How to Earn a Full-Time Living as a
Travel Blogger

George Bernard Shaw once wrote, “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.”

Shaw clearly wasn’t a blogger.

Travel bloggers are lucky enough to both “do” and “write.” They follow their passions, visiting far-flung locations all around the globe. Then they write about their adventures, earning money from their blogs.

But is it possible to entirely fund worldwide travel through a blog? Derek Earl Baron, the owner of the Wandering Earl blog, says yes.

Even the most intrepid adventurer pauses when he hears Derek’s story …

On Christmas Day, 1999, Derek flew to Bangkok, Thailand, for a three-month journey with only $1,500 to his name. Thirteen years and 83 countries later, he is still traveling around the world. His blog is so successful that he gives his own guided tours now. Yet it wasn’t always this way.

Derek started out financing his wandering by working odd jobs overseas. He taught English in Thailand and India, worked as a substitute teacher in Boston, and served on several cruise ships. At first, he used the money he saved from these jobs to travel.

Everything changed in December 2008 when he published his first ebook based on his travel experiences. He started marketing the book online. And that gave him enough money to start traveling again without having to search for part-time work.

Knowing this was probably just the tip of the iceberg, Derek launched the Wandering Earl blog in December 2009. His ebook readers became his blog’s first followers. And he quickly gained new readers by promoting and marketing his blog on other websites.

The more his blog grew, the more money he earned from book sales and affiliate marketing. All the while, he continued to travel to places like Central America, Australia, and the Middle East.

By April 2011, his online income had more than doubled to over $2,500 per month. Derek no longer needed to finance his travels by working odd jobs. Instead, traveling and writing became his full-time life.

Derek won’t disclose what he earned in 2012, but it’s safe to assume that he’s making much more. Why? His blog became so popular that he decided to launch his own guided tour of India. Using his blog, he promoted a 19-day tour that sold out almost instantly.

Seizing upon that popularity, he announced that he’d offer a Mexico tour in 2013, with 10 spots available. It sold out within a week.

Now he’s expanded to three additional tours this year: Istanbul, Romania/Moldova, and India again.

These days, Derek is living the dream: writing and planning tours as he continues his never-ending journey around the globe, funded entirely through his blog.

The AWAI Method™

The AWAI Method™ for Becoming a Skilled, In-Demand Copywriter

The AWAI Method™ combines the most up-to-date strategies, insights, and teaching methods with the tried-and-true copywriting fundamentals so you can take on ANY project — not just sales letters. Learn More »


Click to Rate:
Average: 5.0
Published: February 20, 2013

2 Responses to “How to Earn a Full-Time Living as a Travel Blogger”

  1. Thanks for the such a nice information about the blogs. It would be really helpful for all visitors.

    Guest (Galapagos Island Travel)

  2. DO YOU HAVE MEMOIRS WORKSHOP?

    Guest (LYNNIA ALLISON)


Guest, Add a Comment
Please Note: Your comments will be seen by all visitors.

You are commenting as a guest. If you’re an AWAI Member, Login to myAWAI for easier commenting, email alerts, and more!

(If you don’t yet have an AWAI Member account, you can create one for free.)


This name will appear next to your comment.


Your email is required but will not be displayed.


Text only. Your comment may be trimmed if it exceeds 500 characters.

Type the Shadowed Word
Too hard to read? See a new image | Listen to the letters


Hint: The letters above appear as shadows and spell a real word. If you have trouble reading it, you can use the links to view a new image or listen to the letters being spoken.

(*all fields required)