Can you picture yourself snorkeling in the Sulu Sea or having a jungle encounter with orangutans?

I can, and it’s worrying. My next trip is to Malaysia, the Philippines, and Borneo. All those headhunters, strangling vines, and hairy primates—and who knows what horrors lurk in the ocean?

I’m joking—I can’t wait. But not every writer wants to leave home every month. Or live out of a suitcase. With young children, my globetrotting jaunts would be impossible. Thing is, you don’t need to visit faraway places to write travel stories. Panama…Paris…Pasadena. Your home is a travel destination to somebody.

With an Internet connection, freelancers can live almost anywhere. For retirees looking for a new interest that pays, travel writing is the perfect match. And it could easily turn into a full- or part-time career.

Where not to live
In the current financial turmoil, the trend is affordability. For example, there’s little appetite for stories on Switzerland. It’s too pricey for most American vacationers. Unless you can provide a sheaf of money-saving articles proving them wrong, best forget that fantasy of an alpine hideaway.

Leaving aside Soldier of Fortune magazine, editors rarely encourage readers to visit dangerous places. I can’t imagine you’d want to relocate there, but when did you last read a travel story on Zimbabwe, Iraq, or Somalia?

Writing about places you know—or get to know—is the best way to break into the business. Your town and its surrounding region is undoubtedly a story goldmine. Many freelancers are “local” writers. So are some of my International Living colleagues: Jessica in Panama; Suzan, Dan, and Glynna in Mexico; Lee in Uruguay.

They’re now destination experts. Learn the tricks of the trade and you could be one, too. Writers often sell their expertise to Stateside editors, but most places with large expat populations have English-language publications.

Local writers have a huge advantage: insider knowledge. They’re ideally positioned to tell visitors where to go and what to do when they arrive. You possess that same insider knowledge. Think about it. You probably already know your hometown’s best steakhouse, or the bar serving killer mojitos.

Even if you’ve never tried travel writing before, you’re better informed than go-anywhere vagabonds like me. Maybe you know of a beautiful beach, lake, or hiking trail that visitors rarely discover. Or a thrift store with designer labels at knockdown prices…some talented craftspeople…or an offbeat tour or quirky museum.

So why not write about these local nuggets? You could also combine your own interests with writing about those activities—diving, skiing, golf….. Anyone for a free round of golf or some spa pampering? Once you’re a published writer, don’t be surprised when local businesses offer you the red-carpet treatment.

Write for the world
Travel editors in the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand want “insider” stories, too. And although it’s difficult selling articles about hideous travel experiences to U.S. editors, the Brits and their colonial cousins adore them. My all-time favorite was in the New Zealand Herald. The headline was “Turkey: Bad toilets, crappy country.”

Raunchy often goes down well, too. Even the venerable U.K. Times runs a “Confessions of a Tourist” series. Stories generally involve a steamy encounter between the writer and a local.

Overseas publications sometimes actively seek expats to cover certain topics. The writers’ guidelines for Artasia Press state: “Often we have a list of food stories for which we are looking for writers.”

Their English-language publications primarily cover Thailand, but also feature the wider Southeast Asia region. I’m no food critic, but travel writing includes restaurant reviews. Getting paid to eat sounds like an enticing gig to me.

Your stories could fit all kinds of magazines, not only ones with “travel” in the title. Asia Pacific Tropical Homes isn’t an obvious choice, but its regular “Lifestyle Location” segment features a community in the region. There’s also a “Greatest Escapes” (places to stay) section. This magazine pays $250 to $400 for stories. If you live in Asia, that kind of money buys a lot of lifestyle.

Anyone can become a travel writer
If I can, you can too. When I started, I had no contacts, no fancy equipment, no journalistic training whatsoever. I’ll happily confess that some of my early stories were amateurish. Yet they got published in the U.S., the U.K., Ireland, even Australia—and I got paid. I think the main reason was because editors love “insider” stories. It’s like having a local show them around personally.

My initial beat was my adopted home: Ireland. I wrote about oyster festivals, horse fairs, working weekends on organic farms. Summer study courses. Dublin, Galway, Belfast. Irish music pubs. A day out with my local gun club. Walking in Clare, tweed-makers in Donegal, dancing with ancient farmers at Lisdoonvarna’s “matchmaking” festival….

Travel, yes, but also interviews, real estate articles, and general interest features. I did anything for a check—including venturing into Ireland’s last working coal mine.

Back then, I didn’t know about press trips and free “hospitality.” Even so, getting those stories only cost gas for the car. Almost everything I wrote about was within a day-trip distance of home.

Moving overseas has distinct advantages. But for a travel writer, where? If your notion of paradise involves tropical beaches and scuba diving, then Poland is obviously a rotten choice. Much depends on your interests, personal circumstances, and how much writing you intend to do.

The shortcut to success
I learned the hard way: by trial and error. To shave years off your learning curve, I recommend you get a hold of the Ultimate Travel Writer’s Program from our friends at AWAI. It’s authored by Jen Stevens, my former editor at International Living. If you order today, AWAI are offering free domestic shipping to all IL readers. See: www.thetravelwriterslife.com/il/marchissue.

Selling a couple of $200 articles each month won’t deliver a Champagne lifestyle in Western Europe. If writing is your only income, you’ll need to be much more prolific. But in most of Latin America and Asia, even $400 stretches a long way.

