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3 places to see Mt. Fuji (save + share this post): 3 places to see Mt. Fuji (save + share this post):

If you don’t have enough time to spend days in Hakone visiting Mt. Fuji it’s easy to take a day trip here from Tokyo. It’s only about 90 minutes by car and we spent the day exploring the area. There is a swing at the top for an additional fee where you literally swing into Mt. Fuji and they have a souvenir shop and small food vendor to purchase snacks.

Location 1: Mt. Fuji Panorama Ropeway which cost 900 for adults and 450 for children for a roundtrip ride on the cable car. They do sell one way cable car tickets if you want to hike down the mountain.

Location 2: Kawaguchi Asama Shrine, there is a small fee of 100 per person but children are free. This place is really only for pictures besides the view there isn’t anything else to do. They have it set up with a line to capture photos in front of the tori gate and each group has 3 minutes to take pictures, yes they actually time you, to make sure the line keeps moving.

Location 3: Arakurayama Sengen Park where you’ll need to climb 398 stairs or take the curved paved path to the top for views of the mountain and Chuerito Pagoda. The stairs are a straight shot but the path makes it accessible for strollers and wheelchairs.

We were truly blessed to be able to see Mt. Fuji as it’s often not visible. When I visited in 2015 we made the trip here and it was gloomy and cloudy and we couldn’t see anything. We did go to the base of the mountain on that trip and do the ice cave exploration so all wasn’t lost but I am so happy Jordyn and I got to see the full mountain with our own two eyes on this trip!

There are lots of other places you can view Mt. Fuji but with only one day we couldn’t visit them all. The other 7 best places to see Mt. Fuji are on a boat tour on any of the 5 lakes that surround the mountain (Kawaguchi, Yamanakako, Saiko, Shojiko, or Motosuko), Koyo-Dai Lookout Platform, Sanko-Dai Lookout Platform, Oshino Hakkai Springs, Fuji Q Highland Amusement Park, Rooftop of Fujisan Station, Shin-Fuji Station Platform and in Hakone.

Have you ever seen Mt. Fuji’s beauty? Would you add this to your Japan itinerary if you haven’t?

#mtfuji #lakekawaguchiko
How we spent 48 hours in Kyoto (save + share this How we spent 48 hours in Kyoto (save + share this post):

1. Start your day at Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. We arrived here at 7:30am and there were quite a few people here already. We didn’t visit but in Arshiyama you can also visit the Monkey Park to see the Japanese Macaques (snow monkeys).

2. Head to Kinkaku-ji to see this stunning Temple of the Golden Pavilion. They open at 9am and we arrived at 8:45am and by time the opened the door at 9am the line was extremely long.

3. Walk through the gorgeous Tori Gates at Fushimi Inari Taisha. Before or after your visit be sure to walk through the street vendors for some amazing food. We tried noodles, mochi and just enjoyed learning more about the local foods. We visited here around 11am and even though it was so crowded if you want photos without people wait until you’re walking through the gates to exit and there are often moments where the area is empty, just be a little patient. 

4. Book a session at @kyoto_samurai_experience to learn about the history of the Samurai, watch a demonstration and get to try your hand at using the samurai sword yourself.

5. Eat your way through Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka. You will be able to walk through these narrow streets (with some hills) and try ice cream flavors such a matcha, green tea, white peach, Sakura (if in season), Black sesame, caramel and more and yes, we tried them all! There’s also tons of mochi and other treats. You’ll find the Starbucks with a traditional Japanese home interior here as well as Yasaka Pagoda and Kiyomizu-dera Temple, be sure to visit.

6. Walk around Gion and catch a Kabuki show at Minamiza Theatre.

7. Visit Daigo-ji temple, it’s not frequented by a lot of tourists so it’s rarely crowded and you can have a moment on zen here!

While we didn’t have time this visit as the weather altered some of our plans on my last visit to Kyoto in 2015 I also visited Ginkaku-ji (the Silver Pavilion), Nijo Castle which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ryoanji Temple and highly recommend going. 

