Valentine’s special: Couples who found love while travelling
Five couples found love while traveling, turning chance encounters into lasting relationships.
Love has a way of finding people in the most unexpected places, and for some, that place is the road. Travelling brings new experiences, cultures, and sometimes, a lifelong partner.
As Valentine’s Day is about to approach, we spoke to five couples who found each other while exploring the world. Some started as strangers, crossing paths in a foreign city or a remote mountain trail. Others built their bond over shared experiences, turning a simple trip into the beginning of a lifetime together.
‘Manifested my soulmate in the hills’
Delhi-based Akanksha Madan and Manu Bhardwaj’s story began during a group trip to Ladakh in 2022. Akanksha was travelling with her best friend, while Manu, a videographer, was travelling solo to capture Ladakh’s landscapes. “I’m a die-hard fan of movies like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) so maybe I manifested finding my soulmate in the mountains,” she tells us.
As the trip progressed, they often went on quiet trail walks and bonded over local cuisines. “He was that guy who got me, in one go,” she says. While they travelled across India, their trip to Tungnath, Uttarakhand remains their most cherished: “Standing at the edge of a cliff, with the Himalayas as witness and the blessings of the divine, Manu proposed,” Akanksha adds. The two wed in November of the same year.
Train waali love story
Priyanka Chellani and Gaurang Singh’s love story began at a railway station in Lucknow in 2017. They were waiting for the same train to Delhi and struck up a conversation to pass the time. Gaurang later reached out to Priyanka on Facebook and asked for her number.
They took their first trip together to Ladakh in 2018 and got married in 2021. “Every year on my birthday, Gaurang gifts me a trip to the mountains, knowing how much I love to celebrate that way,” Priyanka says.
Lost and found (love) in Thailand
Cynola Rodricks from South Goa never imagined her birthday trip to Thailand in August 2022 would change her life. During a visit to Bangkok’s Wat Traimit temple, she met Hyderabad-born Prudhvi, who was stranded after his Canada-bound flight got cancelled. Their lively conversation led to the two exchanging numbers before going their own ways.
“Prudhvi’s energy was magnetic, and I was drawn to his fascinating discussions,” Cynola says. The brief meeting left a lasting impact, growing into a strong connection, despite the physical distance between them. Nearly two years later, the chance encounter turned into forever as the two tied the knot in April 2024.
From high peaks to ‘secret’ bike trip
Mumbai-based Kiran Gupta first met Gorakhpur (UP) native Sanjay Sharma in 2014 while on a trek to Maharashtra’s highest peak, Kalsubai and they parted ways after exchanging LinkedIn profiles. They reconnected years later, when Kiran came across Sanjay’s post about his work and travels.
“In 2017, we agreed to meet as friends and ended up talking for hours,” she tells us. This led to a secret bike trip to Gujarat’s Rann of Kutch in 2018. The couple got married in December the following year.
Music, mountains and Meghalaya
Rucha Gotarkar first met her husband and fellow Mumbaikar Prayag Parekh after impulsively booking tickets to the NH7 Weekender music festival in Shillong (Meghalaya) after a break-up. When her travel companion fell sick, she reached out to a college junior who was also going to the festival.
Rucha shares, “He told me three friends, including Prayag, who was living in Gurugram at the time, would join him.” A mix-up in bookings caused Rucha to bunk with Prayag and they bonded over music. A few weeks later, they decided to give long-distance a shot. The pair got married in December 2023 and settled down in Panaji, Goa.
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