The first step a travel writer takes before setting off on a trip is to research. Suppose he sells his material to a publication. In that case, the documentation should be thorough, as there have been millions of stories published about millions of places, so he should come up with a new topic or angle. If he is going to put it on his blog or website, documentation will be equally important to avoid the sin of tackling a trivial topic. How to research travel writing? Let’s find out!
In the documentation phase, you have two possibilities. Research the market to see what topics are “in demand” and what are the most fashionable destinations, or choose a destination and a topic and look for someone who would like to buy your final “product”. Of course, the second option is desirable from the point of view of efficiency and the fact that you are supposed to be a professional travel writer who makes a living from this. At the same time, however, it is much more difficult.
Let’s assume, yet, that you have chosen your destination. And that this would be Mount Kilimanjaro. What are you going to do next? Do you buy your plane tickets, pack your bags and head off to Tanzania? Maybe if you’re a bit off your rocker and have a habit of acting compulsively. What is your knowledge of Mount Kilimanjaro? Tending toward zero? Then ask yourself who would want to read about Mount Kilimanjaro from someone apriori knows, perhaps less than some readers know.
That’s why there’s only one option: before you start your journey, you must research your destination. For a travel writer, the “let the destination surprise me” option doesn’t work. Or… not entirely.
Things to research before you travel
Before I go anywhere, I research the following things:
What you can do and see in the destination. Make lists
The first thing you do is go to Google and search for information about the destination. Mount Kilimanjaro? No problem. It’s full of information. It’s full of websites and travel publications telling you what to do and see around this prime Tanzanian landmark.
YouTube is full of Kilimanjaro expedition videos. Search for “Kilimanjaro books”. You’ll find plenty, from Rick Ridgeway’s The Shadow of Kilimanjaro (written by the explorer who was the first person to climb K2 without an oxygen tube) to Tim Ward’s Zombies on Kilimanjaro, A father-son journey above the clouds (a trip up the mountain by a father and his 20-year-old son). Kilimanjaro-related guidebooks… there are probably hundreds.
Be like a sponge and soak up any information you find relevant. As well as travel websites and blogs, YouTube, travel guides, and books, you can get in touch with people who’ve been there, in case you’re particularly curious. Reddit is also a place to ask questions and get answers from travelers. So is Quora.
Then, make a list of points of interest and another list of activities you want to do. Lists are essential and always give you the feeling that you’re doing the right thing as you tick off the goals you’ve listed. Pay special attention to things specific to the place you are going to.
A hike to Materuni Falls, where you can swim in it. A tour of a coffee plantation at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. A soak at the Kikuletwa hot springs. A visit to the small town of Moshi, the gateway to Kilimanjaro. And so on. Complete the lists by filtering them according to your interests and what you think would ‘sell’ best. Then structure your objectives and activities by the days you have available, trying to make a balanced program that you will also need to support according to other extremely important elements for which you will need to document separately: weather conditions, sightseeing programs, costs, transport arrangements, etc.
Take local customs into account. What NOT to do there
Every place in this world has its own culture and people, which come with some sensitivities or taboos that you must respect. Because the locals will probably play a big part in the articles you are about to produce, bear in mind that if you give respect, you will receive respect and become trustworthy.
So make another list at home of things NOT to do in your destination. In Tanzania, you must not drink unsafe water or eat uncooked food. You must not publicly show affection (the country is very conservative). You must not touch people and food, wave, or give money with your left hand. And so on. You need to know these things, so you don’t end up in awkward or dangerous situations. But explore them on the spot, trying to find out information about them to include in later articles.
What is the dress code? What is the etiquette when visiting local people’s homes? How can you interact with children, women, or priests? Can you photograph freely, or do you have to ask permission because people are suspicious? What other taboos are there? Do you have to tip?
Learn a few words in the local language
In my experience, if you know a few words in the local language, you will gain some sympathy and, what’s more, you will achieve practical things. You don’t have to learn the language – after all, the Google Translate app can easily overcome the language barrier – but basics such as the usual greetings, “how are you?”, “thank you,” or the classic swear words, can make friendships that can be of interest for the final texts.
Depending on the destination, it is also a good idea to wrap small gifts for those you meet. You’ll produce pleasant surprises, but they will likely get you out of sticky situations. For example, if there is a chance that you will cross the threshold of the home of a Chagga family at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, it would be nice to give them a small gift, not of great value, but which will remind them of your visit and make it all the more enjoyable.
Identify the practicalities of the trip
During your trip, you will have to deal with many practical issues. These include:
- – weather conditions,
- – transport and getting from one place to another,
- – car or scooter hire,
- – accommodation options,
- – travel costs,
- – prices in that country, inflation
- – programs of tourist attractions or festivals,
- – dates of public holidays,
- – days and times when public markets are open,
- – areas to avoid, types of scams,
- – recent political events (check local news),
- – travel warnings,
- – necessary vaccinations, diseases, and epidemics,
- – etc.
All these things should be known at home, as they are necessary for a smooth trip. Of course, in some places, some risks are up to you whether or not you want to take them. Moreover, the accounts at home don’t always match those at the fair, so the unexpected lurks at every turn. But the more prepared and knowledgeable you are, the better you’ll get out of tight situations.
Some may think that an extreme situation will make for a better story. That is perfectly true, but when you’ve planned a trip for a particular subject, it’s entirely possible that an extreme situation will spoil that story, and you’ll return home disappointed.
Conclusion on how to research travel writing
The more research you do before your trip, the more your idea of your destination will become evident. On the spot, you will have more time to accumulate unpublished information that you missed in your initial documentation, and that will make the essence of your travel story. As for the documentation part, it won’t end once you leave for your destination but will continue when you return home, when, during the writing of the text, you will need information that you may have missed when you were there, and that is indispensable to the story.
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