Media contacts:
Margaret Hagstrom
Travcoa
(800) 992-2005 x218
margareth@travcoa.com

Heather Wyatt
National Geographic Traveler
(917) 952-8679
ngtraveler@hwyattpr.com

Meghan Aftosmis
Bernholz & Graham
(212) 404-1301
meghana@bernholzandgraham.com

July 9, 2008

Next Great Travel Writer blogs from Mongolia

WASHINGTON, D.C. and NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - University of Nevada, Reno student Suzanne Roberts wrote a 300-word essay about India to win the Next Great Travel Writer Contest, co-sponsored by luxury travel operator Travcoa and National Geographic Traveler magazine. This week, she'll show off her writing skills in her first travel blog from Mongolia.

Roberts and National Geographic Traveler magazine Editor-in-Chief Keith Bellows will co-write a blog about their experiences on Travcoa's "Mongolia & the Gobi Desert" Escorted Journey this week. A doctoral student of literature and the environment, Roberts is learning travel writing under Bellows' wing.

Scheduled to go live this week, the blog will appear on National Geographic Traveler's Intelligent Travel blog (http://www.intelligenttravelblog.com), Travcoa's website (http://www.travcoa.com) and the Next Great Travel Writer Contest website (http://www.travelwritercontest.com/blog/). Blog posts may be erratic depending on Internet access.

The Next Great Travel Writer Contest is a partnership between Travcoa and National Geographic Traveler magazine. For more information, go to http://www.travelwritercontest.com.

About Travcoa
Travcoa has been leading explorations of the world's most exotic destinations since 1954, and offers three types of experiences in more than 90 countries around the globe: "Escorted Journeys" with regular departures guided by professional Travel Directors; "Custom Journeys" for independent-minded with personalized itineraries; and "Private Jet Expeditions," offering around-the-world voyages aboard a deluxe private jet. Travcoa offers guests personalized attention, exclusive access, guaranteed departures and all-inclusive luxury. For more information, visit http://www.travcoa.com or call (800) 992-2005.

About National Geographic Traveler magazine
National Geographic Traveler is the world's most widely read travel magazine with more than seven million readers. Published eight times a year, Traveler is available by subscription (800-NGS-LINE) and on newsstands in the United States ($4.95) and Canada ($6.95). Its Web site is at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler. With the theme of "All Travel, All the Time," National Geographic Traveler's articles offer a strong sense of place, narratives that inspire readers to travel and solid service information to help them plan those trips wisely and well.