Travel has always been a huge part of our lives. Between us, we've explored over 50 countries, both separately and together, long before Our Atlas Adventures became a family travel blog.
From RV adventures in the Canadian Rockies and hiking in Patagonia to turquoise lagoons in the Philippines and unforgettable wildlife encounters in Borneo, these are a few of the incredible adventures we shared before having children.
Our travels look a little different these days, but our love of discovering somewhere new hasn't changed.
Before we were researching car seats, packing endless snacks and planning holidays around little legs, we were busy exploring the world together.
We've both been fortunate enough to travel widely, separately and as a couple, and some of our favourite memories are from those adventures.
We love mountains, hiking, wildlife, road trips and finding experiences that feel a little out of the ordinary. Those interests haven't disappeared since having children. If anything, they've shaped the kinds of family adventures we love planning today.
This is a little collection of our travels before kids, with the stories, itineraries and practical advice from four particularly memorable destinations.
These are just a few of the incredible places we've explored together, each offering something completely different. Discover our stories and travel guides below.
Of all the amazing trips we've taken, our RV adventure through the Canadian Rockies is still one of my absolute favourites.
We hired a campervan and travelled through Banff and Jasper National Parks, discovering breathtaking mountain scenery, turquoise lakes, spectacular hikes and incredible wildlife.
From Lake Louise and Moraine Lake to the freedom of exploring by RV, this was an adventure we'll never forget.
Explore Our Canada Travel Guides →
We'd planned an incredible six-week adventure through South America, but COVID had other ideas, bringing our trip to an unexpected early end.
Thankfully, we still managed one of the experiences we'd been most excited about: hiking the famous W Trek in Torres del Paine National Park.
Dramatic peaks, spectacular glaciers and days spent hiking through Patagonia made this an unforgettable adventure, even if it didn't quite go to plan.
Explore Our Chile Travel Guides →
Our Philippines adventure was a wonderful mix of beautiful beaches, island exploration and experiences unlike anything we'd done before.
We explored Bohol, paddleboarded along the Loboc River, watched fireflies light up the trees after dark and discovered the famous Chocolate Hills.
We then enjoyed snorkelling around Panglao and exploring the incredible limestone islands and turquoise lagoons around Coron.
Explore Our Philippines Travel Guides →
If you love wildlife, Borneo is somewhere truly special. We combined our Philippines trip with a visit to Malaysian Borneo, and the experiences were completely different.
We visited Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre before travelling along the Kinabatangan River for a wildlife safari.
Spotting proboscis monkeys, wild orangutans and a herd of pygmy elephants bathing in the river was absolutely incredible. It remains one of our most memorable wildlife experiences.
Explore Our Borneo Travel Guides →There are so many memories from our travels, but these are a few of the experiences that have really stayed with us.
Waking up surrounded by mountains, exploring incredible hiking trails and having the freedom to travel with our accommodation wherever we went.
Five days exploring Torres del Paine, hiking between mountain refugios and experiencing some of the most dramatic scenery we've ever seen.
Paddling along the river after sunset and watching entire trees light up with fireflies was such a unique and magical experience.
Watching pygmy elephants bathing in the river and spotting wild orangutans made our time in Borneo truly unforgettable.
Want to dive a little deeper? These are some of the detailed guides and stories we've written about our travels.
Our experience exploring Banff and Jasper by RV, from campsites and hiking trails to incredible lakes and wildlife.
Read Our Canada RV Adventure →Our guide to hiking the W Trek in Torres del Paine, including route planning, accommodation and practical advice.
Explore Our W Trek Guide →Our two-week-plus adventure combining beautiful islands, unique experiences and extraordinary wildlife encounters.
Read Our Philippines & Borneo Adventure →
Becoming parents certainly changed the way we travel, but it didn't change our love of exploring the world.
These days, our adventures involve a few more snacks, rather more luggage and considerably more planning!
But we've also discovered how incredible it is to experience new places through our children's eyes.
From exploring Yosemite with a one-year-old and three-year-old to hiking in the Austrian Alps and Dolomites with our boys, we're continuing to seek out memorable adventures that work for our family.
Explore Our Family Travel Adventures →