Nomadmania Travel Awards 2021

The Travel Awards
With The Biggest Travellers

Watch the event here

What the NomadMania Awards are about

The NomadMania Travel Awards are being launched in 2021 and will become an annual event to celebrate achievements in travel. In 2021, the award ceremony will be a virtual event taking place on November 28, 2021 at 15.30 GMT. Further instructions will be provided in due course. Pre-registration will help us keep in touch with you about the event.

Ten awards will be given: five of these will be selected internally by the NomadMania Team, while the remaining five will be selected through initial proposals by the public (whether NomadMania members or not) which will then become 5 nominations per award category and will be voted on exclusively by NomadMania Members. To be eligible for voting in the final round, voters must have registered with NomadMania until October 24, 2021 and must have 35 or more NomadMania regions marked as visited on October 24, 2021.

NomadMania Awards categories

Golden Awards

Biggest NomadMania Friend 2021 (Individual)

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

Biggest NomadMania Friend 2021 (Organisation)

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

Best NomadMania Team Member 2021

This award is given to a NomadMania Team member who has made outstanding contributions to the platform in the past year.

“Against All Odds” Traveller 2021

This award is given to a NomadMania member who, despite having considerable obstacles, has overcome them to become a notable traveller.

Special Awards

NomadMania Lifetime Travel Achievement 2021

This award is given to any traveller – NomadMania member or not – whose lifetime travel achievements are of an outstanding level.

Silver Awards

Most Intrepid Traveller 2021

This award is given to any traveller – NomadMania member or not – whose travels in the last year have required considerable courage, risk-taking and craziness!

Most Positive Traveller 2021

This award is given to any traveller – NomadMania member or not – whose positivity while travelling in the past year renders them a role-model of behaviour In the travel community.

Purposeful Traveller 2021

This award is given to any traveller – NomadMania member or not – 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.

Biggest Digital Nomad 2021

This award is given to any traveller – NomadMania member or not – 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.

Biggest Traveller 2021

This award is given to any traveller – NomadMania member or not – 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.

See the NomadMania Awards schedule

3.45 PM GMT

EVENT 1. 10 Women who have visited 193 UN countries chat

4.05 PM GMT

EVENT 2. On the road to 193 – chat with big travellers

4.25 PM GMT

EVENT 3. Special Guest

4.45 PM GMT

EVENT 4. Men who have visited 193 UN countries chat

5.05 PM GMT

EVENT 5. A chat with Afghan fixers who fled after the crisis

5.25 PM GMT

EVENT 6. Travel Clubs chat

5.50 PM GMT

EVENT 7. NomadMania Team

Nominees 2021

10 women who have completed 193 UN countries

Gina Morello

Gina completed her final UN country in December 2020 in Mozambique. She was the first traveler and only woman to complete the UN list in the pandemic-era. By profession, Ms Morello is a freelance aviation consultant and is currently one of the Charity Ministers for NomadMania who began the scholarship program.

Melanie Smith

Mel is Māori, and a citizen of NZ, France and the UK. She met her French hubby on a Peruvian bus in 1999. In between travelling, she is the CEO of an online supermarket, a trustee at Sadlers wells, and an avid hiker.

Audrey Walsworth

I am someone who loves to get on a plane for a culturally exotic destination and wonder excitedly what is ahead of me.

LinkedIn

Ildiko Szabo

First Hungarian to visit all 193 UN recognized countries. Completed her quest in 2018. Afterwards she visited dozens of partially recognized countries and disputed territories. (222 UN+ countries). Interested in unique, remote places. Solo traveler, adventure chaser, foodie.

Masayo Goto

Is a Japanese woman living in Tokyo and Sydney. She visited 193 UN countries, but her travels also include Mogadishu in Somalia, Kurdistan in Iraq, North Pole, South Pole, Titanic wreck (4000 meters below the sea level), East Germany and many other islands and territories, and a Zero gravity flight.

Britt-Marie Boudrie

My motto is: The road goes on forever and the journey never ends. I always had an urge to travel, but for two decades the focus was on the upbringing of three children and a professional career as a CEO, CFO and management consultant. When I turned 60 and had reached the score of 100 countries, I decided to reach the goal of all 193 UN countries before I turned 70. I hope I will never lose the drive and the curiosity to get to know new places and meet people.