Some other things we were interested in but just didn’t have time for were a calligraphy class and if you are into manga you can visit the Kyoto International Manga Museum.
This is your sign to rent a kimono in Kyoto! It wa This is your sign to rent a kimono in Kyoto! It was an honor to be dressed by Japanese women & taught about the Kimono. Here’s everything you need to know about renting a kimono & a tiny history lesson on them(save + share this post):

1. Originally kimono was the Japanese word for clothing but is now used to refer specifically to traditional Japanese clothing. Kimono’s date back to the Heian period of 794-1185 and were every day wear until western culture was brought to Japan.

2. There are 8 layers in a kimono in addition to the Tabi (white socks) which are specifically made to wear with Jori (traditional Japanese shoes). Even though there are 8 layers it doesn’t take long to be dressed.

3. Today kimonos are mostly worn for special occasions such as NYE, weddings, gradations, tea ceremonies & summer festivals. But geishas, maikos, kabuki actors and a few traditional professions wear them every day.

4. We rented our Kimono’s from this shop https://kyoto-kimonorental.com/kimono/. It’s less than a 5 minute walk from Hokan-ji. We made a reservation in advance but you will find kimono rental shops all over Kyoto. They open at 9 and you have to return the Kimono’s by 5.

5. They offer multiple packages which vary in the type of material the kimono is. The package I got was the ¥4,900 ($37.50) one and Jordyn’s child price was ¥3,900 ($29.87). You can get your hair and makeup done for an additional ¥1,200. The value of the yen is down now so be sure to check exchange rates whenever you make it to Japan for accuracy.

6. This shop offers photo packages directly through them or you can take your own or hire a separate photographer.

7. If you’re worried about renting a kimono and wearing it in Japan being seen as cultural appropriation, don’t be. I obviously can’t speak for every Japanese person but from hearing it first hand from Japanese people in Japan and the large amount of Kimono rental shops all over Japan encouraging visitors to try kimonos, the Japanese are so excited to see foreigners embracing their culture and wearing kimonos respectfully! We received so many compliments from the local community as we explored Kyoto this day.

📍Daigo-ji temple & Hokan-ji
After spending 48 hours in Osaka we went to Kyoto. After spending 48 hours in Osaka we went to Kyoto. Here’s how to get here and where we stayed (save + share this post):

1. You can take the Shinkansen (bullet) train from Shin-Osaka Station to Kyoto Station if you have the JR Pass and it will only take you 15 minutes. If you don’t have a JR Pass the Shinkansen ticket costs about 1,420 yen (right now that’s about $11). 

2. If you don’t have the JR Pass you can take the Hankyu Kyoto Line or Keihan Main Line. These are regular non express trains and will increase your travel time to from 15 minutes to 45-55 minutes but they only cost 400 yen (about $3) so you can save money, especially for a large group.

3. There is also a bus that leaves picks up at Hotel Keihan Universal Tower, Universal Studios Japan and Namba and goes to Kyoto Station. I’m not sure of the costs.

4. If you flew into Osaka you can also take the Haruka Express train from the airport to Kyoto Station. 

In Kyoto we stayed at The Chaper Kyoto which is a Marriott property. The rooms are on the small side but the hotel is clean and modern. There is a bus stop down the block which we could take to get to Gion in 9 minutes. The room was about $240/night since it’s busy season.

The weather this time of year is pretty sporadic. Some days it was hot and sunny and some days cool and gloomy so definitely pack a variety of attire and bring some layers and the weather changes throughout the day. Will be sharing our itinerary soon.

Have you been to Kyoto? If you have other accommodation recommendations please share them below to help others!

📍Fushimi Inari Taisha
Want to visit Super Nintendo World at Universal St Want to visit Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan? You need to know this (save + share this post):

1. Just because you have tickets to the park doesn’t mean you’ll get into Super Nintendo World, it requires a timed entry ticket. These do run out so it’s not a guarantee you’ll be able to enter! If you get your park tickets in advance you might be able to grab an advanced booking in the app but if these are all gone by time you get your tickets you’ll need an area timed entry ticket. These are only available the day you’re visiting & you can only attempt to get it once you’re actually in the park! We got to the park when they opened at 8am & there were only two entry times left so arrive early! You can get them on the app (you must grant the app permission to see your location so they know you’re inside) or you can go to one of the ticket kiosks.

