The 100 Best, Most Interesting Blogs and Websites

Editor’s note: 2015’s list of the best, most interesting websites has arrived!

Welcome to one of the web’s most anticipated lists of the year: The 100 Best, Most Interesting Blogs and Websites of 2013. This is the second such list I have made since founding DailyTekk and it’s very special. A website can only be featured ONCE in this annual series, so make sure to check out last year’s list so you don’t miss 100 other amazing sites and blogs. I’ve broken this monster list down into 19 categories and limited myself to five links per category (except for the last category) to ensure I whittled away all but what I thought were the most deserving candidates of right here and right now in 2013. This post kicks off a whole new year of incredible top 100 lists (see a summary of the best curated content from last year in The Ultimate Lifehack for 2013: 200+ Incredible Sites and Services). This isn’t a wussy list like Time’s 50 Best Websites of 2012 which contains a bunch of web tools; nope, this is essentially a treasure trove of pure content.

When I make this list I consider 3 things: content, design and style (you know, that x-factor that really makes a site stand out). Throughout the year I save screenshots, bookmark, email myself links, star and favorite the best web content I run across. It’s a year-long process but I start getting pretty excited when I’m finally getting close to publishing it because I’m so excited to share with you my good finds. Actually, I took a few really good suggestions from readers (in the form of comments from last years post), and I had some valuable input from my wife, so I can’t take full credit for what you see here, technically.

Apparently, as of March 2012 there were 644,275,754 active websites (according to Business Insider) and you know the number has done nothing but rocket up since then. Someone has to go through and find the best, most interesting web content to make it easier on everyone else–but what does this have to do with technology? After all, DailyTekk IS a tech blog, right? Yes it is, and to me, great web content has everything to do with technology; as TechCrunch pointed out, the world is being eaten by technology to the point that all journalism is becoming tech journalism. Here’s another way to look at it: what good would your smartphone or tablet be if you had no good content to read, watch, interact with or play? You’re welcome.

Cool

1. DailyTekk – The best tech site you’ve never heard of. Prepare to be addicted. (Sponsored)
2. Visual News – The cure for eyeball boredom.
3. moddea – Visual catalog of everyday modern objects.
4. Very Short List – Cultural gems from a different curator every day.
5. SoulPancake – Art, culture, science, philosophy, spirituality and humor.

Viral

1. BuzzFeed – High quality original reporting, insight and viral content.
2. UPROXX – The culture of what’s buzzing.
3. PocketHits – The most popular stories, videos, images, recipes and more from Pocket.
4. What’s Trending – See it first.
5. Viral Viral Videos – Videos going viral right now.

Culture

1. Open Culture – The best free cultural and educational media on the web.
2. Trendland – Your daily dose of fashion, trends, art, design and photography.
3. Slacktory – A comedic blog about the pop culture of the internet.
4. Flavorwire – Culture curation. Highbrow, lowbrow and everything in between.
5. Internet for Beginners – About.com’s guide to participating in online culture.

News

1. Quartz – Digitally native news outlet. Bracingly creative journalism.
2. The Daily Beast – Read this skip that.
3. Matter – Commissions, crafts and publishes unmissable journalism about science, tech and ideas.
4. PostDesk – Indepth news, analysis, discussion and debate.
5. WhoWhatWhy – Groundbreaking investigating journalism.

Design

1. NOTCOT – A visual filtration of ideas + aesthetics + amusements.
2. The Exaltation – A collective of creatives sharing inspirational projects.
3. The Khooll – A digital design and lifestyle magazine.
4. dsgnWrld – Propagate design.
5. designboom – A large independent publication dedicated to design and architecture.

Humor

1. Twaggies – Funny tweets illustrated.
2. Team COCO – Conan O’Brien presents…
3. White Whine – A collection of first-world problems.
4. Improv Everywhere – They cause scenes (funny videos).
5. PassiveAggressiveNotes.com – Pictures of funny passive aggressive notes people have left.

Men

1. Valet – Men’s style, grooming, living, shopping and how-to guides.
2. Por Homme – Men’s lifestyle, fashion, footwear and culture.
3. Bless This Stuff – Web magazine for guys. Categories include: wear, living, culture, sports, vehicles and more.
4. The Art of Manliness – Men’s interests and lifestyle.
5. Dappered – Affordable men’s style.

