Expat Blog Awards 2013 Top List Contest Winners
We are pleased to announced to the winners of this year's Expat Blog Awards! The standard was simply breathtaking, with such a diverse range of talented bloggers quite clearly pulling out all the stops to bring you the best they can! Without further ado, here are the Expat Blog Awards 2013 prize and award winners...
Our Top 3 Prize Winners
Wow this was difficult, so many fabulous entries to judge from. The Expats Blog Judging team found this contest particularly difficult! Here are our winners:
| Overall Winner: | Kathleen Siddell Contest Entry: The Top 8 Ideas Worth Adopting From the Chinese Our Comment: This highly readable post contains provides fascinating insights into life in China. Kathleen gives us food for thought, takes us to Shanghai's fashion scene, touches on both food and medicine and highlights some traditional superstitions, while not forgetting to include useful advice. Prize: $600 Amazon Voucher Blog Listing: Avery Adventures |
| 1st Runner Up: | Becky the Great Contest Entry: N is for Nomads Our Comment: Living up to her name of "Becky the Great", Becky's well-written contribution sheds light on a country most of us know little about. Her original A-Z list cleverly combines a huge amount of information with useful suggestions and advice for expats. Prize: $300 Amazon Voucher Blog Listing: Defying Gravity |
| 2nd runner Up: | Emily Calle Contest Entry: Top 50 Ways You Know You're an Expat Living in Vienna Our Comment: No one contemplating going to live in Austria, and particularly Vienna, should be without Emily's comprehensive guide. It is full of valuable information about the country and incredibly useful tips on how to blend in with the Austrians. Actually, it is so readable and entertaining that everyone should read it, regardless of any intention to visit the country. Prize: $100 Amazon Voucher Blog Listing: A Mommy Abroad |
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Other Prizes
We also had 4 other smaller prizes in this contest. Here they are:
| Our Fave Reader Comment: | Mrs Partly Cloudy Contest Entry: Welcome to Singapore:don't look down Reader Comment: Saw this blog in the nick of time. We leave for Singapore later today and will try to pick up parachutes on the way to the airport. Prize: $75 Amazon Voucher Blog Listing: Partly Cloudy |
| Top FB Likes: | Paul Giles Contest Entry: The Top Six Dangers You Face When Travelling to Colombia Prize: $75 Amazon Voucher Blog Listing: Colombia Travel Blog |
| Top Tweets: | 3rd Culture Children Contest Entry: Twenty Reasons for Adding Bolivia to Your Expat Visiting List Prize: $75 Amazon Voucher Blog Listing: 3rd Culture Children |
| Random Winner: | Christie Montague Contest Entry: 6 Things You Should Know About the South of France if You Want to Blend in Prize: $75 Amazon Voucher Blog Listing: You can go your own way |
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Top Country Prize
The country that had the most combined comments was Spain with a huge 504 comments. The Top Blog Award winners of Spain share equally the Top Country Prize of $1200 Amazon Vouchers! Here are the winners:
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Vicki McLeod Contest Entry: The 12 Mallorca Expat Commandments (234 comments) Prize: $400 Amazon Voucher Blog Listing: Family Matters Mallorca |
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Chelsea Alventosa Contest Entry: The Top Five Frustrations for Expats in Spain (and why we're still here!) (87 comments) Prize: $400 Amazon Voucher Blog Listing: Andalucía Bound |
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Jessica Wray Contest Entry: Top 10 Ways to Fake it That You're Spanish (81 comments) Prize: $400 Amazon Voucher Blog Listing: Curiosity Travels |
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Top Blog Awards
Here we dish out the gold, silver and bronze Expat Top Blog Awards for each country that had an entry in this year's contest. Not only do the following winners get a fantastic Expat Blog Awards 2013 badge, but they also get a featured listing. Here are the Expat Top Blog Award 2013 winners:
Albania  | |
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Zosia Brown Contest Entry: The Top Ten Reasons You Should Visit Albania (20 comments) Blog Listing: Albania or Bust |
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Argentina  | |
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Stephanie Cariker Contest Entry: 7 Reasons Rosario is Not for Tourists (24 comments) Blog Listing: Expatriates in Rosario |
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Australia  | |
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Christie Wilkin Contest Entry: Know Before You Go: Top Ten Insider Tips for Melbourne, Australia (63 comments) Blog Listing: The Plunge Down Under |
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Cristin Kelly Contest Entry: How to Be as Laid Back as an Aussie in 9 Easy Phrases (41 comments) Blog Listing: Between Roots and Wings |
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Austria  | |
