La Dolce Vita: Vitality Travel's first love story

It sounds like a scene from a movie

A man meets a woman in Rome, introduced by a mutual friend. They chat while they order gelato and accidentally choose the same flavour. They laugh about it and spend the rest of the week getting to know each other. They fall hopelessly in love and a year later, they're getting married.

Love at first curtsy...

It isn't a movie, but the true story of Irakli, a South African data scientist, and Tamar, a professional ballerina. Both are 29 years old and were born in Georgia in Eastern Europe. Irakli's family immigrated to South Africa in 1994 while Tamar had spent her professional career travelling around the world, performing across major stages in Italy, France, Germany, and the United States.

Irakli says it was a last-minute trip to visit a childhood friend, Tengiz. But little did he know who else he would bump into. He met Tamar in a gelateria and after a ballerina curtsy, it was love at first sight. They say it was serendipity... and Vitality Travel.

Revenge travel turns into true love...

"There was a lot of revenge travel from consumers all over the world after the lockdown lifted and ticket prices were exorbitant," Irakli says. "But through Vitality Travel (the benefit where you receive two discounted international flights a year), I was able to travel affordably to Rome."

"One evening," Irakli says, "after exploring the Ancient Capital with Tamar, my heart popped. I knew she was the one. Of course, the challenge was the long distance..."

"After he came back to South Africa, I looked back at our photos and I understood just how much I was in love with him and missed him," says Tamar.

"People say falling in love is a magical moment and it's true," she adds. "Looking back, it also made sense. We've both lived in different parts of the world - he worked and studied in the US. And we both speak the same languages, Georgian, English, and a bit of Russian."

Will they... won't they?

"I had to visit her again," says Irakli. "And Vitality Travel helped me to go back. On my second visit I stayed two weeks and worked from Rome. When I had a break on the weekends, we'd travel to nearby cities like Florence, Napoli, Capri, and Lake Bracciano."

"I was living in Rome for 12 years," says Tamar, "so I took him on a tour of all the things tourists don't always see. We had a great time and I was so sad to see him go! We spoke every day after he left Rome and we were lucky that he could come back twice after that before I moved to Johannesburg. I don't think it would have been possible without us seeing each other again in person."

"He proposed over video call!"

The long-distance relationship was possible, thanks to technology. "We had special moments even though we were apart. I was preparing for a premier ballet performance and it was weeks of training, I was so tired. After the shows, he had sent me flowers and delicious meals from Uber Eats all the way from Johannesburg."

But it was his frequent in-person visits that created the magic milestones, she says. "I was so calmed and relaxed with him. I felt so comfortable. We met in April and by October we'd introduced each other to our families. When he came back to South Africa, he proposed over video call!"

Tamar is now rehearsing with the Johannesburg Ballet Company and teaching yoga part-time. "I want to be close to him. I love South Africa, especially the people. The city is wonderful with beautiful weather and I love nature. Seeing animals on safari for the first time was so exciting!"

Wedding bells and travel discounts...

Their wedding is in Tbilisi, Georgia, in April 2023. "The wedding will be at a historical church, looking over the old city. It's a great place, visa-free for South Africans, and close to Europe and Asia," she adds.

And, yes, they will be flying with Vitality Travel...

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