2. To really enjoy you’ll need a power band which are sold for about $35. If you don’t have one you can walk around & go on the 2 rides but you can’t play the games & collect coins.

3. The wait times for both rides are usually 1-3 hours! To avoid this you can purchase an Express Pass (most people said this reduces wait times to a mere 15 minutes). Express Passes were sold out the day we went so we only got to ride Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge but not Yoshi’s Adventure. To avoid the 2 hour wait for Mario Kart we actually went through the singles line. We did end up in two different karts but we only waited 20 minutes to ride instead of 2 hours. Yo Shi’a Adventure doesn’t have a singles line or we would have done that too!

4. If you want to eat at Kinopio’s Cafe you also need a timed entry ticket so be sure to grab this as soon as you get inside Super Nintendo World. It’s usually a 1-2 hour wait once you get your timed entry ticket.

5. Once you leave you cannot reenter (if timed entry tickets are required at the time) so be sure to do everything you want before leaving.

Universal Studio Japan is extremely popular & tickets do sell out often so buy in advance. The most popular sites to buy them are Klook (where we bought ours) & KKDay.

Hope this helps! Who has Super Nintendo World on their list?
How We Spent 48 Hours in Osaka (save + share this How We Spent 48 Hours in Osaka (save + share this post):

1. Kicked off the day trying soufflé pancakes, you’ll find restaurants all over the city that sell these. We personally had them at Belle-ville Pancakes.

2. Visit the Cup of Noodles Museum where you can make your own Cup of Noodles logo and then customize the flavor and toppings for your noodles. They also offer a ramen making class here in addition to the museum where you can learn the history of the company.

3. If you’re visiting in March check to see if the March Sumo Wrestling Tournament is taking place at Edion Arena Osaka. If so def try to get tickets in advance (they go on sale a month prior) or arrive early to get same day tickets. It’s a fun afternoon.

4. We also did a Tea Ceremony class but photos/videos weren’t allowed.

5. End the first day getting cheesecake at the infamous Rikuro’s for their jiggly Cheesecake.

6. The other day spend at Universal Studios Japan for thrilling rides, shows and to relive your childhood at Super Nintendo World.

Where to stay in Osaka? The W Osaka is gorgeous but a little pricey and the Fairfield by Marriott is more budget friendly with nice, modern clean rooms just less amenities and smaller rooms (will post stories of both so you can see).

How to get to Osaka from Tokyo: We took the Shinkansen bullet train which takes 3 hours but is such an experience as it goes up to 199mph. Be sure to sit of the right side of the train for views of Mt. Fuji. You can also take a quick flight!

Other things to do in Osaka we didn’t travel time for:

1. Visit the Osaka Castle

2. Go to the top of the Umeda Sky Building

3. Go out in the Dotonbori

4. Walk around Kuromon Market

5. Watch a show at the National Bunraku Theater

6. Explore the Sumiyoshi Shrine

Which activity would you most want to do? If you’ve been to Osaka before what other recommendations do you have?

#osakajapan #travellingwithkids #cupofnoodles #universalstudiosjapan
6 Ways to Earn Delta Skymiles without flying! (SAV 6 Ways to Earn Delta Skymiles without flying! (SAVE + SHARE this post):

1. Link your Lyft and Skymiles accounts to earn 1 mile per $1 on US rides and 2miles per $1 on airport rides.

2. When booking Airbnb stays go to delta.com/Airbnb instead and you’ll earn 1 mile per $1 spent on airbnbs.

3. Order groceries online with instacart? Go to instacart.com/delta to link your accounts and earn 1.5 miles per $1 spent. If you’re new to instacart you can also get 3 months free.

4. Link your Starbucks account with your Skymiles account at delta Starbucks.com and you’ll earn 1 mile per $1 spent at Starbucks. Plus on days your flying with Delta, you’ll earn DOUBLE stars at Starbucks.

5. Sign up for SkyMiles dining at  Skymilesdining.com and is link your credit or debit card. Every time you use your card at a participating bar or restaurant, you’ll earn between 1-5 miles per $1 spent.

