Best Blogs of the Month: November, 2011

For those of you familiar with my site, you’ll know that I used to do weekly posts featuring my favorite reads from travel blogs, as well as a round-up of world news. Now that I’m back in school, though, I haven’t had the time to do those round-ups each week. However, I kind of miss them! Sure, I can retweet my favorite posts on Twitter or share them on Facebook. But I like highlighting the really good stuff this way, too.

So welcome to Best Blogs of the Month! I’ll be doing these round-ups once a month, summing up my favorite 15-20 reads from the previous few weeks.

Here are my favorite reads from November 2011:

Top 3

A Flight to Tehran: The Full Story at Uncornered Market

Dan and Audrey spent much of November traveling around Iran. Yes, Iran. Definitely not your average travel destination. I especially loved this first post of theirs, describing their arrival in Tehran.

Discovering the Real Importance of Uluru with the Anangu Tour at LandLopers

Many people go to the Outback just to get “the” photo of Uluru and to say they’ve been there. But I wonder how many people learn about the site’s real significance to the Aboriginal people. Matt went on an Uluru tour that not only allowed him to get some great photos, but also gave him a lot of insight into what the big red rock really means to the native people.

New 7 Wonders of the World: The Scam Behind the Sham at Mobile Lawyer

In case you managed to miss this, here’s the truth behind the New 7 Wonders campaign… the scammy, shammy truth, as sleuthed out by Michael.

My Other Picks

17 cultural reasons why this European never wants to live in America at Fluent in 3 Months

Even though I’m an American and generally don’t mind my country (though don’t get me started on politics), Benny has some good reasons for not wanting to live in the USofA. I can understand where he’s coming from on a lot of these.

The Insane Temples of Lotus Pond, Taiwan at Never Ending Footsteps

I’m not sure how I’ve never heard of this place before, but it’s definitely going on my list after checking out this post of Lauren’s. Basically, it’s what it sounds like — a giant lake surrounded by tons of crazy (and colorful!) temples.

Traveling in the Off-Season: Sometimes Great, Sometimes Awful at Adventurous Kate

There are some places in the world that are not worth visiting in the off-season and others that are perfect once all the tourists have left. And yet some others are great all year round. In this post, Kate lists some of the best and worst spots to visit in the off-season.

You Bring the Yam, I’ll Bring the Fire at Phil in the Blank

This fantastic piece of writing brilliantly captures Phil’s arrival in the African city of Accra. The smells, the sounds, the sights… he takes you right there with him.

Exploring Iceland’s South Coast at Seattle’s Travels

Who wants to see some amazing photos from Iceland? Well then this post is for you!

7 Common Travel Guide Euphemisms and How to Read Between the Lines at Chicky Bus

Have you ever wondered what some of those common lines and phrases in guidebooks really mean? Lisa decodes seven of them in this post, from items dealing with costs to notes on travel alerts. As usual, she uses her sense of humor to add an amusing twist.

A Shooting in Istanbul at Inside the Travel Lab

Abi writes a captivating and personal post about receiving news about a shooting in Istanbul — while she was only a couple of blocks away. This post recounts the thoughts that rushed through her head as she received text messages and tweets about the danger while daily life went on around her like normal.

Sailing the High Seas to Colombia at Over Yonderlust

Erica and Shaun took a sailboat between Panama and Colombia, which resulted in an epic adventure on the high seas. While Shaun suffered from seasickness during much of a journey, Erica kept diary-style notes about the experience. It’s those notes that she typed up, and I love how they read, along with all the photos!

Mind Over Splatter & The Elimination of Obstacles at Tourist 2 Townie

Gareth has a fear of heights. And of jumping off things that could potentially kill him. But he faced his fears in South American and went bungy jumping, officially taking control of his life.

Video Posts

This week, I’m adding a new section, because there were some GREAT travel videos posted in the past month!

Made in Iceland

Paris: Food, Feet and Romance on the Seine at Sonia’s Travels

Living Like a Local in Seattle at Captain and Clark

Paris in a Minute at Travel Yourself

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Have you read or written a post that you’d like me to consider for next month’s round-up? Leave a link in the comments!