If you’re the sort of rugged gadabout who would much rather be exploring distant lands than working in an office, you should avoid this article like the plague. Similarly, if your mouth waters at the thought of unfamiliar spices and exotic ingredients rather than the bland, tasteless cuisine of home, you should close this webpage right now. The reason? In a few moments you’ll be either seething with jealousy or totally re-evaluating your life choices….
Of all the social networks out there, Periscope is the one that really smashes it for travel bloggers. It gives users a beautifully unique and instantaneous glimpse into someone else’s life. Travellers want to be totally immersed in the experiences they read about, so a live-streaming app which transports them to distant places deserves oodles of little floating hearts. If you’re not already, it’s time you got on board – hit up Periscope.tv and download it now!
For us, it beats Facebook Live for user experience where the travel industry is concerned. Unlike FB, the platform isn’t littered with other styles of content designed to drag you away, and there aren’t tonnes of different messages battling for your attention, just live streams that take centre stage and speak for themselves. Live-streaming defines the network, and that’s how it should be.
Periscope also happens to play host to some pretty awesome travel accounts. Here are some of our favourites…
Disclaimer: Seriously, if you happen to be a natural born travel lover currently working a desk job, you probably don’t want to watch these users’ scopes right now. You might just end up flipping your desk, marching out with your head held high and hitching a ride into the sunset. Don’t say we didn’t warn you…
Lonely Planet just happen to be the world’s largest publisher of travel guidebooks, and any and all intrepid explorers are likely to have heard of them. Their Periscope channel is exactly what you’d expect, providing users with snapshots of unique locations from around the globe and travel information which is tailored to everyday wanderers.
Johnnyjet describes himself as a money-saving travel expert who visits around 20 countries a year. Most travellers find themselves having to battle with a budget whenever they go abroad, and clever planning can help make the process far less stressful and way more rewarding. With Johnnyjet’s streams you can hit two birds with one stone.
Aside from having possibly the coolest travel blogger handle out there, Travel Dave knows adventure. He’s visiting every country in the world and sharing his experiences. So far he’s been to 84 out of a possible 193. Follow him to join his adventure and live those experiences alongside him. He also happens to be a lovely man, which makes his streams all the more delightful.
The Crowded Planet is the blog from husband and wife team Margherita and Nick, her being the travel writer and he the photographer. They Scope their awesome experiences – from jaw-dropping vistas to unique stays in lighthouses. Any couples out there who love travelling together will pretty soon hold these guys up as ‘relationship goals’.
A Travelling Toad is the alias of Todd Dosenberry, a devout member of the wander-clan, who has been using the app as his primary source of live documentation since its launch in March 2015. Followers can expect a mix of his experiences and day-to-day activities as he encourages Q&A sessions.
That’s all from us for now – at least until I pack up and run off into the distance, iPhone in hand. Have any other intrepid explorers you follow on Periscope? We’d love to hear! Tweet us – @GiraffeSM.
