10 Under 10k
With so many travel influencers out there, it is easy to get caught up on the unreal photos of people such as GypseaLust and DoYouTravel that are taking free trips to magical places. However, over the last few months I have become much less interested in those multi-million follower accounts, who I know will always have much more extravagant trips than myself, and have begun focusing much more on smaller accounts, with real, normal people (whose trips are actually relatable).
Over the last year I have found so many awesome accounts who more people need to know about. One of the best ways I have found to find these accounts (since the IG algorithm rarely lets them pop up on your explore page) is through hashtags. Hashtags like #teamkaptainkenny, #letsflyawayto, #traveldreamseekers, and #mywalkingtheworld have connected so many people who are all in the same boat of trying to find a following of people that appreciate what they are doing. All of the accounts below has less than 10,000 followers and hopefully you'll take a look at their accounts and show them some love :)
I'm pretty sure that Allie was one of the first travel accounts I followed when I started my blog and getting to know her over the past year has been wonderful. Originally from Louisville but now residing in Michigan, Allie constantly makes me jealous with her gorgeous, fun photos. Whether she's roaming around the rainbow mountains in Peru, playing with pigs in the Bahamas, or having a blast in San Francisco, this is one girl whose photos you don't wanna miss!
PS - Make sure to check out Allie's 7 day Peru itinerary! And make sure to keep an eye out for her upcoming Belize itinerary.
www.stampedtribe.com/7-day-peru-itenerary
Q&A:
Favorite Travel Spot? Sevilla, Spain
Next Destination? Belize & Guatemala
Country Count? 25 but soon to be 27. She's currently trying to reach the 30 by 30 milestone that all of use travel bloggers dream of, but her real goal is to reach 34+ because that's how many her Mammaw and Pappaw have been to and it's a running joke that they will be alive to see her do it (is this not the cutest thing ever?!)
Talk about couple goals and travel goals all in one (even though they don't remember the first time they met!) Manon and Bram's Instagram is filled with photos from warm and sunny locations that make me wish I wasn't in the thick of Ohio-winter right now. They are SO close to 10k, but I'm glad I caught them before they got there so that I could feature them in this blog post!
Q&A:
Favorite Travel Spot? The world! They have visited so many beautiful places with all their own charm and beauty, which makes it very hard to just choose one favorite! Some that stand out to them are Fiji with their warm and welcoming locals, Curacao, Indonesia (specifically the tropical paradises of Bali and Lombak), and Australia (where they spent 2 years). They are currently in New Zealand, giving all these other wonderful places a run for their money.
Next Destination? These two are all about the pacific! As previously mentioned, they are currently in New Zealand, and are about to take a road trip towards the Northern Island and then housesitting in Napier. After that, they'd love to check out the Southern Island. After NZ, they want to go finish checking out Australia and Indonesia. After that, it's time for Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.
Country Count? 32
Ellen-Juliet is a part-time traveler, full-time MedBioChem student from Bristol. And this girl takes, no joke, some of the most beautiful landscape photos I have ever seen (I'm looking at you, picture 2). And this chick is one you don't wanna mess with - she practices MMA! "I think it's so important for any solo-traveler to have the ability to protect themselves if they ever need it, though the world is beautiful, there are some dangerous places out there!" #GirlPower
Q&A:
Favorite Travel Spot? New Zealand, especially South Island. Although it's not the cheapest destination, she said it is TOTALLY worth it. From the view of the stars at Mount Cook to the gorgeous sunsets over Lake Wanaka, New Zealand is out of this world beautiful and the most magical place!
Next Destination? Gdansk, a tiny little city in Northern Poland that has beautiful architecture. She decided she wanted to go to Poland through the Skyscanner app while looking for cheap flights.
Country Count? 25. Growing up her family was never too much into travel, but now that she is financially independent and grown up she is going anywhere she can and is hoping that this number will increase drastically during the next few years.
The due of Alex and Victoria have always enjoyed traveling, but as of recently their passion and Instagram have really taken off! Victoria recently quit her job, allowing them to both be free to pursue their travel dreams and work on other creative projects, such as their blog. When they aren't traveling, they are working on a self financed documentary about shade grown coffee, titled "Shade Grown Coffee - The Movie."
Q&A:
Favorite Travel Spot? For a long time they would have chosen Mexico or Vietnam, but after having spent two months in the Philippines they have to choose that! They fell in love with the perfect beachscapes, incredibly lush nature, and most of all the people - they felt so welcome! For a food destination they choose Italy.
