Travel Photographer of the Year

20,000 images from 142 countries were submitted to this year’s Travel Photographer of the Year competition for amateur, professional and young photographers. This year’s winner, Stefano Pensotti of Italy submitted a portfolio of images showing people going about their day-to-day lives on different continents, showing how we all are simultaneously different and similar.

You can see the winning photographs in all categories here.

Flying Tips for Wheelchair Users, From Wheelchair Users  Air travel can cause a great deal of apprehension for both seasoned and novice travelers. If you’re taking that flight with a wheelchair, there’s an added level of stress. From wheelchair users who have logged a lot of flight hours, here are some tips on what to expect, and how to prepare accordingly.

A Local’s Guide to Seville, Spain: 10 Top Tips  Cobbled alleys, ancient bars, flamenco and the world’s biggest gothic cathedral are just a few of the Andalucían capital’s attractions. From two locals – a travel journalist and a hostel manager – here are insider tips on where to eat, drink, shop, listen to music, view art, or have a picnic in Seville.

Travel Lessons from a Hawaiian Volcano  Consumer Advocate Christopher Elliott shares travel lessons learned by a volcanologist who led one of the response teams during last year's volcanic eruption in Hawaii. According to Rick Hazlett, here are three lessons a shield volcano in the middle of the Pacific can teach us about being a better traveler.

WE HAVE A WINNER!

Congratulations to Barbara from Zimbabwe, the winner of our 10^th Anniversary Guess the Destination Giveaway! Barbara will be joining Adventure Canada on their Ireland Circumnavigation Expedition Cruise in June. She’ll be exploring the rolling countryside, charming villages, and rugged seascapes of the Emerald Isle; cruising rugged coastlines aboard their fleet of Zodiacs; and bird and whale watching. Thanks to Adventure Canada and everyone who entered.  Bon voyage, Barbara!

Celestyal Cruises is the only home-porting cruise operator in Greece and the preeminent cruise line serving the Greek Islands and East Mediterranean. The company operates four mid-sized vessels that provide genuine and highly personalized services. Every 3, 4, or 7-day cruise focuses on true cultural immersion, offering authentic, lifetime experiences both on board and on shore. Celestyal Cruises is committed to the solo travel market by consistently offering ongoing campaigns with 'No Single Supplements & Own Stateroom' on the majority of their 3, 4, and 7-day sailings, in addition to their standard 30% single supplement which is 70% less than the majority of cruiselines. To support this commitment, they offered ‘No Single Supplement' on all 12 Cuba departures in 2018.

On public Wi-Fi, personal data is in the air for anyone to grab... unless you use a VPN.

The easy setup VPN app for your computer, phone and tablet:

• Protects you from online identity theft - what a way to ruin a trip.
• Let's you search the web in your own language when abroad.
• Gives you access to sites that are blocked in certain countries.

A VPN protects your identity online. It is especially important when using a credit card or banking online.

Save 15% on StrongVPN's annual plan

I use StrongVPN. Click, sign up and enter Solotraveler as your coupon code and you'll save 15% on the annual plan.

If you want more information about VPNs read VPN for Travel: What, Why and an Easy Setup Guide.​​​​​​​

• Going Alone? Travel Insurance is a Must - why I never travel without insurance, how I've used it to recover losses, and how to buy it. 
• Bare Minimum Packing: Here’s Your Packing List - our ultimate packing check list which I continue to use for every trip.
• Five Top Travel Apps Plus a Few More I'd Never Travel Without - These make travel easier.
• Readers chose Booking.com as their favorite travel brand in our 2017 reader survey. You can support Solo Traveler by booking your hotel, hostel, B&B or inn through Booking.com here.