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Plus there were options to Johannesburg, Mumbai, S Plus there were options to Johannesburg, Mumbai, Seychelles, Hong Kong, & Manilla for like $250RT from not only JFK but Chicago, Dallas, DC, San Fran & LAX. 

Definitely the best flight deal I’ve ever booked but since then I have gotten some other amazing ones. $540RT to Sydney, $400RT to Marrakech, $60RT to Denver, $150RT to Guatemala. Love a points deal too, 70k Skymiles RT to Tokyo, 60k miles RT to Egypt & more!

So where can you find these deals?

Going: A subscription based site that emails you immediately anytime a deal pops up. It has 3 levels: Limited deals (free), Premium ($49/yr), & Elite ($199/yr). Comment LINK & I’ll send you a link for $25 off Premium or Elite!

Secretflying.com: For my international community this is the best site for you. They provide deals daily from every country in the world but you have to search for them.

Google Flights: You have to search yourself here by typing in the airport you want to fly from but you can put an entire region (Europe, Caribbean, Africa) and the dates you can travel and the map will populate with the prices in all those places so you can see the cheapest places to go.

Skyscanner: This site allows you to put your home airport, select anywhere as your destination to find the cheapest flights during the dates you can travel or you can put your home airport & destination you want to travel & find the cheapest dates to fly there. This is my favorite site to use for school/work holidays.

Theflightdeal.com: Just like secretflying but only for flights from the US.

What’s the best flight deal you’ve booked? Any other places you use to find deals? Comment LINK & I’ll send you a link for $25 off Going on their Premium or Elite levels!

#flightdeals #pointsandmiles
The thoughts that go through my head on flights ar The thoughts that go through my head on flights are irrational! Don’t even get me started on what happens if there is any bit of turbulence 😭😭.

If you sit next to me on a plane just know the likely hood of me grabbing your hand at some point is extremely high whether I know you or not 😅. 

I can’t be the only one, can I? And listen I will take all the tips because I have tried everything but seeking professional help, but maybe I need to!

Flight anxiety, fear of flying
Please do not tell me “but we’re only sleeping Please do not tell me “but we’re only sleeping there, we’ll be out all day”. When I get in after a long day I need to be comfortable and not afraid to touch things! In my 20s it did not matter but I’m too old now, I like what I like! 

Have you ever checked into a hotel and then got to your room and immediately checked out 👀?

1. Team book anything, I’m just sleeping there!
2. Team the hotel matters no matter how long the stay 
3. Team I’m somewhere in between

#hotelmatters #travelhumor
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!! Match It’s the most wonderful time of the year!! Matching holiday pajama time that is and @littlesleepies has picture perfect options for you to wear for your holiday card photo shoots! I love how soft they are and that they come in a wide range of prints and sizes from preemie to 3X. And yes they even have matching prints for your pets! Every purchase gives back to Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a foundation for childhood cancer. Y’all know matching PJs sell out QUICK for the holidays so hurry up and order now! 

Use code TravelingChild15 for 15% off regular priced items. So when are you bringing out the holiday decorations 👀?

#LittleSleepiesPartner #matchingpjs #matchingpajamas
Everything you need to know about Rainbow Mountain Everything you need to know about Rainbow Mountain (save + share this post):

1. Rainbow Mountain is a 3 hour drive from Cusco. 

2. The majority of tours leave at 3am but I like sleep & booked with a company that has 7:30am tours. This was much better as when we arrived most groups were walking down from the mountain so when we reached the top the crowds were minimal.

3. Rainbow Mountain’s elevation is 17,000 feet. It’s imperative you stay in Cusco (11,151ft in elevation) a few days prior so your body gets used to the altitude. 

4. The hike is roughly 4.5 miles RT, most of it is flat but the last stretch is steep and you will get short of breath, needing breaks. I def thought I wasn’t going to make it!

5. Wear lots of layers. It was warm at the base of the mountain but towards the top & especially when the wind came through it’s cold! 

6. The best time to hike Rainbow Mountain is the dry season April-Oct.

7. You can rent a horse for the majority of the hike, but the steep part you have to hike yourself as horses aren’t allowed there. The cost is about 70 soles (roughly $17 at the time of this post).

8. Vendors at the base of the mountain will stamp your passport for 2 soles. They actually do this at Machu Picchu too but I forgot to get mine stamped there.

