A honeymoon usually comes with a return date. Mike and Anne Howard took a different path: they left in 2012, and the journey became the basis of HoneyTrek, their travel website and work as authors.

The early photographs show the variety of that shared adventure, from a desert view to a welcoming room and a temple framed by roots. They capture moments from one stage of a story that continued well beyond the original 2014 feature.

Mike and Anne Howard together in an early desert travel photograph
Mike and Anne Howard together in an early desert travel photograph. Gallery attribution: Mike and Anne Howard / HoneyTrek.

What happened after the early honeymoon account?

On the current HoneyTrek website, Mike and Anne describe fourteen years of travelling since their 2012 departure. Their work now includes destination guides and books, including Ultimate Journeys for Two and Comfortably Wild.

Tree roots covering part of a temple facade in an early HoneyTrek travel photograph
Tree roots covering part of a temple facade in an early HoneyTrek travel photograph. Gallery attribution: Mike and Anne Howard / HoneyTrek.

That gives useful context to the old photographs. The early country counts and day totals were a snapshot, not the final length of their travelling life.

Their website is also a reminder that the public story includes work: writing, researching and sharing information alongside the experience of being away.

Start with a shared idea of an enjoyable day

For your own trip, the most useful conversation may happen before you choose a destination. Ask each other what an ordinary good day would include.

One person may want a long walk and an early start; the other may care more about a slow breakfast and time in a town. Write down the priorities that matter most, then look for a plan with room for both.

Our couples travel guide offers more ways to turn those preferences into practical arrangements.

Choose a few anchors and leave some room

A major activity, a place you both want to stay or a particular landscape can give the trip direction. You do not need to fill every interval around it before leaving home.

Separate the things that genuinely need advance booking from the choices you can make later. An unplanned afternoon is easier to enjoy when the essential transport and accommodation are already clear.

For a shorter honeymoon, our Greek honeymoon ideas show how a few destinations can support different kinds of shared time.

Share the practical work as well as the highlights

Agree who will handle particular bookings, check-in details or navigation, and make sure both people can access the essential information. Divide tasks by preference, but review the plan together so that neither person carries all the mental effort.

Discuss spending openly. A trip shaped around a mutually comfortable budget leaves more room to enjoy the day than one where every purchase becomes a surprise.

If you are considering a much longer journey, use our five-step long-term travel plan to work through funding, cover and a return reserve.

Make memories at a pace you can enjoy

You can take inspiration from the Howards without copying the scale of their project. A week with a thoughtful route and shared priorities can be just as personal as a journey measured in years.

Try keeping a small record together: a photograph each, a favourite meal or a sentence about something that made you laugh. Lens Between Us offers one creative way to include both perspectives.

The part worth borrowing is the attention you give to the experience together. The length of the trip can follow the life and plans that make sense for you.

Mark and Camille’s 500-day honeymoon offers another example of the planning and compromises behind an extended trip together.