Destination stories
Real places, told by the people who went
Guides and trip reports from travelers, guest writers and creators. Every piece is read, fact-checked and proofread by an Electric Sunset Travel advisor before it’s published.
First stories coming soon
We’re reading through submissions now. If you’ve been somewhere worth writing about, we’d love to feature you.
Submit your storyGuest contributors
Write for us
We publish first-hand destination articles and video blogs from travel influencers, freelance travel writers, travel-industry insiders and people who simply love to travel — with high-quality, original photos and footage of their own trips. The kind of pieces that tell a reader what a place is really like, the best and the worst of it, and what to watch out for before they go. We are looking for individuals writing from their own experience, not businesses: companies, vendors, marketers and other travel agencies should not submit.
It’s an unpaid guest contribution and published pieces carry no links — no backlinks, affiliate links, promo codes or booking links, ever. What you get is a permanent byline with your name and a mention of your Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or blog, and a share to our audience when your piece goes live.
We hold submissions to the same standards a travel magazine would — original, human-written, fact-checked, and honestly disclosed. Read the guidelines before you send.
Before you pitch us
We do not accept unsolicited collaborations, link exchanges, sponsored placements, PR blasts, cold “partnership” emails, or any kind of spam. We are not interested in SEO backlinks, paid placements, affiliate offers, or brand “collabs.” Please do not send them — they go straight to spam and we never reply.
Selling a product or service? Please don’t email us. We do not buy from, partner with, or reply to unsolicited sales emails — software, marketing services, “we can get you more traffic,” guest-post networks, insurance, gear, anything. Every one of them is deleted unread, and repeat senders are blocked. The only inbox we watch is genuine travelers with a story to tell.
Companies, vendors, hotels, tour operators, and travel agents with another agency: this program is for individual travelers sharing their own trips. Business submissions are not accepted. Anyone who reaches out through this website is an Electric Sunset Travel client and that lead stays with us — soliciting our readers means the piece comes down and we don’t work together again.
If you are a writer or video blogger genuinely interested in contributing a guest article or video blog, the only way in is to email your rough draft as a single PDF to electricsunsettravel@gmail.com with the destination, your social accounts, and a short note about you.
- • One PDF only. No Google Docs, no Word files, no pasted text, no “just wanted to connect” emails.
- • No links in the body of the email. Put any reference links inside the PDF itself. Emails containing unexpected links or attachments other than the single PDF are deleted unopened for security.
- • Keep the PDF simple. Do not embed scripts, macros, or executable files — the draft is read as plain text and images only.
- • If there is a fit, we will reply with next steps; if not, you will not hear back.
Original, and yours alone
First-hand reporting from a place you have actually been. Not plagiarized, not rewritten from another publication, not previously posted anywhere else — including your own blog or channel.
Written or filmed by a human, not AI
We do not accept AI-generated or AI-rewritten work in any part of a submission. Every piece goes through originality and AI-detection screening before review, and anything flagged is declined.
No word limit
Write as long as the destination deserves. Most pieces land between 800 and 2,000 words, but a thorough guide can run longer. Use short paragraphs and clear subheads.
Video blogs welcome
Host the video on your own YouTube or Vimeo account (public or unlisted) so the views and subscribers stay yours, then send the link plus a written write-up. Captions or a transcript help viewers and search.
Be genuinely useful — including the bad parts
The best and the worst. What to watch out for, what to skip, what things really cost, crowds, scams, safety, accessibility, how you got around, and when you went. Specifics beat adjectives.
Accurate and checkable
Prices, hours, entry requirements and names must be right as of your visit, and dated. We fact-check anything a reader could act on and may come back to you with questions.
Your own photos and footage
Only media you shot or own the rights to. Send a link to full-resolution files. We can't publish stock or borrowed images, and we'll credit you on everything we use.
Disclose anything comped
Hosted stays, press trips, discounts, gifted gear or sponsorships must be disclosed with your submission — we publish the disclosure alongside the piece. No affiliate links, paid placements or backlink-for-hire content.
Unpaid, and no links in the piece
This is an unpaid guest contribution from travelers, not businesses. Published pieces contain no links of any kind — no backlinks, affiliate links, promo codes or booking links. You keep ownership; you grant us permission to publish and lightly edit it with your byline. Ask any time and we'll take it down.
Originality and AI: our one hard rule
Every submission is screened for plagiarism and AI-generated text before an editor reads it. If a piece is copied, spun from someone else’s work, or written or rewritten by an AI tool, we decline it and we don’t accept future submissions from that contributor. Readers plan real trips and spend real money on what they read here — it has to come from someone who was actually there.
Filming a video blog?
- Hosted on your own YouTube or Vimeo account — public or unlisted, never a file attachment or an expiring link.
- Horizontal 16:9 works best on the site; a vertical Short can run as a companion clip.
- Clear audio matters more than camera quality. Wind noise and music louder than your voice are the top reasons we send a video back.
- Captions or a pasted transcript, so the piece is accessible and searchable.
- Only music and footage you have the rights to — a copyright claim takes the whole piece down.
How review works
- 1. You submit your article or video and the social accounts you’d like credited.
- 2. We verify those accounts are genuinely yours and active, screen the work for plagiarism and AI, then read or watch it end to end and fact-check the details.
- 3. We accept, ask for changes, or decline — and we email you the decision.
- 4. If accepted, we publish it with your byline and share it across our channels.