Just another list I’m not on, an analogy of Don Meador’s post Lists that didn’t list “Get a Room”, sigh.
However I really want to congratulate my colleagues with their first ever competition at Lonely Planet
Matthew Cashmore had the good idea of having Lonely Planet organize a Travel Blog Award.
He announced today that Voting is Open until March 20, 2009:
The results are in, we’ve run the figures and we present the top five nominated blogs in each category.
You can vote for one blog in each category. Please do only vote once – we’re sure there are ways you can get around the tech, but please, do only vote once. We reserve the right to remove votes we think are fraudulent – and remember – public voting will make up 50% of the overall score.
Voting will close at 12am on Wednesday 20th March 2009 Pacific Time USA
Best Destination Blog
* www.manzanilloblog.com
* whistlerblackcombsnowreport.com
* www.GoVisitHawaii.com
* www.spottedbylocals.com/berlin
* rwapplewannabe.wordpress.comBest Expat Blog
* www.yucatanliving.com/
* www.notesfromspain.com
* roamingrachael.blogspot.com
* rwapplewannabe.wordpress.com
* bearshapedsphere.blogspot.comBest Consumer Travel Blog
* travel-rants.com
* matadorgoods.com
* elliott.orgelliott.org
* blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/
* travelingmamas.comBest Travelogue
* worldinslowmotion.com
* uncorneredmarket.com
* windyskies.blogspot.com
* everything-everywhere.com
* theprofessionalhobo.comBest non-english Travel Blog
* lavoltadels25.cat
* triplib.de
* dulichbonmua.blogspot.com
* aatomiku-seiklused.blogspot.com
* amafrika.blogspot.comBest Spanish Language Blog
* objetivolima.wordpress.com
* blogdeviajes.com.ar
* viajerasdelmundo.blogspot.com
* misviajesporahi.blogspot.com
* churuymarianenelbolson.blogspot.comBest French Language Blog
* matetlola.uniterre.com
* panneauxdumonde.toile-libre.org
* tropic-of-capricorn.fr
* cathetyan.uniterre.com
* toothbrushnomads.com/dotclearBest Italian Language Blog
* piedistanchi.com
* ilreporter.comilreporter.com
* avventuregialle.splinder.com
* turismolento.blogspot.com
* lafilibusta.blogspot.comBest Micro-blogging
* twitter.com/HostelColonial
* twitter.com/nerdseyeview
* twitter.com/soultravelers3
* twitter.com/travelblissful
* twitter.com/travelsavvykaytBest Video Blog
* scenicboys.typepad.com/scenicboys/
* youtube.com/user/soultravelers3
* twoguysaroundtheworld.com
* amtrekker.com
* youtube.com/user/GoHawaiiTVBest Themed Blog
* walktalktour.com/~blog/
* mykugelhopf.ch
* bigbluetech.net/big-blue-tech-news/
* travelswithtwo.com
* soultravelers3.comBest Image Blog
* everything-everywhere.com/Photography
* atodocaucho.blogspot.com
* elsuenodeindia.blogspot.com
* MyKugelhopf.ch
* tacogirlblog.blogspot.comBest Group Authored Blog
* blog.mrandmrssmith.comblog.mrandmrssmith.com
* matadornetwork.com
* SpottedbyLocals.com
* travelgeneration.com
* travelingmamas.comBest Podcast
* notesfromspain.com/podcasts
* indietravelpodcast.com
* notesinspanish.com/spanish-audio
* amateurtraveler.com
* viajerodelmundo.com
Interesting categories and for me many new names..well there can always be critique, I for instance miss an industry category and a one author blog category, but all in all I’m glad that the Travvies initiative that was started in 2007 and dropped in 2008 so enthusiastically by Upgrade, Travel Better has now a decent sequel.
On Twitter Matthew commented that more than 500 Blogs were nominated by the public and that the top 5 in the categories got more than 100 nominations. He promised me to publish the whole list with the results. That will be interesting, especially to compare with my sortable list of Travel Blogs.
Next year Matthew considers to have the nominations also judged on beforehand for 50%, like he will do now with the public voting outcome. That could prevent multiple nominations like now.
Added February 26:
After monitoring one day of voting It seems that the Spanish “voting posse” is much better organized that the English langguage “voting posse” ….
Related posts:
- The 2008 Travvies – Best Travel Blog Awards: Open for Nominations. Be Quick!
