The Best of Intelligent Travel

We publish new travel stories all the time on the Intelligent Travel blog, but there are a few that really got your attention this year.

In case you missed them, here are the 12 most popular blog posts of 2012:

The 10 Rules of Packing

By far our most popular post this year, Aric S. Queen, a.k.a. the Good Traveler, shares his tried and true tips for traveling light.

How to Shoot the Milky Way…On Easter Island

Ford Cochran takes Nat Geo photographer Jim Richardson‘s secret formula for taking photos of the Milky Way like a pro out for a spin.

Joshua Tree, Retrofied

National Geographic photo editor Monica Corcoran changes her mind about Hipstamatic on a tour through California’s iconic desert.

Norway’s Best-Kept Secret: Puffin Dogs

National Geographic Traveler contributing editor Edward Readicker-Henderson gives us yet another reason to love Norway.

Going Greek: Why Now Is a Good Time to Visit

Personal finance guru Odysseas Papadimitriou gives us the inside scoop on why it’s the perfect time to pay a visit to his homeland.

Oh, the Places Nat Geo Goes

When you work at National Geographic, the first question people ask you is if you get to travel. Check out our photo gallery to see where we’ve been — and what it’s taught us along the way.

Gear Tips for Tech-Savvy Travelers

Rolling Stone contributor Oscar Raymundo reveals (and reviews) gadgets that keep the modern traveler organized, on the go, and having fun.

Where Are America’s Best European Villages?

Traveler‘s resident consumer travel expert and Family Time blogger Christopher Elliott debates the pros and cons of faux European towns across the U.S.

Travel Photo Tips from the Masters

Intelligent Travel editor Leslie Trew Magraw reports back from the front lines of one of National Geographic Traveler‘s photography workshopsNational Geographic Traveler‘s photography workshops with tips from Jim Richardson and Traveler Senior Photo Editor Dan Westergren.

Painting the Painted Desert

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Search Trips

Kayla Frost paints a stunning portrait of street artist Chip Thomas (a.k.a. Jetsonorama) and the epic project he describes as his “love letter to the Navajo Nation.”

What Makes Australia’s Gold Coast Golden?

Intelligent Travel’s Urban Insider, Annie Fitzsimmons, let’s us in on why the Gold Coast is the No. 1 vacation destination for those gorgeous, gregarious Aussies.

Picture Yourself in a National Park!

When we launched our award-winning National Parks by National Geographic app last spring, we asked you to share your take on America’s Best Idea. And, boy, did you ever. Here are the results.

(Our apps team is hard at work on guides to five more of your favorite parks, so stay tuned in 2013!)

What was your favorite story on Intelligent Travel in 2012? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

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