my top 5 new websites of 2009
18 Nov 2009 Leave a Comment
in general Tags: estie thirion, fly.com, simonseeks, travelzoo, twitter, whatkatiewore
What Katie Wore
By now, hundreds of people have been made aware of this darling website. Every day, Joe posts a picture of his gorgeous girlfriend Katie wearing a different outfit. Totally different, every day, for a year. Katie works her kooky magic with whacky colours, awesome accessories, crazy tights, designer, vintage and high street, and hair like an apostrophe. Checking out this site is a small highlight of every day for me – it’s an inspirational splash of brightness that’s become a daily fix. Who knows what will happen after this yearlong project has ended?!
Simonseeks
I’ve written about my predictions for Simonseeks shortly after it launched and early signs are there that I was right. The site won the Website of the Year award from the Good Web Guide and I’ve had four guides published: one on the wildlife in Cape Town, one on our honeymoon destination Pringle Bay, another about a short foodie break in the Lake District and the most recent on the culinary delights of Marseille. I’ve had over 1,000 clicks on these and have the princely sum of £5.48 in earnings to my name. Most of all, I’ve enjoyed squeezing the creative juices about one of my favourite subjects – travel – and getting feedback on it. I’m sure it will be just a matter of time before many thousands more writers have jumped on the bandwagon and I’m pleased to have been one of the first few hundred.
Twitter
I was suspicious of Twitter at first and couldn’t really see the point of the whole microblogging craze. But now, following interesting people and 166 tweets in, I’m a convert. I’ll have to do a separate list of my favourite Tweeters of 2009, but suffice to say my days have been brightened by links to travel pieces, snippets from celebs, recipes, tips and general musings which made me stop and think on a busy day. I was amazed at the role it played in the Jan Moir debacle and to see how things like football matches, Nick Griffin and the X Factor affected trending. Most of all for the next year, I’m interested to see what direction Twitter will take, especially from a business point of view.
Estie Thirion Photography
So I’m biased and Estie is one of my nearest and dearest, but her blog has just given me so much joy in the last year. The photographs are mini works of art, taken in some of the most beautiful parts of South Africa, and of course it’s always a joy to see those you love follow their dreams, inject passion into everything they do and make a success of each and every day. I’m a very proud pal.
Fly.com
What a clever search engine this is. I’ve long been a fan of the value of TravelZoo’s deals and this flight search engine is a great addition to the Top 20 newsletter and other offerings. I find it easy to use, reliable and comprehensive, so I’m sure it will give me lots of good service and deals in the years to come.
fly.com me to the moon
18 Sep 2009 1 Comment
in travel Tags: cheap flights, fly.com, saving money
Travelzoo is a great resource for travel fans* and I think their latest UK venture has a lot of potential. Fly.com was launched in the UK today and it looks like this new flight search engine is going to be very useful, at least if the US version’s success is anything to go by.
The NY Times has praised the American version – which became one of the most-visited flight websites in the States – for its ease and simplicity of use, as well as its speed. Fly.com searches hundreds of airlines (both standard and no-frills) and online travel agents such as Ebookers. Those are pretty important considerations if, like me, you want to get the best info and get it quickly (and if you love travelling and getting value for your hard-earned money).
I just did a quick search for flights between Manchester and Cape Town for next year’s World Cup on Fly.com, and the cheapest ones listed are still more than £800. Are there cheaper options available at the moment? And do we take the plunge now and buy what’s available, or do we take the risk, wait it out and hope for a stroke of luck with an upcoming flight sale?
* If you’re not yet one of the 1.5 million Brits signed up to receive Travelzoo’s Top 20 newsletter on a Wednesday, then you’re definitely missing out. I’ve booked some great deals on the back of that newsletter and always enjoyed my stay (and saving money). Next up? Paris in November…