Women

1. Goop – Limited edition collaborations, recipes, travel notes, shopping ideas curated by Gwyneth Paltrow.
2. The Hairpin – Ladies first.
3. HelloGiggles – Entertainment for creative women.
4. The Everygirl – The lifemap for everygirls everywhere.
5. Pick the Brain – Motivation and self-improvement.

Photo

1. In Focus – News photography from The Atlantic.
2. Amazing Things In The World – Photos of, you guessed it, amazing things in the world (Facebook).
3. NPR Picture Show – Photo stories from NPR.
4. Feature Shoot – Travel, fashion, documentary, editorial and portrait photography.
5. White House Photos – Photos from the White House.

Video

1. Freddie Wong – Action shorts from Freddie Wong.
2. Vsauce – Amazing facts and the best of the Internet.
3. All Time 10s – The funniest, most relevant and informative top 10 list videos you’ll ever watch.
4. Household Hacker – Mods, life hacks, science, cheats, pranks and gaming.
5. WatchMojo – Profiles, videos, top 10s.

Audio

1. SoundCloud – Hear the world’s sounds.
2. Studio 360 – What’s happening in pop culture and the arts.
3. Blank on Blank – They find lost interviews, you listen.
4. Fresh Air – Contemporary arts and issues (from NPR).
5. Radiolab – A show about curiosity.

Read

1. Longform – Recommends new and classic nonfiction from around the web.
2. Byliner Spotlights – Read more from your favorite authors.
3. Longreads – The best long-form stories on the web.
4. The Feature – A hand-picked selection of the finest articles and essays saved with Instapaper.
5. The Paris Review – Introducing you to the important writers of the day.

Tech

1. Skillcrush – Learn about technology and how to put it to work for you.
2. Singularity Hub – The future is here today.
3. Gizmag – New and emerging technology news (lots of cool hardware).
4. Internet Today – The best internet and tech news from LinkedIn.
5. ExtremeTech – The only tech site I’ve ever seen with a category labeled “Extreme.”

Smart

1. TED – Ideas worth spreading.
2. Co.Exist – World-changing ideas and innovation.
3. Talks at Google – Speakers of all stripes giving talks at Google.
4. Conference Bites – Big ideas for short attention spans. The best quotes from the latest events.
5. Aspen Ideas – Multimedia from around the Aspen Ideas Institute.

Geek

1. Geekosystem – Your guide to tech and internet culture.
2. Geek & Sundry – Eccentricities for your entertainment.
3. So Geek Chic – All things geek and/or chic.
4. Geekologie – Gadgets, gizmos and awesome.
5. DudeIWantThat.com – A gift guide of gadgets, gear and novelties.

Good

1. GOOD – A global community of people who care.
2. Stanford Social Innovation Review – Informing and inspiring leaders of social change.
3. Charity Navigator – America’s largest charity evaluator.
4. Dutiee – Stories that matter.
5. Socialbrite – Social solutions for nonprofits (blog).

Environment

1. TreeHugger – Dedicated to driving sustainability mainstream.
2. Grist – Environmental news, commentary and advice.
3. GoodGuide – Green, healthy and safe product information and reviews.
4. Environmental Graffiti – An eclectic mix of bizarre, funny and interesting environmental news.
5. Food & Water Watch – Works to ensure the food, water and fish we consume is safe and accessible.

Politics

1. POLITICO – Driving the conversation.
2. BagNews – Reading the pictures; visual politics and the analysis of news images.
3. Think Progress – Hard-hitting political news.
4. GovTrack.us – Easily track the activities of the United States Congress.
5. OpenSecrets.org – See who’s getting and who’s giving.

Can’t Miss

1. Mental Floss – Random, interesting amazing facts plus fun quizzes and trivia.
2. Hypebeast – Fashion, arts, design, culture.
3. Brain Pickings – Human-powered discovery engine for interestingness.
4. DROOL’D – Stuff to drool over from gadgets to places.
5. Bored Panda – The only magazine for pandas.
6. ThreadBanger – For people who make their own style.
7. Unhistorical – Day by day reflections on history and culture.
8. Daily Grommet – Discover unique products with innovative design that make unique gifts.
9. I’m Remembering – Pop culture and nostalgery from the 80s and early 90s.
10. Richard Wiseman – Quirky mind stuff including videos, illusions, trivia and more.

