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I mean c’mon there is not one reason, look at th I mean c’mon there is not one reason, look at this view from the top of the Kloof Corner hike! The biggest way we’re able to afford traveling so much is by letting the deals dictate where we go. Cape Town has been on our bucket list forever but with flights typically costing $1,200-$1,800 it hasn’t been a priority. But when Scott’s Cheap Flights (now called Going, I don’t like the new name but that’s besides the point) dropped this Cape Town deal for less than half of what it normally costs we jumped on it!

So often I hear “but there are no deals during school breaks”, YES THERE ARE! We went to Cape Town for Thanksgiving and the girls get the entire week off of school so they missed no days. Plus since there seasons are opposite it was late spring and the weather was amazing. Scott’s emails deals directly to your inbox for the airports you choose (we select our home airport and airports we can easily fly direct to and always have cheap flights because sometimes it’s worth flying to a city for a deal (known as a repositioning flight). They offer a free version but you don’t get all the deals so we have the Premium subscription which costs $49 for a year and you can tap the link in my bio and use code TRAVELINGCHILD20 for 20% off. They have an Elite membership level for business class seats. Because someone always asks, yes they give deals for nonstop flights but please remember you can’t fly everywhere nonstop. Beloved if you’re going to Thailand from the US you’re going to have a layover.

Anyway when in Cape Town you must hike, there are so many amazing ones! This Kloof’s Corner hike is perfect for sunset. It’s not stroller or wheelchair accessible as there are stairs but if Jordyn and Kennedy can hike it in 40mins (one way up) I promise you don’t have to be super fit!

P.S. when booking a flight from the US you have 24 hours to cancel & get a refund (on flights booked 7 days in advance). So many ppl told me they hesitated on this deal because they had to see if they could get off work/what dates worked for their travel partners. Always book first, think second & just cancel within 24hrs if you can’t make it work! What’s the best flight deal you’ve booked?
Hello from Cape Town, South Africa! Here’s every Hello from Cape Town, South Africa! Here’s everything you need to know about getting into South Africa (save + share this post):

1. Your passport must be valid for 30 days after your scheduled date of departure.

2. You must have 2 consecutive empty pages in your passport.

3. There is no visa required for US citizens for visits less than 90 days.

4. There are no shots required to travel to South Africa, unless you are traveling from or transiting through yellow-fever deemed countries, then a yellow fever shot is required. You can find a list of these countries online.

5. South Africa has opposite seasons than the US so our winter is their summer. December to February are peak travel due to the weather but if you visit in November like we did you’ll get good weather and avoid the massive crowds of peak season.

Have you visited South Africa? If so, which part? If not, is it on your list?
Because why do y’all do this to us trip planners Because why do y’all do this to us trip planners? Are you the one in your group that plans the trip or do you just show up? If you’re the planner tag your friends 😅. If you just show up do you look at the itinerary or ask all the questions even though the info was given to you 👀?

Original reel idea credit goes to @kryssedeal, sis really nailed exactly how I feel!!
#sponsored Last year we were able to cross some am #sponsored Last year we were able to cross some amazing places off our bucket list. We want you to do the same so we’ve teamed up with @vrbo to give you the opportunity to win $3,500 and turn your bucket list trip into a book-it-list one! 

Just head over to the giveaway post on @vrbo, make sure you’re following them and tag 3 people you’d want to join you on your trip! 

So what is your book-it list vacation this year?

*T&Cs apply – link in bio

 #VrboTogether #BookItList
Things to do in Istanbul (save and share this post Things to do in Istanbul (save and share this post):

1. Visit the various houses of worship like Hagia Sofia, the Blue Mosque. Suleymaniye Camii, Ortakoy Mosque, Chora Church and the Camlica Mosque

2. Tour palaces like Topkapi Palace, Dolmabahce Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace

3. Climb the Galata Tower for amazing views of Istanbul. You can even enjoy a meal here at the restaurant on the top floor.

4. Take a cruise of the Bosphorus to see both the European and Asia side of Istanbul.

5. Visit the cities Bazaars, the Grand Bazaar where you can shop your heart out and the Spice Bazaar where you can eat your heart out. Don’t leave without trying a Turkish delight!

6. If you want to go shopping Istiklal is the place to do so. They have a wide range of stores including international chains like Zara.

