There was once a time not so long ago when the only way to document our travels was taking a quick shot with a disposable camera. To take a new photo required manually advancing the film, and you had to wait until the end of your holiday to see if they even turned out. Back then, sharing photographs meant sitting on the couch watching a slide show, or a physical album in hand.

Of course, these were the days long before there were travel bloggers on Instagram. Nowadays, travelers are instantly uploading digital postcards from all across the globe.

The most prolific travel bloggers on Instagram attract thousands, sometimes even millions of followers addicted to living vicariously through their adventures. Some accounts are like visual guidebooks, while others feature sweeping panoramas that will inspire you to pack your bags.

There are plenty of fantastic travel brand accounts on Instagram, from the likes of GoPro, Lonely Planet, and National Geographic. But for this list, we’re highlighting the best independent travel bloggers on Instagram you should be following. These are the people who travel to exotic places and take you along on the journey, ultimately make you feel like booking a flight of your own!

@DanielKordan

Daniel Kordan’s stunning photography will make your jaw drop to the floor. He shoots breathtaking landscapes from Norway to Russia, and regularly features destinations such as Japan, New Zealand, and Iceland. He grew up in a beautiful lake region south of Moscow, where he often explored wild nature. You can definitely sense this influence in his Instagram feed.

@Breathdreamgo

Mariellen Ward believes in the kind of transformative travel that changes you on a deep personal level. Her feed offers inspiration, insight, and advice for people who want to experience authentic, adventurous, and meaningful travel. She is a well-known expert on travel in India, and this is often the focus of her uploads.

@Everysteph

Stephanie Guglielmi believes in responsible travel that is both glamorous and green. Because who ever said that being a conscious traveler meant cargo pants and khakis? Her Instagram feed is full of hats, lipstick, and sustainable travel, featuring locations like Sarajevo and the Philippines. She actively promotes being aware of your impact on the world, and what that means.

@MySlowJourney

Karen Mancama is a consultant for sustainable development in tourism. It’s clear through her Instagram feed that she practices what she preaches. Her feed is chock full of stunning photographs of her home base, South Africa.

@Travelforwildlife

Zoologist Cristina Garcia and her wildlife photographer husband Hal Brindley have a passion for wildlife. Their goal is to promote conservation through responsible wildlife tourism. Their feed sends the message that you can travel responsibly and still; have amazing experiences in the wild. In fact, it looks like the wonderful memories they make are more authentic and last longer!

@Wakingupwild

Wildlife photographer Mike Jerrard has dedicated his feed to ecotourism, nature, and outdoor adventure. His focus is striking closeups of wildlife and sweeping panoramas, which aim to promote an interest in the most wild and natural places on earth. Although he’s one of the newer travel bloggers on Instagram, his account proves that the planet still offers many places of rugged, untamed wilderness, despite our ever-increasing modernization and domestication of it.

@Green_Global_Travel

Green Global Travel inspires people to help the world via responsible ecotourism, nature/wildlife conservation, and cultural preservation. They believe that ecotourism is the future of travel, and their mission is to share their deep love for outdoor adventures and inspire people to travel and live more sustainably. Through their Instagram feed they encourage everyone to do their part to make the world a better place and preserve the stunning landscapes and wildlife they feature.

@Tammyonthemove

Humanitarians and serial expats who have been on the move since 2011, Tammy and Chris are development workers who feature the reality of their life in countries like Cambodia, Bolivia, Peru, and Ghana. Their IG feed captures the day-to-day life of international volunteers, with photos that offer an insider’s perspective on how volunteering directly affects cultures and communities.

@ExpertVagabond

One of the most popular travel bloggers on Instagram, Matthew Karsten is an adventure travel enthusiast who features epic landscapes and photography in his feed. From hiking through the windswept deserts of Greenland to seeing the Northern Lights in the Arctic, it seems like there’s nothing he hasn’t done and nowhere he hasn’t been.

@Travelfreak_

Jeremy Scott Foster is a hip traveler and photographer who believes in making the most out of every opportunity and living life on your own terms. His Instagram feed is full of incredible photography from all around the world, with a focus on being a well-rounded adventurer.

@GettingStamped

Hannah and Adam are travel photographers and writers who are focused on “droning around the world.” Their specialty has become incredible drone footage and photography, and they share their exceptional video narratives from the cultural events and landscapes they explore.

@ChrisBurkard

One of the most famous landscape and adventure photographers in the world, Chris Burkard’s Instagram feed will have you packing your bags for a last-minute flight. He often features outdoor adventure in stunning destinations, and promotes the beauty of being in the great outdoors.

@Youngadventuress

Liz Carlson is a storyteller and adventuress who has a passion for nature and the outdoors. An American expat currently based in New Zealand, the majority of her Instagram feed is made up of scenic postcard-worthy shots as she flies, swims, and hikes.

@NomadisBeautiful

Digital Nomads from Slovakia, Ivana and Gianni feature destinations where you can “replenish your spirit, take good care of your body, and eat and drink decent, healthy local food and beverages.” Their Instagram feed is colorful, promoting cultural immersion and the importance of responsible travel. These digital nomads are currently making their way through Southeast Asia, so most of their recent photographs are from this region.

@Mappingmegan

Meg Jerrard is an all-round adventurer whose account indicates that she thrives on adrenaline and natural landscapes. Her IG feed is a colorful representation of her travels. Being married to a wildlife photographer, she also has a number of closeups of exotic animals thrown into the mix.

@Sweetdistance

Tamara and Alex are a Danish girl and an American boy traveling the world together like locals. They have created an Instagram feed which captures everything from the tranquil life of rural villages to the hustle and bustle of city traffic jams. Their feed is refreshingly authentic, offering a glimpse into their slow travels. Follow them for smiling local faces, ancient temples, bustling food markets, and dusty roads.

@Jessieonajourney

Jessie is a girl with a passion for slow travel, and she prides herself on traveling beyond what the guidebooks have to offer. Her IG feed features natural landscapes and provides detailed descriptions, offering tips and advice on how you can have the same experience.

@theplanetd

Ranking among the most respected travel bloggers on Instagram, Deb Corbeil and Dave Bouskill are a traveling couple who live by the motto “adventure is for everyone.” Their vibrant, colorful feed features 8+ years of incredible travel photography, bringing their globe-trotting adventures to life. It’s no wonder they have over 180,000 followers!

@Everythingeverywhere

Gary Arndt is an award-winning travel photographer currently on a mission to visit every UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world. His Instagram feed will take you on a virtual tour through the 120 countries he has visited to date.  His images are incredible: From looking at his feed, you would never guess that he is entirely self-taught.

@Tysontravel

Model Tyson Marr is not only ridiculously good looking, but he’s also the Global Charity Ambassador for RainCatcher. As such, he’s committed to carrying and installing water filters while he travels, and using his Instagram feed to raise funds and awareness of humanitarian issues every chance he gets. “The Naked Traveler” is his philosophy, based on an approach that’s all about freeing yourself from material possessions and experiencing what’s truly important in life. This attitude shines through brilliantly via his Instagram feed. -Megan Jerrard 

BIO: Megan Jerrard is an Australian Journalist, and the founder and Senior Editor of Mapping Megan, an award-winning travel blog bringing you the latest in adventure travel from all over the globe. With a mission to inspire others to embark on their own adventure, Megan and husband Mike believe that travel has the potential to inspire change in people, and in turn inspire change in the world.