Breaking into $1-plus-per-word markets won’t happen overnight. So a pension or other regular income obviously provides a cushion while you learn the craft and get established. Of course, writing isn’t only for retirees. It’s for adventure-seekers of any age. I haven’t had what my father calls “a proper job” since 1988.

Admittedly, travel writing is more about the lifestyle than about getting wealthy. But as I have a fairly comfortable life in Ireland, a competent writer could live like royalty in a country with lower living costs.

Option 1: The U.S./Canada
Maybe you don’t intend to move overseas just yet. Well, that’s no excuse. Wherever you’re based, there’s no bigger market in which to sell your stories than North America.

Note that magazines such as Travel & Leisure rarely buy full-length features from newcomers. The best way to crack big-name publications is with shorter snippets. (Study the kind of “Postcard”-size pieces on International Living’s website: www.internationalliving.com.)

But other opportunities are plentiful. Every state in North America has regional publications. Many need freelance articles. For example, Hawaii Magazine uses freelancers for stories on travel, history, culture, music, food, and the environment. Payment is $600 to $1,200. Shorter items pay $50 to $600.

You’ll also find outlets in magazines not normally associated with travel: Forbes, Christian Science Monitor, Retired Military Officer, etc. Hundreds of niche magazines buy travel stories. If you live in Texas, take a look at Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine, which seeks articles on state parks.

FamilyFun (paying $1.25 per word) needs articles about U.S. family travel. So if the great outdoors horrifies you, grab the grandkids and take them somewhere like Fort Worth Stockyards. Steam trains, Texas cowboys—and lots of other kiddie attractions.

Or try your local newspaper. I know a guy from Louisiana who got paid by his local paper for a story on where to snag big catfish. He’d never written anything before, but within two weeks of attending one of AWAI’s (www.thetravelwriterslife.com/denver/ildiscount) travel writing workshops, he’d been published.

Option 2: Paris
If European cities appeal, Paris has to top the list. Yes, it’s been written about a zillion times, but people never tire of visiting—or reading about—the City of Lights. Most visitors dream of finding the hidden, non-touristy Paris. Sure, they’ll visit the Louvre, but they also want to discover places not listed in guidebooks.

The Houston Chronicle’s travel pages recently featured 10 “local knowledge” restaurants, bars, and shops. Any of these would make an interesting stand-alone article.

I’ve read articles on the Paris of African-Americans…workingmen’s “zinc cafes”…where to find the best pressed duck, caneton au sang…the perfect patisserie…the contemporary arts scene…the Parisian sewers.

The New Zealand Herald carried a story about renting apartments and living like a local. The Chicago Tribune plumped for shopping street markets like a Parisian. The U.K.’s Telegraph homed in on the Museum of Eroticism, while the Times uncovered the Bibliothèque Nationale’s cache of erotic literature. Typical, but that’s Brits for you….

Option 3: Mexico
Mexico offers endless fascination for any writer. Along with an affordable lifestyle, it’s got everything—tequila included. If beach life and luxurious spas don’t set your pulse racing, how about colonial cities, curious festivals, and stunning arts and crafts?

I don’t visit Mexico often, but I can think of dozens of things to write about: Guanajuato’s creepy mummies, mariachi bands, Mayan and Aztec ruins, 250 million migrating butterflies….

As it’s easy for American vacationers to reach, travel articles about Mexico aren’t hard to place. The Mayans predicted the world will end on Dec. 12, 2012. If it does, then no worries about the future. In the meantime, selling Mayan-related stories should be fairly easy.

Books are already on the way. USA Today says: “Publishers are helping readers count down to this mysterious—some even call it apocalyptic—date that ancient Mayan societies were anticipating thousands of years ago.” If I lived in Mexico, I’d jump at the chance to visit Chichen Itza’s ruins and write some awaiting-the-apocalypse stories.

Option 4: Ireland
Forget the rain, think misty Celtic magic. If you’re convinced writing is in your soul, rent for a year in the Emerald Isle. If Ireland doesn’t bring the words pouring out, no place ever will.

Ireland isn’t cheap nowadays, but it’s still a great base for aspiring writers. More than 33 million Americans are of Irish descent, so U.S. editors always want Irish stories—often on amazingly esoteric subjects.

I’ve written about holy wells (the original wishing wells) for the World of Hibernia, and tracked down fairy lore landmarks for The World & I. For International Living, I did the pilgrimage to St. Patrick’s Purgatory. It involved spending 48 hours without sleep, walking barefoot on rocks, and vowing to renounce the world, the flesh, and the devil….

Never be afraid of setting your sights too high. I had been writing for only two years when The Washington Post bought my story about Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s sacred mountain.

Writers here enjoy special status. Get a book published and if Ireland’s Arts Council considers it of “literary merit,” royalties up to €250,000 are tax-free. Unfortunately, this benefit doesn’t include articles, but if you have a good travel memoir in you….

Option 5: Malaysia
If it wasn’t so hot, I’d be tempted to relocate to Southeast Asia. Thailand is equally enticing, but Malaysia is the easiest country in the region for foreigners to buy property.

Its melting-pot mix of Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures is like experiencing three countries in one. Malaysia has islands, jungles, and weird wildlife; tea plantations and hill stations straight from the colonial past; night markets, delicious street food, and peculiar traditional remedies. Fabulous beaches, too. My favorite white-sand beach in the world is on the duty-free island of Langkawi—and honestly, I’m not biased by the 50-cent beers.

Budget airlines fly all over Southeast Asia, so it’s also affordable to discover neighboring countries. My upcoming flight from Malaysia to the Philippines cost something like $50.