Meet The Couple Who Have Been On Holiday For Six Years

Meet the Australian couple who traded in their jobs for a life of adventure.
Jarryd Salem, 27 and his girlfriend Alesha Bradford, It's a nomadic lifestyle the pair have been embracing for more than six years after realising their love for the road and they won't stop until they explore every inch of the planet.
Walking away from the life of comfort, the couple are currently backpacking their way from Thailand to South Africa - and they're roaming across these countries without using any air transport.
Jarryd Salem and Alesha Bradford pictured at Kuang Si Falls in Luang Prabang as they enjoy their time
‘After a few years of backpacking around North and Central America we decided we wanted a new challenge,' Mr Salem told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Our modes of transport will be motorbikes, trains, buses, cars, tuk-tuks, camels, hitchhiking, boats and anything else that keeps us on the ground.
‘The no flying rule was simply a fun goal we set for ourselves, which grew more appealing as time went on.'
Before their life-changing experience took place, the duo lived their own separate lives in different states in Australia.
Mr Salem was bouncing in between dead-end jobs in Sydney while Ms Bradford operated machinery on her family farm and worked as a receptionist for agricultural companies in Western Australia.
Travelling on their journey of a life-time - the Aussie couple pictured on their first day trip in Singapore
Pictured at Sapa View in Vietnam as the pair document their best advice and stories from the locations
Bradford partying at the Thingyan Festival in Mandalay Myanmar as she documents her time on their blog
Chasing their travel dreams at the age of 20, Ms Bradford set out on her own adventure in 2004, while Mr Salem jumped on the backpacking wagon in 2007.
But one night in September 2008, the pair had their first encounter in Vancouver of Canada before Ms Bradford packed up her entire life Down Under and made the big move just three months later.
‘I was working as a bar security at a hostel in Canada when Alesha was staying as a guest,' Mr Salem said.
‘After that first night, we ended up spending a week together before she headed back to Australia for a few months but I convinced her to move back - and the rest, as they say, is history.'
Travelling on their journey of a life-time, the couple have spent four months in Thailand and Myanmar and eight months riding on their motorbikes through Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
‘We have decided to make the bucolic paradise of Phong Nha in central Vietnam our temporary home while we prepare ourselves for the next leg of the journey,' Mr Salem said.
The couple purchased two cheap motorbikes in Laos as they rode through Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam
Walking away from the life of comfort, the couple pictured backpacking through Tulum in Mexico
The duo travelled to Luang Prabang in Northern Laos where they explored the beautiful Kuang Si Falls
‘In 2015 we will finally leave South-East Asia and spend the year backpacking around China, Central Asia and the Middle East - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkey.
‘After that we will probably take another small break somewhere in Europe to recharge our batteries before attempting to take on Africa.
‘That will be the longest and most difficult part of the adventure, and we think this could take anywhere between 12 and 18 months to travel through.' 
While it seems the pair have dropped their ‘normal lives' to chase the freedom of life on the road, Mr Salem said they are ‘happy to break away from society's expectations'.
‘Is working 40 hours a week for 50 years, paying off a mortgage and hoping that you will have enough health and wealth to enjoy your old age considered "normal"?' he said.
Mr Salem drinking and mingling with the locals during a motorbike stop at Phonsavan Laos
Ms Bradford embracing the picturesque view and serenity surroundings in Dalat of Vietnam
The couple pictured 'hanging out with Lenoardo' at Maya Bay in Thailand where 'The Beach' movie was filmed 
‘Our ‘pre-travelling' lives were definitely not mediocre, but they were far from being extraordinary.
‘We quickly fell in love with the simplicity and freedom of life on the road and knew early on that we could continue to pursue our new life for as du lịch hạ longdu lịch hạ long as possible. 
'All it took was that first step to ignite the passion.'
Both sharing one thing in common, Mr Salem said even if they find themselves 'stationary' for a while, he doubts their 'love of travel will ever burn out'.
'Our ultimate goal is to open up a backpacker's hostel somewhere in this world, and I am sure one day we will find the perfect place to do this,' Mr Salem said.
'After we reach South Africa we will re-evaluate where we want to go next. Perhaps we will jump on a freight ship and cross the Atlantic to South America, or head up the coast of West Africa. 
'Maybe we will grow tired of living out of a backpack and throw a dart at an atlas to decide where we want to settle down for a while. Time will tell, and we're in no rush.'
Ms Bradford pictured as they prepare to head off on the Maeo Hong Son Loop for five days on their scooters
After kayaking around Halong Bay in Vietnam,  the pair found a private inlet, describing it as 'incredible place'
Pictured at Phong Nha in Vietnam as the couple write, photograph and share their experiences to others
The couple pictured at Da Nang in Vietnam where they visited the Marble Mountains and Son Tra peninsula
Up until this year, Mr Salem was working in construction while his girlfriend held jobs across restaurants, bars, hotels and cafes to be able to put money aside for kynghidongduong.vn their big adventures.
'Working full-time doesn't seem like a chore when you have a different backdrop to call home every couple of months,' he said.
'These days we have been lucky that we are starting to earn an income from freelance travel writing, as well as generating some funds from our blog. We are focusing more on these endeavours.
'We are loving the new challenges of having a continuous project on the road as well as share our lifestyle advice to help others make the most of their own adventures.'



The couple pictured after riding their bikes for more than 2000km in Cambodia before entering Vietnam
Pictured with the Mad Monday Hostel group in Siem Reap on Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia as they party
Mr Salem pictured trekking through mud to get to the beginning of the Tu Lan Cave System in Vietnam
As life on the road continues for the Aussie couple, the pair admitted they miss their friends and family but Salem added their ‘home' is wherever they rest their heads at night.
‘Our family and friends have fully supported us every step of the way - both when we left home on our first solo adventures, du lịch hạ long and now that we are travelling full time together,' Mr Salem said.
‘We are both very close with our family and having them encourage us has been instrumental in helping us follow our dreams and our hearts yearn to explore what else is out there.
‘This nomadic lifestyle we have developed is far from perfect, but it is what makes us happy. At the end of the day, isn't that all that matters?'