"Biggest Baddest Bucket List" Travel Competition

Hi Everyone! It has been three months since we last blogged, but that is because we only just found something fabulous to tell you...

MyDestination.com, in partnership with Hotels.com, Travelex and Viator, have just launched an awesome competition that should excite both expats and short-term travelers alike. It is called the "Biggest, Baddest, Bucket List" competition and here is the prize:

SIX MONTHS. SIX CONTINENTS. ALL EXPENSES PAID.
PLUS $50K IN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT WHEN YOU RETURN HOME.

For more details, please click here, enter, give it a shout out on your social networks, tell your friends, go for it and good luck!

Warmest wishes, Andrea

Disclaimer: We have not received any compensation for this shout-out. We just wanted to help our friends at MyDestination, who sponsored ExpatWomen.com before we 'took a break'.

Lonely Planet's Top 10 Cities 2010

Hello once more, If you're looking for holiday destinations next year, take a look at Lonely Planet's list of their Top 10 Cities for 2010.

If you are too busy, you can scan the summary here, but the Lonely Planet list shows beautiful images and explanations that are much more enticing the humble list below...

1. Cuenca, Ecuador;
2. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina;
3. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates;
4. Kyoto, Japan;
5. Lecce, Italy;
6. Cork, Ireland;
7. Singapore;
8. Vancouver, Canada;
9. Istanbul, Turkey; and
10. Charleston, United States of America.

Happy vacation planning! Andrea

Matador Abroad For Travel Writers

Hi Everyone, Thanks to a comment left on a previous blog post by Niamh Griffin, we learnt today of an online network dedicated to travel writers and enthusiasts:

"Matador Abroad has taken the best of professional journalism and online community and blended the two to create something much more compelling than either by itself. We publish professionally written content based around travel and the healthy lifestyle of our community members. Published in an interactive blog format, this content is linked directly into our growing social network to make every article a conversation."

The Matador Network at a glance:
Matador Travel - Our vibrant and growing social network with over 10,000 active users
Brave New Traveler - Spiritual travel in the 21st Century
The Traveler’s Notebook - Travel writing, photography and expert travel tips
Matador Study - Study abroad, languages and cultural immersion
Matador Volunteer - Voluntourism, sustainability and global development
Matador Trips - Adventure travel off the beaten track
Matador Nights - Nightlife, events and the arts
Matador Goods - Travel gear, clothing, gadgets
Matador Pulse - Travel news from around the world

Payment:
They only pay US$25 per article published, but their system seems to be working because they have published 856 articles by willing contributors this year alone and their network receives 600,000 unique visitors per month - which is huge!

So, if you are an expat woman who enjoys reading and/or writing about travel, take a look, get involved and maybe make a name for yourself as a travel expert online.

Warmest wishes, Andrea.

PS. Travel Magazines That Publish Your Writing
One good article that we found that targets travel writers or wannabees specifically was: 50+ Travel Magazines That Want To Publish Your Writing. It was dated 2007 but it was on their home page, so it is probably popular and useful enough that the age of the article does not really matter.

Been To TravBuddy.com?

Hi Everyone, If you are an expat who enjoys looking at world maps and counting the number of places you have been to, or would like to go to, then take a look at TravBuddy.com.

We learned about it today, when approving one of the latest links on our Expat Women Blog Directory.

It's simple, but it's cool. Just sign up, then tick the places you have been to. It will then produce for you a map of the world, shading in the countries/areas that you have visited. It also tells you what percentage of the world you have been to - maybe to give you some incentive to travel more and see more. Smile.

You can also upload your end-results-map (in varying sizes) to your blog, FaceBook, MySpace account etc. Just a little fun...

Here are some official words about TravBuddy:

"TravBuddy is a site for people who love to explore the world around them. You can use TravBuddy to find travel buddies, record travel experiences in travel blogs, or share travel tips with travel reviews. You can register for free or take a tour to learn more about the site."