Trip Type #3: The First Trip With a New Partner

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Last Updated on May 2, 2024 by Jon Algie

There comes a time in most relationships when you must leave the comfort of your hometown and venture out into the world for a first holiday together. It might be to the next town, next country or maybe halfway around the world. That first trip can make or break a relationship, so I thought I’d give you a few tips on how to ensure it goes as smoothly as possible.

Timing is Everything

The first trip away for a couple can happen at any moment and there are advantages to both doing it as soon as possible and waiting a while. Gia and I went for a three-day trip to Phuket, Thailand about 6 weeks after getting together. It might seem fast but we were both really into travelling at the time and I think we were excited to see if we’d found the perfect travel partner (and it turns out we had).

If you travel to Phuket you should stay at Naiharn Beach, it's beautiful and quiet

Waiting for months or years has its advantages too. It’s safer obviously (going to a different country with someone you just met carries certain risks) and if you’re not especially into travelling it’ll set a good precedent for when you don’t want to travel in the future. You’ll also want to wait if you’re hiding some unsavoury or unappealing aspects of your personality. Being in a new environment during potentially stressful situations might cause that mask to slip a bit!

But Have You Considered the Cost?

Writing this post made me think back to a conversation between Nicola Tesla and Mr Angier in one of my favourite movies: The Prestige.

Tesla: Have you considered the cost of such a machine?

Angier: Price is not an object.

Tesla: Perhaps not, but have you considered the cost?

So, there’s more than just money here to think about. Maybe you’ve got money and want to treat your new partner to a glitzy trip to Bora Bora. You can afford it, but what does that mean for the rest of your relationship. How often is a glitzy trip to Bora Bora expected? Will I always have to pay? Are they only with me for Bora Bora?

Or maybe you don’t have much money but want to appear like you do. Or you don’t care about money and luxury but your partner does. Other “costs” include fast forwarding your relationship before it’s ready (especially if you go for a longer trip) or realising too late that this person you recently met isn’t actually a good person to travel with (or be with).

 

There are definitely risks involved but I reckon an early trip away with your partner is a good idea if you’re serious about the person. It lets you see them in a variety of new situations and it also allows you to spend a good chunk of time together uninterrupted. Gia and I went on to travel around the world together a year after our trip to Thailand (and we’re still together 10 years later), so it worked for us!

Where To Go

Where to go on a trip like this depends on where you live. I reckon it’s a good idea to go somewhere close first, whether that’s a short flight or a drive of a couple of hours or less. Gia and I were living in Singapore when we met so Phuket seemed like a logical choice. It’s one short flight away then a taxi to the hotel — no hassles with buses or anything and we had a few days in Phuket to explore and relax. If we had met in New Zealand it probably would have been Rarotonga — the perfect island for a trip like this!

Driving somewhere close is another good option for a first couple trip. Pick a cute little town, preferably by the beach or some other piece of nature and go for a night or two. You’re never more than a couple of hours from home if things go badly and you’re far enough away from home to feel like you’re doing something a little bit adventurous.

How Long to Go For

I’d say two or three nights is a good length for a trip like this. Kinda like a really long date than a proper holiday. If it all goes well maybe your next trip will be longer!

How Did it Turn Out for Us?

Gia and I went to Cambodia and the Maldives for short trips in the proceeding months and then our long trip around the world. That first trip to Thailand started it all and showed us that we had a lot in common in a travel sense — nearly two years around the world confirmed it!

Saracen Bay on Koh Rong Samloem, Cambodia

 

Are you planning a trip with your new partner? Share this post with them if you enjoyed it!

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Jon Algie

A travel blogger from New Zealand who hates talking about himself in the third person and has no imagination when it comes to naming websites.

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