9. If you traveled to Peru 10 years ago you would not have been able to do this hike because Rainbow Mountain was just uncovered around 2015. Prior to it was always covered by snow but global warming has caused the temperatures to rise & the snow to melt.

10. Most popularly called Rainbow Mountain the original name is Vinicunca, which comes from the native Quechua word meaning mountain of colors. The 7 colors of this mountain come from mineral compositions and depending on if it rained recently or not the colors vary in their brightness.

Have you heard of Rainbow Mountain? Would you do this hike?

#rainbowmountain #solotravels #bucketlistadventures
There are so many beautiful places on this earth t There are so many beautiful places on this earth to see. #VSP_Partner. Often, our eye health is overlooked, but it is important to keep your eyes top of mind so you can see the world through healthy eyes and clear vision. To help you see a new part of the world, I’ve partnered with @vspvisioncare to give away travel items to put towards your next trip:

✈️ $2,000 in gift cards to Hotels.com, Southwest, and VISA

✈️Two (2) pairs of sunglasses to wear on vacation

This giveaway runs from November 3–10, 2023 and the winner will ONLY be announced via DMs from the @vspvisioncare account on November 10, 2023. Be on the lookout for scammers!

How to Enter:

🏆 Like this post

🏆 Follow these accounts @vspvisioncare and @thetravelingchild

🏆 Tag two (2) friends that you want to take on this trip! (More tags = more entries.)

🏆 Fill out the entry form at the link in my bio. (Entry form will be hosted on Rafflecopter.)

*Eligibility: Must be located within the 50 United States and District of Columbia and be 18 years of age or older at the time of entry. See full terms and conditions at the link in my bio.

#Sweepstakes
I think we’re ready for tomorrow, what do you th I think we’re ready for tomorrow, what do you think?!?

What are you and/or your kids dressing up as this year? 

Proud of myself for finally deciding on a family theme and ordering costumes on time for once so we could all actually dress up 🙌🏾!

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Singapore Layover: How to Make the Most of 12 Hours in Singapore

March 18, 2017      Asia, Destinations, Singapore

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.

On our recent flight home from Bangkok we would have a Singapore layover. Instead of picking a short layover we decided to choose the flight that would give us 14 hours in between flights to enjoy 12 hours in Singapore. While you can’t see everything in Singapore in 12 hours since it’s a small country you can still see a lot in one day. We flew Qatar Airways landing in Singapore at 12:40PM and weren’t departing until 2:05AM. Here’s what we did on our Singapore layover.

Family in Merlion Park with Marina Bay Sands in the background

Clearing Customs and Visa Requirements for a Singapore Layover

Singapore does not require US citizens to have a visa if you are visiting for less than 90 days. The immigration officer did ask us how long we were staying and proof of our departure flight so I would be sure to have this handy. Ours allowed us to show him on my phone but I’d recommend having a screenshot in case you don’t have cell phone service to pull it up.

Singapore Layover: Where to Store Your Luggage

Our flight from Thailand to Singapore and from Singapore to home were not on the same airline so our bags did not check all the way through. Qatar Airways only allows check in 3 hours prior to the flight so we couldn’t check our bags in so early. Obviously walking through Singapore with all of our luggage was not an option so what did we do? Changi Airport has baggage storage in each terminal in both the transit and public areas of the airport for easy drop off. It cost us about $15 USD to hold our bags and you can find more information on prices here.

Getting From Changi Airport to Enjoy Your Singapore Layover

Singapore has great public transportation including a train at both Terminal 2 and 3 that will take you into the city. All the stations are luggage friendly with escalators and elevators. It took us 20mins to get to Merlion Park and cost a mere $1.50 Singaporean Dollars. You can see a fare calculator here.

What to Do on a Singapore Layover

You’d be surprised at how much you can do on a Singapore layover. With the 8 hours we had in Singapore we visited Merlion Park, Marina Bay Sands, and Gardens by the Bay. Her’s what to do in each location.

