Yorkshire couple find blogging fame after quitting teaching to travel the world

Liam and Philippa Doherty on the Great Wall of China

Soon after tying the knot, the couple, who are 30 and 25, quit their teaching jobs in Bradford to embark on the ultimate footloose adventure.

The pair, who first met at Leeds Festival, gave up their mortgage and careers to travel the world, and have spent the past year backpacking around nine Asian countries.

Under the moniker Hitched Hikers, the newlyweds have gained a huge global following through their blogging site and Instagram page - which has over 3,000 fans.

Liam was working as a lecturer at Bradford College and Philippa as a teaching assistant when they made their life-changing decision, having already bought a house together in Thornton.

"We were following the routine progression into adult life. Before long we were married on Lake Como in Italy. However, after returning from our wedding the standard route into marital life deviated massively from the so called 'norm'. We immediately sold our car and most of our belongings, let our house and moved in with my parents. We saved rigorously for the remainder of the summer, with Philippa working three jobs for a time," said Liam.

"On the final day of August 2016 we waved our jobs, family and friends goodbye as we boarded a one way flight to New Delhi, India and have since been travelling around the world with nothing but our backpacks.

"We'd done some short-term travelling before and as time passed, it just became automatically assumed by both of us that we would set out on a long term adventure together; so right after our wedding seemed like perfect timing. What is better than a never-ending honeymoon!?"

Since then, they have toured India, Hong Kong, China, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia and Malaysia, and are next planning to head to Japan.

"Leaving teaching was not a decision made because of a loss of love for the profession, although in recent years the job role and responsibilities had intensified. The motivation for doing so was through a love of travel and a realisation that we might not always have the opportunity to pack up our lives at the drop of a hat and see the world," added Liam.

Follow their adventures at https://www.instagram.com/hitched.hikers/