7. See a Dervish show at Hodjapasha.

8. Walk across the Galata Bridge to see fisherman at work and then walk under it to taste their fresh catches.

9. Take a day trip to the Princes’ Islands.

10. Experience a Turkish Hammam.

11. Explore the neighborhood of Balet, enjoying the colorful building and have some traditional Turkish tea or my favorite Apple Tea.

12. Turkey has some amazing food so go on a food tour or take a cooking class. If you don’t do either just make sure not to leave without having a traditional Turkish breakfast!

I recommend at least 5 days in Istanbul but you can easily spend a week or more exploring the city.

Have you been to Istanbul? If not is it on your list? For those that have been what was your favorite thing to do?

#istanbul #bucketlistadventures
Our Egypt Itinerary (save + share this post): 3 n Our Egypt Itinerary (save + share this post):

3 nights Siwa: Shali Fortress, 4x4 safari in the Great Sand Sea, sunset on Fatnas Island, emple of Amun and Temple of the Oracle, take a look or a dip into Cleopatra Spring, Mountain of the Dead, House of Siwa Museum, float in the salt lakes.

5 nights Cairo: Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx,  Egyptian Museum, Saqqara, Khal Al Khalil, Old and Coptic Cairo: Hanging Church, Mohamed Ali Mosque, Al Azhar Mosque and the Fortress of Babylon, see an Al Tannoura Egyptian Dance Heritage Show at Wekalet El Ghouri. For a break from the historical things with kids spend a day at Dreamland Park, Kidzania, or Ski Egypt. Stay at Marriott Mena House.

3 nights Luxor: Hot air balloon ride, Luxor Museum, Mummification museum, Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Temple of Karnak, Temple of Luxor, Colossi Statue of Memnon and Hatshpsut

3 nights Aswan: High Dam, Temple of Philae, Nubian Villages, Sail on the Nile by Felucca, Nubian Museum, Abu Simbel

On the way to Aswan from Luxor you can also stop to see the Temple of Horus and Kim Ombo Temple. If you have extra time visit Alexandria, Bahariya Oasis, and White Desert National Park to see the White Desert.

Have you been to Egypt? Is it on your list? There is so much to see outside of Cairo! 

#bucketlisttravel #cairoegypt #luxoregypt #aswan
OUR MOROCCO ITINERARY (save + share this post):

🇲🇦2 nights Chefchaouen- painting class, hiking, enjoying the Blue City and more.

🇲🇦3 nights Fes- Royal palaces, Moroccan dance class, visit the tannery and more

🇲🇦6 nights Marrakech- Majorelle Gardens, explore the Medina, explore the various mosques, stay in a riad, take a Moroccan cooking class and more.

🇲🇦3 nights Sahara Desert- ATV tour, sand boarding, Bedouin experience and more.

For all the details of each trip tap the link in my bio for the itineraries of each city. Have you been to Morocco? Is it on your list?

P.S. the girls were 3 and 5 on this trip

#moroccotrip #thisisafrica #travellingwithkids

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10 Must Have Items for Road Trips With Kids

June 29, 2018      Tips on Traveling with Kids

Disclosure: “Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. The commissions earned help me offset the costs of running this blog so please support if you choose to purchase, it is much appreciated.”

It’s summer time, which means 1 in 4 families will be taking at least one road trip! If you’re nervous here are some items that will help your journey be a seamless one.

NapUp

I cringe every time Jordyn falls asleep in the car and her head falls down over the clasp of her car seat buckle and her head just bobbles up and down. I know it can’t be comfortable and the sound from her distorted breathing due to her position has me constantly trying to hold her head up. Thankfully NapUp has answered my prayers and when I’m in the back with the girls I can now have both of my arms to do something besides holding up Jordyn’s head and when I’m in the front I don’t have to cringe watching her head bob up and down.

little girl sleeping in car

Amazon Fire Kids Edition Tablet

Let’s face it we’re in 2018 and tablets are the norm for kids so I gave up on fighting it. However, since I could buy two Amazon Fire Kids Edition Tablets for less than the price of one iPad the kids got the Amazon Fire. It comes with a case that pretty much makes sure it doesn’t break all the times the kids drop it on the floor. It also comes with 1 year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited. The girls play their favorite apps and watch their favorite TV shows movies. No WiFi no problem, there are apps that don’t require WiFi plus if you have Netflix you can download movies and shows that can be watched anywhere without internet.