Next Destination? Right now the pair is in Thailand, but before they head back home to Denmark they are going to Singapore for a few days. They are looking forward to visiting for the second time and are excited to stroll through the Gardens by the Bay and drinking specialty coffee.
Country Count? They are currently at 60 countries, 32 of which they have visited together in the last 8 years
Courtney, from Toronto, is one of my newer friends on the instaworld, but I'm so glad we were connected! All of her photos have this super bright and light effect that instantly draws you into her feed. I knew that I wanted to include her in this blog post during her Tulum series, which made me want to get down to Mexico ASAP! Fun fact about Courtney, she has a twin sister!
Q&A:
Favorite Travel Spot? The Greek Islands for many reasons. Each of the islands is unique, beautiful with sunshine and crystal blue waters, and filled with kind people. It also helps that Greek food is her favorite - especially spanakopita!
Next Destination? Morocco
Country Count? 38
Jake and Dayna are a budget savvy couple who have been travelling the world ever since they graduated college. With 20 countries and 2 years of marriage under their belt, they've created a beautiful Instagram feed showcasing their love from all areas of the world!
Q&A:
Favorite Travel Spot? So far, their favorite spot has been Italy.
Everywhere from Lake Como to Positano were some of the most beautiful places that they had ever seen. Since the two are pizza fanatics, it makes sense that they have enjoyed Italy the most!
Next Destination? Up next, the pair is heading to Vietnam and the Phillippines.
Country Count? 20
Margaux, my half Filipina half Spanish instafriend, is the type of person that I would love to know in real life! All of her photos are so cheery with bold colors and she seriously seems like the most fun girl! Margaux is no stranger to traveling, she was born in California, and since then has lived on three continents and five countries.
Q&A:
Favorite Travel Spot? Iceland has been her favorite travel spot by far, which explains why she has gone 3 times so far and has her 4th trip planned for next month! Why does she love it so much? "On my first visit, I completely fell in love with the place: the cool, relaxed vibe of the people, the serenity of the atmosphere, and the overall peace I felt while there. As cheesy as it sounds, time seemed to stand still for me there." Iceland isn't the only place that has captured Margaux's heart - her second favorite place is the Philippines! With the warmth of the 7,000+ tropical islands, and more still to be discovered, this is the perfect place to have all to yourself.
Next Destination? Iceland next month
Country Count? At least 50 - she's actually lost track!
I just stumbled upon these two a few weeks ago and was instantly drawn to their feed, which was highlighting their trip to Antarctica at the time. Who wouldn't wanna follow someone who is posting cute penguin pictures?! After going through their feed, this traveling couple has done it all over their 5 years of being together. Fun fact, they went on their first trip together after only knowing each other a month! No better way to get to know someone than taking a trip!
Q&A:
Favorite Travel Destination? Antarctica
Next Destination? They are currently planning one big trip consisting of Greece, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, Egypt, and Morocco for September
Country Count? 22
I've known Monica on Instagram for a few months now and have absolutely loved following her adventures. Before finding her, I had never even heard of Banff and now I can't wait to plan my own trip there! Monica is no stranger to tropical locations, though. At her sister's destination wedding in Mexico, she did a roast instead of a toast!
Q&A:
Favorite Travel Spot? Her favorite place to travel is Banff, in Alberta, Canada. “As much as I love tropical destinations, the mountains have my heart.” She was able to live in the beautiful scenic area for 6 months in 2017, which allowed her plenty of time to explore the National Park, photograph daily, and make friends from all over the world. Some highlights of her summer in Banff include camping, hiking, paddleboarding, kayaking, horseback riding, star gazing, and photographing wildlife. And her favorite part of it all? Getting to see the Northern Lights!
Next Destination? One of America’s heartlands, Nashville, Tennessee, and the capital of Canada, Ottawa! She plans on driving through North America in a “hippie van” for at least 6 months at some point in the next year or two.
Country Count? 8
Another profile that focuses on bright and light photos, Hayley Simpson, from Australia, is one travel blogger you need to follow. She beautifully captures buildings and cityscapes that I have only dreamed of visiting, but I've definitely grown to enjoy living through Hayley. I have loved following her travels over the last few months and can't wait to keep up with her not-limited-to-Australian adventures!
Q&A:
Favorite Travel Spot? Vancouver
Next Destination? Traveling throughout Australia in Brisbane, Adelaide, and a North Queensland road trip
Country Count? 33
