NomadMania Travel Awards 2021 winners!

Click here for more info on NomadMania Travel Awards 2021

Most Positive Traveller 2021

Most Positive Traveller 2021 – the one whose positivity while travelling in the past year renders them a role-model of behaviour in the travel community. Who has helped you or inspired you the most?

Daniel Herszberg

Daniel from Australia is pursuing 193 countries and NomadMania regions and is the well-travelled person in the under-30 cohort. Educating as well as informing, Daniel’s travels are contextualised against historical and political realities whether in Gabon or Egypt. Daniel shares his travels with endless enthusiasm, positivity and curiosity.

instagram.com/dhersz

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Most Intrepid Traveller 2021

Most Intrepid Traveller 2021 – a traveller whose travels in the last year have required considerable courage, risk-taking and craziness! The bold and crazy one.

Petch Nethnapat

Through 23 countries in 2021, Petch from Thailand had his most memorable expedition in spending a month in 14 provinces of Afghanistan from Kandahar to Nuristan. He’s currently navigating 450km along the Niger river from Timbuktu to Mopti, Mali by wooden boat and backpacking through West Africa until the end of the year.

instagram.com/petchpacker

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Purposeful Traveller 2021

Purposeful Traveller 2021 – the one whose efforts to create community, help local communities and, in general, travel with a purpose in the past year render them much more than just a traveller.

Wode Maya

This YouTuber interviewed 200 personalities doing amazing things for Africa, while travelling across the continent. Growing up in a village in western Ghana, Wode lived in China studying aeronautical engineering. His YouTube channel, which started a bridge between Africa and Asia, has become a key for African diasporas.

youtube.com/c/WODEMAYA

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Best Digital Nomad 2021

Best Digital Nomad 2021 – whose overall contributions in the past year through digital platforms (their own blog, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook or other) make them a supreme online travel leader. In other words – you just can’t get enough of their content!

Eva Zu Beck

Eva from Poland, stuck in Socotra when the pandemic hit, continues travelling extensively this year to places like Afghanistan, Iran and Tanzania, largely overland and solo, and films her impressions to create informative, socially relevant and authentic videos on her 1.3 million subscriber YouTube channel.

youtube.com/c/EvazuBeckOfficial

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Biggest Traveller 2021

Biggest Traveller 2021 – the one and only, whose travels in the past year, in terms of both quantity (days on the road and number of trips) AND quality (difficulty and variety of destinations), render them a truly big traveller even by the standards of the NomadMania Community. So let’s get to counting regions rather than countries.

Gina Morello

The first traveler to complete the UN 193 in the pandemic-era, Gina traveled nine months last year- seven months in 10 African countries including one month each in Ethiopia and Kenya visiting tribes in Lake Turkana and Omo Valley. USA travel included Alaska to Texas. Additionally, Bahamas for Hammerhead shark diving and travel conferences in Sao Tome and Azerbaijan.

instagram.com/AdventurousGina

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Best NomadMania Friend – Individual

Given to a NomadMania member (a non-team member) whose contributions to NomadMania – in any form – have really made a difference to our platform.

Mehraj Mahmudov

The biggest traveller from Azerbaijan is the biggest friend of NomadMania in the “personal” category. He’s been our member since we can remember, openly supported our cause and made it possible for us to launch our first round of travel Scholarships for students.

nomadmania.eu/profile/19638

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Best NomadMania Friend – Organisation

Given to an organisation of any kind whose contributions to NomadMania – in any form – have really made a difference to our platform.

Turkish Travellers Club

One of the most organised travel clubs that we have ever encountered. They have active community and also support their external friends. 2021 was a sad year as they have lost one of their oldest and most travelled members – Prof. Dr Orhan Kural.

turkiyegezginlerkulubu.com

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Best NomadMania Team Member

Given to a NomadMania Team member who has made outstanding contributions to the platform in the past year.

Thomas Buechler

He is NomadMania’s Minister of Internal Surveillance and a dear friend. We are extremely thankful for all his voluntary input into our Verification process where he has helped us build one of the most reliable travel related sources in the World.

nomadmania.travel/profile/58

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‘Against all Odds’ Traveller

Given to a NomadMania member who, despite having considerable obstacles, has overcome them to become a notable traveller.

Tony Giles

He was an inspiration long before he opened a profile with us, but it made us additionally happy to see him join us. An incredible spirit and unbeatable will to travel and explore the world, his way. We definitely recommend you check out his books and other stories.

nomadmania.travel/profile/33493

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Lifetime Achievement award

Given to any traveller – NomadMania member or not – whose lifetime travel achievements are of an outstanding level.

Andre Brugiroux

One of the most travelled people alive. He travelled when barely anyone did and when the world was a fairly different place. We can recommend checking his book out and discovering why he claims that “The earth is but one country!”

nomadmania.travel/profile/11731