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50 Greatest Festivals in the World

This is the guide to the best and most interesting festivals in the world, organized by date to help you plan your travels accordingly. From hot air balloons to water fights, this list has it all. Many of the dates are variable, so be sure to check online to find out the specific dates for your festivals! And read the 100 Most Beautiful Places in the World in Pictures & the 100 Most Amazing, Unique, & Beautiful Hotels in the World

Get the eBook: Bucket List Festivals!

 

January

1- Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, China: January 5- February 5

People build incredible things out of ice and snow, decorating them with lights and lasers.

2- Chinese New Year: Between January 21 & February 20

The biggest Chinese holiday, with dragons, fireworks, symbolic clothing, flowers, lanterns, and celebration, everywhere in China, and even in other Asian countries.

3- Sundance Film Festival, Utah, USA: end of January

The largest independent film festival in the US. Watch both feature length films and shorts. You need to buy a ticket.

4- Magh Mela Festival India: January

Hundreds of thousands of devout Hindus bathe in the rivers.

5- Up Helly Aa Fire Festival, Scotland: January

Torches, tar barreling, parties, flamboyant costumes, and the burning of a replica viking ship make this an exciting festival.

February

6- Holi Festival, India: Late February/March, on the last full moon day.

Hindus and Sikh, in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka celebrate the main day of this incredibly fun 16-day religious festival by throwing colored powder and water at each other. Learn more about the Holi festival.

7- The Carnival of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: February or March

A week of extravagant parades, dancing, colors, and alcohol makes this one of the most exciting and well-known festivals in the world.

8- Mardi Gras, New Orleans, USA: late February or Early March

Beads and booze. A crazy celebration before lent, aka the last day before giving up sinful pleasure.

9- Pingxi Lantern Festival, Taiwan: February

People write their wishes on fire lanterns and release them into the sky en masse, creating a beautiful spectacle of floating lights.

10- Carnival of Venice, Italy: between February & March

One of the most beautiful festivals in the world, people wear masks and elaborate costumes to hide differences among classes, and there are contests for the best costumes.

11- The Battle of the Oranges, Ivrea, Italy: February

An enormous food fight where people form organized teams and throw oranges at each other.

12- Desert Festival of Jaisalmer, India: February

Witness cultural events like camel races, and a moonlit concert. Want to get there? Take an SUV or camel safari.

March

13- Ultra Music Festival, Miami, Florida: Late March

A very intense electronic music festival for the partiers out there. Make sure to dress outrageously.

14- Calle Ocho, Miami, Florida, USA: March

An exciting Cuban street festival in Little Havana, with food and live music.

15- Las Fallas, Valencia: March 15-19

Fire, fireworks, smoke, and excitement make this festival a cross between Disney World and the apocalypse.

16- Saint Patrick’s Day Festival, Dublin, Ireland: March 17

There is a parade, costumes, music, comedy, film, and drinking. Learn more about St. Patrick’s Day.

17- Frozen Dead Guy Days, Nederland, Colorado: March

Dress up like a frozen dead guy and participate in events like a coffin race, a polar plunge, a parade, and partying. Learn more about the Frozen Dead Guy Days.

April

18- Songkran Water Festival, Thailand: April 13-15

The Thai New Year festival falls on some of the hottest days in Thailand, and people celebrate by throwing water on each other, using water guns, buckets, hoses- whatever they can get their hands on. Learn more about Songkran.

19- Koninginnendag (Queen’s Day), Netherlands: April 29 or 30

This is a national holiday and a “free market” day, so everyone sells everything on the streets. There are games, concerts, performances, and parties on boats in the canals. Learn more about Koninginnendag.

20- Sandfest, Port Aransas, Texas: April

An amazing sand sculpture contest with live entertainment.

June

21- Glastonbury Music Festival, England: last weekend of June

The largest open air music and preforming arts festival in the world.

22- Festival of the Sun, Peru: June 24

Expositions, street fairs, and live music mark the celebration of the sun god.

23- White Nights Festival/Scarlet Sails, St.Petersburg, Russia: end of June

Scarlet Sails is just one part of the white nights festival, including spectacular fireworks, concerts, and a mock battle among pirates in boats on the Neva River.

