Monthly Archive for April, 2011

Introducing the Free Byteful Travel Newsletter

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Today, I’m announcing something brand-new: the Byteful Travel Newsletter.

What’s your favorite newsletter? My goal is not to merely rival your favorite email newsletter. In time, I want the Byteful Travel Newsletter to take its place as your favorite.

I realize I probably won’t be to achieve the title of your favorite newsletter for a while, but this is my long-term goal. (On the other hand, if you enjoy Byteful Travel but you don’t currently subscribe to any email newsletters, I hope the Byteful Travel Newsletter will be your first, because it will contain the same kind of breathtaking photography and inspirational content that this site does; and more. More on that in a minute.)

A Newsletter Designed for You, The Adventurer

In order to achieve this goal, I’ve decided to build this free newsletter around your needs; including serving as a continual reminder that you are an adventurer, that it’s up to you (and only you) to create the adventure your life was meant to be.

And as it says in the right-hand sidebar, this newsletter is going to relay “pure adventuristic joy”, which means that this newsletter will convey the same vibrance and energy that the articles here on Byteful Travel do.

The focus of the newsletter will always be enlightenment through travel, but the way it’s presented and the frequency of new issues is largely up to you guys, my adventuresome readers. So this means that anyone who signs up for the newsletter and sends me feedback will have a direct effect on what the newsletter becomes. I very much value and expect feedback on what you want out of this newsletter.

What can you expect?

Let me be super clear here. As I said above, you will have a direct affect on how the newsletter changes over time, so I can’t predict what the newsletter will evolve into. However, although the newsletter will adapt to the needs of the subscribers over time, I do have a vision for what I will initially include.

So you can get a better idea what to expect, I plan to include:

  • Travel Insights and Tips which aren’t published anywhere on the site
    (some bits of advice that don’t necessarily warrant their own articles)
  • First Impressions if I’m currently on assignment when a newsletter is sent
    (this will give you a sneak peak of what’s to come to Byteful Travel before it’s ever published to the web)
  • A Short Recap of any articles published since the last newsletter
    (so you’ll never miss out on any of the adventure or photography)

So in exchange for signing up for the newsletter, you’ll be receiving insights, tips, and first impressions that will be exclusive to the newsletter and not available anywhere else on the web, all free of charge. And keep in mind that the list above isn’t set in stone, either. I’m going to let the newsletter improve and evolve over time into whatever form serves its purpose best.

The bottom line is, I want this newsletter to be the most fascinating, exciting thing in your inbox when it arrives, which means making it vibrant, inspiring, and exceptional. I realize I may not hit that mark first time out of the gate, but it’s my goal to get there eventually. And I will.

How often will it arrive?

I expect that it will be sent out every other month, but the frequency of new issues will depend on how much extra time this requires, the reaction that the newsletter receives from readers, and the feedback I get on the first few issues.

I won’t send out the first issue until there’s a decent amount of subscribers to actually send the first issue out to. (And keep in mind that it’s super easy to unsubscribe if for some reason you decide later that you’d rather not receive the Byteful Travel Newsletter.)

And in case you were curious, your email address will be kept completely confidential and never sold for any amount of money (unlike some sites), you can unsubscribe easily any time, and I’ll never play silly marketing games with you because I hate spam as much as you do. Seriously, “hate” is a mild word for how I feel about spam. The last time I checked, spam never inspired or helped anyone, so it has no place anywhere near the Byteful Travel Newsletter.

That being said, I’m really looking forward to communicating with you all in a new medium (for me), sharing the my best travel sights and insights, and doing what I can to help you embrace enlightened adventures.

Basically, if you enjoy reading Byteful Travel, you’ll love the Byteful Travel Newsletter. Do you have any thoughts on what should be included or left out? Let me know below or on the Contact page! I’m listening, and I’m looking forward to sharing what’s in store.


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  1. New Byteful Travel Shop features Key Travel Inventory & Life-Changing Books
  2. Byteful Travel Carnival #2 – 2010 Aug 30
  3. Byteful Travel Carnival #1 – Inaugural Edition
  4. Byteful Travel Blog Carnival #3 – 2010 Oct 26
  5. Byteful Travel Blog Carnival #4 – 2010 Dec 14
  6. Byteful Travel Blog Carnival #5 – 2011 Feb 22
  7. Byteful Travel Blog Carnival #6 – 2011 May 31

Carnival of Cities for 2011 April 20 (From a tiny hotel to Skopje’s Ancient Fortress)

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Have you ever heard of a city called Skopje? I hadn’t either, but today you get the chance to not only learn why it’s awesome, you also get to see why it’s awesome. I won’t go into too much detail, but let’s just say the thousand year old Kale Fortress looks pretty epic.