LinkedIn

Yui Pow Redford

First Asian woman to visit every sovereign country, and first Singaporean. UN 193 completed in 2017. Travels include over 200 countries and territories, plus Antarctica and the Arctic. Linguist, educator, business owner, nonprofit founder, and mother. Charity Development Minister for NomadMania. Passionate about travel, language, music, and making a difference.

LinkedIn

Jessica Nabongo

A Detroit-born Ugandan-American got her start with traveling when she was just four years old, and in October 2019, she became the first black woman to travel to every country in the world. She is a writer, photographer, entrepreneur, travel expert and public speaker. At her core, she is a dreamer looking to craft a life and career that connects her passions and talents.

Nina Sedano

She was born in 1966 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, grew up as a single child without a father. On September 30, 2011 she returned from her 193rd Nation Turkmenistan. Nina is very interested in people, animals, nature, food, art and culture and speaks several languages. She is the author of 3 books and has much more to tell/write about her travel experiences around the world.

LinkedIn

Lily West

My goal in life was to travel the world. After graduation, I left England for another overland hippie trip to India. This time I didn’t return and continued to Japan, where I’ve lived for nearly 50 years. In 2016, I visited Equatorial Guinea, my final UN country. Very pleased to have achieved my childhood goal and happy to have had such a great life!

LinkedIn

On the road to 193

Igor Galli

Igor Galli has been on the road for 18 years and he is the most travelled Brazilian, South American and Latin America person in the world according to Nomadmania.

Loic Pedras

Loïc (Portuguese) is a changemaker and inveterate traveler. He lectures Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Founded and assisted several social enterprises. Mad for travel, being also an international sailing skipper and soon-to-be pilot. Proud member of Academics Without Borders. Loves pizza.

LinkedIn

Ric Gazarian (GlobalGaz)

Ric is an avid traveler, travel blogger, author, podcaster, and documentary producer. Gazarian has visited all 7 continents and has been to over 140 countries. He is on a quest to visit every county in the world.

Marty (Very Hungry Nomads)

Marty is a coffee lover, history junkie, former tour guide and endless optimist. Born in Slovakia, she is the brain behind getting from A to B for Very Hungry Nomads – 2 women visiting every country in the world. Marty is a social butterfly who describes her life as “just livin’ the dream”.

Rach (Very Hungry Nomads)

Rach is a self-confessed travelling foodie. Her passion for food and culture has seen her eat her way through 186+ countries. She’s currently on a big food adventure to visit EVERY country in the world! When Rach isn’t travelling, you can find her at the beach, drinking coffee or wine with friends or chowing down on the best eats around her home city of Melbourne, Australia.

Mette Ehlers Mikkelsen

Mette Ehlers Mikkelsen (174/195) is traveling the world with her 3 children. Laerke, Ella and Nicolai are 12-20 years old and have each visited 80-90 countries. She runs the travel café, Café Globen, in Copenhagen with fellow travelers. Mette is a former diplomat that now advises companies on internationalisation and digitalization.

A tour guide who escaped Afghanistan

Following the change of regime in Afghanistan, lots of former tour guides were forced to flee for their lives. James Willcox, the founder of Untamed borders which offered trips to the country and was especially involved in the Afghan international marathon, talks with former guides on their current situation, their country and their hopes for the future.

Men who have completed 193 UN countries

Bengt Hildebrand

I’m a Swedish doctor living and working in Stockholm having visited every country in 2020. I have worked as a physician in Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia. I’m involved not only in NomadMania but also in the Swedish travel club called Club100.

LinkedIn

Jeff Shea

Founder of SISO and 193 traveller specializing in physical feats.

Michael Runkel

Travelling since 1988 I am a passionate travel photographer specialised in Unesco sites and beautiful but remote corners of our planet. I am having a big curiousity about almost everything! When possible I take my wife and kids on the trips!

Per Besson

Per is the American with the Scandinavian name. He has lived in ten countries and fluently speaks almost as many languages. In 2019 reached country #193 – Colombia. Currently resides in London.

LinkedIn

Sam Goodwin

Sam has traveled to every country in the world and is a verified member of NomadMania’s UN Master’s List. He has lived and worked in Singapore, France and the UAE, however is currently based in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri in the United States.

