Pinterest is a phenomenon that shows no sign of disappearing. Which is a good thing for those who want a place on the Web they can collect and collate images of the things they like or desire. Pinterest is, for reasons as yet truly explored, more popular with women than men, which is why a selection of alternatives to Pinterest created to appeal more to men have found their way to the Internet.

These are not the only examples of Pinterest spin-offs though, and plenty of other websites have popped up that have clearly drawn inspiration from Pinterest and its style of social networking. Pinterest-for-location is a genre all of its own, though early contenders in the field such as Mapinterest and Urbantag are no more. Thankfully others have survived intact, and they can be used to plan future vacations.

Everplaces

Everplaces is a community-based website and app that wants us all to use the technology we have at hand to better explore the world we live in. The name comes from its original assignation as an "Evernote for Places," but it now resembles Pinterest more than anything else.

The idea is that you capture and store places of interest, whether they're famous landmarks, new restaurants, or interesting shops you stumbled upon while walking. Once you have recorded and tagged your find, you can share it with others; whether friends, family, or perfect strangers.

On the flipside of this finding and sharing regimen is the exploring. This aspect of Everplaces sees you discovering new places to visit either by location or category. This is, therefore, a clean and simple way of checking out what a location has to offer before even leaving home.

Urbita

If you can see past the rather cheesy slogan of "I love this place!" then Urbita has a lot to offer those who want to share their favorite places with others on the Web. Urbita is a platform designed to allow people to inform others about the best parts of the cities in which they live.

Those doing the sharing can create an entry for whatever it is they want others to discover. Categories include Food & More, Attractions & Activities, and Arts & Entertainment. Destinations, and individual elements located within those destinations, are then organized by popularity for easy browsing.

Browsing the entries for each urban environment is simple, with a search by location then revealing the places people have flagged as being worth a visit. A description of the city in question, and videos tagged with the name, offer context and visual appeal respectively.

Findery

Findery is a very simple but clever idea. Its aim is to add context to the world, with annotations assigned to real locations. Whether it's a theater, a park, a restaurant, or simply a street corner, the chances are that either something has happened at that location, or it means something to someone.

You're presented with a map of the world, which you can explore at your leisure either by zooming in or searching for specific geographic locations. Notes will be attached to these locations, and you can read them to find out why a particular place is important enough for someone to have marked it on the map.

Findery may not be the most useful website on this list in terms of discovering vacation destinations, but it will add a very personal context to some of the places you'll visit in an already-chosen destination. Even if you're not travelling, the notes make for compelling reading.

Notventures

Notventures is a different beast from the other websites on this list. The user input is limited to submitting links for travel-related articles and features from around the Web, which are then curated into an endless stream of "worldly wanderlust."

The way these links are presented is very reminiscent of Pinterest, with each entry comprising a representative image and a short description of what hides behind it. Content on the homepage at the time of writing includes a list of restored village retreats, the story of 24 hours in Lisbon, and a tour of the locations seen in Breaking Bad.

Pintrips

Pintrips is a commercial venture which takes the basic idea of Pinterest-for-location and adds a revenue stream front and center. This isn't just pinning trips with a vague idea of one day taking them, instead it's all about planning real vacations.

You enter the criteria for your trip, and then search for flights that match your needs. After adding the ones you're interested in you can compare them all to find which offers the best value for money. There is also the option to collaborate with others, which is invaluable for those planning a trip with friends or family.

Conclusions

These websites all work differently from each other; some looking and feeling very much like Pinterest, others having headed off in a different direction. However, what they all have in common is providing an online destination for people to discover and share places of interest around the world; making them essential tools for people looking to plan future vacations.

Have you used any of these websites to find and plan a dream holiday? What online tools and apps do you use to find compelling holiday destinations? Do you like the way Pinterest works and appreciate the fact other websites are mimicking its look and feel? Please feel free to let us know your thoughts on the subject at hand in the comments section below.

Image Credit: Niklas Bildhauer