Abdul, 70, and Farida, 67, are a self-employed and soon-to-be-retired couple from Bristol, United Kingdom, who absolutely love travelling. They both have a keen sense of adventure with Abdul even being a bit of an adrenaline junkie! To date, Abdul and Fairda have embarked on an impressive seven tours with Expat Explore with plans to do many more.
Part of the Expat Explore family
At Expat Explore, there is nothing we love more than seeing return travellers. These travellers who embark on our tours time and time again become treasured members of our travel family. Abdul and Farida are two of our beloved family members who definitely feel at home on our coaches!
Abdul and Farida have always loved travelling and they particularly enjoy the group tour environment. “We just love making friends and enjoy the company of other travellers”, says Abdul. Today they have many friends from all over the world! On their most recent tour, they were coincidentally joined by a couple they had met on their previous tour. They stay in touch with many other passengers they’ve met on tour and now they have travel family members in Australia, the USA, India, South Africa and beyond!
Speaking of South Africa, years ago when Abdul and Farida joined our South African Escape tour, they met Expat Explore co-founders Jakes Maritz and Carl Cronje. Carl and Jakes are South African themselves and decided to treat the guests on this tour to an authentic South African experience – a braai (barbecue)! With this gesture, the passengers discovered the true meaning of the Expat Explore family.
Related: Discover how Sarah started solo but ended as a family in South Africa.
Favourite and Future Destinations
With so many destinations to choose from, it can be hard to pick a favourite. Abdul and Farida’s most recent adventure was the Highlights of Southern Italy & Sicily tour. This unique itinerary explores some of Italy’s lesser-known spots as it travels all the way from Rome down to Palermo, the capital of Sicily.
Palermo was one of Abdul and Farida’s favourite destinations visited on this tour. This ancient city is unlike anywhere else in Italy and is home to spectacular Arab-Norman architecture, high-quality yet affordable produce and a vibrant (and at times chaotic!) market culture and nightlife. Another southern spot which Abdul and Farida loved is the cave town of Matera in the Basilicata region. Matera is most famous for its UNESCO-protected Sassi complex of cave dwellings carved into the mountainside. It’s a truly breathtaking sight.
Related: Travelling to Italy in spring? Here’s what you can expect!
To date, Abdul and Farida list Eastern Europe as their top tour experience. Eastern Europe is home to a number of iconic attractions as well as hidden gems and is considerably more affordable and less crowded than Western Europe. From Austria and the Czech Republic to Hungary and Poland, there is so much to explore in this region.
Next year, Abdul and Farida are very excited to join the Highlights of Japan tour which they will embark on in October 2024. In the future, they would also love to experience our South America tours and our Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia tour.
Related: These are the top places to visit in Eastern Europe.
Lessons learned along the way
Travelling teaches you so much about yourself and the world around you. In Abdul’s words, “travel opens your mind to how other people live”. Gaining perspective on different cultures, people and places is such an important part of travelling. Not only does it teach you about others, it can teach you about yourself. This is also why Abdul and Farida love group tours. Through the other passengers, they gain insight into countries just by being aboard the coach!
Through visiting different places, our preconceived notions about certain countries are also challenged. Abdul and Farida anticipated many difficulties when travelling to Egypt, however, they found that it was actually very relaxed and easy! Expat Explore’s knowledgeable guides and expertly curated itineraries certainly take a lot of the hassle out of travelling. Everything from transportation and accommodation to activities and experiences is planned for you!
Related: Before you head to Egypt, read our guide to prepare yourself.
So, as seasoned travellers, what is one piece of advice that Adbul and Farida have to offer those who might be a bit hesitant about going on an adventure? In their words, “Do it before you’re too old!”. The older you get, the harder it is and you don’t want to look back on your life wishing you could have explored more.
Have Abdul and Farida’s adventures inspired you to get out there? Have a look at our upcoming departures and book your next adventure!