We Travel on a Budget and Show It: Retired Couple Blogs from Warm Countries
Pensioners moved from Perm to Yeysk and started a travel blog on Yandex Zen. In it, they show their interesting life on the road, review places, and offer useful tips. Their channel became popular and has already gathered 59 thousand subscribers. 59.RU spoke with the authors to learn more about their trips.
The spouses« blog is called »Pensioners Can«t Sit Still». It began with an article they published in 2019, describing their first independent trip. «Until 2012, my husband and I only vacationed on package tours: to Turkey, Egypt, Cyprus, Thailand,» the blog«s author says. »We didn«t even imagine it was possible to travel independently, without guides and travel agencies.» In a recent article, the bloggers recall how they even started traveling: «In 2009, we thought: we should go on vacation somewhere abroad. After all, all our friends had been to Egypt and Turkey more than once, and we didn»t even have passports.«
The blog is run by the spouses, 68-year-old Andrey and 59-year-old Svetlana. Andrey worked in restaurants and cafes and then started a small trade business. Svetlana was also an individual entrepreneur before retirement, and before that worked for 17 years as a music teacher at a Perm school; she now sings in a vocal ensemble. The couple has three adult children.
«They Recognize Us, Bring Gifts, It»s So Nice«
Svetlana and Andrey mainly travel in Southeast Asia and Russia. They have already visited Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Cambodia, Turkey, Egypt, and Cyprus.
The family calls the trip to the Philippines in February of last year their most memorable journey.
«It was our first time there, we swam in the ocean with sharks, with schools of sardines,» Svetlana shares her impressions with 59.RU. «People go to the Philippines mainly to see the underwater world, as it is very developed there, for snorkeling—you swim with a tube and look at the fish. Sri Lanka was also very memorable for its wildlife: here we have cats and dogs running around, but there, monitor lizards, monkeys, peacocks roam, lemurs jump on branches. You sit on the balcony, and monkeys are jumping on the branches, or a peacock is walking nearby, or a monitor lizard.»
Snorkeling is swimming on the surface of the water to observe the underwater world using a mask, a breathing tube, and fins.
Svetlana shared with 59.RU how the idea came about to start a channel, show people travels, and she told about its goal.
«First, we accumulated experience, a travel portfolio since 2012: we went to winter in Thailand, Vietnam every winter,» says Svetlana. «We really wanted to tell and show about it. The mission or goal is to show that even retirees can go to a warm country, because we travel on a budget, and I show that.»
The family couple comes up with ideas for filming and articles together.
«We walk with him, discuss what else to tell. On trips, the topic finds itself. At home, I work on the topic of a diary and savings: I write a little diary about how we live an ordinary everyday life in Yeysk, I tell where to save, where what discounts, what cashback, which banks we use, and people are interested in that.»
Over the years, the couple has started to be recognized in other countries—their fellow countrymen subscribers often approach them.
«On the beach in Sri Lanka, people who had previously read our articles approached us,» Svetlana says joyfully. «They were very grateful to us for the useful information and even brought small presents from Russia.»
How to Take the Plunge and How to Save
The blog author gave advice to novice travelers who don«t know where to fly and how to decide to go abroad.
«If people are afraid to go on their own for the first time, then I would advise going through a travel agency on a tour, everything is thought out there: the road, transfer, hotel,» says Svetlana. «To Turkey, Egypt, Pattaya, Phuket, usually everyone goes, it»s very interesting for beginners. On tours, you can gain experience in how it«s all done, and then plan your vacation on your own.»
Now Svetlana and her husband do not live in Perm; six years ago they moved to Yeysk, on the Sea of Azov. There are familiar couples living there; once they came to visit them and liked the city: «Very pleasant for living in retirement.»
The retiree-traveler revealed what money they travel on: with her husband they spend their savings and a small income also comes from Yandex Zen.
The correspondent of 59.RU asked Svetlana how to save on travels.
«You can use early booking promotions or last-minute tours,» the blogger shares. «I am subscribed to many groups in Telegram, specifically for travelers, and to various bots that give out last-minute tours. You specify there from which city you want to fly, for how long, what star rating of the hotel and how many people, and this bot will send two or three offers a day. There are very wonderful prices: to Turkey for 35 thousand rubles (about $400 at current rates) or to Egypt for 40 thousand rubles (about $460 at current rates). You have to use all sorts of bots with last-minute tours and tickets.»
