I am so excited to introduce today’s featured blogger to you! Kat Butler is the founder and creator of the couple’s travel and travel hacking blog, World Wide Honeymoon, with her husband, Chris. Kat is a travel hacking addict who is passionate about helping other couples experience the world through travel and getting there for less (and maybe in a little luxury). In her spare time, she enjoys running, listening to endless amounts of podcasts, and taking too many photos of her cat, Professor. She has agreed to share her top travel tips with us today. 

 

 

1. What is your top travel tip for cheap flights?

Travel Hacking, the art of collecting miles and points to stay and fly almost anywhere for super cheap, is my go to. Chris and I have collected over one million miles and points during the last year and a half and have used that for flights to Southeast Asia in business class, as well as round-trip flights to Peru, Paris, and Europe again for the Christmas markets, and even saved miles to fly my parents to Europe for their anniversary next year. That isn’t even including the several domestic flights I’ve flown for as little as $5.60 per way. Travel hacking brings the cost down and has already saved us over $25,000! If the most expensive aspect of travel is the flight and/or hotel stay, and you can get that down to a trivial amount, where would you travel? The possibilities are truly endless!

Now while there are several ways to travel hack, many of which I dive into on my own blog, the most lucrative is credit card sign-up bonuses. If you’re in a country that doesn’t have a lot of these frequent flyer programs, or you don’t have great credit to open these cards, there are other great ways to save money too. Notably, using Skyscanner to check out destinations using your time frame and you can find cheaper flights, or even Hopper, the app that let’s you type in your route and it predicts when flight prices drop and you can book. That’s what we did for our trip to South Africa last year and we booked when the flights dropped to $850 a person round-trip from Cleveland to Johannesburg!

2. What is your favorite, most romantic restaurant?

Not so much a restaurant than a bar, but the cliff side bar of Café Buza in Dubrovnik is the perfect place to grab a cocktail and watch the sunset over the Adriatic Sea with your love.

3. What is your favorite, most romantic hotel?

Simbavati River Lodge is by far my favorite hotel. Located in the Timbavati Private Game Reserve in South Africa, this little lodge only consists of three chalets for families and eight luxury tents for couples. We stayed in the luxury tent complete with an indoor and outdoor shower, A/C, butler service, and your own private viewing deck where we would lazily watch giraffes, various antelope, and warthogs wander past feasting on the greenery in between our game drives.

Not only does the staff take care of your every need, but if you’re celebrating a special event such as a honeymoon or anniversary, one of the nights on your stay you will have a private dinner tucked away with free champagne in a beautiful candlelit setting. Chris and I loved how simple and elegant this camp was, and we felt so close to nature and each other during our stay in this magical place.

 

 

4. What are some of the most romantic places you’ve ever been?

South Africa hands down is the most romantic place we’ve been to so far. Between the gorgeous winelands of Stellenbosch and Franschoek, the stunning scenery that is the Cape Peninsula, and, of course, the wildlife viewing on safari and watching the sunset over the wilderness, South Africa is truly a romantic and beautiful place to travel to with your love.

I also love Croatia, as the scenery is breathtaking with cliffs jutting into the Adriatic Sea as well as the clear blue water. Another notable place in my heart is France. I studied abroad there back in 2012 and fell in love with the country. With the Mediterranean Sea along Nice to the beautiful gardens and galleries of Paris, it’s easy to fall in love with France and romance your love there.

5. Any other special, top travel tips?

As we talk couples travel, a great tip for couples is getting both involved in trip planning! Sure, it can be easy to plan the whole trip and the other comes along, but asking what both parties are hoping to see during the trip and such helps everyone feel involved and appreciated. For instance, I’m the planner of the two of us, but for our honeymoon in Southeast Asia, I asked Chris what he was most looking forward to and had him plan that leg of the trip. He enjoyed researching and felt more involved in the process.

As far as saving money, rethink the need for hotels. Airbnb, VRBO, house-sitting and other home-sharing services are great if you are tight on funds but want to get away! I helped a couple plan their honeymoon to Hawaii and hotels are just so expensive! So we checked out Airbnbs and they were able to stay in budget and save that money for a splurge at a great resort at the end of their trip!

Have you used any of these tips in your travels? Do you have other tips or travel hacks you can share with us? Please comment below!

 

 

 

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