Our today’s issue is dedicated to Fixers. We are overhauling the Fixers section to make it more interactive and allow you to not only input your favourites but also comment on other people’s entries and award stars to Fixers as well. We do hope that by doing so we will be of help to all travellers looking for contacts in a given country as well as to fixers who get their chance to be more recognised in our niche market.
Meanwhile, we are exceptionally happy to be inaugurating our first European get togethers since before the pandemic. In June we will be hosting meetings in Brussels (June 7) and Paris (June 28). Please look for details in our meetings section.
Our friends Geri Winkler (who is a UN 193 Master as well) and Sylvia Alfery also announce their annual ViennaMania in Vienna between 16-18 September, 2022, with an expanded programme. Contact them directly to express interest in this!
We remind you all that you are very welcome to host a meeting wherever you are located! Get in touch with us via the website or directly to our inbox contact@nomadmania.com and we will be very happy to coordinate with you for a travellers' meeting anywhere in the world!
|
|
|
|
New on NomadMania - Fixers rating |
|
|
|
|
|
The ratings are now available for every fixer on our Fixers page |
|
We overhauled the Fixers section to make it more interactive. Now you can rate fixers in several categories, but not only that. You can also comment on other people’s entries and thus ensure that each entry is more objective than before.
Of course, commenting on someone's service means that you have personal experience with them and that you know what you are talking about. Please have in mind that the whole businesses might depend on your comments as we are quite a small and trusting community. So use this new power wisely!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Here is how you can rate Fixers on NomadMania from now on |
|
When adding comments, please refrain from any bad language, even though you might have had a bad experience. Let us stay civilised and decent. Mistakes happen to everyone and your fixer is not different from you in that regard.
Let us remind you that Fixers section is available to all NomadMania users after 30 days from registration. Only authenticated users will be able to rate a fixer because we want to make sure that no ghost accounts are made for this purpose only.
There are two ways that you can be authenticated as a real person behind an accounts: 1. Ask another authenticated NomadMania user to authenticate you by visiting your profile and clicking the button there; 2. Write to us to setup an online authentication meeting with one of our staff members.
Every user will be able to rate a user only once a year and every new rating will require a comment where you would ideally share what changed since the last time, in case you are rating one Fixer more than once.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The most travelled WOMEN of the World | NomadMania Travel Awards |
|
New video is out!
|
|
In this video we go back to remember our great NomadMania Travel Awards Show from November by celebrating, who else, but women who made it to UN 193. Unfortunately, the majority of people who have visited all countries of the world are white men. However, it seems like that perspective is slowly but surely starting to change and we wanted to encourage new generations of travellers by gathering, for the first time in history, 10 women who visited all UN countries.
Hear (again) what they have to say about their travel experiences, challenges they have come across and where would they go next.
If all this sounds as a hint that there will be a second NomadMania Travel Awards Show, then you are on the right track. Soon we will announce more info, but for now we leave you to freshen up your memory and watch our new short video with Women travellers.
|
|
|
|
|
We bring stories about fixers who made a difference in the life of travellers |
|
The stars of our Community - Fixers
|
|
If you have been paying close attention, you might have noticed that we've been talking a lot about fixers lately. This comes natural now that we have revealed our new features to all of you, but we don't want to stop there.
We make fixers our real stars in this edition and we might even consider doing this in future newsletters. So please feel free to let us know about your favourite fixers and your stories. Message us at contact@nomadmania.com or via the website.
We start this section with 4 fixers as a personal recommendation from our founder, Harry Mitsidis.