6. And nope you don’t have to use a Delta credit card to get miles for any of the above, no matter how you pay you’ll earn BUT is you do pay for them with a Delta co-branded credit card (there are several and depending on which one you have) you can earn anywhere from a additional 1-5 miles per dollar spent on purchases, even if they aren’t Delta airline tickets.

The cash price for the flight we took to Tokyo was $2,600pp so it would have cost me over $5,000 for this since it’s peak travel to Japan (never in my life would I pay that, we would have went somewhere else). Instead I only paid $118 total by using all of these ways to earn Delta miles over the past few years which gave me enough miles to redeem even though we don’t get to fly Delta on a regular since they don’t have the strongest presence at MIA airport as it’s American’s hub.

Do you use travel credit cards and/or points and miles from loyalty programs to offset the cost of travel? If so what are your favorite ones? Let’s all travel for less!

The Traveling Child

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3 Days in Phuket with Kids

January 16, 2017      Asia, Destinations, Thailand

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.

Thailand has been a dream of ours but many people said it was too exotic to bring kids. Of course, we didn’t listen and we are glad we didn’t. We planned a one week trip to Thailand, a multi-city tour visiting Phuket, Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Here’s how to spend 3 days in Phuket with kids (or without)!

dad holding baby daughter in the pool

How to Get to Phuket with Kids

When flying from the United States flights directly to Phuket can be quite expensive. We avoided this by getting a flight deal to a country that has cheap flights to Phuket. We found an amazing deal on Skyscanner for flights from Miami to Singapore on Qatar Airways for $400RT per person. From Singapore to Phuket was less than a 2hr flight and flights were as low as $40. Plus we got an extended layover in Singapore and were able to explore the city. You can download the free Skyscanner app here.

Phuket Airport Transfer

We arranged our Phuket airport transfer with Easy Day Thailand. If you’re traveling to Phuket with kids they are perfect as they provided a car seat for both our infant and toddler. It was a private transfer and cost 1300 baht.

Where We Stayed in Phuket with Kids

There are so many choices on where to stay in Phuket. After much research we chose The Vijitt Resort Phuket in Rawai Beach. The resort was gorgeous!! It was in a quiet area and had great amenities. Breakfast was included, served from 6AM-10AM and included a buffet plus made to order items like eggs and pancakes. We splurged a bit since we saved so much on the airfare and got a villa with a private pool. Our girls enjoyed it but the resort’s pool is so nice we could have gotten a regular villa and saved money.

pool with beautiful sunrise and island in the background

bedroom at a hotel in Phuket, Thailand

Child Amenities At Vijitt Resort Phuket

The Vijitt Resort is a great option for visiting Phuket with kids with to the amazing child amenities they offer. There is a kids club with a kids pool and playground. They also offer thai boxing classes for the little ones. The hotel provided a baby cot for our infant with a mosquito net for it. They also provided baby soap, baby oil, baby lotion, and baby powder. The bathroom is equipped with a tub making it easy to bathe the little ones too. The on-sight restaurant had high-chairs and you could borrow sand castle toys, floaties, and other pool toys from the kids club. It’s definitely the best family resort in Phuket.

Things to Do in Phuket

Day One: Vijitt Resort Phuket, Chalong Pier, and Kan Eang

We relaxed at our private pool in our villa recovering from our 24hrs of flying. In the evening we ventured to Chalong Pier and had dinner at Kan Eang overlooking the water.
dad holding daughters on the side of the pool with hotel room in the background

Day Two in Phuket with Kids: Coral Island and Phuket City

We went to Phuket and we didn’t go to Phi Phi Island!!! Why? Phi Phi Island is a 2hr ride from Phuket by speedboat. It’s hard to visit during monsoon season, May-Oct, due to rough seas. Even during the better weather months of Nov-April the ride can be a little bumpy and while some tour companies don’t recommend the trip for pregnant women or young children many flat out won’t allow them on their tours. We weren’t really interested in either of the kids becoming sick on such a long boat ride so we went to Coral Island and visited Banana Beach instead. It’s a quick 30min long tail boat ride from Rawaii Beach. You can get there whenever you want and negotiate the price of your ride. You can also take this private speedboat charter tour to Coral Island.

sbaby sitting on the beach with island in the background

We were the first to arrive on the beach. At first, I was a bit disappointed by “Banana Beach”, there were a lot of rocks and the beach wasn’t the cleanest. They had signs for a viewpoint that we climbed up the hill to see but there was no view. About an hour after we got there other tourists started arriving by the boatloads and the beach got pretty crowded. Most people were there to snorkel. A major plus of the beach is there is tons to do, you can rent snorkeling gear, go scuba diving, paddle boarding, canoeing, etc. The water is very clear and we were able to see tons of colorful fish even without snorkel gear.

