Attention travel writers, travel writer-wanna-be’s, and travel whores—Meet HearPlanet!

Question:  Who are you going to trust more, Lonely Planet’s opinion of a particular hostel in Budapest, or your good friend, Al’s opinion? 

Welcome to 2011, when travelers no longer need to lug around a 5-pound, outdated travel guide made of tree organs, just to decide where they are going to eat, sleep or visit next.  Meet HearPlanet: your geo-audio directory of the WORLD. 

Think Yelp meets National Geographic meets Pandora—all on your phone, on your GPS system, in your ears…think of how much room in your luggage you will save (not to mention the exorbitant cost of overweight luggage on your flights!)  You are free to travel and tour, at your own pace, in your own language, solo or with friends, whatever frosts your pumpkins….no longer part of the tourist caravan, and with insights about local hotspots, restaurants, hotels, parks, etc. from locals, friends and professional tour guides and agencies alike (whatever you prefer!) And of course, you are welcome and encouraged to add your own perspective on places as well!

Imagine the planet as one mammoth museum, and HearPlanet is your audio guide to everything!  And the best part?!  Well, a la wikipedia-style, this geo-directory, from your favorite watering hole to famous landmarks to entire cities, is written by people just like you (or if you prefer an “expert” opinion, there are expert travel and tour channels such as America YouthHostels Channel and other big names in the travel industry.)

Of course the best way to really grasp this whole concept is to check it out for yourself.  HearPlanet is ALWAYS seeking more content and for travel writers, history buffs, writer-wanna-be’s, and travel whores, this is the perfect opportunity to share your knowledge and experience with the world (as well as add to your writing resume!)

Essentially, in tech-speak, HearPlanet’s platform aggregates and organizes location-based information on points of interest, including landmarks, restaurants, hotels, and recreation spots, and delivers it to people, on-the-go via their mobile devices, and this is your opportunity to be part of the audio travel guide revolution.  It is not just your “story” but literally, your “voice!”

To sample current HearPlanet material, to contribute, and all just click here.  Know that submittingcontent is user-friendly (if I can figure it out, and I am blonde-- you sure as hell can!) and recording your own voice is all part of the submission process and can be done from your laptop, and then broadcast to the world!

Questions?  Feel free to contact me at kelly@hearplanet.com, because I am the new HearPlanet “Ambassador-at-Large”