Finding the right blog platform is a bit like finding a boyfriend: none of them is quite perfect, but they’re simple, with some useful features, and once you’ve used one for a while you can get kind of attached. Which is why we recommend Wordpress as a hosting site for your own travel blog: quite simply, we use it and like it.

Wordpress and Blogger are the two best-known free blogging platforms, and we just find Wordpress that bit more classy. Sign up for a free account, choose the name of your blog, and that’s all you need to start your travel journal. There are loads of templates to select a design for your blog and you don’t need to know any fancy HTML language - Wordpress has easy graphic icons that will help you include links, photos and videos, step-by-step.

Now, admittedly there are sites which host blogs specially for travellers, such as STA Travel Blogs, TravelBlog and Travellerspoint - but establishing an independent blog gives you more of a chance to stand out from the travel crowd and make a name for yourself.

Basic ‘Do’s’: update your blog as often as possible, preferably every day - people are more likely to visit regualrly if they know they’ll find exciting new content. Tag your posts with keywords that describe their content (i.e. Russia, vodka, supermodels) so others can find your entries easily. And don’t be afraid to be a Wordpress whore - comment on others’ blogs, add them to your blogroll and they’re more likely to do the same for you.

That’s a very basic start. We’ll add some more advanced tips in future and don’t be afraid to explore all the ways you can customise your site, but if you’re a blogging virgin, Wordpress comes highly recommended as a first date. Put on your dancin’ shoes, brush your teeth, and give this baby a test-run - who knows, it could be love.

The controversial Olympic torch has been causing chaos wherever it goes, but the proverbial shit is really set to hit the fan when it reaches the Tibetan capital Lhasa in June. In an attempt to prevent protests, the government has sealed Tibet off from foreign visitors whilst the torch ascends Everest, and the ban will continue over the summer. In the meantime, you can still get a taste of Tibet thanks to the net.

Seamus Keogan journeyed through Mongolia and China last year, taking a train through the Himalayas to reach Lhasa. In this TravelBlog entry, he explains the background to Tibet’s occupation and explores the capital before moving on to Everest Base Camp. Browse his blog and photos for a vivid impression of the region.

Also take a look at the ‘Hacking the Himalyas’ series of broadcasts, photos and blog posts that technology guru Xeni Jardin made back in 2006. Here at STA travelbuzz we try and show how social media tools can enhance and even revolutionise the way you travel, so we loved Xeni’s investigation into

how Western “hackers” are building low-cost communications networks to bring phone and Web service to displaced Tibetan refugees — and how native peoples are trying to hold onto their culture in an interconnected world.

Surely it will prove increasingly difficult for governments to keep places isolated as the web opens ever more opportunities for communication and collaboration?

Airlines now cater for every dietary requirement imaginable, but once you step off the plane, eating in a foreign country can be nightmare if you follow a restricted diet. Before her trip to Japan, Mel had been warned that ‘eating vegan would be difficult, the dreaded sakana dashi (fish stock) would be inescapable’, but she found quite the opposite ‘especially with a strong Buddhist presence and [Japan] being the home of macrobiotics.’

Mel has posted two fantastic guides to ferreting out the best vegan feasts available in Tokyo and Kyoto, complete with mouthwatering photos of the dishes. I’m a committed carnivore but I’d eat pretty much anything shown here; typically of Japanese food, each plate looks like a work of art. Mel’s descriptions of the flavours are sensual and evocative, and she also showcases the delicacies and street snacks to be found in the local markets.

For Far Eastern food porn, Vegilicious is a tough blog to beat.

If you’ve never been to South Africa, it can be difficult to see behind the sensational press stories and cliches to get a real sense of what the country is like. This is where local bloggers really come into their own, giving a human, heartfelt record of their homeland along with tips about what to do and see from those who know. Check out a few great local blogs we’ve found:

SA Rocks is a feisty , popular and well-designed blog that’s great for finding out about local initiatives and upcoming cultural events. I particularly like the links to South African wine bloggers and the article about the Pangea Day film event promoting SA across the world on May 10. For more on everything from politics and sport to food and drink, click here.

Eye of the Beholder is the photoblog of Johannesburg dweller Katie Thompson, with some fantastically atmospheric images of the people and places of ‘the real South Africa.’ See them here.

Sheriss’ Blog records the stories and thoughts of a travel-loving South African. If you’re planning to navigate Johannesburg by public transport, she’s posted some great advice here.

Don’t let anyone accuse STA travelbuzz of discrimination. Whatever your walk of life, if you have a desire to broaden your horizons and let all and sundry come along for the ride (at least in spirit), there’s a place here for you – even if you’re a worm. A bookworm to be precise.

Travelling Worm is a travel blog written from the perspective of a bookmark that has, alongside its faithful Travel Companion, toured the world for the past twenty-five years (while still retaining its youthful good looks). Currently exploring Australia, bookworm and friend visited Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, exploring the rainforest and snapping some great photos of the scenery – including the Scenic Railway track that appears to descend straight into the depths of the earth!

This is one of the most imaginative and creative travel journals I’ve come across and, only two posts in, looks to be another one worth following. And if this encourages you to get a little more offbeat with your blogging, so much the better!

‘ Travel Bugs?!’ we hear you cry. Nope, we’re not talking about that nasty parasite you picked up in Pnhom Penh (although if you really want to…) In fact, STA Travel Bugs is a smashing new feature where we pluck an interesting travel question form the internet ether and get a bright-eyed , fresh-brained, bushy-tailed member of the STA Travel team to send in their answer. Whatever your opinion about STA Travel, they’re renowned for having friendly and well-informed staff members who know the professional details of the travel industry but also have experience from their own adventures. This is also a chance for you to agree, disagree and generally chip in with tips and stories, so jump over to the forum and add your own replies.

This week, Tim from Lonely Planet Forum wants to know more about Ecuador:

I have been booked onto a liveaboard from the 18-25 of August on the Galapogas. I will fly into quito early August. My flights to the Islands are book with the tour. What are the chances of me changing my flight ticket to get out to the islands earlier by say two weeks.
Is there a budget airline in Ecuador?
Is it worth trying to make it down to Machu Pichu in August?
Ideally I would arrive in Ecuador very early August and get out to the Islands on an earlier flight, Is this likely and more likely to happen from quito or Gyacuil?
is there lots of other great things to do in Ecuador?

Click here to read what Chris from STA Sheffield has to say… Continue reading »

If you’re the trust-fund baby of a shipping tycoon or a backpacker working from bar to bar across the globe, you can flit off round the world without having to lay down funds first. But if, like most of us, you sit somewhere in between - aiming for an established itinerary that is still stimulating and spontaneous, but doesn’t break the bank - it can be incredibly difficult to calculate just how much you need to save before a dream trip can become a real possibility. Over in The Student Room, The Boosh has asked just this:

if you are travelling and not working for 12 months, and have the plane tickets sorted, how much cash would you need in your bank?

Lots of people have chipped in to help. Louiscbrooks reckons that 3 months away cost him £4000 overall. Floob is just setting off for 5 months away and is budgeting for £1000 per month, ‘hoping to spend a maximum of £6500 in total (including tickets, insurance and jabs)’ and groovy_moose thinks this is sensible; she spent around £6500 over 6 months. Interestingly, if you haven’t got flights sorted, Elipsis reckons that ‘STA travel are probably the best people for round the world flights that i’ve seen’.

If you’re thinking of globetrotting, read all the advice, and if you’ve already been, share the love and add a comment with your own costs and tips.