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Marcellina Contest Entry: Weird Tyrol: Five Best Unusual Historic Hikes from Innsbruck (44 comments) Blog Listing: The Practice Room |
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Emily Calle Contest Entry: Top 50 Ways You Know You're an Expat Living in Vienna (31 comments) Blog Listing: A Mommy Abroad |
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Nicole Schaefer-McDaniel Contest Entry: Parents' Survival Guide for Vienna, Austria: Top 8 Reasons to be an Expat with Kids Here (11 comments) Blog Listing: Kids with Diplomatic Immunity |
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Bangladesh  | |
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Regina Landor Contest Entry: Top Ten Reasons To Get Posted To Bangladesh (6 comments) Blog Listing: WoodLand Travels |
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Belgium  | |
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Why I am Not Skinny Contest Entry: Top Tips and Suggestions for South Africans (and Other Expats) Living in Brussels (3 comments) Blog Listing: Why I am not Skinny |
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Belize  | |
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Ramblin San Contest Entry: Top Ten Considerations for Bringing a Dog into Belize (10 comments) Blog Listing: Ramblin' San |
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Bolivia  | |
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Jessica Janoski Contest Entry: Bolivia Survival Guide: Top 10 Essential Tips for Traveling Bolivia (23 comments) Blog Listing: The Bohemian Diaries |
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3rd Culture Children Contest Entry: Twenty Reasons for Adding Bolivia to Your Expat Visiting List ! (11 comments) Blog Listing: 3rd Culture Children |
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Bosnia And Herzegovina  | |
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David Bailey Contest Entry: Top 10 Crazy things about living in Bosnia and Herzegovina (12 comments) Blog Listing: An Englishman in the Balkans |
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Canada  | |
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Barbara Reidy Contest Entry: 10 Essential Facts about Living in Saskatoon/Saskatchewan (21 comments) Blog Listing: Moving to Saskatoon |
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China  | |
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Sarah Bennett Contest Entry: Top 10 English Words You Will Hear In China (& I never want to hear again) (49 comments) Blog Listing: The Further Adventures of Bennett |
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Michelle Ross Contest Entry: Hazarding Life in Chengdu (40 comments) Blog Listing: In Search of the End of the Sidewalk |
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woshoudebuhao Contest Entry: Top 9 Things to Know about Expat Life in Rural China (20 comments) Blog Listing: woshoudebuhao |
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Colombia  | |
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Paul Giles Contest Entry: The Top Six Dangers You Face When Travelling To Colombia (36 comments) Blog Listing: Colombia Travel Blog |
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Karen Attman Contest Entry: Top 10 Foodie Places in Bogota That Expats Should Visit (13 comments) Blog Listing: Flavors of Bogota |
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Costa Rica  | |
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Carole Jean Connolly-Shaw Contest Entry: Top Nine Types of Shoes for Living as an Expat in Costa Rica (108 comments) Blog Listing: Carole Jean's Costa Rica Capers |
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Kim Walters Contest Entry: Top 10 Expat Communities in Costa Rica (71 comments) Blog Listing: Wandering Walters |
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Casey Bahr Contest Entry: Is Costa Rica Really the Switzerland of Central America? (25 comments) Blog Listing: A Dull Roar |
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Croatia  | |
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Mrs. Chasing the Donkey Contest Entry: Top 10 List for Phrases You Need When Moving to Dalmatia. (62 comments) Blog Listing: Chasing the Donkey! |
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Cyprus  | |
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Betty Contest Entry: Top 10 Reasons Why Koreans + Americans + Cypriots = A World of Cultural Fusion (8 comments) Blog Listing: The Seoul of Cyprus |
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Czech Republic  | |
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BrnoChris Contest Entry: Top 5 Things I've Learned Living in Czech Republic (18 comments) Blog Listing: Christopher's Expat Adventure |
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Writergem Contest Entry: 10 Ways to be a Better You in Prague (5 comments) Blog Listing: Czechesotans |
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Djibouti  | |
