Beyond the Tourist Trail
Describe an off-the-beaten-path location that you visited and explain why it deserves more recognition. Include your firsthand experiences, cultural encounters, and any tips for future travelers.
Suggested length: An essay or article: 800 to 2,500 words
Start the clock
Pick a sprint, press start and keep going until it stops. Momentum beats polish on a first draft.
Make it yours
Three ways to take this prompt somewhere nobody else will.
- End with something the reader can do or think about today.
- State your main point in one sentence before you start.
- Include a counterargument and answer it fairly.
Writing travel books
Somewhere else, seen through someone's eyes.
Travel writing takes readers somewhere they may never go, through the eyes of someone who did. Guidebooks tell you where to eat; travel narratives tell you what the journey did to the traveler.
What readers expect
- A strong sense of place
- A curious, personal narrator
- Encounters with local people
- A journey with a shape
A tip before you start
The trip is the frame; the traveler's change is the story. A list of places isn't a book.
More Travel prompts
- Alone on the RoadCreate a narrative travelogue about a trip that you took alone, focusing on the role solitude played in your experience. Explore both the highs and…
- The Travel MishapRecount a humorous or challenging travel mishap and how it was resolved. Focus on local interactions, your feelings during the ordeal, and any lasting…
- Meals That Tell a Place's StoryDevelop an essay reflecting on the cultural implications of culinary traditions you encountered while traveling. How did the food act as a gateway to…
- The Trip That Went WrongCraft a narrative detailing a journey where everything that could go wrong did, and how these series of unfortunate events led to unexpected…
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