Scott Keller

Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company who has authored numerous business books including the best seller, Beyond Performance. Co-founder of the not-for-profit, Digital Divide Data. Musician who has played on/produced multiple albums and is featured in Rock Camp: The Movie.

LinkedIn

Slawek Muturi

Ex-management consulting partner with Deloitte. Thanks to investing in residential rental properties, retired in May 2009 at age 43. Likes to criss-cross continents using public transport. Visited all 193, twice. Wants to do it for the 3rd time to raise money for Fundacja Fridomia, a charity which provides housing to foster care leavers.

LinkedIn

Stefan Krasowski

Stefan Krasowski has traveled to every country in the world and is an expert on international travel, frequent flyer programs, and travel credit cards. He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

Charles Veley

Founder of MTP. Youngest ever to complete the TCC list, finishing in 2004 (and 193 at the same time). Former software executive, and father to three California teenagers. With the pandemic behind, and two bionic hips now installed, Charles looks forward to covering more ground in 2022!

LinkedIn

Ľuboš Fellner

Ľuboš is, in our experience, one of the friendliest and most warm-hearted people who is truly an ambassador for his country. Proudly Slovak, he is most certainly a man of the world and is the owner of BUBO, the biggest Slovak travel agency, while immersing himself in adventures too. He made our UN Masters List in 2019 when he completed his last UN country.

João Paulo Peixoto

Portuguese. Dean at the Atlântico Business School. He has 2 objectives as a traveler:

Visit all NomadMania regions; he has a plan to do it in 5-8 years and he already chose the last region.
Cross by foot the Bering Strait.

Besides that, he is a father to 6 lovely children – Raquel, Joao, Marta, Pedro, Inês and two months old Isabella and he is a great cook.

Geri Winkler

I was born in Vienna, Austria and I am 65 years old. I like to combine backpacking and mountain climbing. I like most to explore a region/country by hiking or bicycle-trekking. Since my youth I have been Type 1-diabetic which means I have to take about 10 injections of insulin and I must constantly measure my blood glucose.

NomadMania’s 3rd conference held on Principe island

We are happy to announce, that we’ll have a premiere of videos made by travel videographer Gustav Rosted on Nomad Mania Awards.

Find out everything about NomadMania’s 3rd conference held on Principe island & finally see who is Harry Mitsidis, the founder of NomadMania?

Special surprise guests

All participants will have a chance to hear a talk with our two special guests in two separate chats. They are both absolute stars of travel community and incredible personalities.

Pre-register now to get your chance to witness history like never before in the travel community.

Meet the hosts

Francisco Ortiz

Argentinean digital nomad and content creator. Visited 65 UN countries, including 210 NM regions. Lived in 10 countries, currently based in between Tbilisi and Dubai.

Sam Hawthorne

Sam Hawthorne attempted to become the youngest man to travel to every country in the world, but the pandemic intervened, so he is now on 181 UN countries and the age of 23 with 401 NM regions. An avid adventurer, traveller and entrepreneur.

Sarah McArthur

On the road since childhood, Sarah is currently based in Hong Kong. She has visited 527 nomad mania regions, 116 in countries or 147 UN+. She is going to get to 193 when the pandemic is over, with two children in tow.

Meet the team

Harry Mitsidis

Founder. Global nomad, bowling, aviation, statistics, Eurovision Song Contest fan!

Thomas Büchler

Minister of Internal Surveillance. UNESCO World Heritage Sites aficionado.

LinkedIn

Wojciech Fedoruk

Executive Committee and Vice-Minister of Internal Relations. Showing the world to his children. Fan of polar regions.

LinkedIn

Orest Zub

Orest is not a constant team member, but he is one of our greatest helpers and volunteers. He is the acting director of the Awards ceremony and all technical aspects of the live stream. Freedom Entrepreneur, Visited 128 UN countries including 415 NM regions.

Milana Bojinović

NomadMania manager, in love with travel, scuba diving and writing. Under travelled.

Facebook

Daniel Zagrodzki

NomadMania IT Department. Freed from working with taxes and ERP systems – deals with all IT (small and big), loves everything outdoors – sailing, mountain hiking, freediving and sport aviation.

LinkedIn

William Obinyah Tetteh

Associate. William is funny, open-minded, gentle and loves to discover.

LinkedIn