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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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4 Ways to Have Alone Time When Traveling with Kids

September 27, 2017      Tips on Traveling with Kids, Trip Planning Tips

This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Please see our disclosure policy for more information. All opinions are my own.

While my husband and I make sure to go on at least one trip a year without the kids there are times we travel with the kids that we would love to have some time without them. This is true for single parents traveling with kids as well, us adults want to have some adult fun on our trips too. This could be having a meal alone, a night out on the town, or doing an activity that they are too young for. These are some ways you can have alone time even when traveling with your kids.

a couple on the beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Travel with other Couples/Friends with Kids

We originally planned our trip to Cuba with two other couples, one which also has a daughter. In our four-night visit this would allow us a few options for alone time. One night we could go out while the other couples watched the girls and then we would switch and return the favor.Traveling with other couples would also allow for the girls to have a night out while the guys watched the kids and then again for the guys to have a night out while the ladies watched the kids. The best part is your kids are probably familiar with each other and you can trust your friends to watch your kids, which will ease your mind.

Travel with Family

Traveling with family, can also allow you or you and your significant other to have a night off. While some people love to travel with their family I know there are a lot of people that don’t. Traveling with family doesn’t mean you have to spend the whole time or anytime at all with your family. An example of this was when we recently visited Amsterdam at the same times as my parents.

Although we traveled on the same flight we didn’t stay at the same place or do the same things. The only time we actually saw each other was the night we dropped the kids off with them to have a date night visiting the Red Light District. Luckily for us my parents love to travel and you’d be surprised how many times my mom finds out about a flight deal before I do. It may be hard to coordinate schedules but if possible you can enjoy a day or night with your spouse and your family will enjoy the alone time with your kids!

Stay at a Hotel with a Kids Club or Cruise

Many family friendly hotels have kids clubs where your kids can participate in activities with staff throughout the day. This will give you time to do an excursion that they aren’t old enough for. Most also have the option for after hours babysitting for an additional fee so you can have dinner or a date night alone.

If you’re going on a cruise, nearly every cruise line which targets families such as Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean will have a youth program during the day which is free of charge. Most will also have paid by the hour babysitting from 10PM-2AM.

While you won’t have a personal recommendation for a staff member at a hotel or on a cruise line these companies do extensive background checks on their staff. The hotel/cruise lines reputation is on the line so hopefully you can really trust their staff.

When you are with your kids on the cruise, you can still have a lot of fun. Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at Cococay is great for adults and kids alike.

Hire a Babysitter on Vacation

The last option would be to hire a babysitter. I personally have never done this because I don’t feel comfortable leaving them with someone I’m not familiar with at their current age. However, I know many people use services such as www.care.com to find a sitter abroad. Other options would be to ask for recommendations from others who have traveled to that destination and used a baby sister. Join Facebook Groups like The Traveling Child where parents talk travel with their kids and you can ask each other for recommendations.

Did you find this article helpful? Please share it!

The Traveling Child is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

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Comments

  1. Kiran says

    January 9, 2018 at 10:12 am

    Can’t get enough of your blog. Great ideas in here. I sometimes forget that it’s “my” vacation too. I get caught up making sure the kids are ok and fed, rested, entertained. So important to carve out “us” time.

    • Monet Hambrick says

      January 22, 2018 at 8:40 am

      Hi Kiran,
      Aww thank you so much! Yes, it is very important we take out time for ourselves as well, even if only a few hours.
      Monet

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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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