Travelosio honored with the prestigious Liebster Award. Join the celebration as I continue to share remarkable travel experiences.

I am deeply humbled by the awards that my travel blog has received since its birth. A couple of months ago, my blog received a Blogger Recognition Award, Silver Award and has been included on the list of notable travel blogs in the blogoshere. And today, I am once again proud to announce that Travelosio has been nominated by Rebecca Decker from Where to this time for a Leibster award.

Rebecca started her wonderful blog as a tribute to her long time friend who lost a battle to breast cancer. Instead of being sad, she celebrates all the wonderful times they shared together by writing about their once-in-a-lifetime adventures. I encourage you to give her blog a visit, it is heart warming. Thank you Rebecca for nominating me!

Wait, what is Leibster Award?

After doing a little research, it turns out that The Liebster Award is an online award given to new bloggers by bloggers who’ve been on the scene for a while. I was so excited to be recognised by the blogging community and to have been found (and nominated) by other bloggers.

What does Liebster mean?

The word “Liebster” has German origins and several definitions: dearest, sweetest, kindest, nicest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, welcome, sweetheart etc.

So, how does this work?

For those who, like myself, had not come across the Liebster Award before, the way it works is generally like this – After you receive a nomination and accept taking on the award you then:

-Create a blog post on your site and display the Liebster award logo
-Answer the questions assigned by the blogger who nominated you
-Nominate 11 new bloggers for the Liebster Award
-Give your nominees a list of 11 questions they have to answer to keep the love going
-Notify the nominees
-Post your Liebster award blog post link in the comments column of the blogger who nominated you

Here are my 11 questions and answers:

1. What is the most adventurous thing you’ve done in your travels and what would you recommend for other travelers looking to do something out of the ordinary?

The most adventurous thing I have done so far was diving with the oceanic manta rays in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. I was fairly a new diver and the conditions were not suited for me but I went for it anyway. I was buddied with a Diving Instructor so the tension was eased off. During the descent, we lost sight of my fiancé and his buddy. We waited for about 3 minutes but never saw them. We were about to go back up to re-group and dive together but all of a sudden a 6-meter wide oceanic manta graced us with its presence. We tried to approach it but it went away to the blue. We circled around the reef in the hopes that we will see the other group. As we swam up the reef, there was another manta waiting for us. This time, it was bigger! My instructor held my wrist and pushed me towards the manta. It was an eye popping moment. I was scared at first to be honest despite the fact that it was what we came for. Perhaps it was a mix feeling of excitement and fear. Quite ironic I know but upon carefully observing its behavior, I realized there was nothing to fear about. I was never up that close to a manta before. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience…. Or is it? We will see as I dive my way around the world 😉

2. What is the best food you’ve ever had and where?

Without hesitation, I would say Pad Thai in Thailand. I’ve had those for most of my meals during my last visit to the country.

3. What is your favorite mode of travel and why?

I love to travel by plane. I love aerial views!

4. Name a place you’ve traveled that has surprised you and exceeded your expectations.

Raja Ampat, definitely. I mean, I’ve known that it is popular for its marine diversity but seeing it with my own eyes is just a whole new level of awesome! Imagine seeing at least 10 turtles, countless of diverse species of fish, 3 species of sharks, minimum 10 giant clams, minimum 15 bumphead parrotfish and a whole garden of corals in just 1-2 hours of snorkeling…And oh, a large pod of dolphins ‘playing’ just across our bungalow… It’s dreamlike!

5. What is the funniest thing that has happened to you in your travels?

Probably when we had breakfast with a group of extremely drunk Swiss guys in Camotes Island, Philippines. They had beer for breakfast. No judgement, they were hilarious.

6. What is the most friendly country you have ever visited? How did the people make you feel welcome?

So far, I believe the people of Siargao, Philippines were the most friendly. I remember one rainy afternoon when the Mister and I had to make a stop along the way to take some shelter. One family welcomed us to their house and offered us a local drink to warm us up. It was a nice genuine gesture.

7. What is the most profound experience you have had with a local in any country you’ve visited?

I was in Singapore and I had the pleasure to see the country from a local’s perspective through teacher Alexander Choy. I call him Kuya Choy. I met him through couchsurfing and he is one of those people who knows Singapore like the back of his hand. My visit to Singapore would never have been that awesome without his insights and tips on how to enjoy Singapore at its finest.

8. What is the most interesting historical fact you have learned in your travels and what country or city was it about?

The most interesting historical fact I learned is about Mike’s Point in Indonesia. During World War II, the Japanese kept bombing it thinking it was a warship disguising as a rock.

9. Is travel something you’ve always wanted to do since you were young or did the travel bug bite later in life? What was your favorite childhood vacation?

I’ve always wanted to travel ever since I can remember. I didn’t grow up in a rich family to have a very distant vacation. My summer trips to my Aunt’s place was joyful enough as a child to run around with the neighborhood kids and learn a new language.

10. What photography tips could you give for taking great travel photos?

Focus on lighting and perspective.

11. What do you hope people will learn about the world by reading your blog?

I hope to inspire those who dread life because they are stuck at their desk thinking that they can only daydream of wonderful adventure. It is possible to satisfy your wanderlust even if you have a full time job. Hence, this travel blog. It’s just a matter of time management.

My award nominees are:

1. Inspiring Travel
2. Kimchi Traveler
3. Pen 2 Needle
4. Local Girl, Foreign Land
5. The Wander(full) Life
6. Roam with Racheal
7. Adventures of Five
8. Seesaw Travels
9. Wanders & Words
10. Solon Travel
11. Pennyworth Travels

Questions for my nominees:

These are lifted from a series I created called ’10 Questions’ and I thought it would be interesting to ask the same questions to my nominees.

1. When did you decide to start your blog  and why?
2. What is best travel memory?
3. How often do you travel?
4. Who is your biggest travel inspiration?
5. If you can move anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
6. What is the best food you’ve ever had and where?
7. What’s the most challenging thing you’ve done?
8. What’s your favorite place so far?
9. What place(s) is on top of your bucket list?
10. What was your most embarrassing moment while traveling?
11. What do you hope people will learn about the world by reading your blog?

Looking forward to seeing my nominees’ posts and thanks again for the nomination! 🙂

Laster Christmas HQ’s Projector Guide