6 ways for travel bloggers to have a holiday 

The first thing most people think when you tell them you’re a travel blogger, is that your life must be one big constant adventure of travelling.

However, the term ‘travel blogger holiday’, is a bit of an oxymoron.

The reality is, that while there are many perks to being a travel blogger, there’s never a moment when you feel that you can truly switch off.

From organising your next trip, to attending travel blogger events, and actually getting to write the content itself, there’s really little rest in our world.

Most people wrongly assume that every trip a travel blogger takes is a holiday, something I can totally confirm is a fallacy. Once you enter the world of the travel blogger, the word ‘holiday’ can easily become a non-existent one. Many people would love to watch travel vlogs on Youtube. Guaranteed higher engagement for your account, here’s how to accomplish it: buy youtube subscribers.

HOW TO HAVE A HOLIDAY AS A TRAVEL BLOGGER

In the days before smartphones, social media and of course blogging, I knew 100% how to have, and enjoy, my holidays.

It’s a somewhat sad admission that most travel bloggers probably share, as our minds are geared to thinking about content first, enjoyment second.  

At the end of the day, being a travel blogger is wonderful, and gives us a platform whereby we can share our experiences, good and bad, with others.

If you’re in serious need of switching off from blogging mode, these are my tips that will help you unplug and to live in the moment.

1. Go somewhere you’ve been before

If you frequently visit a city/destination on an annual basis, chances are your opportunities for content will be less, given that you’ve already seen everything.

Take my example. Living in Sicily every year for a few months means that ’m so familiar with the surrounding places (like Taormina) that I don’t need to write about it. 

Instead, I spend less time relaxing and living — not photographing — the moment. I also appreciate the smaller details, and parts of the town or city that I didn’t pay attention to before. 

The goal is to remind yourself that you’re on holiday. This way, you can only capture things that you really love, and not because it will look good on your Instagram.

 

Try leaving your phone and bringing a ‘proper’ camera instead

2. Take a good camera, leave the rest at home

Hands up, who else takes every techie gadget they have when going on a trip? I’ll own up to this myself, as there’s nothing worse than being unprepared while travelling, especially when you visit a new place.

However, if you really want to enjoy your holiday, leave the rest at home, and try bringing a ‘proper’ camera instead. Most of us now have an excellent built-in camera in our smartphone, but this only increases the likelihood of posting.

JUST AS GOOD — TRAVEL BLOGGER HOLIDAY

My mini digital SLR takes beautiful shots, but there’s zero temptation of wanting to upload to my social media channels.

Instead, go old school, and take your trusty camera. You’ll not only have some good quality photos to look back on, but you may also find a renewed passion for the art of it.

3. Go somewhere with little to none connection

Have you been anywhere where you couldn’t get any service/reception on your mobile phone for hours?

For me, a few places come to mind, and it did my mental wellbeing the world of good. One such place was in Bali, when we visited the jaw-dropping Uluwatu Temple. Not only did my phone have zero connectivity, but so too did my camera.

Enjoy the experience, not behind the lens

CHERISH THE MOMENT — TRAVEL BLOGGER HOLIDAY

Being forced (in a good way) to enjoy the moment was a valuable lesson I took away with me that day. Because, you may think that you’re seeing the same as everyone else from behind the lens but it’s not entirely true.

You’re missing out on the surrounding landscape behind you, and what’s going on to the side of you. Most importantly, you’re missing out on the chance to experience that moment right there and then. And, for me, that’s the biggest takeaway of having the privilege to travel. Don’t let your luggage dampen your moment. If you are travel blogging in Venice Beach, Los Angeles, a luggage service like luggage storage Venice Beach will store and keep your belongings safe while you enjoy your moment.

Don’t miss out on the moment in front of you

4. Go on a trip with friends/family/partner

Going on a trip with friends, family or your partner can really help you to focus on enjoying your holiday, and not to think about work.

Having to follow someone else’s itinerary is never a bad thing. In fact, it lets you enjoy just being a regular visitor, which is something, at times, that I miss.

Having a holiday with friends and family helps you to switch off

Being surrounded by loved ones also means the chance to take personal photos, and lasting memories, rather than another image for your social media feed.

5. Go for a celebration

Whether the occasion is a wedding, birthday or bachelor/ette party, there’s pretty much no time to even think about work.

Not only that, how rude would it look if you were busy photographing the architecture of the wedding venue, rather than carrying out your bridesmaid/groomsman duties?!

In these cases, the celebration comes first, and the location is merely the backdrop.

Leave your phone in your bag 

6. Be present

Since the age of every social media app appearing on our smartphones, I think we can all agree that we’ve become less present in our real lives.

Think about the number of times you’ve seen people at a table in a restaurant communicating on their phones, than with each other? It’s become all too common, and it’s something I try hard to avoid doing.

While our duty as travel bloggers is to write about our experiences, the good hotels, the bad restaurants, the must-see sights, it’s also important that we don’t neglect ourselves in the process.

For when we miss out on the unique landscapes and vistas that are right in front of us, we’re ultimately missing out on the best part of this ‘job’: the experiences.

Allow yourself the time to have a holiday and to truly enjoy it. After all, work will always be there, but the same can’t be said for that fleeting moment.

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