I often get asked how to start travel blogging and the resources I use for my website.
I have compiled a list of travel and blogging resources that have been helpful to me. I hope these suggested resources help you too.
Quick Tip: Buy courses, plugins, hosting or domains during BLACK FRIDAY Deals around October and November. You will get more discounted offers.
Blogging Resources
Blogging Guide Book
The book is written for a beginner to understand blogging easily.
I have been taking help from this book in learning how to properly use Cpanel, Domain authority-related doubts, SEO the right plugins to choose for my site and more.
Not only does the book guide how to start blogging from scratch but also leads you to insights into how to earn and sustain your website. The book has helped me grow as a travel blogger.
Blogging Courses
1. Mentor – Shivya Nath , The Shooting Star.
I am an alumni of Shivya’s course “Get Paid To Travel The World With Purpose“
Use gypsy20 code to Get 20% discount on the travel storytelling course.
Here’s what I achieved:
↳ Re-discovered my lost storytelling skills
↳ Learned how to pitch articles to websites like Outlook Traveller.
Here’s my article on Slow Travel on Outlook Traveller Website
↳ Got featured at Outlook Traveller and The Daily Jagran
↳ Learned how to pitch to brands for collaboration.
↳ Exclusive Brand Collaboration Opportunities.
↳ Learned to negotiate, and get paid.
↳ and more lot more.
You can use my affiliate code gypsy20, to get a 20% discount.
I want 20% DiscountTo know about Shivya, you can check her award winning travel blog: the-shooting-star.com
You can also read her experience through her Best Seller Book –The Shooting Star: A Girl, Her Backpack and the World
2. Mentor – Nina Clapperton (She Knows SEO)
I am currently enrolled in the following courses by Nina:
↳6 Month to 50k Sessions Strategy – My Best Investment Ever. (P.S. I got it at a discount).
↳Dominate Your DA ( Domain Authority) – I bought it in March 2024. I will update how it helps me.
↳Guest Posting Masterclass – Can’t be stuck at 5k views forever, it’s time to learn, pitch and grow.
↳Quiz Your Way to 10k Subscribers – Stuck at 84, time to grow my email subscribers.
↳AI-Infused Blog Templates for Effortless Content Creation! – Template to write your blog post faster, with affiliate and SEO tips.
Check out other blogging courses provided by her – SEO Roadmap and Other Courses
3. Mentor – Jessie Festa (Jessie on a Journey)
Join her Free Course Profitable Travel Blog Makeover and turn your existing travel blog into a profitable business.
To access the complete resources and receive direct support from her, you can apply for the paid Travel Blog Prosperity course by Jessie.
Use the code GROWYOURBLOG9 to access the Travel Blog Prosperity Course at just $9 for the first month.
Other courses provided by Jessie are –
↳How To Start A Blog, Grow An Audience & Make Money
↳How To Make Money (Fast) With Affiliate Marketing
↳How To Land Paid Press Trips As A Travel Blogger
Helpful Blogging Websites
I mostly visit the following blogging websites to clear my doubts regarding blogging –
↳She Knows SEO by Nina Clapperton
↳Bloggers Passion by Anil Agarwal
↳Digital Nomad Wannabe by Sharon Gourlay
Helpful Facebook Groups for Blogging
↳SEO for Travel Bloggers by Nina Clapperton (The Best in 2024)
↳Bloggers Passion VIP Group by Anil Agarwal
↳DNW – Making Money from Blogging by Sharon Gourlay
↳Link Building + Guest Posts + Collabs (Travel Bloggers)
↳Travel Collab Post Opportunities.
Buying Domain Names
The most common platforms for buying domain names are – GoDaddy, Namecheap, Hostinger, and Automattic among others.
Hosting Platforms
Hostinger
Hostinger is a well-known hosting provider worldwide based in Kaunas, Lithuania (Europe).
I bought its hosting plan at a discount for 48 months for my new site in November 2022.
I shifted my hosting from Flexicloud to Hostinger in October 2023.
Plugins
RankMath SEO Plugin:
This SEO Plugin helps you rank better on search engines like Google. A few of my articles like Phe Phe Falls, Mawlyngbna, and Japfu Trek are ranking at the top of the first page on Google search.
After using RankMath’s free version for a year, I bought the Rankmath Pro version in April 2022 and used it till 2024.
The SEO-optimized articles have been performing better on Google search results with RankMath.
I have used both the paid and free version of RankMath.
My recommendation is that the Free Version of Rankmath is enough for your website.
You can check and compare all the features of the RankMath plugin by clicking here.
Try RankMath for FreeAkismet Anti-Spam
The Akismet Anti-Spam plugin helps you filter and delete spam comments on a page or an article.
W3 Total Cache
W3 Total Cache Plugin is one of your site’s best free cache plugins. I used W3 Total Cache for three years.
WP Rocket
If you ask any top blogger, WP Rocket is what they will suggest. I bought WP Rocket in March 2023.
My site speed has increased and our site has passed the tests on Google Pagespeed Insights.
Here’s the Proof –
Please Note – Google gives more weight-age if your website loads faster.
Check Pricing & featuresNote: My phone version of the site hasn’t been able pass the Core Web Vitals recently. I need to make a few technical changes to achieve. Hopefully, I will be able to do it soon.
Easy Table of Contents
I have been using the Easy Table for Contents plugin since 2021.
The Easy Table for Contents plugin is FREE to use. It is lightweight – site speed is not affected negatively.
WordPress Theme
Generate Press
It is by far the best theme I have used so far. I got a free subscription by participating in a giveaway of Bloggerspassion Blog in November 2022.