Why am I suddenly mentioning places I haven’t been to yet? Well, today marks the third time I have the privilege of hosting one of my very favorite blog carnivals: The Carnival of Cities. If you’re not familiar with this great blog carnival, Carnival of Cities (CoC) is one of the quintessential blog carnivals focusing on travel. And if you’ve been reading Byteful Travel for a while, you probably already know what a blog carnival is; but in the chance that you don’t, all you need to know is that you’re about to be exposed to some great travel writing from all around the globe.

A Trip around the World

As I’ve said before, the Carnival of Cities has been one of my favorite carnivals for a while now because it consistently includes some of the best new travel articles on the web. What makes CoC unique is that it’s city-focused, highlighting any aspect of a specific city; and people often say that reading through it feels like a trip around the world. For this edition, I’m really happy to say that all of the articles in today’s blog carnival have some excellent photography paired with the text, which makes it even more immersive.

Today’s edition includes incredible sights of Singapore’s architecture, a feature on possibly the most utilitarian hotel in all of England, a tale of what happens when you buy a book at “kilometer zero”, a scintillating golden dome that just so happens to be in Indiana, a lovely look at a small Portuguese town, and a feature on a European capital you’ve probably never heard of (but should). Hint: It’s the 4th article down. (It’s the one with the epic thousand year old fortress.)

Asia

Chinese Poem etched on Stone in Lan Su GardenSingapore – Zhu presents:
Images of Singapore posted at Correr Es Mi Destino, saying,

“Singaporeans seem to have two main activities: shopping and dining. When you are done shopping, you grab a bite and when you are done eating, you go for a walk with your credit card in hand for some exercise.”

Americas

Indiana, USA – Dominique King presents:
Back to school at Indiana’s University of Notre Dame posted at Midwest Guest, saying,

“Many visitors best know the University of Notre Dame for its fabled football history, but we particularly enjoyed this Indiana university’s photogenic architecture.”

Europe

Paris, France – Sheila Scarborough presents:
Literary Paris: get stamped at Shakespeare and Company posted at Perceptive Travel Blog, saying,

“A special spot in Paris for English-language book lovers (and it even comes with a souvenir).”

Skopje, Macedonia – Anne-Sophie Redisch presents:
Things to do in Skopje posted at Sophie’s World, saying,

“Skopje is one of Europe’s lesser known capitals — here’s the good and the bad.”

Caminha, Portugal – Steve Masters presents:
Caminha, Spain’s Portuguese neighbour posted at Portugal Travel Tips, saying,

“Caminha, sitting on the Portugal border with Spain’s north-west, offers access to long sandy beaches facing the Atlantic Ocean and the waters of the Minho river.”

London, England, UK – Paris Franz presents:
Cheap London hotels – Tune Hotel opens in Westminster posted at London on the Cheap, saying,

“Just think of it — cheap hotels in central London. They are like the rarest of exotic animals. You hear reports, but don’t quite believe until you see it for yourself. Cheap London hotels do exist however, and they now have another name to add to their ranks: The Tune Hotel.”

Want to grow your audience?

You too can be a part of the sheer splendubiousness that is the Carnival of Cities. And honestly, you’d be silly not to consider it. For any writer, blog carnivals are an intelligent way to get the word out about what you’re publishing on the web. (I know this because blog carnivals have been incredibly helpful in spreading the word about Byteful Travel.)

To request an article to be considered for inclusion next time, please submit your blog post (just one, please one that provides real value and is not spam) to the next edition of the Carnival of Cities using the Carnival of Cities submission form. (Past posts and future hosts can be found in the Carnival of Cities carnival index.)

And if you’d like to host the carnival itself, as I have done here, please contact Sheila, the carnival’s maintainer, at the following email address: Sheila “at” sheilascarborough “dot” com. (But please be patient. I’m sure she gets plenty of email.)

I hope you enjoyed today’s featured articles. And while you’re here, why don’t you say thanks to some of the awesome writers who submitted their work? It only takes a minute; and, speaking from experience, I know it means a lot. :)

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  1. Carnival of Cities for 2010 May 19
  2. Carnival of Cities for 2010 November 17
  3. Byteful Travel Blog Carnival #5 – 2011 Feb 22
  4. Byteful Travel Blog Carnival #7 – 2011 July 26
  5. Byteful Travel Blog Carnival #6 – 2011 May 31
  6. Byteful Travel Blog Carnival #8 – 2011 Sept 27
  7. Byteful Travel Blog Carnival #3 – 2010 Oct 26

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