How to Write an Excellent Travelogue – 10 Useful Tips

Travel writing has become a popular genre that people use to learn about a particular place before deciding to visit it. Whether you’re an experienced travel writer or just starting out, you should follow some specific rules to make your travelogue more appealing and interesting to readers. A travelogue is a person’s account of a journey to another country or place. It can either be a written report with many factual details or a narrative story about personal impressions and experiences supported by images.

 In this article, we will provide you with eight tips for writing an excellent travelogue.

Steps for Writing a Travelogue

1. Decide on the purpose of your travelogue. Whether it is for a magazine, for friends, or for yourself—determine your writing style.
2. Before writing about a destination, it is essential to thoroughly research it. If you can visit the place, that’s even better, as it will give you a firsthand experience of what the place is all about. You can find out for yourself what the place is all about, ask the local people about its legends, and gather information related to that place. By touring all over the place, you can find out all of its hidden secrets that would attract a tourist bent on having fun. In this way, you can build up quite a reliable picture in your travelogue. If you live quite far away from the place in question, then you must rely on other resources. First and foremost, look up all the available information related to the place. You could look up books available in the library or surf the net. If you find some pictures of it, it could also help you a lot in your write-ups as it would give you a clearer idea about the looks of the place.
3. Mention the Ways and Means to Reach the Destination. You have done your job of enticing the reader to visit the place with your travel writing. But, if the reader does not get adequate information regarding the ways and means of reaching that destination, then they may drop the plan to visit it altogether. Therefore, always try to include the various means by which one can easily reach the place. You could give the information regarding the airline details, train details, or any other detail that you deem necessary.
4. Name a Few Good Hotels. Once a person reaches their destination, they may have trouble locating all the good hotels in that place. So, you could help your readers out of their bewilderment by naming a few good hotels for their benefit. Whether you are naming the best hotels in Los Angeles, Dublin, or Tokyo, just make sure that you choose hotels for all the economic classes. Hence, you could mention some star hotels for the rich and the powerful, good hotels for the middle class segment, and some cheap lodgings for the lower middle class people. You can also target hotels that cater to travelers with special requirements. For instance, you can list the best party hotels in Ibiza, or the most affordable hotels for pet owners in Victoria Island, to name a few. Thus, your travelogue would help people from all segments of society and will be greatly popular in its effect.
5. One of the best ways to make your travelogue authentic and engaging is to interact with local people and explore local experiences. While traveling, take notes about what you see, places you visit, and people you get acquainted with.  Visit the local markets, attend cultural events, or dine at a local winery. By sharing your personal encounters with the locals and their customs, you provide a unique perspective and give your readers a sense of what it would be like to visit the place themselves. Keep a diary of your impressions. If you don’t have enough time to write, perhaps a recorder would be a smart option for keeping a diary. Also, collect various brochures, tourism maps, and guides. They may come in handy when you start writing a travelogue.
6. Take as many pictures as possible. A photograph doesn’t necessarily need to capture a historic or famous place. Sometimes, a photo of a crowded street, neon signboard, or an old man, conveys a stronger impression of a place you’ve visited than the images of monuments anyone can see on the Internet. Be sure to use a photo editing app like Instasize to get these images publication-ready.
7. When you return home, take time to review your records. Sort them out by date, personal importance, or based on any other criteria. Choose photographs which best illustrate the brightest moments of your journey.
8. Create an outline of your travelogue. This must not be a detailed report yet. The outline is necessary for you to structure your thoughts and to see if the story flows logically and is easy to understand.
9. After you’ve completed the outline, write the full travelogue. Writers are artists, and they present a picture through their words. Try to make it as interesting as you can. Show your artistic talent by describing the place in such a complete manner that the reader actually visualizes it. Add vivid descriptions, historic and factual information, and educate your readers on the customs and traditions of the country you’ve visited.
10. Lastly, always keep your readers in mind while writing your travelogue. Think about what they would like to know about the destination and what would make them want to visit. Keep your writing style accessible and engaging, and remember that your readers may have different preferences and budgets, so try to cater to a broad audience. A well-written travelogue should inspire and inform, making the reader feel like they are right there with you, experiencing the destination firsthand.

