A married couple who made the ‘personal choice’ not to have children, could not be happier with their decision and have found ‘joy’ through travel.
Shahariath Sarmin, 45, and Rezaul Bahar, 47, said they had no regrets about not raising a family.
They said: ‘It was just something we did that was good for us. We didn’t want to have children to be more happy or to have more joy in our lives. And now, as we travel to so many countries, we found that it was probably the right decision.
‘We could not travel as much as we are travelling now.’
And they’re travelling a lot. They’ve ticked off all seven continents, 102 countries – and have plans to see all 195.
Shahariath Sarmin, 45, and Rezaul Bahar, 47, made the ‘personal choice’ to not have children and found it was ‘probably the right decision’ – as they love to travel. The two are pictured above in Antarctica
The adventurous couple have visited 102 countries. The pair are pictured at The Giza Pyramid Complex in Egypt
The Bangladeshi couple married in 2005 and moved from their hometown in Dhaka to Essex, Connecticut. They began travelling in 2008, with their first trip together being a visit to the Bahamas.
Speaking to MailOnline Travel about their love of adventure, Bahar said: ‘Travel is a kind of happiness to us.’
The pair work full-time, Bahar as an engineer and Sarmin as a business consultant, and use up most of their annual leave on travel.
They plan at least six to eight trips a year.
Bahar revealed they have spent a total of $500,000 (£393,247) on their adventures over the past 16 years.
The couple moved from Bangladesh to America in 2005 and began travelling in 2008. Here they’re pictured in the Amazon Rainforest in Peru
Sarmin and Bahar have spent a total of $500,000 (£393,247) on their adventures over the years and use up most of their annual leave on travel. Sarmin is pictured above in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia
He said: ‘Our investment goes to travel. We pay upfront so by the time we go to the destination, everything is paid for.’
Why do they travel so much? Bahar said: ‘It keeps us going.’
Sarmin added: ‘It is a break from my daily work. I don’t have to think about my work or chores.
‘Most importantly, I enjoy it with Bahar. It’s a time for connecting with him.’
Some of their favourite places they’ve visited together are Antarctica, Alaska, Mongolia, Egypt, Iceland, Kenya, Morocco, Patagonia, Jordan, Chile and the Faroe Islands.
The couple explained that travelling gives them ‘joy’. Here they’re pictured on one of their favourite trips, in Antarctica
Sarmin said she uses travel as a way to connect with her husband. She’s pictured above in Antarctica
Sarmin’s top choices are Alaska because of its ‘quietness’ and Kenya due to its vast wildlife. She even got a chance to see the animals up close in Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Bahar added: ‘Number one for me is Antarctica. People have to understand the vastness. Everything is giant.’
The couple were also blown away by Egypt, which Bahar described as ‘like time travelling’.
Is there anywhere they won’t go? Bahar joked: ‘Sometimes we tell people that you cannot pay us to go to Western Europe.’
Sarmin added that they don’t like big cities either, with the only exception being Dubai, where she said everything is ‘shiny’, including the ‘people, buildings and culture’.
Bahar said that travel ‘keeps us going’. The couple are pictured at Cox’s Bazar Beach in Bangladesh
While the pair don’t like cities, Dubai (pictured) is an exception. Sarmin described everything in the city as ‘shiny’
Next on the list for them is a visit to Bulgaria in May, and Bahar has left March open for a spontaneous trip.
While some people might find travelling tiring, the couple admit they rarely think about sleeping once they’ve touched ground abroad.
Bahar said: ‘Some people see it as difficult but I think we made it our lifestyle. We thought: “This is our thing. We have to do it.”‘
He claimed people who don’t travel are ‘missing the opportunity to see something they’re capable of seeing’ and urged anyone who is ‘physically and mentally able’ to explore.
For more from the couple visit their YouTube channel – www.youtube.com/@CoupleTravelingTheWorld.
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