If you want to create a stronger bond with your partner, you’ll have to think outside the proverbial box. What’s more fitting than a couple vacation?
Vacations do more than just give you a chance to relax and have fun. They can also be a way for you to connect with your loved ones. This is especially true for couples, as it feels more intimate because it’s just you and your partner. There are no work commitments, or unwelcome guests. Plus, you get to have lots and lots of sex.
Why do couples need to take vacations together?
Taking trips together isn’t necessary when you’re just starting out as a couple. When you’ve been dating for a while, though, it’s only normal for you to plan a trip together.
Some refuse to do so, if their principles are set on not sleeping together until they’re married. But most couples nowadays take every opportunity they can to spend time together, away from their daily lives.
When you and your partner go on a vacation, you experience lots of new things, and learn about the places you go to, as well.
Apart from that, you can also discover new things about your partner. Putting yourself in atypical situations can bring out a different side of you. Spending time together, without any interruptions, can also bring you closer. You get to talk more than you usually do, and you start to appreciate what you’ve been missing out on.
Vacations to bring you closer
If you’re planning a trip soon, choose one that will let you and your partner experience something new. Make sure that it gives you time to bond.
#1 Hiking. The great outdoors, the sun on your face, the wind in your hair… I guess that’s a lot to ask in this day and age of excessive comfort, but it works. You and your partner get to spend as much time as possible with no hope of escape. The thrill of hidden bears and mountain lions can spice things up, too.
#2 Backpacking in an exotic country. It’s like an extreme version of hiking, only this time you and your partner get to carry huge loads on your backs. And sorry, girls. You can’t ask your man to bring your bag—unless you want to be cruel. Barring the agony of carrying your own luggage, backpacking in foreign countries is a great way to challenge your communication skills and experience a different kind of daily living. Experiencing this together will help you and your partner grow as a couple.
#3 Beach trips. Sounds boring? It depends on whether you’ll spend it holed up in your cabana, or sleeping on the sand. You’ve got a great view, an array of activities, and the love of your life beside you. Boring? We think not. You just have to make the most of your time, because beach trips are few and far between—unless you live next to one. If that’s the case, go to a beach in a different country. It’s worth the trouble, we promise.
#4 Cross-country road trips. Trapped in a car for an undetermined amount of hours? Sounds utterly romantic. But it works. You can’t not talk, which means that your communication skills will be more than honed on this trip. You’ll see so many new things—as long as you go somewhere new—and the achievement of finally arriving at your destination will more than make up for the tiring trip. Make sure that your destination is worth it, though. You shouldn’t end a trip on a sour note. Ever.
#5 Ghost-hunting. Not the real kind. Just go to a tourist trap, where it’s safe and you can’t ever encounter actual ghouls. We’re not saying they’re real, but it’s better to be safe than possessed—uh… sorry. It’s a cool experience, because it’s thrilling and you don’t get to do things like that on a daily basis. A lot of people want to cross this off their bucket lists and this is your chance to do just that. The best part is, you can always go back to the fun memories you had where you took a trip and, hopefully, didn’t find Casper.
#6 Skydiving. Or any activity that could very well result in a gruesome death, but with insurance and highly-trained professionals at your back. This is the epitome of the physical thrill that you can experience in your relationship. It can bring you closer together, because it’s a totally unconventional thing to do, and it also pushes you to test your mental and physical boundaries. Having your partner there means that you will share this feeling and live with it for the rest of your lives.
#7 Snowboarding/surfing. Any new sporting activity that requires you to leave your zip code is a great plan for your next vacation. You can take classes together and experience the joys of wiping out together. If that’s not a bonding experience, what is? Aside from trying out a new activity, you and your partner can take advantage of the location and explore the heck out of it. You’re already there, anyway.
#8 Habitat for Humanity. Taking a trip to do something noble and good? An excellent plan. The feeling of giving something to the community, partnered with sharing the experience with a loved one, is one of the most rewarding things you can do. Not only did you help someone out—you also managed to grow together as a couple.
#9 Camping. This is hiking without the walking, and backpacking without the hostels. It is, arguably, the most efficient way to spend a vacation and it costs almost nothing. You get the communication deal and working in the woods *even if it’s just to start a fire with some gas and a lighter* can be a really good bonding experience for couples. The quiet environment and the change of pace is refreshing, as well. With that kind of setting, you and your partner are sure to grow closer–and more outdoorsy.
#10 Staycations. If you don’t have the budget or the time, holing up at your place can still be an idyllic vacation. Just lock the world out by turning your gadgets off and leaving the phone off the hook. Well… you’d need to stream to get Netflix, so maybe not all the gadgets. You can cook something together, listen to music, dance, and all for the low price of nothing! Considering all that you have to go through just to get out of the house, this might just be the best option out there.
Have you chosen which vacation you want to go on? No destination is more important than what you can achieve while you’re on your trip—and that is to connect with your partner on a deeper level.
