Getting Real About Travel Bloggers Who Get on My Nerves

While the world of travel blogging is brimming with passionate and talented writers who captivate and educate their readers, it’s hard to ignore the surge of aspiring writers who seem more interested in padding their wallets than providing genuine value.  In this post, I’m shining a spotlight on those lackluster, profit-driven bloggers who waste both your time and mine.  If you’re discerning enough, you’ll quickly identify them amidst the vast expanse of online content.”

These repetitive blogs follow a predictable formula:

  • a brief self-introduction, followed by 6-10 lines of vacuous content about a famous landmark.
  • A dazzling photo, whether they’re in it or not, punctuates the pattern.
  • Within those 6-10 lines, you’re sure to encounter at least one link enticing you to buy a product or explore another page on their site.  This strategic SEO technique keeps you clicking from link to link, convincing search engines that their site is a treasure trove of information, when, in fact, you are just going around in circles.
  • Many of these blogs appear to be under the same ad management umbrella, which might explain their striking similarities. They relentlessly promote every conceivable product that can fit in a suitcase, including the suitcase itself.
  • But when it comes to the cultural depth and personal experiences of the monuments they visit, they offer little more than generic enthusiasm, leaving one to wonder if they truly explored these sites.
  • In stark contrast to their information on the monuments, they wax poetic about the hotels where they enjoy complimentary stays in exchange for glowing endorsements on their blogs and social media platforms, boasting their impressive follower counts.
  • Their culinary recommendations often revolve around the same handful of Egyptian dishes, neglecting the rich variety of local cuisine in favor of fast-food favorites.
  • Furthermore, they unwittingly propagate widespread misconceptions about Egypt, driving my original inspiration to expose these disingenuous travel bloggers.  The modern myths they perpetuate are so many they deserve their own dedicated post.

Transparency in advertising is crucial; there’s nothing wrong with it as long as it’s transparent.  What’s becoming increasingly intolerable, however, is the way these blogs hijack our time.  Their adept SEO tactics and enticing introductory snippets in Google searches lure us in, only for us to discover that we’ve squandered precious minutes of our lives on yet another vacuous piece of content.  However, I am sure that one day google will find a way to weed out the time wasters.

Every so often, we meet bloggers who stay at Mara House and enjoy our curated packages in Cairo, Luxor, Luxor/Aswan and Nile Cruises to Aswan.  While they often share engaging stories of their independent adventures, including a photo or mention of Mara House and the guidance our team provides would be a lovely way to acknowledge the experience

If you’re tired of glossy travel fantasies, this Egypt guide gives a much more realistic view.