Here is what he has to say about fixers: "Though I don’t often travel with guides, there are certainly some that I have become very fond of. Even friends with."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alisher and Harry in Tajikistan |
|
Alisher Abdumamadov is the ideal person to drive you around Tajikistan, with incredible stories to tell (though speaking Russian helps).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wassim and Harry in Algeria |
|
Then there’s Wassim of Algeria Tours 16, who has become a friend and who makes you feel like he is your best buddy in Algeria; the fact that he is a traveller who has been to 65 countries means he absolutely understands what a traveller needs!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rodney |
|
Rodney of RMK Tours in Namibia is all you need if you’re planning a trip there. Insist on getting Rodney himself to take you on an unforgettable ride in this amazing country. Mild-mannered and extremely knowledgeable on animals and tribes especially, Rodney will be a real addition to your trip.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Benjamin Rodriguez and Harry |
|
And last but certainly not least, Benjamin Rodriguez has truly become my friend in Venezuela; I was even invited for lunch at his place, what greater honour can a person bestow on you than to invite you to his home? Not to mention he took me to the dangerous barrio where he grew up in Caracas to which he hadn’t been for 20 years, a truly emotional experience more for him than for me!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Next stories and recommendations about fixers come from our fellow travellers, mainly members of EPS. We thank them and EPS founders and moderators for letting us explore this topic and share their stories.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tito Khellaoui in the desert |
|
Tito Khellaoui is a Touareg from oasis of Djanet in Tassili n'Ajjer National Park in Algerian Sahara. My guide through the desert during 8 expeditions. Incredibly stubborn and at the same time so patient and gentle, who in the desert took care of my old parents better than I would. The man who knows better than me what I need up there in the desert.
Shared with us by Pióra K.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fernando Espinoza and Baderkhan Badran in 2016 |
|
Baderkhan Badran is the most popular fixer, apparently. We received so many recommendations about him that it would not be possible to list them all here. Instead, we will do a separate interview with Baderkhan, given that he is also quite a traveller himself, travelling on an Iraqi passport. This perfectly combines with our Low Passport Index rubric, so keep your eye on our newsletters in the future to find out more!
Here are some main thoughts about Baderkhan and his services as a guide and local fixer.
1. Fernando Espinoza says - 'Though I wouldn't call him a fixer, I am proud to say I have been friends with Baderkhan since before he was famous. Photo is from 2016, when he was my first ever Couchsurfing Host.'
2. Elizabeth Ramirez Flores says - 'It was not a classic tour, but an expedition style adventure! From A to Z everything was so comfortable. We spent 9 days traveling all around Baghdad, Samarra, Babylon, Karbala, Najaf, Marshlands and Basrah! Since it was led by an expert local, so we got lots of eye opening informations regarding history, culture, food, music, and people of Iraq! So much knowledge in different fields! It was mind blowing to experience lots of things which were hidden from us.'
3. Sara Castaneda said - 'I spent 9 days on his Iraq adventure expedition, and I extended it to couple more days since I enjoyed the eye opening experience! He is the face of Iraq tourism, and an active social media content creator! ... He is an example of individual who are shattering stereotypes and making a better world for all the diverse beauty from Iraq and all around the world.'
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M@P – Moheli Outer islands
|
|
The outer islands of Moheli are certainly not the easiest place to get to, but you will be rewarded when you finally make it there! Moheli is the smallest of the three main islands that make up the Comoros. The main hub of activity, along with the airport, is in the middle of the northern side of the island. The islands are exactly the other direction, in the middle of the south, requiring a loop around the north of the island which takes around two hours. Little boats are available to take you to the pristine, uninhabited islands of the archipelago which are ideal for snorkling, swimming and just lazing about in the sun. One of the aims of our M@P list is to urge travellers to really get around; and for sure getting to the Moheli outer islands is a worthy adventure which you will be happy you’ve done!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Interview - Juan Martinez Camargo |
|
Juan is a Colombian traveller, photojournalist and blogger. "As a former contributor for Deutsche Welle in Germany and a freelance photojournalist for BBC Travel, I learned that storytelling can make a huge difference in how we all see the world and the impact that we as travellers are doing" — says Juan.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Juan, please tell us something about yourself. Who are you, where do you come from and how did you start travelling in the first place?
|
|
|
|
|
My name is Juan Martinez and I'm a Colombian living in Berlin, Germany. There I work managing a small online marketing agency, as well as a travel writer and photographer. Traveling has always been a passion of mine. However, my very first big travel was at the age of 18 when I moved to Germany. Before that, I'd never been abroad.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Elephants in Amboseli National Park, Kenya |
|
|
|
|
|
|
You are a brilliant photographer. You make a masterpiece even from a simple location. What influenced your development as a photographer?
