TRAVEL INTERVIEW WITH ANIL POLAT OF FOXNOMAD

TRAVEL INTERVIEW WITH ANIL POLAT OF FOXNOMAD

Tech-savvy Anil Polat is a long-term digital nomad who’s traveled all over the globe and still going. He’s also the man behind 3 successful websites including his very popular travel blog FoXnoMad. Let’s find out about Anil’s world travels, blogging, and future plans…

1. Anil, how did you come up with the name FoXnoMad? What does it mean?

That’s a question I often have difficulty answering as I’m not quite sure myself! Aside from it being somewhat unique sounding, foxes are the only animal other than humans to inhabit all 7 continents. Cunning, clever, and highly adaptable; much like any good traveler.

2. How long have you been traveling the world nomadically?

For the past two years I’ve been blogging my way around the world. Before that I traveled frequently as a computer security consultant and as a kid I was fortunate to be born to two journalists.

3. Where have you been in that time?

It’s somewhere over 40 countries.

4. What’s the focus of your travels? (ex. my focuses are nature, outdoor adventures and cultural arts)
What do you most like to see/ do/ immerse yourself in?

It’s hard to single down but I’d say my primary motivation is to understand people and culture. One of my two university degrees is in anthropology and I worked as a professional computer hacker for years. I want to see what makes us, at the core, human.

Istanbul Turkey

5. What are your 3 favorite places and why?

Again, I don’t like to narrow things down but… Istanbul is my favorite city in the world, Boracay (Philippines) my favorite beach, and I’ll leave the third one open as long as I can. There’s still plenty of world to see.

As for why, Istanbul is an endless city with history, food, and the heartbeat of music. Turkey is my home and it’s always where my heart is. When it comes to Boracay, I’ll never forget what the night sky looked like from that beach. Seeing an arm of the Milky Way is implanted in my memory and reminds me of all the things around us that we can’t see due to development.

6. Are there any places you dislike/ hate/ never want to visit again? If so, where and why?

Yes, but I don’t like to talk bad about places. To each their own and while I don’t like everywhere, that doesn’t mean it’s a bad place. Simply it didn’t agree with me, but I’d still encourage everyone to go anywhere.

7. Have you been traveling continuously or do you ‘take breaks’ at a ‘home base’ somewhere between travels? If you have a home base, where is it and how much time do you spend there annually?

It changes but usually I have a home base that moves with me every 6 months or so. Until about 2 weeks from now it will be in Fethiye, Turkey although I do go for stretches of months where I’m constantly hopping around. Annually I spend about 4 months total in and out of one location but it’s not set in stone.

8. Excuse me Anil, but where are you from?

Despite my very common Indian name, I am Turkish.

9. How long have you been funding your world travels exclusively by your blogs?

For about the past two years.

10.  FoxNomad is one of the top travel websites, ranking #12 on Top100TravelBlogs and averaging about 10,000 visitors/ month. That’s really impressive! What are the keys to your success? How have you managed to build such a large following and rank so high? Is it your SEO, internet and website skills? Social Media prowess? Content- all the advice, tips and travel stories on FoxNomad?

I’ve been blogging for nearly 5 years now and had a travel blog relatively early on in the game. I’d say some of the keys to success are sticking with it, being accessible to my readers, and being genuine with them. Above all else, having a passion for travel and writing. Even if I didn’t make a cent writing foXnoMad, I would no doubt still be writing posts.

I’m also traveling permanently and have a background in technology so blending the two makes for something a bit different. SEO and social media are only ingredients to the recipe.

( For more extensive tips check Anil’s site: Travel Blog Advice )

11. Do you have a specific niche in the travel blog- osphere? Or are you geared to travel in general?

If anything I’d say it’s technology, although it varies. I write quite a bit about the places I visit, which eventually (and hopefully) will one day be every country on Earth.

( Check out Anil’s technology site: Tech Guide For Travel )

foxnomad- Anil in Philippines

12. Considering your extensive travels thus far, are there many places left to visit? Where else do you want to go? Any places you’re just ‘dying’ to travel to?

Oooh, there are still soooo many places! I know I’ll never see them all, not enough years in a lifetime :) Some places that I’m currently excited to see are Afghanistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan. That’s just in the immediate future though. Anywhere I haven’t been is where I want to be.

13. How long do you intend to continue traveling? Do you think you’ll ever settle down? If so, when and where?

I will continue traveling as long as I have the means to do so, through every country in the world. I hate to make definite plans as fate has a way of proving one wrong, though I’m pretty sure I’ll stop and settle somewhere. In my head, that place will be Istanbul… but you never know. There’s still a long journey ahead…

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Anil, thank you very much for sharing your travel insights and blogging success views with us. Hope to meet you out on the road one day! Happy trails! cheers, Lash

Anil has written two excellent eBooks about traveling the world. If you’d like to travel extensively, like myself or Anil, check out his books to help you get on the road too!

Overcoming the 7 Obstacles to Traveling the World -by Anil Polat

Overcoming The 7 Obstacles to Traveling the Wiorld

In Anil’s own words, “Learn how to travel the world on your terms by breaking down a big dream into manageable parts. I’ll show you the specific steps you can take to overcome the major obstacles that stand in your way. It’s not just from my personal experience as a full-time traveler either, there are stories and advice from many others who are doing what you want.”

The Ultimate Tech Guide for Travelers by Anil Polat

The Ultimate Tech Guide for Travelers

Have you been dreaming of long-term world travel but don’t know how to handle your digital needs on the road? Are you a bit tech savvy- or else ready and willing to learn? Anil Polat of FoXnoMad can teach you how with ‘The Ultimate Tech Guide for Travelers’.

In Anil’s own words, “Become a tech-savvy traveling digital ninja by learning the hacker secrets and tricks to make your gadgets versatile tools on the road. Save more that $100 within a year and get 6 months of free technical support by me to help you with any topics covered. You’ll also get 1 year of free updates learn more than you ever knew possible about your laptop.”

Follow Anil and FoXnoMad: 

http://foXnoMad.com/
http://www.facebook.com/foXnoMad.travel
http://twitter.com/foxnomad/

Travel Blog Advice 

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