For many newly married couples, a honeymoon is a time to relax in luxury, sip bubbles by the pool or take in a gorgeous sunset of a delicious meal.
But if travel is your passion, then one destination will never be enough as Australian duo Caleb and Teneale Rybalka have revealed.
The pair will embark on an epic honeymoon in 60 countries within 500 days – which roughly equates to a year and a half of sightseeing.
‘Originally, the plan was for three months over the European summer… [but] then Caleb kept finding things that he would like to do,’ Ms Rybalka told FEMAIL.
So three months turned into six, then 12, and now a staggering 18.
‘Oktoberfest in September was added, then Christmas in New York, then winter and the Northern lights in Alaska, Anzac Day in Gallipoli, the Ashes in England.’
Australian couple Teneale and Caleb Rybalka are taking a 500-day honeymoon (pictured together)
The pair said when they told friend and family of their plans they were told ‘they were crazy’
By the time the pair finished brainstorming, their itinerary was packed with destinations to see the sights of the world’s most interesting places.
‘When we started telling our friends and family we heard it all. Some of the best reactions were “You’re crazy!”, “How you can afford that?”, “That’s awesome, so lucky, will you survive?” and “Can I come with you?”‘ She said.
The globe-trotting twosome got engaged in January 2017 and took a year and a few months to wedding-plan and finalise details for their trip.
‘Day one of this epic honeymoon we splurged and booked ourselves business class tickets to Hong Kong,’ Ms Rybalka said
The pair married in March, and in August set off on their legendary trip.
And while they will be away from home for a year-and-a-half, the duo only took a 23-kilogram bag each that contained everything they would need.
‘Day one of this epic honeymoon we splurged and booked ourselves business class tickets to Hong Kong,’ Ms Rybalka said.
‘The direct service from Adelaide was a plus and I’m pretty sure hubby was snoring before the first glass of champagne could be poured.’
By the time the pair finished brainstorming, their itinerary was packed with destinations to see the sights of the world’s most interesting places
How we came to a 500-day honeymoon is 100 per cent Caleb’s fault’.’He’s my travel agent, so I left it to him,’ Ms Rybalka said
The pair have implemented a rule of ‘tent poles’ in their planning process, one that allows them to lock in countries on specific dates
The couple are retail travel agents who met through work and, as to be expected, bonded over a mutual love of adventure.
‘How we came to a 500-day honeymoon is 100 per cent Caleb’s fault. He’s my travel agent, so I left it to him,’ she said.
‘Everything he suggested, I wanted to do and more. So we would trade off.
‘”You want to go to the Ashes? Fine, then I want this six-star cruise from the Canary Islands to Barcelona.”‘
‘It got to the stage where as long as the dates worked, the answer was always yes.’
‘We have purposely left gaps unplanned and by no means do we have something scheduled every day,’ Ms Rybalka said
So far the Rybalkas have taken in the sights of Hong Kong, Cambodia and Vietnam, Ireland and visited the Scottish Highlands
Part of the beauty of the pair’s adventure is they’ve allowed themselves time to explore each place they visit.
Ms Rybalka explained how implementing a rule of ‘tent poles’ in the planning process helped by allowing them to lock in countries on specific dates to determine where they needed
‘We have purposely left gaps unplanned and by no means do we have something scheduled every day,’ she said.
And it also helped them spread the cost more effectively.
The pair paid off 60 per cent of their trip before they left over 18 months because they booked as soon as things became available which gave them access to early bird discounts and guaranteed flight availability.
The newlyweds are only a few months into their trip, however, it’s not all been plain sailing.
While in Hong Kong, the first country the duo visited, Mr Rybalka developed influenza A, bronchitis and viral pneumonia and needed to be hospitalised.
The experience was a testing time, Ms Rybalka recalled and would see them have to cancel a much-anticipated trip to China.
A flexible approach to their plans meant they could adjust their itinerary to suit – and spend a few extra days exploring another equally exotic locale.
Mr Rybalka developed influenza A, bronchitis and viral pneumonia while visiting Hong Kong and needed to be hospitalised
While the thought of travelling for 18-months is a daunting prospect for any newly married couple, Ms Rybalka said the pair are taking advantage of the fact they have the luxury of time
So far the Rybalkas have taken in the sights of Hong Kong, including a visit to Disneyland, Cambodia, Vietnam and Ireland.
Next up the couple will hike through the Scottish Highlands, take in the Nordic lights in January and drive through the United States in February.
While the thought of travelling for 18-months is a daunting prospect for any newly married couple, Ms Rybalka said the pair are taking advantage of the fact they have the luxury of time.
‘We want to start a family once we get home, so we are ticking off as many things as possible,’ she concluded.
Like any good adventurers, the pair is blogging about their incredible journey, and offer visitors tips, and a stunning selection of photos, on each country they visit.