At turnup.travel/new the team is here to transform your dream into beautiful memories, which means we take a bit more interest in your travel. When it comes to romantic getaways, there are things to consider before, during, and post the trip to ensure you achieve your objectives so here goes our five tips.
- Budget
Money is always the elephant in the room, so it is only fitting to talk about it. Of course,, we’re not privy to how deep your pocket is but one thing is to align your preference with the budget. We’ve had instances where one-half of the couple wants something that the other cannot afford, so it’s only fair (and to make our lives easier) to talk about. Of course, couples are at different stages of their relationships; certain things can be fully paid treats or family getaways. You can also include travel trackers such as excel for budgeting together and planning throughout the year.
One key thing is to save for the holiday. Talk to us early to give you a staggered payment plan that helps you pay in instalments. Holidays are the best days, so we’ll walk with you to find what suits your interest, occasion, and preference.
- Sync with her other monthly calendar.
Unlike men, women have their other calendars, which also you have to keep in mind or at least be mindful of because her menstruation cycle affects her body, mood, and ultimately your experience.
There are a few things you can do
You can check her Flo app/My Calendar or whichever app she uses to track her cycle to pick dates. Of course, if you have dated for a while, you already know how her month looks like, but sometimes dates will clash with Easter, valentines, Eid, Christmas, or new years so you can do the following.
If you experience heavy periods whilst travelling, it may be a good idea to double-up on the period protection. You could insert a tampon or cup and wear a pad or a pair of period panties for extra protection.
You can take pills to delay the period if you have to travel – but please consult your doctor. Always seek to get professional medical advice as treatments work on people differently depending on cycle variation, pre-existing conditions and other factors.
You can push or pull dates if you have the flexibility – again, discuss with your partner here.
You can travel with your period starter kit. For us, we have a care package in our first aid kit with painkillers, other tablets for bloating, etc., and special treats. You can talk to us as your travel agents on any special requests – we also carry emergency pads onboard and even condoms as part of our sexual reproductive health.
If you need a hot water bottle, we can arrange that. But we also have downtime between activities on group trips to give people a chance to unwind, sleep it off and, of course, make love. For longer trips, we even have free days for rest and relaxation, and our couples packages will feature spa treats or surprises.
If one is pregnant, please disclose that in your request, so we tailor your experience with that in mind. Air travel before week 36 of pregnancy is considered safe but check with your doctor before you fly.
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The occasion and squad
Your travel agent is on your side, so share information regarding the purpose of travel, such as his or her interests. We are here to make you look good, so this information is used to customize your trip to suit your goal. And sometimes, you can go on holiday and do absolutely nothing. Sleep, eat, make love, talk and chill. In this social media era and privacy, we think it is also important to discuss social media sharing of the trip, especially for new couples. The consent applies there too. Not everything can or should be documented and shared online so have that chat as well. You can take as many pictures of each other and together and keep them private if one party doesn’t want to be posted. There are also those that want to be posted online to be loved loudly so talk through these things.
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The group trip
In some instances, you have two people joining a group where one is paying for the other, and we get conflicting instructions on accommodation – like one person wants an extra room or bed, but the other says same room/same bed or tent. This is mostly for two people who are taking their first trip in between the friendzone and ‘what are we’ stage to ask one out officially. So please discuss your rooming requirements – do you need a double bed or two beds in one shared room, or two single rooms? Discuss that so you don’t leave anything implied as consent later – and if you’re travelling with people you will be sharing a villa with, or someone invites you to a trip, and you’ll share a room, please define those boundaries, so you don’t find yourself in weird scenarios. If you’re in a self-catering serviced apartment, just ask; what is the sleeping arrangement? Can you chip in extra to get your own room? Or are there ladies or other men coming that I can share the room with? Don’t leave home without clarifying these things, and if the answers are not satisfactory, please don’t assume anything. If there is no consent, there is no pleasure and if there is no pleasure then there will be trauma.
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Things to do/ see and your itinerary
Unfortunately, not all partners make good travel buddies, so you have to discuss how your days will look like. You find that one wants to catch the sunrise in the morning, and the other prefers cuddles and your morning routine. Or one loves partying and nightlife experiences, but the other prefers to have dinner at 7 pm and turn in early. One likes swimming, but the other doesn’t swim. One would like to explore the destination while the other wants to just chill and read a book with a glass of wine.
One is afraid of heights, but the other wants to go ziplining, bungee and do a hot air balloon ride.
These are just circumstances that could breed conflict. So do discuss or find a balance so that you don’t end up with disagreements. Of course, you can design the itinerary together and leave room for discovery, chilling, and derailment – spontaneity and serendipity.
What are some of the experiences you’ve had that make your trips with your partner enriching?
Do check out some of our couples packages here.
Honeymoon packages here
Request your tailored itinerary here
turnup.travel/new would like to partner with organizations to have a package that includes:
a) condoms (male & female)
b) an HIV self-testing kit,
c)Sanitary pads/tampons
d) Information on sexual reproduction health
Partnerships@turnup.travel/new
The article was written by Maureen Wangari, reservations manager at turnup.travel/new