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Rachel Pieh Jones Contest Entry: 10 Signs You’ve Been an Expat in Djibouti Too Long (or just long enough) (20 comments) Blog Listing: Djibouti Jones |
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Egypt  | |
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Caribbean Girl in Cairo Contest Entry: Top 5 Things I Love About Egypt (2 comments) Blog Listing: Caribbean Girl in Cairo |
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England  | |
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Jess of The Fly Away American Contest Entry: My Top Ten Most Awkward Moments as an American Expat in England (43 comments) Blog Listing: The Fly Away American |
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Meghan Fenn Contest Entry: Top 10 Differences Between Parenting in America vs. Parenting in Britain (23 comments) Blog Listing: Bringing Up Brits |
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Muriel Contest Entry: Main Differences Between French Men And British Men (17 comments) Blog Listing: 40 blog Spot |
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France  | |
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Bread is Pain Contest Entry: Top 7 "Moments in France" (95 comments) Blog Listing: Bread is Pain |
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Jenny Lovett Contest Entry: The top 5 differences between French and English estate agents (43 comments) Blog Listing: Jenny and John in Brittany |
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Joanna Munro Contest Entry: Ten Beret Good Things to Know About France and the French. (40 comments) Blog Listing: Multifarious meanderings |
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Germany  | |
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Brittany Ruth Contest Entry: 10 Tips for Expats Moving to Bavaria (40 comments) Blog Listing: The Rococo Roamer |
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Kathleen Ralf Contest Entry: The Strangest of German Customs (36 comments) Blog Listing: Lehrer Werkstatt |
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Thrifty Travel Mama Contest Entry: Just 10 of Many Reasons Freiburg (Germany) is Perfect for Traveling Families (15 comments) Blog Listing: Thrifty Travel Mama |
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Greece  | |
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Bex Contest Entry: Things you Should be Prepared for Before Coming to Greece (14 comments) Blog Listing: Leaving Cairo |
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Guatemala  | |
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Sky Lohse Contest Entry: The Top 4 Reasons Living in Guatemala is Amazing, but Terrifying (10 comments) Blog Listing: People Call Me Sky |
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Honduras  | |
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AWalk on the Run Contest Entry: Top 7 Excuses for Getting Sucked Into The Vortex (44 comments) Blog Listing: AWalk on the Run |
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Rika at Cubicle Throwdown Contest Entry: Top 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming an Expat in Honduras (15 comments) Blog Listing: Cubicle Throwdown |
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Hong Kong  | |
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Beth Williams Contest Entry: Top 10 Ways to Tell Someone was an Expat in Hong Kong (24 comments) Blog Listing: Besudesu Abroad Travel Blog |
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thisgirlabroad Contest Entry: The Top 13 Mostly True Signs You’ve Become A Local Hong Konger (9 comments) Blog Listing: This Girl Abroad |
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Stewart C McKay Contest Entry: Top 10 Near Death Experiences in Hong Kong (3 comments) Blog Listing: What I Did In Hong Kong |
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India  | |
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Mani Contest Entry: 15 Top Things To Know Before Moving To India (19 comments) Blog Listing: A New Life In India |
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Kaho Contest Entry: Top 10 Differences To Know About Expat Living in Jakarta, Indonesia & Mumbai, India (10 comments) Blog Listing: Chuzai Living |
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Rachel of Hippie in Heels Contest Entry: Top Ten Differences Between Rural Ohio and Tropical India (2 comments) Blog Listing: Hippie In Heels |
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Indonesia  | |
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Katherine Contest Entry: Glitz, Wilderness, and Dirty Hands: Indonesia's Top Three Contradictions (0 comments) Blog Listing: Katherine and Bruno's Adventures Abroad |
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Israel  | |
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Liz Contest Entry: Top 10 Ways Living in Israel is Not at all What You Think (52 comments) Blog Listing: lizrael update |