|
|
|
|
|
I grew up watching Anthony Bourdain, and other big travelers and reporters for networks like National Geographic and BBC Earth. I always had a fascination for traveling and unlike many kids who grow up wishing to be football players or singers, I wanted to become a person who travels for a living.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Completing 100 countries with a Colombian passport in Eswatini |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Which traits of your character help or interfere when travelling? Tell us about your personal travelling style, please.
|
|
|
|
|
I think it is important to keep calm at all times. Travelling can be very rewarding, but also very stressful if you don't control your emotions. I'm a person open to any situation and every encounter, good or bad, is taken by me as an opportunity to learn.
The more I learn about wildlife, the more I can predict uncomfortable situations. The scariest encounters I have had, have been due to misinformation or not having the knowledge to understand how to behave with a certain species. The same goes in difficult places or in dangerous cities - the more I understand my surroundings, the more comfortable I feel.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Could you share some travel stories with us, the ones that got stuck deep in your head and heart?
|
|
|
|
|
My favorite stories have not been about a place, but about its people.
One of my favorite anecdotes was in Cairo, Egypt. I was going to have a 5 day layover before going to Ethiopia and I was researching things to do in that country while on my flight. Shortly after my arrival, I remembered a man that I met 5 years before who went to Ethiopia and got amazing photographs. I contacted him on FB and asked him how to get there and with whom he talked to. After a quick chat pleasantries we started to catch up. He informed me he was in Cairo arranging a visa for Sudan. We were not only staying in the same city, but we even booked the same hotel.
This experience showed me how small the world is.
|
|
|
|
|
|
What is it about the travel that gets you excited the most and what keeps you going even when it is tough?
|
|
|
|
|
I get excited when I see something new. My job brings me to the most remote places in the world and there is nothing more magical than seeing the wonders of the earth. I become very emotional while photographing a tribe dancing, when I have an animal encounter with an animal I've never seen before, or seeing a landscape that simply leaves me speechless.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Driving from Djibouti to Hargheisa in Somaliland |
|
|
|
|
|
|
How did you change as a person since you started travelling?
|
|
|
|
|
I learn to understand how life is not white and black. It is not always good and bad, but hundreds of shades of grey. I learned to hear both sides of the story and to try to sympathise with everyone I encounter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Which culture/country is the closest to your mentality and which is the most alien? Why?
|
|
|
|
|
I've been living in Germany for almost half of my life now. My Colombian friends considered me a fake Colombian and my German friends tell me I'm a fake German. I guess I have influences from both countries and I call them both home and the closest to my heart.
On the other hand, I feel very distant from my Colombian roots as well. There are behaviours that are simply too far away from me but are considered very normal in the Latin culture. I feel that I belong to South America, but at the same time not.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A friend and I watching the stars in the Namib desert |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tell us about not so popular but valuable places to visit in your motherland.
|
|
|
|
|
I would recommend the region where my father is from, Cesar. It is one of the most underrated places in Colombia. I never understood its beauty and cultural importance until I went there on assignment for BBC Travel and was able to talk about my own family. It was a very personal piece for me and let me appreciate more where I'm coming from.
|
|
|
|
|
|
What are your most recent trips and your travel plans for 2022?
|
|
|
|
|
Big plans!
I'm writing this interview from Rwanda (March 2022) and in the days after I will be in DRC and Burundi. Furthermore, I will be in Mali and Burkina Faso in June and my favourite project of the year will be an assignment where I will join on a mailboat in the Bahamas and learn more about the lives of those who deliver mail in this country - a different kind of Bahamas trip, I guess.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Finally, our signature question - if you could invite any 4 people to dinner, from any period in history, who would your guests be?
|
|
|
|
|
Anthony Bourdain, David Attenborough, Barack Obama and my grandfather who traveled a lot in his youth as a navy officer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Did you like reading this? |
|
We thank Juan for sharing his personal photos with us here at NomadMania.
We only send two emails a month and every time we share new features and NomadMania plans for future. Be the first to find out what's happening next.
Our next 'shorter' issue will be out on June 5th with one last traveller from a Low Passport Index travellers rubric, so stay tuned!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|