We left the beach around 11AM to head back to the hotel and explore the city. We hired a taxi for $500 baht per hour who took us to lunch, Chalong Temple, Old Phuket City, Patong Beach area, and the Karon Viewing Point. Old Phuket wasn’t much and when we got to Patong Beach I was so happy we didn’t stay there. It was a mix of South Beach during Spring Break and New Orleans during Mardi Gras, it was just so crowded I couldn’t imagine us having a good time there with the kids.
​
dad facing temple with baby on his back in a carrier and holding his daughters hand

Both photos were taken at Wat Chalong Temple
mom and daughter stading in front of a temple in Thailand

On the way to the Karon Viewing Point (pictured below), we got to see Karon beach which was very family friendly, tons of families walking around and about 6 playgrounds along the beach.

family in front of mountainside overlook

Day Three: Private Phang Nga Bay Tour of Big Buddha, James Bong Island, and the Monkey Cave

We did this tour through Easy Day Thailand. I chose them because instead of taking a long boat ride all the way to Phang Nga Bay they drove to the mainland and then we just took a quick long tail boat ride to visit James Bond Island. It was also fully customized private tour so we were able to add anything we wanted as well as skip whatever we wanted. As mentioned before I loved that they provide car seats at no additional charge and the van even had wifi. The vans are extremely spacious with the ability to seat 10 passengers and the seats recline which we were able to take advantage of since it was just us! We started the trip visiting Big Buddha arriving around 8AM. There were literally 3 other people there and it was so nice to experience this magnificent sculpture without the large crowds. There are two beautiful viewpoints and a smaller gold Buddha.

mom and daughter standing in front of a golden buddha in Thailand dad with child on his shoulders standing in front of a white huge buddha in Thailand
After visiting Big Buddha we traveled to the mainland. Our first stop was the Monkey Cave where there is a reclining Buddha, a few caves, and tons of wild monkeys waiting for tourists to feed them. Every vendor sells old bananas, corn, and seeds so you can attract the monkeys and give them some food and snap some pictures. We stayed here about an hour before heading to Phang Nga National Park.

family sitting in front of a golden reclining buddha girl feeding monkey a banana

Lunch was included in our tour and we ate at a restaurant in the National Park along the canal. After lunch, we got in our private longtail boat and took a 30min ride to James Bond Island. The Island was packed and the vendors can be a bit aggressive but overall we still enjoyed the visit.

On the way back we stopped at the Muslim village on stilts and walked around. We had already decided we didn’t want to do the nearby canoeing and when we saw how crowded it was I was so glad we made that decision. The operators are the ones who actually paddle so that’s a plus but the sun was so hot the last thing I wanted to do was be canoeing with no shade and being packed like sardines on the floating dock while we waited our turn. When we left Phang Nga National Park Easy Day Thailand dropped us to the airport so we could catch our flight to Chiang Mai.

mom holding daughter on shoulders in front of rock formation spewing from the ocean

Easy Day Thailand provided both a driver and a tour guide. The driver was always with the van which was nice to know as we had our luggage stored in it.

We had Papootip as a guide and she was excellent. She was so helpful with Jordyn and the two of them def became friends. We paid a little more than some of the other tours offered but the ability to customize what we did was important. Avoiding a bus with 40 other people and the ability to move at our pace was worth the extra money. The company does not charge for kids 4 and under which was a major plus!

We enjoyed our 3 days in Phuket but if we go back I would love to stay on a different island. This is because the nice beaches are still a bit of a trek from Phuket. It would have been nice to wake up and be on the beautiful beaches rather than having to take a 2hr boat ride.

After spending 3 days in Phuket with kids we headed to spend 48 hours in Chiang Mai. Did you find this article helpful? Please share it!

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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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