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Italy  | |
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Greg Contest Entry: 10 Signs That Confirm You've Gone "Full Italian" (64 comments) Blog Listing: Sipping Espresso |
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Sarah Dowling Contest Entry: Top 10 Most Guarded Secrets of Bologna (and Why You Should Visit Italy’s Most Underrated City) (63 comments) Blog Listing: Italy Project - bringing Italy to everyday life |
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Carrie Zimmer Contest Entry: 10 Great Things to Do in and Around Milan (38 comments) Blog Listing: five one five zero zero |
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Japan  | |
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Greg Goodmacher Contest Entry: Japans Five Most Fantastic Festive Events (3 comments) Blog Listing: Onsen (Hot Spring) Addict in Japan |
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Tony Fitzpatrick Contest Entry: Top 10 Things to Do to Experience Tokyo on a Budget (1 comments) Blog Listing: Setting Sail with the Fitzys |
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André Moreira Contest Entry: Top 10 Feelings You Will Probably Have in Japan (3 comments) Blog Listing: The Rising Sky |
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Jordan  | |
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Michelle Contest Entry: Things I Love About Amman (21 comments) Blog Listing: It's an expat life for us |
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Kazakhstan  | |
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Kenya  | |
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Bernie Jamieson Contest Entry: Stirring the Five Senses of Nairobi (28 comments) Blog Listing: Bernie's African Odyssey |
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Mama Mgeni Contest Entry: Exploring Kenya: Five Places You’ve Probably Overlooked (25 comments) Blog Listing: Mama Mgeni |
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Korea South  | |
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Sally Bucey Contest Entry: 10 Things You Can Only See and Do in Rural South Korea (14 comments) Blog Listing: A breath of foreign air |
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Maddie Lamb Contest Entry: Top Ways to Look Like A Native in Korea (2 comments) Blog Listing: Head High Heart Strong |
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Kuwait  | |
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crazyinkuwait Contest Entry: Kuwait, we have more than camels here! (8 comments) Blog Listing: Life in Kuwait |
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Malaysia  | |
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Ersatz Expat Contest Entry: Top 15 Kazakh Foods To Try (At Least Once) (8 comments) Blog Listing: Ersatz Expat |
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Kirsten Durward and Monica Tindall Contest Entry: The Top Ten Yum List Advice for Making the Most of Malaysia (169 comments) Blog Listing: The Yum List |
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Melany Zwartjes Contest Entry: From There to Here: The Top 5 Differences between Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur (33 comments) Blog Listing: Wanderlust and wonder |
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Malta  | |
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David Contest Entry: Top 10 Places to be Photographed in Malta (2 comments) Blog Listing: How to Get By in Malta |
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Mexico  | |
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Susannah Rigg Contest Entry: Top 6 Spanish Words That Make me Speak Spanglish in Mexico (78 comments) Blog Listing: Mexico Retold |
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Kim@ A Moving Story Contest Entry: 10 Must-Dos In Mexico City (73 comments) Blog Listing: A Moving Story |
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Team Fuber Contest Entry: How to Be More Like a Local When Visiting the Puerto Vallarta Area of Mexico (46 comments) Blog Listing: Team Fuber |
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Mongolia  | |
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Becky the Great Contest Entry: N is for Nomads (17 comments) Blog Listing: Defying Gravity |
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Drinking Coffee Elsewhere: Mongolia Contest Entry: From Malaysia to Mongolia: A Few Expat Tips (14 comments) Blog Listing: Drinking Coffee Elsewhere: Mongolia |
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Morocco  | |
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Eleanor Dorothy Contest Entry: Ten Confusing Things about Morocco (2 comments) Blog Listing: We'll Always have Casablanca |
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Myanmar  | |
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Chase Chisholm Contest Entry: My Top 10 First Impressions of Yangon, Myanmar (9 comments) Blog Listing: Join Chase |
