Decolonize Your Instagram with 13 Amazing Black Female Travel Bloggers
One of many recommendations for taking on the work of anti-racism is to decolonize your bookshelf. This practice is meant to ensure you are listening to black voices and educating yourself on race in America. If you’re a travel lover, you should also be decolonizing your Instagram feed. Far too often, the image of a typical travel influencer is a thin blonde girl in her 20s, but we live in a diverse world full of many perspectives and experiences. Whether you are a woman of color looking for better representation or a white woman ready to listen to more diverse voices, pull out your phone and follow these 13 amazing black female travel bloggers right now.
Jewels of Travel Jewels
traveljewels.net || @_traveljewels_
Jewels has one of the first blogs I check when I’m looking for safe neighborhoods for solo female travelers. Her blog is packed with awesome itineraries including more offbeat destinations. She is also a huge advocate for wellness and self-care, frequently filling her blog with tips for staying healthy while traveling.
Who Should Follow Her:
solo female travelers straying off the beaten path
Great Post to Start With:
A Traveler’s Guide to Self Care Before, During & After a Trip
Gloria of The Blog Abroad
theblogabroad.com || @glographics
Glo has more hustle than probably every other travel blogger combined. She always keeps it real with the perfect balance of extending grace and never suffering any fools. She frequently writes about her experiences dealing with racism in other countries and confronts problems in the travel industry head on. If you’re not already reading it, her blog will expand your mind and inspire your spirit more than anything else out there.
Who Should Follow Her:
absolutely everybody
Great Post to Start With:
Eulanda & Omo of Hey Dip Your Toes In
heydipyourtoesin.com || @dipyourtoesin
HDYTI is full of couple goals covering every type of destination from igloos to beaches. Eulanda and Omo love culture and cuisine and I always head to their blog when I want to soak up some livin’ the good life vibes. I especially love their wine tasting posts because they cover unique regions — they even talk about English wine!
Who Should Follow Them:
couples planning a romantic trip
Great Post to Start With:
Visit La Rioja and Explore Bodegas, Pinchos and Heritage in Northern Spain
Gabby of Packs Light
packslight.com || @packslight
Gabby is the absolute queen of finding epic travel opportunities. She’s been traveling since she was 17 and uses her experience racking up incredible scholarships in college to help young adults find their own once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. She also has tons of advice for scoring luxurious travel experiences on a tight budget and highlights lots of black-owned businesses to support in your destination.
Who Should Follow Her:
Gen Z kids who want to shoot for the stars
Great Post to Start With:
30+ Black-Owned Restaurants in San Diego to Patron for the Culture
Nathalie of InterNATional Caty
internationalcaty.com || @internationalcaty
Nathalie is a travel concierge who believes in experiences without the hassle. Her blog is a travelogue of her own adventures, but her real strength is working with travelers one on one to help them enjoy their own adventures.
Who Should Follow Her:
folks looking for someone to do the legwork of travel planning
Great Post to Start With:
Francesca of One Girl One World
onegirl-oneworld.com || @onegrloneworld
Francesca fearlessly goes after what she wants and drinks up the world around her, whether it’s on a fun city break or a tropical paradise escape. Her blog’s got a little bit of everything but it’s all infused with eager curiosity for local cultures and joyous celebration of being somewhere new. She has also been using her platform for a long time to fight racism in the travel industry and provide natural beauty and self-care advice to black women.
Who Should Follow Her:
groups looking for extra culture on their girls’ getaway
Great Post to Start With:
Annette of From Annette With Love
fromannette.com || @fromannettewithlove
Annette’s blog is dedicated not just to travel but to plus-size fashion and I always appreciate her empowering posts on body positivity. Following Annette has without a doubt made me a more understanding person and a better ally.
Who Should Follow Her:
advocates for body positivity
Great Post to Start With:
Somto of Somto Seeks
somtoseeks.com || @somtoseeks
Somto is all about the joy and freedom of location independence. Most of the destinations she covers are in the Mediterranean, but she also talks about essential resources for travel and how to travel more by becoming your own boss.
Who Should Follow Her:
digital nomad wannabes
Great Post to Start With:
Oneika of Oneika the Traveller
oneikathetraveller.com || @oneikatraveller
For a lot of people, Oneika is the OG black female travel blogger. She has been an active journalist and media personality for years and even hosts shows on the Travel Channel. With over 100 countries under her belt, her blog seriously has everything you could be looking for but my favorite posts of hers are the ones where she focuses on her inner thrill seeker with bungee jumps and volcano hikes.
Who Should Follow Her:
adventure junkies
Great Post to Start With:
Delahaye of Hues of Delahaye
huesofdelahaye.com || @huesofdelahaye
As she says in her bio, Delahaye serves up smart solo travel advice with “a dollop of sarcastic Jamaican humor.” This is one of my top go-to places for things to do in London and the blog’s also full of advice for travel when you work a 9-to-5.
Who Should Follow Her:
busy gals who want to travel without leaving their full-time jobs
Great Post to Start With:
Nadeen of The Sophisticated Life
thesophisticatedlife.com || @thesophislife
Nadeen’s award-winning blog is chock-full of affordable luxury and bucket list experiences. She is a pediatrician and frequently speaks on medical travel – she even recently appeared on CNN to discuss the coronavirus pandemic – but she also has massive sections of her blog devoted to fabulous culinary travels.
Who Should Follow Her:
foodies and wine lovers
Great Post to Start With:
45+ Black-Owned Wineries & Businesses You Should Follow and Support
Julianna of The Discoveries Of
thediscoveriesof.com || @thediscoveriesof
Julianna is another go-to blogger for London tips and tricks. She says her blog is for “smart cookies who want to do cool things in awesome places.” I love her straightforward style and I can always count on her blog for a great pub recommendation.
Who Should Follow Her:
anyone visiting London
Great Post to Start With:
The Dilettante’s Guide to Where to Drink in London Right Now
Kareemah of Hijabi Globetrotter
hijabiglobetrotter.com || @hijabiglobetrotter
Kareemah is devoted to seeing the world from different perspectives and sharing underrepresented stories. She offers loads of resources for Muslim travelers and is so honest and true to herself on her blog — it’s a wonderful place to listen, connect, learn and get out of your comfort zone.
Who Should Follow Her:
travelers ready to challenge their assumptions
Great Post to Start With:
There are many more black female travel bloggers online, each with their own specialties and their own unique experiences. For white travelers, it is critical for us to remember that there is no one monolithic black experience, and the only way we can hope to become better, more understanding travelers, friends and people is to listen to lots of diverse voices.
Feel free to recommend new blogs for me to follow in the comments!