In November 2023, I bought the theme by myself. I will soon be writing a review of my experience and how it helped me pass Core Web Vitals, thus increasing my site speed.
The above results you see of Page speed insights passed the Core Web Vitals only after using Generate Press.
I love the Site Library of Generate Press. It has different templates of themes that you can apply to your site according to your requirements.
I want to check the price and featuresSEO Tools
Keysearch
It provides –
Keyword Research, Competitor Analysis, Explorer (domain overview), Rank tracking and Intelligence, YouTube research, Content Assistant, Backlink checker and many more features.
Keysearch is the best keyword research tool recommended by bloggers.
I have been using the Keysearch Starter Annual subscription since March 2022.
Let me try 1 month Keysearch for FREEUse this code KSDISC to get a 20% discount.
Free Blog Analysis Tools
Semrush -It allows 10 searches per day.
Ubbersuggest by Neil Patel – It allows 3 analyses per day.
Ahref – It Shows a limited analysis of your website in the free version.
Moz – Allows 10 analysis results per month for backlinks and keyword research. You can check a site’s domain authority on Moz – 3 results per day.
Site Monetization Platforms
Amazon Affiliate
Promote products available on Amazon that are related to your niche. Become an Amazon Associate by participating in their Amazon Affiliate Marketing Programme.
I started earning from the Amazon Affiliate program in 2021. I also have a storefront on Amazon. I have compiled a list of products related to travel, culture, blogging and guides.
You can shop from the storefront shown below if you find the products relevant to you.
12Go Booking Affiliate
12Go is a booking platform for Trains, Buses, Ferries, Transfers, Flights in Asia and beyond.
The 12Go website is popular in Asia. As my site is mostly India and Asia based, it perfectly fits for my audience to book tickets for trains and flights.
If you have a blog, website, or a YouTube channel, you can Start Earning Using 12Go Affiliate Program too.
Travelpayouts
Travelpayouts is one of the largest affiliate platforms for travel bloggers worldwide. Here’s why you should join –
1. You can Sign Up and apply to travel companies that have affiliate programs such as Booking.com, Agoda, Tripadvisor and others through Travelpayouts.
2. It is easier to apply and be accepted.
3. It is easy to earn too.
4. Learn how to use Travelpayouts by reading this guide.
Google AdSense
The Google AdSense Platform provides the ads you see on our site.
Though earning via AdSense takes time, blogging consistently and producing quality traffic generating relevant content will increase the earned revenue.
The earnings with Google AdSense are less compared to other ad platforms.
For Instance, it took me (The Gypsy Chiring website) 4 years to reach the payment threshold earn the first $100 in to my bank account.
My site was monetized when I test positive for Covid in June 2021.
$102 was deposited by Google to my bank account in September 2025.
As of October 2025, I have turned off Google Adsense. I am now focusing more on affiliate marketing.
Mediavine
Mediavine is by far the highest-paying Ad Platform for Bloggers.
I haven’t reached its eligibility criteria of having 50,000 sessions on our website in the past 30 days (as per Google Analytics). I hope to achieve it soon.
Mediavine has a new feature the Journey by Mediavine which accepts websites that have had 10,000 sessions in the past 30 days,
Ezoic
Ezoic is an ads monetization platform.
You can learn more about the ad platform by reading this review article of Ezoic by Sharon Goulay on her site – Digital Nomad Wannabe.
Travel Resources
Where to book Hotels?
↳ Make My Trip (International)
Where to Book Hostels?
Where to Book Tickets for Buses, Cars, Trains & Flights?
Other Helpful Travel Resources
e-SIM
Unlike other e-sim providers, Holafly e-sims provide unlimited data.
For backpackers, digital nomads, business individuals and tourists, you can stop buying data daily and remain worry-free for the days you have chosen to stay.
Are you a foreign tourist, planning to travel to India and worried about your mobile connectivity?
Use Holafly e-sims at a 5% discount.
Claim the Holafly eSim DiscountHow to receive and send money abroad?
I use both Wise & Paypal to receive money for freelance work and payments for my blog.
Travel Gears
I buy the majority of my travel gear from the following platforms –
1. Amazon
Check out the Trawoc Rucksack on Amazon.
Check out the sunhat on Amazon.
I have made a YouTube video about this Sunhat By Gustave. You can watch it below
I bought the DJI Pocket 2 – Creator Combo for creating videos and podcasts.
It has an updated version. You can go for the DJI Pocket 3 on Flipkart.
Recorded videos on Wari Chora, Hornbill Festival and Annapurna Base Camp Trek (Nepal).
I also use this beginner podcast recorder – MAONO AU-A04 Condenser Microphone Kit (Black)
Read about 25 Helpful Travel Essentials suggested by Travel Bloggers around the world.
2. Decathlon
Decathlon needs no introduction. It is a go-to option for all adventure lovers. The jacket, trek pants and hiking shoes as seen in the above photo are from Decathlon. I have bought my outdoor tents from Decathlon too.
3. Flipkart
I buy travel essentials from Flipkart too. But I use Amazon India more.
I have signed up for a Flipkart affiliate via EarnKaro, India’s number #1 Affiliate Marketing platform.
You can sign up at EarnKaro to earn affiliate income by suggesting products from Flipkart, Myntra, Ajio, mamaearth, mcaffeine and even Amazon.
North East India Travel Resources
If you are planning to explore India and particularly North East India, the following are a few websites, travel books that you can refer to –
1. Websites
1. Travelling Slacker by Jitaditya Narzary
2. The Gypsy Chiring by Joydeep Phukan
3. Unconventional and Vivid by Upasana Kakati
2. Books
1. Immersive Arunachal by Jitaditya Narzary
