Hi There, I’m Megan!
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Hi, I’m Megan Singleton and I’ve been galavanting around the world travel writing full time since 2000 and blogging since 2006. “The word in travel” is my tagline for this blog. I have won two travel writing awards from the US Travel Association and my travel blog is listed in many Top 20 and Top 50 lists worldwide (happy dance!) I’m passionate about travel. And not just because it’s fun or it’s what you do to treat yourself, or to take a well-deserved break. But because travel opens up a whole new world to the curious traveler. And most importantly, it’s the conduit to tolerance and understanding, when we see life through other people’s eyes.
How it all began
To make a short story long, this is how it all began… At the age of 17 I waved goodbye to my family in the tiny town of Hastings on the East Coast of New Zealand and set off to see the world as an exchange student. Well to see the US, to be precise. Rockville, Maryland to be exact. Little did I know that this one year abroad would bite me and leave a travel bug for the rest of my days. Scroll down a couple of years and I embarked on a five-year stint in London aged 19. Originally intending to “seek my fortune and be a nanny” I sadly didn’t achieve either. I was fired from my nanny job after three weeks (I couldn’t keep up with the cushion plumping and shag pile vacuuming) so went temping in London on the big bucks: £4.75 per hour. It was enough to pay a modest rent and use the rest to fritter on cheap flights to Europe where accommodation may or may not be pre-arranged. But I only decided to take writing seriously in 1999 when I studied for a Diploma of Freelance Journalism at the NZIBS and then “fell” into travel writing. My first travel story was published in Next Magazine in 2000 about visiting the (hilariously weird) Tate Modern in London. (LINK)
“Less FOMO and more SLO-MO” – Megan Singleton
Ahh, but blogging, you ask. Why blog?
Well, in 2006 I was hired by a large travel agency in New Zealand as their full time blogger – before there was even social media. For three years I blogged twice a day, five days a week and then they ditched it. But don’t cry! I launched this blog you see before you, Blogger at Large, in 2009.
Now what?
If you’ve read this far, congratulations! You deserve a wine. And if you want to know where to go next, type a destination into the search bar above or begin on these blogs – my personal faves!
What NOT to do on a cruise >>>
My worst massage experience ever >>>
If you’d like to get in touch to discuss a famil or a speaking engagement, please shoot me an email to megan @ bloggeratlarge.com
Happy reading,
Megan x
40,000+
Monthly page views on the blog
Mainly women aged 35+ looking for tips on solo travel, family travel and couples escapes
75%
Aged 18-55 years
Most are in the 25-45 age group
176,000+
Radio listeners
Throughout New Zealand every Sunday morning
26 years
Creating travel content
Blog, radio, magazines, newspaper, socials
Where to start
This blog has nearly 1000 posts, so I would say start with the search bar and type in the destination you’re looking for. Or you will find a list of destinations here
You’ll also find my best travel tips here, from how to take great photos on your phone, to which cards I use when I travel, packing tips and more.
– Megan
Get To Know Me…
Early bird or night owl
beach or mountains
Extrovert or introvert
Bare foot or Shoes
Carry-On Only or Checked Bag
sunrise or sunset
Hair done or messy bun
Order in or Home Cooking
Window Seat or Aisle Seat
Fiction or Non-Fiction
Hire me!
If you’re looking for voice over, MCing, keynote speaking or training visit my speaking website and drop me a line
Hi, I’m Megan Singleton
Award-winning travel writer, blogger, broadcaster and tour host
I’ve been gallivanting around the world as a travel writer since 2000 and blogging since 2006—before Instagram, TikTok and even the phrase “content creator” existed!
Today, Blogger at Large is packed with practical travel advice, detailed itineraries, hotel recommendations, hidden gems and helpful tips gathered from years of travelling, researching and occasionally getting things spectacularly wrong.
Because those stories usually make the best blog posts.
My goal is to help you travel better: to choose the right places, avoid the common mistakes and discover experiences you might otherwise have missed.
How it all began
My love of travel began when I was 17 and waved goodbye to my family in Hastings, New Zealand, to spend a year as an exchange student in Rockville, Maryland. Looking back, this was the moment I got hooked on the feeling of not quite knowing what came next.
At 19 I moved to London for what turned into five years, working as a nanny and doing temp jobs before I got serious about journalism. I completed a Diploma of Freelance Journalism in 1999, and my first paid travel story ran in Next Magazine in 2000.
From there I ran Yahoo! New Zealand’s travel channel, growing it from the 18th most-visited travel site in the country to number one. In 2006 I was hired to blog for a New Zealand travel agency, and when that role ended in 2009, I struck out on my own and started Blogger at Large.
From traveller to travel writer
In 2006, I was hired by a major New Zealand travel company as its full-time blogger. Blogging was so new that there was barely any social media to share the posts on, but I wrote twice a day, five days a week, for three years.
When that job ended, I launched Blogger at Large in 2009—and I’ve been writing here ever since.
Travel advice from someone who has actually been there
Blogger at Large now contains more than 900 travel articles, covering everything from weekend itineraries and fabulous rooftop bars to cruises, road trips, family holidays and the occasional cautionary tale.
My travel guides are written from personal experience wherever possible. I return to destinations regularly, particularly the United States, to update my recommendations and uncover new places worth sharing.
I’m especially fond of:
- Clever itineraries that make the most of your time
- Beautiful hotels in brilliant locations
- Rooftop bars with a view
- Road trips and scenic drives
- Cruises and hosted tours
- Hidden gems that aren’t on every other list
- Honest advice about what is—and isn’t—worth your money
I believe travel should involve less FOMO and more SLO-MO. You don’t have to see everything. You just need to have a wonderful time seeing the things that matter to you.
You may have heard me on the radio
I’m the Sunday travel correspondent on Newstalk ZB, where I share travel news, destination ideas and tips with listeners across New Zealand.
I’ve also appeared as a travel commentator on TVNZ’s Breakfast and Seven Sharp, as well as TV3’s The Project.
My work has earned two travel-writing awards from the US Travel Association, and Blogger at Large has been included in numerous lists of the world’s leading travel blogs.
Come travelling with me
These days, I don’t just write about travel—I also host small-group tours for my readers.
My Blogger at Large Tours are designed for people who want to see incredible places without having to organise every hotel, transfer, dinner and daily detail themselves. They’re friendly, fun and filled with the kinds of experiences I would choose for my own holiday.
Many guests come on their own, but nobody stays a stranger for long.
My “why”
Travel is fun, of course, but I believe it is also one of the best ways to understand the world.
When we experience another culture, meet people whose lives are different from ours and see a destination through their eyes, our own world becomes a little bigger. Travel creates connections, encourages curiosity and reminds us that we have far more in common than we sometimes realise.
If my stories help you feel more confident about taking that trip, choosing that hotel or venturing somewhere new, then that makes me happy.
A few more things about me
I’m also a public speaker, voice-over artist and the author of 20 Seconds to Fearless, a practical and personal book about finding courage and becoming a more confident speaker.
But one of my proudest achievements has nothing to do with travel: I co-founded Random Acts of Kindness Day in New Zealand in 2005. It is now celebrated around the country every year on 1 September.
When I’m not travelling, writing or hosting tours, you’ll usually find me planning the next adventure—with an unnecessarily large number of browser tabs open.
Where would you like to go?
Search for your next destination, browse my latest travel guides or join my newsletter for fresh ideas, practical tips and a little travel inspiration delivered to your inbox.
Happy travels,
Megan x
All the veggies
Healthy Treats
Shopping trips
