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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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Must Have Products for Summer Family Travel

April 16, 2018      Product Reviews

​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. 

black family traveling

Winter has been dragging across the US and most states are wondering where Spring is but not to worry, summer is definitely coming even if you have to escape your home and travel to find it. I’ve created a list of my favorite products you can buy now to help make your summer travels as seamless as possible.

EzPacking Cubes

No matter where you’re headed this summer you can’t avoid packing. If you haven’t discovered packing cubes yet you are seriously missing out and they will be the best travel investment you make.

EzPacking Cubes have many benefits. They help you stay organized by separating your items; you can separate them by person, with everyone having their own color cube to easily identify whose clothes are where or you can treat the cubes like drawers with undergarments in one, shirts in another and so forth. Because your clothes are being compressed into a bag with a zipper you can also fit more things than you’d typically be able to. The see-through top allows you to easily see what is in each cube and since they are completely sealed it makes it easy to separate dirty and clean clothes, keeping your clean clothes smelling fresh. Did you get to the airport and your bag is overweight? Easily remove a cube without having to sift through and re-organize you whole bag. Plus your clothes are already in a bag so no need to search for anything to now put them in.

Use promo code ‘thetravelingchild’ to save 15% off EzPacking packing cubes. Below is a video of me packing an entire weeks worth of clothes into EzPacking’s starter kit.

Ergobaby’s Omni 360 Cool Air Mesh

If you you are traveling with a child an Ergobaby carrier is absolutely the best money you could ever spend to assist your travels. I’ve had my Ergobaby 360 since my eldest was born (nearly 4 years ago, insert tears) and continue to use it with my 2nd child. From allowing us to be hands free while walking through the airport to the many instances in our travels where strollers are just not an option because a city has too many stairs (Venice) or extremely crowded sidewalks and public transportation make maneuvering a stroller a nightmare.

The new Omni 360 Cool Air Mesh is Ergobaby’s best carrier by far as it has every component of their other top carriers all in one. It’s newborn ready (no infant insert needed), can be used from 7-45lbs and has 4 different positions you can carry your child in: front carry facing you, front carry with baby facing out plus back and hip carry. It’s breathable fabric is perfect for the summer heat as it lets all the breeze come through the carrier to cool down your baby while keeping them close to you.


​BuddyPhones PLAY Volume Controlled Headphones for Kids

Entertainment is key when traveling with kids and this often times includes them watching movies, using apps on a tablet or listening to music. Sometimes the kids are in the back seat, other times I might fall asleep on a long flight while they are watching a movie or even at home they may be upstairs and I’m downstairs. In all of those situations it is impossible for me to make sure they aren’t ruining their ear drums by having the volume too high.

This is why I love BuddyPhones, they are volume controlled headphones made specifically for kids so can’t go above a certain volume regardless of how high they turn their device up.  In addition they are indestructible, saving every parent from wasting money on constantly buying new headphones since their child broke the last pair. We’ve had the BuddyPhones InFlight version for a while and now love the new BuddyPhones PLAY which has all the great features of the InFlight version but now wireless with it’s bluetooth capabilities. These headphones have a 14hr battery life and can still be connected to another set of BuddyPhones so more than one child can watch the same device at the same time (every parents dream).

Watch me bend these headphones like I don’t care about my stuff and see that even your strongest child won’t be able to break them!

https://youtu.be/oKrN-fgKAv8


Brica SmartMove Car Seat Transporter

There shouldn’t be a parent in the world that travels with a convertible/toddler car seat that doesn’t have a SmartMove Car Seat Transporter. It turns your car seat into a stroller so you can push or pull your car seat while your child is sitting in it. Be prepared to be the envy of all the other parents struggling to get through the airport with their car seat and be sure to share the love and tell them all about this product. You can read my full review here.

Brica Cover Guard Car Seat Tote

The Brica Cover Guard Car Seat Tote serves multiple purposes. Not only does it protect your checked car seat from the dirt and grime that it no doubt will be exposed to while under the plane it also allows you two ways to transport your car seat. You wear it like a backpack and be hands free or  if you don’t need to be hands free you can pull it behind you as it has wheels.

mom with baby in carrier and pushing other child in the stroller


Buzz Away Extreme Natural Insect Repellent

I try my best not to use products with chemicals on my family and insect repellent is no different. We’ve been using Buzz Away Extreme which is an all natural insect repellent with no DEET. It’s ingredients includes Castor Oil, Geranium Oil, Soybean Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Citronella Oil, Peppermint Oil, and Lemongrass Oil.

Not only is it chemical free but it also comes in 3 forms which makes it extremely easy to apply to people of all ages. For adults and older kids there is a traditional spray which comes in 2oz (perfect for team carry-on), 4oz, and 8oz. Then there is the pop-up towelette version which is great for applying to younger squirmy kids especially when applying it to their face as they may not listen to your commands to close their eyes. There are also individually wrapped towelettes perfect for just throwing in your bag.


 

We’re so excited for our summer adventures and can’t wait to see you all on yours. Where are you headed this summer?

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. Ashley says

    April 16, 2018 at 8:44 pm

    We are heading to Paris and London this summer can’t wait! Your blog helped so much!

  2. Nia says

    April 16, 2018 at 8:46 pm

    Headphones or packing cubes!!

  3. Tiffany says

    April 16, 2018 at 8:50 pm

    The packing cubes 😊

  4. Semora Renee says

    April 16, 2018 at 10:09 pm

    I’m headed to Connecticut & Rhode Island this summer and I would love the packing cubes to keep my & my daughter’s things organized!

  5. Erica says

    April 16, 2018 at 10:11 pm

    The Omni 360 cool Air mesh baby carrier will come in handy since we are expecting baby number two! I have the Go Go Babyz car seat transporter much like the Brica smartmove car seat transporter and it is life safer when traveling through the airport!!

  6. Leah says

    April 16, 2018 at 11:18 pm

    The ergo diper backpack looks amazing! Definitely do that one first 🙂

  7. Travelmommy2018 says

    April 17, 2018 at 8:28 am

    I really love your blog! You are an awesome family! The ergobaby carrier would be amazing or the packing cubes 😍

  8. Quaniqua C. says

    April 17, 2018 at 11:29 pm

    Love your blog! Your family’s journeys has definitely given this new mommy hope that my travel itch doesn’t have to stop! Thank you!
    The packing cubes or ear phones!

  9. Denize says

    April 18, 2018 at 12:46 am

    Which one first?? They all are so great… ok, I’d love the travel cubes to contain our family of 5… but I love baby wearing and my diaper bag is done, the backpack is a game changer!!.

  10. Cadian says

    April 18, 2018 at 8:53 am

    Hi there! I really think all of these items are game changer for parents traveling with littles! Thanks for the helpful tips on your blog! We will be traveling to Asheville, NC and San Fran this summer.

  11. Mindy says

    April 18, 2018 at 10:49 am

    The Brica Cover Guard Car Seat Tote is a must for anyone traveling with a car seat!

  12. Andrea says

    July 13, 2018 at 4:02 pm

    Do you have any recommendations for noise cancelling headphones for infants?

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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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