Merlion Park

Merlion Park gives you a great view of the infamous Marina Bay Sands hotel and a chance to take the obligatory picture of catching the water spraying from the Merlion’s mouth. Unfortunately the big Merlion had scaffolding around it during out visit as it was closed for cleaning but Jordyn still got to attempt the photo with the Merlion cub. There are tons of restaurants and bars in this area as well if you want to eat.
​
Viator

Toddler pretending to catch the water sprouting from a lion statue in Merlion Park

Marina Bay Sands

You can technically walk here from Merlion Park, someone told us it would take about 20mins. We didn’t have a stroller and I wasn’t interested in Jordyn getting tired halfway through and asking us to pick her up so we caught an Uber. If you’re into shopping you can definitely spend some money here as their are tons of high-end stores. If you’re only coming for the view of the city like we did you have two options. Unfortunately the infamous Infinity Pool is only accessible to hotel guests but you can get to the 57th floor by dining at one of the restaurants open to non-hotel guests or paying admission to access the Observation Deck. It’s open 9:30AM-10PM Mon-Thurs and 9:30AM-11PM Fri-Sun. You can pre-purchase tickets online and if you sign up for Sands Rewards you will receive 20% off admission.

Mother with two children on an observation deck with the sun setting in the background

Gardens by the Bay

A trip to Singapore wouldn’t be complete without seeing the magical Gardens by the Bay. It’s a quick walk here from Marina Bay Sands you can ask valet to point you in the right direction. The attractions include two conservatories, the outdoor gardens, and the Skyway. The conservatories and Skyway are open from 9AM-9PM and have an admission fee (book your tickets here). If you only want to see the garden show at night and watch it come to life it’s free and there is a 7:45 and 8:45PM show however this area is open from 5AM-2AM. There is also a Children’s Garden which has a splash pad and free of charge but it’s closed on Mondays.

Young black girl playing at Gardens By the Bay Supertrees

Infant sitting up in amazement of with lit up trees in the background

The kids got tired once the sun went down so we didn’t get the chance to do Night Safari Singapore but it’s on our list for our next visit.

Other Things to Do on a Singapore Layover

Of course with only 12 hours in Singapore we weren’t able to do everything. If we have another layover in Singapore in the future we would do these things:

  • Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: Don’t feel like navigating the city on your own? Take a hop-on hop-off bus tour and choose when to get off or just stay on the bus the entire time. The tour lasts 50 minutes if you don’t get off at all and runs 8:30am-6:00pm every 20 minutes. Book your ticket here.
  • Singapore Flyer: This ferris wheel reaches a height of 40 stories,providing an amazing view over the entire Marina Bay. (Book a city tour that includes the flyer here).
  • Singapore Botanic Gardens: A 158-year-old tropical garden that is honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Singapore’s first!). You will love the fact that entrance here is FREE from 5AM to 12AM (except for the National Orchid Garden – the park’s crown jewel – that is open 8:30AM to 7PM and charges SGD 5
  • ArtScience Museum: This museum is famous for its varied art and science exhibitions and flower shape.  You can grab discounted rates if you book online.
  • S.E.A. Aquarium: This is one of the biggest aquariums in the world and families will love it. (Book your tickets here).
  • Singapore Zoo: The Singapore Zoo has won the best Singapore Attraction Award 9 times so apparently it’s a big deal. You can book tickets ahead of time here.
  • Night Safari: If your layover includes time after sunset like ours did consider the night safari which we really wanted to do. Here you’ll be able to see nocturnal animals such as leopards in their natural habitat. Book your ticket here.
  • Little India
  • Chinatown

Free Guided Tour on Your Singapore layover Offered by Changi Airport

If you don’t have a full 12 hours to explore Singapore but have at least 5.5 hours Changi Airport offers free guided tours of Singapore you can join. To get you back in time tours only last 2.5 hours, which is why we didn’t take them up on their offer. While you have to have at least 5.5 hours on your layover you can’t have more than 24 hours or else you don’t qualify for the tour. They are on a first come first serve basis and you cannot make a reservation.

Two tours are offered, the Heritage Tour and the the City Sights Tour. The Heritage Tour runs five times a day and takes you to Merlion Park, Little India, Chinatown Kampong Glam, and the Malay Heritage Center. The City Sights Tour only runs twice a day and takes you to see the Singapore Flyer, Marina Bay Sands, Esplanade and Merlion Park.

What to Do at Changi Airport on Your Singapore Layover

While I don’t know anyone who wants to be stuck at the airport for an extended time if you are hope it’s Changi Airport. There is a movie theater, pool, a thriller slide, and tons of play areas for kids. The airport also provides free wifi, plenty of charging stations, and you can borrow strollers and carts to carry your luggage throughout the terminals free of charge.

Playground inside of an airport

little girl sitting in stroller

playground at airport

Singapore was the perfect end to our tour of Thailand visiting Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Bangkok. We were ready to conquer another long haul flight home with kids. Please share this article if you found it helpful in planning your Singapore layover!

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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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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