Romantic Super-Short Travel Stories
Can you tell such a story in a single tweet? In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’ve revisited our Super-Short Travel Story campaign—this time with a call for romantic tales, each tweeted in 140 characters or less. The best examples range from a first meeting at 30,000 feet to an anniversary celebration in a fútbol stadium in Spain.
Reviewing more than a thousand tweets with the hashtag #TLStory has given us some insights into what makes for a romantic travel moment. Sometimes it was in the satisfaction of a discovery—say, a secluded beach or a neighborhood café at night. Other times, in surviving an adventure—together—or celebrating a special anniversary.
Of course, there’s nothing quite like the romance of a sunrise or sunset. Our Twitter followers mentioned the sun more than 140 times—further proof that the most romantic experiences don’t require rose petals or jewelry (neither of which was cited at all, in fact).
Read on for some of our favorite romantic Super-Short Travel Stories, and then tweet your own using #TLStory. The best ones will be retweeted by @TravlandLeisure—and a new #TLStory will be published in each month’s issue of Travel + Leisure magazine through 2013.
Mallorca, Spain
1 of 26
Rome
2 of 26
Hawaii
#TLStory in Hawaii for work. Flew wife on miles. Watched sunrise from Hanauma bay. Super surf on north shore. Garlic shrimp.Dinner Waikiki —@Jennas_Dad
Pictured: Hanauma Bay.
3 of 26
Argentina
4 of 26
Bora Bora
Woke up to Bora Bora sunrise illuminating the overwater bungalow, smiled at my new husband...honeymoon bliss. #TLStory —@LindseyDGil
Pictured: Another beautiful sunrise, Bora Bora.
5 of 26
Vermont
6 of 26
Italy
Arrive in MXP. Cute Italian guy approaches me, speaking Italian. I don't understand him. He plants kiss on me. Best welcoming ever. #TLStory —@_Pheeohnuh_
Pictured: Malpensa International Airport (MXP), Milan.
7 of 26
Hawaii
400-ft. waterfall. Dolphin kisses. Volcano sunrise. Road to Hana. Geckos indoors. Amazingly clear water. Hawaiian honeymoon. #TLStory —@elizabeth2004
Pictured: Aerial view of the road to Hana, Maui.
8 of 26
Spain
9 of 26
Istanbul
10 of 26
30,000 Feet
He had me at Hello. Or maybe it was Good Morning. Could have been, Are you serving breakfast on this flight? Uh...yes, yes, YES #TLStory —@Heather_Poole (flight attendant)
Pictured: A blissfully uncrowded flight.
11 of 26
Tanzania
#TLStory Newlyweds, we climbed Kilimanjaro. Husband’s knee collapsed & I carried his pack down 18,000+ ft. 16 years later: Still married —@katebetts
Pictured: Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.
12 of 26
Nightclub
"You dance like a Cuban girl" whispered through a heavy accent. Rum tobacco sweat, thick in humid air. Music, slow, sad. Close. #TLStory —@NomadOnTheMove
Pictured: A night club, Havana, Cuba.
13 of 26
Las Vegas
On a plane to Vegas for an Elvis-attended friend's wedding, I sit next to a woman who a month later sets me up with a boyfriend. #TLStory —@KellyTravels
Pictured: Chapel of the Bells, Las Vegas.
14 of 26
Turkey
#TLStory my husband proposed early one morning while we were watching the sunrise on our gullet cruise around Turkey —@kerritheaker
Pictured: Kerri Theaker with her fiancé, Turkey.
15 of 26
Venice
Sailing into #Venice on your 10th anniversary, knowing you just made your wife's dream of visiting this amazing city come true! #TLStory —@Tripcity_CH
Pictured: Rialto Bridge on Venice’s Grand Canal.
16 of 26
Bora Bora
Walking on the bottom of the ocean floor, feeding fish in Bora Bora while on our honeymoon aboard @PaulGauguin cruises #TLStory —@lori_gold
Pictured: A Paul Gauguin cruise ship, Bora Bora.
17 of 26
New York City
Armisen in Odysseus outfit solicits me before sirens seduce w/ "No Scrubs." Then, @ SNL, I'm stared down. It’s Usain Bolt. #TLStory —@mindypeanuts
Pictured: NBC Studios, where Saturday Night Live is taped before a studio audience.
18 of 26
Morocco
Wrapped under a duvet with hubby watching sunrise over Moroccan Sahara sand dunes. A camel ride later to see sunset from a dune top. #TLStory —@OurTour_co_uk
Pictured: Desert dunes, Morocco.
19 of 26
France
20 of 26
South Africa
Went to #SouthAfrica on a whim to find myself, found love instead. #sappytweet #outofcharacter #buttotallytrue #TLStory —@BySarahKhan
Pictured: Sarah Khan and her now-fiancé, Cape Town.
21 of 26
Vietnam
22 of 26
Cook Islands
Spending Christmas Eve with the hubby on #Aitutaki, Cook Islands, dancing with the locals! #TLStory —@valeriegarcia1
Pictured: Polynesian Dance Show at the Aitutaki Beach Resort and Spa, Cook Islands.
23 of 26
Istanbul
In Istanbul, an autistic girl stood up from table next to mine, come towards me, kiss me on both cheeks and went back to her table. #TLStory —@goshimish
Pictured: Mangerie restaurant, Istanbul.
24 of 26
Venice
25 of 26
Open Road
Me: Where does this road go? He: Where do you wanna go? Me: You tell me... (And he travelled happily ever after) #TLStory —@anuragamuffin
Pictured: A rural European road.