Tips for couples travelling together

A couple in the wild. [iStockphoto]

Before COVID-19 caused major disruptions in the travel industry, Dos and Waimuyu Kariuki were having the adventure of a lifetime - globetrotting riding their two BMW700 GS motorcycles.

Their mission being to travel to all seven continents within four years.

Unfortunately, the pandemic disrupted their dream. However, not before they had conquered Africa, and Antarctica.

The couple had travelled together for over one year, and confidently shared their advice for couples travelling together. Here is what they share as part of their extensive experiences.

Why travel as a couple

Dos and Wamuyu say travelling together helps a couple to bond and cement their relationship. It helps a couple discover so much about each other, that they did not know before.

"We spent 24-7-365 together, unlike when we were back home with work and other commitments. We have learned each other's strengths and weaknesses," says Wairimu, adding that travelling together taught them to be a team, besides being husband and wife.

"It is better than attending marriage counselling.

Planning and budgeting

Before you embark on a long trip, save money and design a budget. List the activities you would like to do during your travel and estimate their cost. Also, factor air, bus tickets, accommodation and food, medical bills, and miscellaneous expenses such as souvenirs and gifts in your budget.

The length of your travel is a big factor in budgeting. With this in mind, you get a good picture of what kind of money you need. The bottom line is saving and planning before the adventure.

Make your meals

Eating from restaurants is expensive, and you only eat what the restaurant offers even if it does not offer what you want.

Everywhere you travel the world; you will find supermarkets and grocery shops. Buy your ingredients to make your meals, save money, and eat healthily. Besides, you achieve quality time preparing meals together as a couple.

Camp as much as you can

The cheapest accommodation is camping. In rainy seasons, it may not be possible to camp. However, there are good seasons in a year when you can maximise camping.

If you are in all-year-round warm countries, you have all year to camp. It is easy to find free campsites using apps such as free camping in some countries and if not, campsites are cheap and safe.

Stay in hostels instead of hotels and short-term rentals

Camping may not be everyone's cup of tea, so hostels make the next cheapest accommodation. Apps such as Hostel World have hostels all over the world.

The advantage of using such Apps is that you can read honest reviews from other travellers, which makes it easy to pick a place. Besides, prices are listed so you can find what is within budget.

Sign up for group tours instead of solo guided tours

Focus on the purpose of your travel - to learn the history of a country, see and experience its beauty, go for hikes, and many other activities.

All these experiences come at a cost. Signing up for group tours or activities is cheaper than signing up for solo guided tours.

Some experiences are mandatory to have a guide and group tours make the best options, as guides are not cheap at all.

Do your laundry

Laundry services come at an extra cost. Though you may not like doing laundry, when we think of the money to pay for this service, you will do laundry as it is a money saver. The trick is not to accumulate laundry.

Volunteer in exchange for food and accommodation

This is the ultimate saver. If you are in a position to volunteer, do so. You will get free food and accommodation and learn new skills that are good for your curriculum vitae.

Find ways to make money while travelling. Also, share your experiences on YouTube and grow your subscriptions to be able to monetise it. As a traveller, you have unique experiences that only you can tell your story.