These Travel Influencers Will Give You Serious Wanderlust — See Some of the Best Accounts to Follow!

Jack Morris

Jack Morris, the man behind Do You Travel, admits he and Lauren Bullen, his girlfriend of three years, are living the dream (in Bali!) because of their jobs as influencers. Morris, 28, realized he needed a change seven years ago while working a “boring” 9 to 5 job in England.

“I was so fed up and knew I had to mix it up when the highlight of my week consisted of getting drunk in the same local bars every Saturday night,” he said. On a whim, Morris booked a one-way ticket to Thailand, where he backpacked around. He started running low on cash but was able to continue his travels when he began to earn enough from Instagram to just break even. Today, Morris uses word of mouth, Instagram and research on Pinterest to find new destinations to hit. He’s already visited more than 50 countries and with Bullen and makes an income in the six figures.

“I only promote or post about things I truly like or believe in, which is very important to me,” he’s said of his approach to working with brands. As for his advice to other aspiring influencers, Morris credits “passion, originality, perseverance” as the three keys to success.

Lauren Bullen

Like her boyfriend, Jack, Lauren Bullen has carved out a dedicated following of travel enthusiasts who love the Australian’s shots that show off both her travels to exotic locations and casual boho style. Bullen was first bit by the wanderlust bug when she went on a big trip to Europe with her family as a teen. A few years later, she discovered Instagram through her sister and slowly learned the ropes of becoming an influencer.

“I turned Instagram into a full-time job by having a small following and being able to create something unique that brands began to pick up on and pay me to visit locations or promote brands,” she has explained. Though Bullen, 26, had to teach herself the basics of photography and carve out her own social media career path, she’s clearly been able to thrive since those early days, thanks, she has said, to her ability to “be authentic.”

The Bucket List Family

In 2015, Garrett and Jessica Gee were at a crossroads in their lives after he sold an iPhone app he created to Snapchat for $54 million. Devoted to living frugally despite their massive new wealth, the couple decided not to sit back on their laurels and instead got rid of their possessions and took their “average” family — including daughter Dorothy, 6, and sons Manilla, 4, and Callihan, almost 1 — on an around-the-world adventure.

They faithfully chronicled their jaunts on Instagram and YouTube. “I wrote in my journal at the time that I didn’t want to get lazy or have a retired mindset, and so The Bucket List Family was my way of saying let’s start over as if we are starting back at zero, to stay young and frugal and work our way back up to the top,” Garrett, 29, has said.

After four years on the road living like locals wherever they traveled, he and Jessica, 33, recently made the decision to settle down in Hawaii. Despite now owning a permanent residence, they still chronicle their new life in the Pacific, summer vacations abroad and other family trips. “We’re grateful every day that we took that chance and were brave,” Jessica has said.

Tara Milk Tea

Australian influencer Tara Whiteman documents her charmed travel life that’s filled with fascinating people, places and food on Tara Milk Tea. Often her gorgeous picture-perfect shots appear to be grouped by color, creating an even more eye-appealing Instagram feed.

“I love vibrant imagery, so I don’t have a particular style or theme,” Whiteman, 25, has said, explaining, “When I’ve been in New Zealand, you’ll see my images become more green and blue, and I like how that flows at a particular time.” Also flowing? Money, and lots of it. Whiteman has worked with Canon, Qantas, Tiffany & Co. and other major brands over the years, earning around $10,000 a post. “Being able to turn photography from a hobby into my job has always been a dream,” she has said. And, Whiteman added, she has no intentions to ever stop traveling. “The world is incredible and I’m always excited to see new places. It’s endless and I’m still not over it.”

The Blonde Abroad

Climbing the ladder in a corporate wealth management firm left Kiersten “Kiki” Rich feeling cold, so in 2011 she took a hiatus and embarked on what she has recalled was a “summer of soul searching.” After the California native spent several months knocking around Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Bali, she never looked back. Chronicling her adventures as The Blonde Abroad, 30-year-old Rich put in a lot of hours to support her budding passion.

“I worked my butt off, learned from the criticisms as well as the compliments and was open to evolving my brand to better connect with my audience,” she has said. Rich now makes a living through affiliate programs, social media marketing, custom branding and educational retreats and tours, among other ventures. However, it’s not all work and no play for the adventure enthusiast. She has noted, “I still travel to destinations to visit friends, or just for the sake of wanderlust.”

The Planet D

Instead of just ticking off a list of sights to see, husband and wife team Dave Bouskill and Deb Corbeil are known for spending time in the countries they visit because of their emphasis on getting to know each of their destinations more intimately, including through in-depth interactions with locals. Over the past decade, they have steadily risen through the ranks of popular bloggers. According to the couple, they’ve been to all seven continents and well over 100 countries — trips they’ve chronicled for followers of their website and social media channels.

“We aren’t special, we aren’t independently wealthy and we aren’t superhuman. We are just two regular people who believe that everyone has the potential to live their dreams,” the pair have noted of such journeys as a car trip from England to Mongolia; kayaking, hiking and camping in Antarctica; scaling Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro and other exciting excursions. Along the way, the two have partnered with more than 100 brands, such as American Express and the airline Cathay Pacific. They also make money through tourism campaigns, partnerships, ad networks and affiliate links.

Jay Alvarrez

Whether he’s pictured piling a Medusa-like nest of live green serpents on his head in Florida or firing a shoulder-mounted bazooka in Ukraine, free spirit Jay Alvarrez calls himself “just a crazy boy making art and memories” — and his Instagram shots reflect it.

“I just post what my mind feels. It’s based on my feelings,” he has explained of going against the grain and not planning out his posts too carefully. The 23-year-old Hawaii-raised surfer and model, however, isn’t just another pretty travel face. Among other efforts, he’s wisely parlayed his passion for adventure into multiple lucrative businesses, including creating a line of necklaces as well as a production company that has allowed him to work on everything from music projects to gigs with partners such as Express, which sponsored a popular Instagram video tour along the Italian coast. And he once reportedly inked a deal to promote animated films for Universal Pictures on his social network for a quick $150,000.

Louis Cole

Making a difference and inspiring social change in the world is one of the biggest reasons Louis Cole has been travel vlogging on YouTube as FunForLouis for the past six years.

“I want to promote a message about being socially conscious about the world around us, how we treat people, animals, the planet — these are messages I like to explore,” Cole, who makes $10K per sponsored post, has said. Whether it’s sharing a jaunt to steamy Cartagena, Colombia, or a winter excursion to the French Alps with his 2 million and counting YouTube subscribers, the English-born trailblazer, 36, is working toward his admirable goals — and he’s having a lot of fun in the process. “Live the adventure has always been a life motto for me — a reminder to keep growing, challenging myself and pursuing adventure,” he has said.