BuddyPhones Kids Volume Controlled Headphones

Admittedly I have found myself listening to Kidz Bop when the kids are no where to be found but the girls also love listening to the Disney Pandora station and there are only but so many times I want to hear Frozen in an 8 hour drive. Insert BuddyPhones, volume-controlled headphones for kids. I love that we don’t have to worry about how loud the kid’s music or movies are playing, it’s hard to do that when you’re in the front seat or driving alone. They are also able to listen to audio books and these headphones even come with stickers so they can decorate them, just another activity to keep them busy. The BuddyPhones are super sturdy and come in various options, thePLAY version is Bluetooth Capable for wireless wear while the InFlight version has cords. Both have the option to connect multiple headphones one device, perfect for kids sharing. Best part is they are basically indestructible, just check out the video below.

toddler girl listening to an ebook in the car


Travel Tray

I don’t want my kids using electronics for an entire road trip so a travel tray is a must. A travel tray provides a sturdy and safe option for the girls to color, play a game, or even eat a snack. The great ones have cup holders and tons of compartments to hold crayons, toys, tablets and more. Our MC Republic one even has a built in game right on the tray’s surface and it’s super affordable at $25.

toddler girl coloring on a road trip

Cooler + Snacks

Unless you want to be pulling over every 5 minutes your kids decide they are thirsty or hungry you will want to have a cooler loaded with drinks and snacks. Try to get a cooler that can easily fit in the front or back seat so it is reachable without pulling over. To save space on having to add ice, freeze half of your drinks, by the time you’ve finished the unfrozen ones those frozen should have thawed out plus they will keep the other items cool. For snacks we like to pack sandwiches, granola bars, almonds, cookies but just pack whatever your kids like! If you’re going on a beach vacation, the cooler serves two purposes because you will also have it for your beach days!


Games & Books

Kids love electronics but we don’t want them hooked to their tablets our entire road trip so we have a lot of other activities. Do you remember Etch A Sketch from back in our day? Well they have a new version and the girls love them. They also love thinking putty, WikkiStix and coloring. If you don’t want to keep buying new coloring books over and over the Melissa & Doug Water Coloring books are great and you use a special pen and then it dries clean and your child can re-color the same picture as many times as they’d like. We also bring their favorite books!


Potette Portable Potty

If you’re potty training you do not want to drive off without a Potette Portable Potty. I swear no matter how many times you ask your child if they have to use the bathroom before you pass a rest stop they will say no only to save they have to go so badly as soon as it’s too late to get into the exit lane. Potette can be used in the trunk or in the front or back seat of your car. The liners catch your child’s #1 or #2 so nothing will get in your vehicle!

little girl sitting on a potty      little girl sitting on a portable potty in the car


​

Car Organizer & Diaper Changing Station

Ok so while Brica’s intention for their product to be used as trunk organizer we use it as a car organizer in the back seat. The worst part about a road trip is that I swear your car looks like a tornado hit once you’ve arrived at your destination. Not since we’ve had the Trunk Organizer & Diaper Changing Station. Half of it is used to keep my youngest daughters pull-ups and wipes while the other half stores toys, coloring books, etc.  Now we can all easily find everything we need and the car stays organized.

Sun Shades

The only thing worse than hearing “Are we there yet?” 30 times in 5 minutes is my kids complaining about the sun in their eyes or making them hot during day time driving. Whether you have tints or not you should consider the extra shade these white hot sun shades provide as they let you know if the vehicle is too hot for your child to be in.


Portable Charger

Depending on how long your journey is electronics might need to be re-charged. If you only have one cigarette lighter to charge your phone or tablet on you could be in for a meltdown if you’re traveling with kids. Be prepared by having at least one portable charger to assist in keeping all your electronics working. We love our Portable Phone Charger, it has two charging ports so we can charge more than one thing at once and is especially good for charging electronics in the back seat where the cord from the front may not reach.


 

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Hi! We’re The Hambricks

Hi! We’re The Hambricks

If kids live there, kids can visit! That's our motto and you'll often find us exploring destinations most don't find "kid friendly". We've traveled to 35 countries on 6 continents with our children since they were 10 weeks old and share tips to make it easier and affordable. But mom and dad are people too so we also write about solo travel, baecations and girlfriend getaways.

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