Topic Selection

Since a travelogue is written after your trip to another country or place, the main topic of this type of writing is a description of your experience there. Though your travelogue can contain may areas of focus, when writing a travelogue, you can concentrate on:

• local customs and traditions
• cuisine
• depictions of places of interest, local history, and culture
• your adventures
• prices and transportation
• entertainment

Key Points to Consider

1. A description of nothing but places you’ve visited and exotic food you’ve eaten will most likely be perceived as a boring travelogue rather than an interesting read. A travelogue needs a central idea, which will be the backbone of your whole piece of writing. Life lessons you’ve learned during the voyage, your reflections about the differences between the place where you live and the place you’ve visited, or at least some historic theme could serve as such a backbone.
2. Deviate from the common tourist routes and make explorations on your own. This way, you can add lots of interesting, distinctive places into your descriptions, which will definitely add value to your travelogue.
3. Keeping a travelogue within the structure of an essay is a sound way to present your material. In the introduction, you can provide some background about the place you are writing about and also describe your traveling conditions. In the main body, introduce the information you want to convey to your readers based on the recordings and notes you’ve made during the journey. Finally, summarize the experience from the trip. Share your thoughts about it, your findings, and what you will be contemplating after in regard to the trip.
4. You don’t necessarily need to write about the attractiveness of the place you’ve visited. The journey most likely won’t consist only of nice events, places, and people. Describe the difficulties you faced, strange customs, sanitary conditions, etc.

Do and Don’t

Do Do include not only personal experiences, but also information that will be useful for those who will want to visit the country you describe. Give your readers an idea about transportation costs, hotels, and resorts. Give advice about the entertainment in the area or about places of interest to visit. Do try to convey the atmosphere of the place you visited. Talk to the locals about their lives or problems and benefits of living in that place. Include fragments of these interviews. Do provide a historical and cultural background about the place you’ve been to. Do add some humor in your writing. You might want to describe some funny situations that occurred during the voyage or a humorous spin on some serious problems you managed to solve. Do proofread and edit your travelogue.

Don’t Don’t shoot pictures of yourself in the background of historical monuments for a travelogue. Such pictures are okay for your personal photo album, but for a travelogue it is better not to choose them. Don’t repeat or retell the information that is usually typed in various tourist guidebooks. Don’t use stock photos or other photos that can be found on the Internet. Don’t indulge in the judgement of the other country’s customs and traditions and don’t mock aspects of that country that are unusual or weird to you. Some cultural peculiarities may seem odd and uncommon to you, but don’t claim them to be bad or stupid. This doesn’t speak in your favor and prevents your readers from having their own opinion. It can facilitate prejudice against the country you are describing. Don’t wait long to write your travelogue. Do it immediately after you return home, while your impressions are fresh and you can recall events clearly.

Common Mistakes When Writing a Travelogue

– Focusing only on factual information. Though it is important, a lack of emotions may turn your story into a boring log.

– Being excessively enthusiastic about describing your feelings and thoughts.

– Relying only on memories when writing a travelogue. You can never remember all the details, all places, all the impressions, and all factual information. Therefore, ignoring the importance of taking notes during the journey will probably result in a raw and inexact travelogue.

– Being too critical or too in awe. Try to describe both positive and negative moments of your journey. This way, you will create a fuller and more vivid story.

– If you need help – don’t hesitate to use it. It may seem like an easy job, but sometimes you don’t have enough writing experience or inspiration. You can get a little push in the right direction from outside. The best custom essay writing services can give you an idea where to look.

FAQ

What is a travelogue?

A travelogue is a written account, often in the form of a narrative or a journal, detailing the author’s experiences, observations, and impressions while traveling to a specific destination. Travelogues provide readers with information about the culture, people, attractions, and overall atmosphere of the place, often inspiring and encouraging them to visit the destination themselves.

How do I choose a destination for my travelogue?

When choosing a destination for your travelogue, consider the following factors:

• Your personal interests and experiences: Pick a place that you are passionate about or have visited yourself, as this will make your writing more authentic and engaging.
• Relevance and appeal to your target audience: Choose a destination that your readers will find interesting and that aligns with their preferences and travel goals.
• Availability of information: Ensure that there is enough information and resources available for you to research and write about the destination effectively.

How do I structure my travelogue?

A well-structured travelogue should have a clear organization and flow that makes it easy for readers to follow. Consider the following structure:

1. Introduction: Introduce the destination, your purpose for visiting, and give a brief overview of what the reader can expect from your travelogue.
2. Background and history: Provide some context on the destination’s history, culture, and any other relevant background information.
3. Attractions and points of interest: Describe the various attractions, landmarks, and activities that the destination offers, along with your personal experiences and observations.
4. Travel tips and practical information: Include information on transportation, accommodations, local customs, and any other useful tips for potential visitors.
5. Conclusion: Summarize your travelogue, highlighting the key takeaways and reasons why readers should consider visiting the destination.

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