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Vicky Blades Contest Entry: Top 5 Socially Responsible Businesses in Yangon (1 comments) Blog Listing: Wilson Blades |
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Nepal  | |
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Amanda Summers Contest Entry: Top 10 What to Expect From a Rural Homestay in Nepal? (22 comments) Blog Listing: Nepal On A Budget |
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Netherlands  | |
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Olga Mecking Contest Entry: Holland's Healthiest Habits: 10 Tips For a Healthier Life (43 comments) Blog Listing: The European Mama |
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Rachel Heller Contest Entry: Top Odd Sights in the North Netherlands (25 comments) Blog Listing: RACHEL'S RUMINATIONS |
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Stuart Billginhurst Contest Entry: Seven Weird Things Tourists do When Visiting Amsterdam (25 comments) Blog Listing: Invading Holland |
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New Zealand  | |
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Rhonda Albom Contest Entry: Top 10 Funny New Zealand Language Blunders - Expats Beware! (70 comments) Blog Listing: Albom Adventures |
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Abigail Simpson Contest Entry: Top 20 Things a Brit in New Zealand Misses (9 comments) Blog Listing: POMS AWAY! |
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Kristen Contest Entry: 11 Things Somebody Could Have Told Me About Living In New Zealand (5 comments) Blog Listing: The Bike Wife |
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Nicaragua  | |
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International Mel Contest Entry: Top Ten Cheap Thrills in Nicaragua (9 comments) Blog Listing: International Mel |
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Oman  | |
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Heather Duncan Contest Entry: The Home Bird's survival guide to Oman (8 comments) Blog Listing: The Duncan Adventures |
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Panama  | |
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Laura Guy Contest Entry: The Top 12 Surprises of Panama's Three-Ring Circus (42 comments) Blog Listing: Panama Guy |
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Kris Cunningham Contest Entry: The Top Ten Questions about Living in Panama (18 comments) Blog Listing: The Panama Adventure |
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Paraguay  | |
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Romy Natalia Goldberg Contest Entry: Top Guarani Words to Use in Paraguay (16 comments) Blog Listing: Discovering Paraguay |
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Philippines  | |
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Fergus JM Ducharme Contest Entry: The Aftermath of the Recent Disasters in Philippines (0 comments) Blog Listing: Historic Philippines |
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Qatar  | |
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CMT Contest Entry: Top 10 Things I Wish I’d Brought to Doha (10 comments) Blog Listing: Gypsy in the ME |
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Rachel Charlotte Contest Entry: The Top 5 Things I Miss About Living in Qatar (4 comments) Blog Listing: Funky Qatar Blog |
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Saudi Arabia  | |
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Jeddah Blog Contest Entry: Jeddah's Top Desserts - Our Pick of the Best! (53 comments) Blog Listing: Jeddah Blog |
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Lyn Birrell Contest Entry: 10 Things you Need to Know About Living in Jeddah Saudia Arabia (56 comments) Blog Listing: Living in Jeddah |
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Scotland  | |
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Mary Contest Entry: 6 Reasons Why Glasgow is a Must-See City (14 comments) Blog Listing: The Wandering Belle |
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Alison Chino Contest Entry: Top 6 Castles To Visit In Aberdeenshire (8 comments) Blog Listing: Chino House |
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V. Palmer Contest Entry: Top Five Ways to Light Up Your Life (6 comments) Blog Listing: Traveling Simile |
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Senegal  | |
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Kim Rochette Contest Entry: Top 9 Tips for Gift Giving from Senegal (1 comments) Blog Listing: Six Bougies |
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Singapore  | |
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Laura Oliverio Blinkman Contest Entry: Top 10 Things I Miss The Most From America & Their Perfect Singaporean Substitutions (107 comments) Blog Listing: BlinkmanBuzz |
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Pallavi Contest Entry: Top Ten Expat Experiences in Singapore (98 comments) Blog Listing: Diary of an Indian expat in Singapore |
