The Perks of Traveling as an Intercultural Couple
I am a passionate solo female traveler but I also enjoy traveling with my better half. It’s always nice to be able to see different places and enjoy some quality time together. While traveling together, I also realized some distinct advantages when traveling as an intercultural couple.
Here are the perks of traveling as an intercultural couple:
1. Let your Partner be the Tour Guide
Jeongsu and I travel a lot in his home country of South Korea. What makes it especially stress-free for me is that he can communicate and navigate around without problems. We are always able to ask locals for insider tipps and guarantee a great time when we travel.
Due to the non-existing language barrier, we can book our tickets in advance on a Korean Website, instead of rushing to the station, and don’t have any problems finding our bus or train. Even changing buses or layovers become less stressful if your partner is from the country you are traveling in, or at least speaks the language.
Nevertheless, I also inform myself about our destination by reading up on different online content and am usually able to teach him one or two things along the way. Together, we are able to have a wonderful, stress-free and local experience when traveling in South Korea.
Cherry Blossom Festival in Jeonju
2. Avoiding Language Barrier and Culture Traps
When traveling as an intercultural couple, the language barrier is automatically minimized. Jeongsu is a native Korean speaker, which makes traveling in Korea super easy. My two native languages are German and English and I also speak French, Spanish and Chinese. Together, we can make it almost anywhere in the world.
Even cultural aspects, such as polite gestures, are easily avoided when traveling in an intercultural relationship. Jeongsu always “teaches” me Korean manners, for instance when to bow or take off my shoes in restaurants or temples; or how to eat certain local dishes the proper way.
Without Jeongsu, I probably wouldn’t have tried as much local food or it would have probably ended pretty embarrassing when I tried to eat a local dish and didn’t know how…
3. Low Pressure
Knowing your partner is by your side, immediately takes away possible pressure such as missing a bus/flight or getting lost in a city. Again, if you travel in your or your partner’s home country, your trip will be a lot easier since one of you is familiar with the area.
Even if you have never been to that particular city, if it’s in your home country, you will be more familiar with it than your partner from a different country, for instance.
How to eat Korean cold noodles
4. Experience Like a Local
The greatest perk of traveling in an intercultural relationship is that you will see or experience things you won’t otherwise see. If one of you is from the country you are traveling in, they will be more familiar with local food or other local specialties.
In our case, we always try local food, such as seafood in Busan or Bibimbap (mixed rice) in Jeonju. Without my Korean partner, I would not be aware of most local specialties and would have a harder time finding authentic restaurants.
Even though we travel a lot in Korea, we are able to bond and make beautiful travel memories together. In return, I show him my home country of Germany.
5. You become an Attraction Yourselves
Traveling as an intercultural or interracial couple usually raises a lot of attention. People start looking or even become curious and ask questions about our apparently so interesting relationship.
This can, however, become quite irritating. We experience this interest of other people in our relationship not only while traveling. Even in our daily life, people stare or ask us questions about how we met, our martial status and more.
Remember: you don’t have to answer anybody’s questions about your private life; don’t be an open book if you don’t want to!
exploring the Korean spa
I love traveling as a pair!
Traveling as an intercultural couple can make traveling a lot easier but you will also raise attention. I always enjoy traveling with Jeongsu and spending quality time together. After all, you get to know your partner better and can experience what living together would be like.
What do you like most about traveling as an
intercultural/interracial couple?
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Cute 🙂
It looks like y’all had a wonderful trip. I’m glad!
thanks! yes, we had a blast!
Of course traveling with your better half is always better! 😀 When we travel my bf is in charge of following google maps directions to arrive to our destination which I previously researched.
I think we have never had very personal questions from strangers. Now that we are traveling in Taiwan we just got the usual “she is very beautiful, where is she from” from chatty taxi drivers.
yeah, the usual. Yes, traveling with Jeongsu is amazing 🙂 makes us grow even closer together 🙂
lucky you, Momzilla was asked by a taxi driver what will we (Sing and I) do in case of another cultural revolution 😀 apparently they thought since I’m with Sing he needs to be some rich smartass and I’m with him for money 😀 muhaha 😀
what I like the most is the fact no one can trick me because he is always aware 😀
Usually you would think it is a benefit to be married to a chinese woman when traveling in China but this is only the case for asking directions etc. even though she is chinese she has actually no idea where anything is located in China or even in her own city. Apparently I am more familiar with xi’an than her 🙂
Good that you had a great trip
haha, sometimes Jeongsu isn’t the best navigator either 😀
This was such a great post, Linda!!! I totally agree!
I LOL’d at the ‘you become an attraction yourself’ BECAUSE ITS SO TRUE!!!! hahaha
I hope you had a great time! xxx
awww thank you Lauren! yeah, right? people have such a great interest in intercultural/interracial couples 😀
LOL! You said it yourself, #5 is not really a perk. We travel to see attractions, not to become the attraction 😀
exactly 😀 and in the beginning, i always felt kind of responsible to tell my story and be friendly but over time, I realized I don’t have to be an open book if i don’t want to!
What a beautiful post! Looks like you guys are having an awesome time during your trip!
oh yes, we had a blast! thank you Jocelyn! 🙂
I agree with every one of your points. Traveling in Asia with my late husband was more relaxing than traveling alone and I met people and saw things I wouldn’t have on my own. Although traveling alone is also good. It gives you a feeling of self-confidence.
definitely, traveling alone makes me feel confident and shows my strengths!
Awesome! I love travelling in Korea and having my boyfriend lead me. It also takes the stress out of it!
yeah, its great isnt it? do you have a Korean boyfriend?
Yeah. Its awesome living in the same country as him. He helps me with the language SO much