Guardian Launches Travel Writing Competition

I’ve been noticing a lot of travel writing opportunities lately, so I thought I’d start sharing the ones I’ve found with you guys.

The Guardian has launched its third annual Readers’ Travel Writing Competition which is great to get yourself published and noticed, and you win a prize to go with it.

All you have to do to enter is to write a 500-word feature about your 2010 holiday.

There are eight categories:
A big adventure; City break; Action/activities; Our family holiday; Green/responsible travel; UK holiday; Hotel review; Relaxation/beach

The winners in each of the eight categories will be published in a special issue of Travel in November, along with some runners-up. Not only this but you’ll win a holiday and have the opportunity to write up as a feature to be published in the Guardian’s Travel section next year.

The website says judges are looking for ‘lively, personal stories that evoke a sense of place, reveal something new, and contain useful details, such as accommodation, attractions, restaurants and so on.’

Make sure you submit a story that hasn’t been published anywhere in print or on the web. You can only enter one story per category.

To enter email your feature to travelwritingcomp@guardian.co.uk, specifying the category you are entering and your name in the subject field. Include your address and telephone number in the email and submit before 23:59pm on the dot on 24th October 2010.

The categories – and prizes

A big adventure

An eight-day trip to Tasmania for two people, including a six-day guided adventure with Tasmanian Expeditions (tasmanianexpeditions.com.au), return economy flights from London to Australia and flights to Tasmania, transport and accommodation.

City break

A trip to Hong Kong for two people (sharing a twin/double-bedded room including breakfast) courtesy of Discover Hong Kong (discoverhongKong.com), including two return economy flights from Heathrow, five nights’ accommodation in a central hotel, airport transfers and a Hong Kong Island tour.

Action/activities

A trip to Quebec, Canada, for two people for seven days, including Quebec City and Montreal; whale watching, kayaking, cycling, hiking, zip-lining and a night in a prospector’s tent among caribou with Frontier Canada and Quebec Tourism (frontier-canada.co.uk/ bonjourquebec.co.uk); return economy flights from London to Montreal, airport transfers, room-only accommodation and car hire.

Our family holiday

A one-week holiday to Orlando, Florida for a family of four including return flights, accommodation, car hire, hang-gliding at Wallaby Ranch, a zip-line eco-safari at Forever Florida and a choice of attraction tickets to Universal Orlando Resort, Walt Disney World Resort or SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, courtesy of Orlando Tourism Bureau (visitorlando.com/uk).

Green/responsible travel

A pair of first-class InterRail passes, courtesy of Rail Europe (raileurope.co.uk), valid for up to one month throughout 29 European countries. The prize does not include accommodation, food or travel from the UK into continental Europe.

UK holiday

A guided nine-day Orkney and the Outer Hebrides Tour for two with Rabbie’s Trail Burners (rabbies.com), including B&B accommodation and air/rail transport to Edinburgh from your UK departure point.

Hotel review

A luxury two-night break at the medieval-style Peckforton Castle (peckfortoncastle.co.uk) near Tarporley in Cheshire for two people, sharing a room half-board. Dinners will be taken in the 1851 Restaurant and the 2010 Brasserie and include one bottle of house wine per evening. It includes a falconry session and a half-hour beauty treatment for each guest.

Relaxation/beach

A relaxing three-night break in Norway, staying at the Hotel Union Geiranger (hotelunion.no), in the Unesco-listed Geirangerfjord. The prize is for two people sharing a standard room on a half-board basis, including a bottle of house wine per evening, two days’ entry to the spa, one massage per person and an outdoor activity organised by Visitnorway.co.uk. Includes flights direct from Gatwick with Norwegian.com, departing on Saturday and returning on Tuesday.

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