24- Food and Wine Classic, Aspen, Colorado: June

Participate in food and wine tasting, and watch cooking demonstrations, speakers, and a cooking competition. You need to buy a ticket.

July

25- San Fermin Festiva, Pamplona, Spain: July

There are many events including folkloric ones, but the most famous is the running of the bull.

26- Panafest, Ghana, Africa: July-August

An African cultural celebration with theatre, drama, music, conferences, fashion, and art.

27- Pflasterspektakel, Austria: July

A huge street art festival with all kinds of crazy performances.

28- Spice Mas Carnival, Grenada: July-August

An independence day celebration with Calypso music, a steel band competition, elaborate dress, and plenty of big events.

29- Music City, Nashville, Tenessee, USA: July 4

One of the biggest 4th of July festivals, with fireworks and country music.

August

30- La Tomatina, Buñol, Spain: last Wednesday in August

The whole point of this festival is to throw tomatoes at people. Yeah. Its awesome.

31- Lollapalooza, Chicago, USA: August

A metal, rock, punk, and hiphop festival with some craft and comedy mixed in.

32- Obon Fesitval, Japan: August

Families release floating lanterns into the water to represent their ancestors’ spirits being sent off.

33- Gay Pride Parade, Amsterdam, Netherlands: first weekend of August

A huge gay pride festival, include a canal parade down the river on boats.

September

34- Burning Man, Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA: Last Monday of August- first Monday of September

A major, amazing festival where a self-relient community of radical art, self expression, and awesomeness is created and removed without a trace one week each year.

35- Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany: Late September-first weekend in October

One word: beer. This festival is now held all around the world. It is an important part of Bavarian culture.

36- Grape Throwing Festival, Mallorca, Spain: last weekend in September

Throw huge amount of grapes at people and participate in other fun events.

October

37- Fantasy Fest, Key West, Florida: last week of October

A colorful parade and parties in the notoriously liberal town of Key West.

38- Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, New Mexico: early October

Over 750 hot air balloons take to the skies, some are illuminated at night, and some are uniquely shaped.

39- Diwali Festival of Lights: October/November

A family-oriented festival with firecrackers, sweets, and the lighting of small clay lamps and candles.

40- Halloween Festival of the Dead, Salem, Massachusetts, USA: end of October

Costume balls, vampire masquerades, psychic fairs and ghost hunting make Salem one of the top Halloween destinations.

41- Keene Pumpkin Festival, New Hampshire, USA: October

Massive towers of Jack-o-Lanterns, fireworks, and music draw a huge crowd.

November

42- Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), Mexico: November 2

Friends and family gather to celebrate loved ones who have passed on, through elaborate traditions of food, art, colors, and culture.

43- Pushkar Camel Festival, India: November

An enormous camel fair with music, events, exhibitions, and cultural market stalls.

44- Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York, USA: 4th Thursday of November

Giant balloons shaped like characters, as well as floats, bands, and entertainment, are paraded around New York city.

45- Monkey Buffet Festival, Lopburi, Thailand: end of November

The point of this festival is to give fruits and vegetables to monkeys and attract tourism. It works.

December

46- Junkanoo, Nassau, Bahamas: December 26 & January 1

A street festival with art, music, culture, elaborate costumes, and a parade, to bring in the new year.

47- Natchitoches Christmas Festival, Louisiana: December

Parades, boats, lights, and Christmas celebrations.

Varied Dates

48- Full Moon Party, Haad Rin, Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand: the night before or after every full moon

Like something straight from a movie, 20-30,000 people gather each full moon to spend the night partying on a beach and doing wild events like fire rope skipping.

49- Olympic Games: summer or winter every other year

Thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of sports. The opening ceremony is always a spectacle. If you don’t know what the Olympics are… well, lets not go there.

50- Love Parade, Germany (canceled)

One of the world’s biggest festivals, celebrated from 1989-2003 & 2006-2010, it included electronic music, costumes, and “let-lose” behavior. Unfortunately due to the tragic deaths of 21 participants in 2010 due to over crowding, the Love Parade has been permanently canceled.

Bucket List Festivals features 100 articles, including pictures and 100 links to interesting YouTube videos to put you in the heart of the action, this book is full of great festivals that you’ll want to attend in your lifetime. It is available for $4.99 on Amazon Kindle and as a PDF file from eJunkie.

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