You may have experienced it yourself or know someone who has, but there is a certain adventure that comes with falling “in love” abroad. It may have been a 5-day fling that fizzled or a long-distance love that lost its spark, but in the spirit of Valentine’s Day here are some good old-fashioned love stories to warm your hearts. Here’s to the travel love stories that lasted, here’s to the life-long lovers!

Bahamas Bliss

“I met my wonderful Kiwi husband in Nassau in the Bahamas in February 1988. I was there on four-day travel agents deal staying at the Sheraton British Colonel Hotel. We’ve been married for 30 years and Valentine’s Day is still a very special celebration of when we met.”

Change of Plans

“Before we met, my wife was living in London and her Mum came to visit from Melbourne. They went to Barcelona for the weekend where they got their bags snatched in broad daylight.  They were a bit freaked out, so they decided to cut short their weekend and head back to London. On the flight back, her Mum asked where she was planning to go next and she told her she was going to South America. Her Mum suggested that after what had happened, rather than travel independently in South America it would be safer to take a tour. So, she booked an Overland trip with Kumuka and…I was her tour leader.”

Backpacking Love

“I was backpacking around Australia with my best friend when I met a fellow backpacker from the UK at the Last Resort Backpackers in Broome. 25 years later we are still together and went back to Broome for our 20^th anniversary (and no we did not stay at the Last Resort Backpackers!).”

Luck of the Irish

“I met my wife whilst backpacking around rural Ireland – in a beautiful seaside town called Doolin. Some years later we got married by a river about 10 meters from where we first met. The core reason it happened is we were both ‘ready’ for it, not ready as in expecting it (the opposite in fact) …but we were open to it and in a good place in our hearts/minds etc, (just my opinion of course)”.

Language of Love

“My husband came to Australia travelling and to learn English so he could go back to Spain and further his career. Two months into his trip we met through his English teacher “my cousin ” and we fell in love instantly (very corny I know). Eight months later we got married, 10 years later we have 2 kids and living the dream. He still misses Spain but Australia is a beautiful place to raise kids.”

Home Is Where the Heart Is

“I have a love story from when I was a tour leader about two random people who came on a tour with me through Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Turkey and ended up falling in love on the tour. Both were from a smallish NZ town and they were about 5 years apart in age. They had never come across each other having grown up in the same town and even going to the same school. They recon they had heard each other’s names in passing but that was about it.

The fact that they were both from the same town got them talking. After the first week in Egypt I noticed that they were hanging out a lot together and at one stage I was going to intervene as I thought the guy might be trying too hard and I didn’t want the female to feel uncomfortable. I actually approached her to ask if she was OK with all the attention she was getting. She laughed and confided in me that she thought he was the ONE! I was like, “wow you have only known him for a week!”. She said she had never felt this attraction or connection to someone ever before and she thinks its mutual. After the second week through Jordan I started to notice they were holding hands discretely and sitting very close. Lots of giggles and laughing.

Once we got to Istanbul the whole group jokingly said well that in a couple of years’ time we will have to do the trip again and the two can get married along the way. Well about a year later they did actually come back to Jordan with close friends and family and they did in fact get married in Jordan as that is where their love blossomed to start with.

They have been happily married now for 15 years and they have two lovely children between the ages of 5-8.”

Feeling inspired to find love abroad or take your special someone somewhere new? Contact our team on lifestyle@globetrotter.com.au