Our judges have worked tirelessly to capture the very essence of informative travel. One of the main reasons why we travel - and one of the first symptoms of wanderlust - is the fascination we feel towards far-off lands. The panel studied a shortlist of over four hundred blogs and eventually came up with these gems for the Informative Travel category of the Tripbase Awards.

We understand that not everybody just wants to sleep on a beach and go swimming when they go on holiday, so this category celebrates the types of holiday where the objective is to learn as much about the destination as possible. Places where the history and the culture are there for the traveler to absorb, without the niceties and the cocktails of a traditional holiday resort. We've had to whittle the number down to just these last entrants which represent the most interesting and the most informative holidays that the world has to offer.

We've established the leading commentators and the best resources for you to use before you take a holiday with a difference. We've found that although there are the usual suspects in terms of destination - Greece, Rome, South America, the Middle East, Africa, Russia and Scandinavia - how much you learn actually depends on how you travel and where you visit.

As such, these blogs detail how you can get the most out of your travelling experience without forking out for a private guide. Even if you have your family with you, these blogs have won awards because they can show you around the world.