About Splendidly Traveled
Hi! We are Manoshri & Galya. This website came into existence because of our love for travel and photography. Splendidly Traveled seeks to inspire those interested in exploring new places and cultures. Also, those willing to hike steep trails to gaze at yet another stunning mountain view or sunset.
Every place has its own story, and we try to convey the unique beauty of every location through photography and writing.
About Manoshri
Manoshri loves being creative and trying out new things. Our hiking trips always take much longer because of the number of photos she takes. Her other passions are graphic and interior design, DIY recipes, music, and spending time in nature. Manoshri designed and is managing this website. She also has a food & beauty blog called Myriad Flavours.
One of her most significant accomplishments is running a 6-Day Race in Florida in 2016, where she finished first overall with 432 miles / 695 km—averaging 72 miles per day. She also participated in the 10-Day Race in New York twice, where she ran 609 miles / 980 km.
About Galya
Galya loves sports, particularly running, cross-country skiing, and kayaking. In the evenings, he enjoys gobbling down a bowl of ice cream from our freezer.
Galya’s biggest accomplishment is running the longest foot race in the World three times, the 3100-Mile Race. The aim of the race is self-transcendence and the triumph of the human spirit. Galya is the fourth-fastest finisher, running the distance in 42 days, 17 hours, and 39 minutes. He is the only participant who ran over 70 miles every single day of the race. Galya also won one 24-hour race, four 48-hour races, and two 6-day races.
Where Do We Live
We are fortunate to be living on a beautiful Vancouver Island in Victoria, BC. From here, we regularly travel to Squamish, Whistler, and the Rocky Mountains. Victoria has the mildest winter climate of any city in Canada, and because of its many parks and green spaces, it is called “The Garden City.” It is an outdoorsy place with many hiking and biking trails and offers an excellent opportunity for sea kayaking between the Gulf Islands.
If you are ever planning to visit Victoria, a must-see is the famous Butchart Gardens, which opened in 1904. They are seen by over one million people annually and are particularly spectacular in the spring. We also love walking through Beacon Hill Park when the weather is nice. There are many beautiful flowers, ponds with geese and ducks, free-roaming peacocks, and ancient trees.
How Do We Make Money for Traveling
We own a small wholesale business that keeps us busy, and Galya also works in the construction business as a finishing carpenter. In our free time, we love hiking, discovering new places and taking photos. Manoshri writes the blog posts and edits photos in the evenings and on the weekends.
If you are interested in working with us, we are happy to partner up with travel-related companies. For more details on partnership possibilities, please visit our Work with Us page.
Where are We Originally From
Both of us are initially from Europe. Manoshri was born in Slovakia and moved to Canada when she was 20 years old. The northern part of Slovakia, where she grew up, is surrounded by mountains and is very close to national parks. One of her favourite memories as a child was going hiking with her family on the weekends.
After finishing veterinary high school, Manoshri decided not to go to University to become a veterinary doctor, as she planned. She decided to do some travelling instead. Manoshri spent a few months in Prague and Scotland helping with two large concerts; she worked for four months in Austria and three years in London, England.
Galya was born in Ukraine but studied and worked in Prague, Munich, and New York. Ukraine is located in eastern Europe and is the second-largest on the continent after Russia. Galya grew up in the southern part of the country next to the Sea of Azov, which connects to the Black Sea. He finished University with Engineer’s degree. Afterwards, he left Ukraine and lived in a few different countries, then finally landed in Canada. He speaks English, German, Russian, Ukrainian, Czech and Slovak.
Travelling the World
It is a dream of many people, including us, to travel more. There is a certain fulfillment in visiting new places and seeing different cultures. Travelling takes us out of our daily routines, pulls us out of our comfort zone, and opens our minds to new ideas and possibilities.
Travelling is not always cheap, but there is always a way to make it more affordable. If you do not have enough money, you can travel locally and find budget accommodation. During summertime, we love camping, because it is much cheaper and this way we also spend more time outside. You can also make money while travelling; there are countless possibilities.
We try to visit far-away destinations a few times of the year. More often, we take shorter or longer trips throughout British Columbia. We think of ourselves as very lucky because there are so many beautiful places inside our province.
Over the years, we have learned that collecting experiences is so much more fulfilling than owning things. You can visit our Travel Tips Page if you need advice on booking flights, accommodation, packing guides, or other helpful tips.
How to Take Beautiful Photos
Photography became one of our passions some years ago. There are so many different ways of taking photos; there are no limits to your imagination. On our Travel Tips Pages, we will be offering some guides on choosing the best camera equipment for travelling. In the future, we would like to put together a package of photography presets that we created, and we will make them available on our website.