- Travvies 2007: Best Travel Blog Awards: open voor voting
- Happy Hotelier on Bloggers Choice Award
- Dutch Group Travel Blogging initiative "Spotted by Locals" wins People Award in Mashable's Open Web Awards Travel Category
- The Start of the Travel Blog Carnival
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m excited about these awards because, unlike many, there’s a judging panel to counter-balance the popularity contest that many blogging awards become. I agree, it’s great to have a new, reputable travel blog award.
My site, Indie Travel Podcast, is up for best travel podcast and I know we’ve got some top people and shows to compete with. Good luck to everyone.
Hi Craig,
Congrats with your nomination and good luck!
Hi Happy Hotelier.
Thank you very much for your entry about Lonely Planet Travel Blog Awards.
I’m another one nominated to “Best Image Blog” and I’m very excited with this notice. It’s a pleasure for us come to be a finalist of this awards.
Good luck to all nominated
Thanks to the Awards I have discovered your blog! Very interesting!
A big hug! I’m a nominee as Best non-English blog (http://www.lavoltadels25.cat it’s in catalan, I also have a Spanish Version http://www.lavueltadelos25.com)
Hugs!
It’s exciting that Lonely Planet is hosting this contest. I was thrilled to be nominated in the Best Destination Blog category! (I’d be grateful for your vote for GoVisitHawaii.com!)
I think there will be lots of lessons learned from the first year of the awards process that will make future contests better.
One thing I really like about the contest (besides making it into the top five for expat blogs) is that it’s bringing us all into better contact. I haven’t had a chance to go through all the categories, but I’ve gotten a number of hits from your site already, and it breaks us all out of our blogging caves just a little bit. So thanks for that, and I wish you well in this endeavor and beyond!
I opened my blog about my travels some months ago and I’m very proud Lonely Planet nominated it within the Best Italian Language Blog (www.piedistanchi.com)
For those who don’t understand Italian the url means “tired feet”, which is my personal idea of discovering the world…
Ciao.
I actually think that its good that there’s some unknown blogs nominated. It’s opened up new blogs to me, and good ones too.
Sorry, I forgot to add that congratulations to all nominated blogs, and good luck.
I’ve heard rumors that the Travvies may come back to life this year, but it’s great to have another set of Travel blog and website awards in its place. Like Craig, I think it’s the right move that the final decision will be based on 50% voting and 50% panel.
Our site (uncorneredmarket.com) is nominated for Best Travelogue, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Good luck to all the great blogs (and microblogs) in other categories!
Congrats to those nominated!
We at TwoGuysAroundTheWorld.com were nominated for best video blog. There’s a real neck-and-neck race going on. It’s exciting! :)
Yes, like you, this is another list I didn’t make. But wait till next year – big plans are afoot as I am soon to go on the road permanently…..
Thanks so much for writing about this! We are beyond thrilled ( and totally shocked) that we were the only ones nominated in 3 different categories.
Perhaps because we are the only family on their 3rd year of an open ended world tour, so very much a Travel2.0 Trio now.
“Best Themed” for our blog, “Best Video” for our Soultravlers3 Youtube Channel that my husband does and “Best Microblogging” for my worldtraveling Twitter habit! ;)
Wow, quite a mouthful, eh? I thought we didn’t even make it when someone first sent me, because we were halfway down the page and I had not even told anyone about the nomination process.
Congrats to all the nominees! I think we are all on pins and needles during this very competitive, high stakes race. Lonely Planet’s name means more to many more people than Webbies, Bloggies, Travvies etc.
I also want to acknowledge you Happyholtelier and all the truly magnificent blogs that did not get nominated. Just because someone did not get nominated or does not win, does not mean they are not “BEST”. I think we are yet to have a really clear and fair travel blog contest, (although I am not sure my old heart could handle another.)
Voting is just never a fair practice and there is always some cheating, so it does help that this one also has some judges and I appreciate Lonely Planet’s awareness to all of this.
BUT I think other changes are needed to make it really fair. ( If a contest like this can ever really be fair).
First, I think there should be some real criteria set about what exactly constitutes a “BEST” ( or even a “good”, so we can understand what “Best” is for each particular category.) Some categories are even quite unclear on what exactly is being judged and the choices unbelievably diverse.
My husband participated in and won many design competitions and i think it would make sense to run a blog contest like they do with specific criteria for each category.
The good news is this is a great opportunity for everyone in travel, so something to celebrate! Next years will probably be even better!
Find your favorite Vietnam vacations and Vietnam tours with our tour operator. We’re simply the best travel agent in Hanoi Vietnam.
Congrats to my friends at triplib!
What a fabulous site for traveleres made by nice, cool guys.
Thanks dudes- you’ve got my vote!
David!
It was a great excitement for me to know about the Awards. Thanks to your post to make me aver of it.
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