Planning a romantic trip can sometimes prove hard to do - especially if your finances are a little low and you can’t take your partner to a Michelin-starred restaurant or fly somewhere tropical. But what you should always try and remember is that it’s not about where you go, but the effort you put into making that getaway into something extra special for you and your other half.

Here are a few handy tips that will help you transform any destination into a romantic getaway. 

Nothing, I think, hurts much more than extremely cold water. It is like a thousand little knives hitting your body. And then there’s the bone-aching cold that numbs your body and makes it hurt to move. You do not want to swim in extremely cold water, unless you have a dry suit. Fortunately we were going scuba diving in Northern Australia - in Cairns.

Planning a holiday in Florida? Then be sure to include these top four destinations on your travels: 

4 places you must visit on a trip to Florida

1. Miami marvels

Magic city - that’s what Miami’s called, and not without good reason. You’ll discover a tantalising mix of vibrant city life cheek by jowl with a landscape of unsurpassed natural beauty.

I’ll never forget stepping off the airplane for the first time at the Beijing airport and thinking to myself “What the *#@&$ did I just get myself into?” I didn’t know a lick of Mandarin other than ni hao, and prior to leaving I probably couldn’t have found Xinjiang, the province that was to become my new home, on a ma

Maria Castello is a recent graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied English writing and literature. During her time in college, she spent a semester studying in London, where she interned with a small publishing company. She loved her study abroad experience so much she is now planning to attend graduate school and pursue a career in international education. She loves classic novels, tortoiseshell cats, and green tea, and is currently learning to speak Italian.