travelwires.com
33. Viator Travel Blog
34. My Jet Set Life
35. whl.travel Blog
36. What A Trip
37. Neil Duckett
38. Go Galavanting
39. WanderingEducators
40. Nerds Eye View

41. Hole In The Donut
42. The Lost Girls
43. The Frugal Travelers
44. Perceptive Travel Blog
45. Holland America Blog
46. Travellious
47. Travel Wonders of the World
48. The Professional Hobo
49. Two Backpackers
50. Velvet Escape’s blog

When you are travelling on the other side of the world it can be easy to forget your old life and the people who have always been there for you.

That being said, a very good friend of mine is celebrating her birthday today. I promised her Ugg boots but failed in that regard. I hope that this makes up for it.

I’d like to thank the 53 people (and animals) from around the world in helping me create this.

Happy Birthday Miriam.