Review Policy and Disclaimer

Last updated on March 10, 2019 by Shannon

As A Little Adrift has grown over the years, the relationship with you, dear reader, has shifted, too. Now that the site is more than simply travel stories, it deserves explanation on how I choose products and companies to support and recommend. This website has always been ad-free and will remain that way.

Without advertising, however, I decided to accept a few other models of revenue generation that cost you nothing and steer far clear of spamming you with adverts and sponsored/paid recommendations. For that reason, perhaps 0.5% of the books or products were provided to me free of charge—and it’s always noted if that is the case. I implemented a few carefully chosen affiliate programs to defray the steadily growing (and significant) costs of running and maintaining this site as a free resource for travelers all over the world.

The destination content is likewise free from influence. The content about Jordan is from a press trip I took back in 2011, and since then I have decided to continue exploring and enjoying the world without pressure from tourism companies—the content, stories, and destinations are all chosen because I wanted to see/explore/enjoy that spot. For more information on each of these areas, please read the sections below.

Product Reviews

I am often offered the chance to review travel products for companies. That’s always a tough one for me, because I never want to feel pressured into publishing a positive review simply because something was free. So, for the most part, I don’t accept any free products in exchange for a review. But if I do, you can expect a few things:

  • I will always give my honest opinion. If I don’t like a product I either won’t mention it at all, or I communicate with the company and offer to write an honest review with both the pros and the cons. Before I accept a review though, I make it clear that my opinion can’t be bought.
  • I am more likely to review a product if they allow me to give one away to a reader. Everyone likes trying new stuff, so I feel like it’s fun to offer incentives to my loyal readers. It’s my way of saying thank you—I want you to have some perks for reading the site and supporting the community we have on ALA.
  • You can 100% trust that a link from my site cannot be purchased. I link to things I believe in and personally use.

Affiliates

In addition to the occasional book and product reviews, A Little Adrift uses a handful of carefully chosen affiliate relationships. A Little Adrift has always been ad-free, and I am committed to keeping it that way. Affiliate relationships cost you, the reader, nothing. These relationships allow me to earn a small commission when you purchase something that I recommend, keeping the content ad-free and helping cover the significant costs to run this website.

When deciding on affiliate relationships, I chose ones that allowed me to link to products and services I was already recommending on the site, and I have never (and will never) review a product solely for the commission potential. You can trust that any review and link on ALA is a genuine opinion about that product or service. A Little Adrift has an affiliate relationship with Agoda, Booking.com, BlueHost, and World Nomads. Also, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

I appreciate the support when you use these links to act on an ALA recommendation!

Destinations

As travel blogging grew as an industry, so too did the number of opportunities to work with brands and promote destinations, hotels, and tour companies. This is not a policy I employ on A Little Adrift. I do not solicit for free hotels or activities, nor do I write about sponsored visits (because I don’t take them). If I share a personal recommendation for a hotel, company, or experience, you can be sure that it’s because I ruthlessly researched that hotel/company, chose it, and then enjoyed it enough to share the tip on ALA.

The exception to this policy was a sponsored press trip to Jordan in 2011. I chose to take the press trip because it was tailored to my exact goals and travel interests, and the commitment I have made to the readers to find and share sustainable projects worth supporting all over the world. The Jordan Tourism Board helped me find social enterprises and local business to write about and support. In that case, I provided ample disclosure that the trip was sponsored—you can expect the same level of integrity and disclosure in the future if I accept any other trips of a similar nature (which is unlikely as it hasn’t happened in 8+ years, but I assess trips on case-by-case basis).

Lastly, thank you. I value that you trust A Little Adrift and promise you integrity in all things I write and share.


Anything I recommend on this site is my opinion and personal experience. Your mileage may vary with the tips and resources. You are responsible for double-checking facts, places, rates, and companies before you count on them being there when you visit. I do my best to keep everything updated, but it’s a just me here, so expect some places in the world will have changed since I was last there.

P.S. Wondering where I post reviews? Mostly they’re offered to my newsletter subscribers as a giveaway. You can check up travel book reviews here, and other product reviews are throughout this page.