If you’re looking for something to boost your mood this month, look no further. Earlier this month we put out a call on social to ask you lot to share with us your #ContikiLoveStory from around the world. And we were inundated! From proposals, long-distance lovers and new besties for life, to the couple who met 25 years ago on their first Contiki and are still together today, we’ve collected a beautiful catalogue of heartening stories to properly warm your soul.
And what better time than Valentine’s to share the love? So grab a cuppa, cosy up and prepare to leave feeling fuzzy.
Gabriel proposed to Amélie on their first holiday, a Contiki trip to New Zealand
Amélie: “It was in New Zealand back in March 2020 and it was our first couples trip together. It was actually Gabriel’s first time leaving Europe from Switzerland, where we’re both from. We did The Big Tiki, Christchurch to Aukland – and we had a lot of fun! We were supposed to stay a few days more but it was in the middle of the pandemic so we had to leave early. Gabriel then proposed to me on the last night on tour with all of our new friends. He’d wanted to ask me at Hobbiton but we had to go back before. It’s a strong memory we have together 😊 ”
Jillian met her fiancé on a Contiki in Greece - but turns out they had history before...
“My fiancé and I met in August 2017 in Greece — he was on a 5 day Greece Contiki, and I was on a 5-week European Explorer. Our tours happened to cross paths on the island cruise, but we met the night before in a restaurant in Plaka, Athens, by chance. After becoming friendly – as we’re both from New York (neighbors, actually!) – we discovered he met my roommate in our local bar 6 months prior!
When we got back to the USA, I messaged him on my US cell number, and it turns out we had a text history! My roommate at the time didn’t save his number and didn’t know who she was texting, so she’d asked me to text the number and see if I could get his name. We stayed friends for a year, then ended up taking another Contiki trip together in Argentina and Brazil. That’s where we decided to try out a relationship. Three years later, we’re engaged and planning a destination wedding!”
Imogen met her bestie Jess on the other side of the world
Imogen: “I met my best mate Jess on The Big Walkabout in Australia in 2019. Turns out, we only lived an hour and a half away in England but it took meeting on the other side of the world to bring us together! One of the best people I’ve ever met and couldn’t have done it without Contiki 🇦🇺 🦘❤️ ”
Anne and her hubby met on a Contiki tour in the 80s....and are still married today <3
Anne: “We met on the 21 day Contiki European tour in 1988. He was from California and I was from Ottawa, Canada. In Venice, we needed a sixth person for the gondola ride, and he offered to join our gondola. We hit it off and 31 years years later, we are happily married with two wonderful kids. My daughter did the same tour 25 years later, but wasn’t as lucky as me 😉 ”
Now THAT is one epic #ContikiLoveStory.
Jessie and her fiancé Josh conquered long distance after meeting on a UK Contiki in 2019
Jessie: “Josh and I met on the walking night tour in London the day before our Great Britain and Ireland trip in January 2019. To me, he was the typical Aussie lad, complaining about the cold and cracking all the jokes. To him, it was love at first sight over beer in a pub!
The day our trip started, there was a spare seat on the bus in front of me. He hopped on to sit in front of me, and we chatted, joked and laughed – and very much annoyed our future best friend Amy, also my Perth Contiki Soul Sister (That’s another love story for you all!). Our trip was magical, getting to see the beautiful sites of the UK and make memories with our new pals Amy, Luke and Bec.
From the get go, Josh and I were inseparable. There was the distance – me from Perth, and Josh from Queensland – but we knew that wouldn’t stop us! We did long distance for the year of 2019. Every four weeks one of us would find the time to fly back and forth – we made it work, and it was the greatest of adventures! At the start of 2020, Josh made the big move to Perth, right before the pandemic hit. Now, in 2021, we have just bought and moved into our new house and can’t wait to see what the future holds. Contiki opened my eyes to the world and blessed me with the greatest of people. A big shoutout to Amy who will be our MC at our wedding and Bec to being Josh’s grooms-woman ❤️”
These BFFs met on a European Discovery and have stayed in touch across all corners of the globe
Vii: “My BFFs and I met on a European Discovery in 2017. We only knew each other for 2 weeks, yet formed a lifelong, unbreakable friendship. We all live in different parts of the world (Canada, New Zealand, US, Australia) therefore four different time zones, and still make time for each other, whether it’s text or video chat. We’ve also gone on other Contiki tours since then, or traveled across the world and spent time together. It’s wild how your random choice of trip dates could end up being so vital in leading you to people who might be permanent figures in your life 🤍 ”
We absolutely love this BFF #ContikiLoveStory! You just never know who you’re going to meet on Contiki…
A last minute 'yes' to this trip turned into yes for life for Ash and her partner...
Ash: “My husband and I were both a last minute third wheel to our friend’s Contiki trip back in 2013. We met on day two of the European Explorer trip and spent every day after that together. He lived in California and I was from Massachusetts. Once we got back to our homes we decided I would fly to Cali two weeks later to see him. After four months of long distance I quit my career, left my apartment and moved to California. We got married in 2016, have a 2 year old daughter and one more on the way!”
Michelle met her adventure-loving fiancé on a Contiki in Greece
Michelle: “During the summer of 2014 Ryan was backpacking through Europe, and I was on my first trip abroad on a Greece Contiki. Our travel group merged with another group – that’s how I met Ryan, and we had our first dinner overlooking the windmills and sunset of Mykonos.
In January 2015 a couple of friends from our Greece trip started planning a trip to Machu Picchu, Peru. I messaged Ryan to say he he had to join, he agreed, and come May we were all on our way to Peru with Contiki on the Peru Uncovered tour. One night we snuck up to the roof of our hotel and talked about our dreams, fears, aspirations and childhood until the sun started to peak out in the horizon. It was a fast fall after that!
When the trip ended, Ryan promised to visit me in Miami from his hometown in Edmonton, Canada… and he did. Two years of long distance and I made the move to Canada! We’ve been engaged for almost 3 years (thanks COVID!) and awaiting the day we can officially say ‘I do’ on a mountain top in Banff. I didn’t believe in soul mates before Ryan, but Contiki led me to mine halfway across the world and I am eternally grateful.”
