🌊 Our Story

We Travel.
We Write.
You Explore.

SmartTravelAdvices.com was built by travellers who were tired of generic advice. We write what we actually do — not what looks good on a press trip.

Travel blogger writing notes by the ocean
How It Started

Built from a Shared Frustration

SmartTravelAdvices.com started in 2019 when our founder Sofia Navarro came back from a Santorini trip that cost twice what she'd planned, based on guides that turned out to be five years out of date. She thought: someone should write travel content that's actually honest, practical, and current.

So she did. What started as a personal blog covering Mediterranean beach destinations grew into a team of writers across four continents, publishing guides that real travellers actually use — with real prices, real opinions, and real experience behind them.

Today, SmartTravelAdvices.com reaches over 80,000 readers every month. We've covered 190+ countries, written over 850 guides, and helped countless people plan trips that genuinely changed their lives.

"We're not a travel PR agency. We're travellers who write."

What We Stand For

Our Editorial Values

Every guide we publish is held to these standards — no exceptions.

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Radical Honesty
If a destination is overpriced, overcrowded, or not worth the hype — we say so. We'd rather save you a bad trip than keep sponsors happy.
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Always Up to Date
Every guide is reviewed and updated at least annually. Prices, visa rules, and travel conditions change — our readers deserve current information.
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Actually Been There
No rewritten Wikipedia articles. Every destination guide is written by someone who has visited — ideally multiple times. Experience, not research.
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Real Budgets
We give you actual numbers — not "from $X per night" marketing speak. Our price estimates come from field research and reader reports.
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Transparent About Affiliates
We use affiliate links. We clearly disclose this. Our recommendations are never influenced by commission rates — only by what we'd personally use.
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Responsible Travel
We encourage travel that benefits local communities, respects cultures, and minimises environmental impact. Overtourism is real; we talk about it openly.
80k+
Monthly readers worldwide
190+
Countries covered
850+
Guides published
2019
Year founded
Who We Are

Meet the Team

Writers, editors, and explorers — united by a belief that good travel writing actually helps people.

Sofia Navarro founder SmartTravelAdvices
Sofia Navarro
Founder & Editor-in-Chief
Sofia founded SmartTravelAdvices after a frustrating Santorini trip in 2019. She has since visited 68 countries, with a particular obsession for Mediterranean beaches and Vietnamese street food.
🌍 68 countries visited
Marcus Chen Asia travel writer
Marcus Chen
Asia Editor
Born in Singapore, Marcus has lived in Thailand, Japan, and Vietnam. His guides cover Southeast and East Asia with a depth that only comes from years of living, not just visiting.
🌏 42 countries visited
Amara Diallo Africa Americas travel writer
Amara Diallo
Budget & Americas Writer
Amara has backpacked the entire Pan-American Highway on a $40/day budget. She specialises in making expensive-seeming destinations genuinely accessible for real people.
🌎 55 countries visited
Get in Touch

We'd Love to Hear from You

Whether you want to write for us, advertise, or just say hello — here's how to reach us.

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Write for SmartTravelAdvices
We're always looking for experienced travellers with strong writing skills and specific destination expertise. Send us your pitch with 2–3 previous writing samples.
write@smarttraveladvices.com
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Advertising & Partnerships
For sponsored content, brand partnerships, or advertising inquiries, please reach out to our commercial team. We work with travel brands that align with our editorial values.
ads@smarttraveladvices.com
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General Enquiries
Found an error in one of our guides? Have a question about a destination? Want to share your own travel experience? We read every email.
hello@smarttraveladvices.com
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Privacy & Legal
For data protection requests, GDPR inquiries, copyright notices, or legal matters, please contact our privacy team directly.
privacy@smarttraveladvices.com

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