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Laura Scheffner Contest Entry: Top 10 Culture Shocks When Living As Expat In Singapore (76 comments) Blog Listing: My Yummy Mummy |
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Slovakia  | |
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Robin McGuire Contest Entry: Central Europe Christmas Markets Are Open! (3 comments) Blog Listing: Robin's Great Adventure |
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South Africa  | |
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Nicole Contest Entry: Top 5 Reasons Why a South African Braai Trumps an American Barbecue (23 comments) Blog Listing: Peace, Love & Giraffes |
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Suzanne Chickenruby Contest Entry: My top 10 places to view Wildlife in South Africa (10 comments) Blog Listing: Chickenruby |
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Sweden  | |
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Claire Duffy Contest Entry: Top Ten Things You Need to Know About Sweden and the Swedesh (13 comments) Blog Listing: The Grass is Dancing |
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Switzerland  | |
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Alecia McFarlane Contest Entry: Top 10 ways to keep it real as Newlywed Expats... living in separate countries (8 comments) Blog Listing: From Green to Blue |
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Melinda, schoutens Contest Entry: 10 Reasons Why Basel is a Great Place to Call Home (6 comments) Blog Listing: More 2 Explore |
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Lindsey McLean Contest Entry: Ten Affordable* Dates in Zurich (1 comments) Blog Listing: swiss lark |
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Taiwan  | |
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Constance Contest Entry: Discovering Taiwan: My Top 5 Outdoor Travel & Adventure Guide (20 comments) Blog Listing: Foreign Sanctuary |
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Jenna Longoria Contest Entry: Top 20 Reasons I Prefer Teaching in Taiwan Over Honduras (16 comments) Blog Listing: Nomad Notions |
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Aris Contest Entry: Top 9 Cultural Differences Between Italy and Taiwan (3 comments) Blog Listing: My New Life in Asia |
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Thailand  | |
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Cordelia Rojas Contest Entry: Top 20 Signs that you’ve started to embrace your inner Thai (87 comments) Blog Listing: Multilingual Mama |
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Lani V. Cox Contest Entry: Ten Things Thailand Has Taught Me (7 comments) Blog Listing: Life, the Universe and Lani |
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Jamoroki Contest Entry: Top 7 essentials for a peaceful and harmonious expat life in Thailand (6 comments) Blog Listing: JAMOROKI |
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Ukraine  | |
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Michael and Yulia Contest Entry: The Top Ten Ways That Ukraine is More Environmentally Friendly Than the United States (9 comments) Blog Listing: MY Pichka |
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United Arab Emirates  | |
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Mimi Finerty Contest Entry: 12 tips for easy expat life in Cyprus (25 comments) Blog Listing: Love and Life in... |
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FooDiva - Samantha Wood Contest Entry: Top 12 alternative dining options to toast the festive season in Dubai (103 comments) Blog Listing: FooDiva impartial restaurant reviews |
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Samantha Dancy Contest Entry: Expat Advice on Making the Move - 5 Tips for Adjusting to Life in Dubai (52 comments) Blog Listing: Footsteps of a Wanderer |
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Rachael Harrison Contest Entry: 8 Alternative Activities in the UAE - for expats who have done it all... (41 comments) Blog Listing: Rachael Harrison |
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USA  | |
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Clare Gosling Contest Entry: Top things my 7 year old loves about living in America (27 comments) Blog Listing: Have Goslings, must travel |
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Snowflakes in California Contest Entry: Top 5 tips for European Shoppers in the US (23 comments) Blog Listing: Snowflakes in California |
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nyc-newbie Contest Entry: "Apparently we speak the same language" - 9 ways to get along in New York City (22 comments) Blog Listing: nw3 to nyc |
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Wales  | |
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Eline Jeanne Contest Entry: 5 Reasons to Become an Expat in Wales (2 comments) Blog Listing: Third Culture What? |
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