How to Pull Off a Dream Round-The-World Honeymoon

Great whites, South Africa

Why limit our wildlife encounters to land? Having always been intrigued by these apex predators, we jumped at the chance to see them up close in one of the best areas in the world to see great whites. This is the same area where they filmed the breaching sharks with high-speed cameras for the Planet Earth series.

Roman Forum, Italy

When in Rome… one must visit the Roman Forum. 

Gimmelwald, Switzerland

For some fresh air and incredible hiking, we went to the Swiss mountain town of Gimmelwald. 

Castle of the Moors, Portugal

The Castle of the Moors, Sintra, Portugal. Europe has such a fascinating history, and we were able to learn so much more about it by visiting places like this. 

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Lisbon, Portugal

An elevated look at central Lisbon, as seen from St. George’s Castle on the hill. A traveler could spend weeks in Lisbon trying to take it all in. 

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Twilight in Amsterdam after a long day of exploring by foot. While many are getting ready for a night on the town, these weary backpackers are winding down. We were traveling for so long, we had to really budget our money. That meant most nights we cooked our own simple meals from groceries rather than eating out, and enjoyed free entertainment, aka sightseeing, over paid shows and events. 

Mont St. Michel, France

Mont St. Michel island commune in Normandy, France. A monastery and surrounding community are built atop a rock in an intertidal zone. During high tide, Mont St. Michel is surrounded by water, and only connected to the mainland by a raised road. This ranks as one of most interesting places we’ve visited. 

San Sebastian, Spain

San Sebastian harbor. This small Basque city has gained international popularity with travelers looking for culture, cuisine, nightlife, and scenery. We highly recommend staying to sample the pintxos (Basque tapas) and sangria for at least a few days. 

Prague, Czech Republic

A European must-see is Prague. Pictured here is Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral overlooking the city, with the Vltava River and Charles Bridge in the foreground. 

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Koh Tao, Thailand

After a couple months of winter in Europe, we were ready for a change of scenery and climate, so we headed to Thailand. This is a tiny rock island called Koh Nang Yuan, just off of Koh Tao. The clear water and abundant sea life made it a great place to go scuba diving for the first time. 

Istanbul, Turkey

We hadn’t planned a stop in Istanbul , but our travel agent insisted we go since our trip from Europe to Southeast Asia would take us through there. So we gave ourselves four days, which wasn’t nearly enough. Istanbul is the only city in the world that straddles two continents, and as such, is very diverse. While much of Turkey is Muslim and conservative, Istanbul is very cosmopolitan, a melting pot of sorts. From the architecture and history, to the cuisine and shopping, this city quickly became one of our favorites. Pictured here, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, aka Blue Mosque – open to tourists of all faiths. 

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Ha Long Bay was one of a few epic places we visited while in Vietnam. Unlike Europe, the dollar goes much farther here in SE Asia, so we could afford to do some activities, like this multi-day sleep-aboard boat trip through the bay, which is scattered with thousands of islands and rock stacks. 

Hong Kong, China

From rural Vietnam to the megapolis of Hong Kong , there are extremely different experiences to be had within one small corner of the Asian continent. Hong Kong offers an urban experience like no other. There’s something to do at all times of day and night, there’s a restaurant for every taste, and entertainment for any fancy. And with a clean and efficient public transportation system, it’s easy to navigate for foreigners. 

Ubud, Indonesia

Rice paddy commute, Ubud, Bali. 

Gold Coast, Australia

The best way to travel Australia for any length of time on a shoestring budget is by camper van. So we bought a converted passenger van, of which there are thousands on the backpacker circuit. For two months it was our home on wheels with a double bed and storage underneath for all our gear, supplies, and cookware. Ideally, we would sell our van for around the same price we bought it for. But that is in a perfect world. The reality is that these vans have a lot of miles, and ours ended up needing some repair work. 

Twelve Apostles, Australia

The Twelve Apostles, Victoria, Australia. Seven Apostles remain, but the name stands. One of many gorgeous stretches of coast along the Great Ocean Road. 

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Melbourne, Australia

Australia’s culture capital, Melbourne. Art, music, architecture, cuisine — Melbourne has it all. 

Blue Mountains, Australia

Just outside Sydney are the Blue Mountains, an amazing place to camp and enjoy the scenery. We found a spot to post up for the night in the parking lot of a scenic lookout. We awoke to this view. 

Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown, New Zealand, is the hub for myriad adventure sports and a major destination for thrill seekers traveling in The Land Of the Long White Cloud. 

Banks Peninsula, New Zealand

How’s this for a camp site? There’s a free camping policy in many areas of New Zealand, which will hopefully continue for years to come so long as the tourists respect the land. We couldn’t imagine a more picturesque place to wake up than this spot on the Banks Peninsula, South Island. 

South Island, New Zealand

New Zealand has an extremely varied landscape. We chose the South Island for its ruggedness and large scale, but we are by no means adventure survivalists. There are plenty of hiking trails just off the roadside for regular folks like us. 

Tahiti

Tahiti was the last destination on our round-the-world honeymoon, and one of the most expensive as well. In hindsight that wasn’t such a good plan, since by the time we got there, our money was gone and we couldn’t afford to do anything besides paddle kayaks, snorkel, and enjoy the sunsets. Which actually isn’t such a bad way to spend the final two weeks of a 10-month honeymoon after all.

WATCH: On the Lookout for Great White Sharks in Cape Town, South Africa

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