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Athens photo dump + photo tips (SAVE + SHARE this Athens photo dump + photo tips (SAVE + SHARE this post)! Also get you a tripod, mine is also a selfie stick which I love. It’s literally the single item I use to take our videos and photos 90% of the time. You can set your phone on a timer for photos or use a Bluetooth clicker, I’ll link it in my bio! 

Always shoot with your back camera and with the sun facing you! I personally use Lightroom to edit all of our photos and for videos I edit in splice, VN or capcut.

Last but not least shout out to @vavaasatisfaction for this hair, my girl did that and I’ll def be running this style back!
Things to Do and Where to Eat with 48 Hours in Hou Things to Do and Where to Eat with 48 Hours in Houston with kids #AD @traveltex (SAVE + SHARE this post):

1. Visit the Cockrell Butterfly Garden

2. Explore the Houston Space Center

3. Walk along the paths at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center

4. Check out all the rooms at Color Factory

5. Eat at @Gatlin’s BBQ (Black-owned) and be sure to arrive early as they close at 6pm

6. Try the Brisket at @TruthBBQ

7. Eat ribs at @thepitroom

Have you been to Houston? What other recommendations do you have? 

#GetYourOwnTripToTexas #NationalBBQMonth
Hello Houston! It’s #NationalBBQMonth so what be Hello Houston! It’s #NationalBBQMonth so what better place to experience it than here. #AD @TravelTex 

We’re excited to eat our hearts through the city! If you live in or have been to Houston, what are your recommendations for BBQ places we have to eat at while here? 

SAVE + SHARE this post for your own foodie trip to Houston #GetYourOwnTripToTexas
24 Hours in Athens (SAVE + SHARE this post): We l 24 Hours in Athens (SAVE + SHARE this post):

We landed at 10:30am the day before boarding our cruise and hit the ground running. The best way to get over jet lag is to get on the current time zone immediately so that meant no time for sleep as we needed to stay up. 

🇬🇷 2:00pm Traditional Greek food tour with @foodaroundathens 

🇬🇷 6:00pm: Walk around the neighborhood of Anafiotika 

🇬🇷 7:00pm: Went to the top of the hill near the Acropolis for sunset

🇬🇷 8:30am: Self-guided Acropolis visit

🇬🇷 10:00am: All about Athen e-bike tour with @athensbybiketours

🇬🇷 1:00pm: Lunch at @hoocut for one of the best gyros we’ve had

🇬🇷 2:30pm: Head to the cruise port!

Yes we’re crazy but also we got right on the time zone and were good to go the rest of the trip plus we made the most of our time in Athens!

Do you hit the ground running if you land in a new time zone during the day to beat jet lag or do you sleep and take time adjusting? We love the app Timeshifter to help with jet lag management!
Athens - Boarding Virgin Voyages - Santorini - Rho Athens - Boarding Virgin Voyages - Santorini - Rhodes - Bodrum - Mykonos

What an amazing sailing it was! 10/10 recommend!

Let me know any questions you have and tag who you want to go on this cruise with!
Couples Posing Ideas (SAVE + SHARE this post): So Couples Posing Ideas (SAVE + SHARE this post): So we absolutely suck at posing but here are some amazing poses @geraldhazizi helped us with during our short photoshoot with him in Santorini. I will be using these as references moving forward lol, I love how they turned out. 

We used my phone and tripod most of the trip to capture images or asked fellow cruisers but I’d say this professional shoot in Santorini was worth it. Our session started at 10am so not super early at all, Gerald knew all the best spots and how to avoid the crowds!

Which pose is your favorite?
Tips for sailing on @VirginVoyages Resilient Lady Tips for sailing on @VirginVoyages Resilient Lady (SAVE + SHARE this post):

1. Download the app, it is essential to make your bookings, see what’s going on during your sail, etc.

2. There are 6 speciality restaurants on board for dinner (these are all included in your voyage at no extra cost 🙌🏾). Reservations open 45 days before sailing & are available from 6pm-10pm. If you can’t get a reservation for the day/time you want, don’t worry there are walk-in spots available and we did this many days when we decided to eat at more than one restaurant a night.

3. Be sure to check out the ship activities prior to sailing to pack appropriately for themed nights. Every sailing has a Scarlet Night where you wear red but our sailing also had a pajama party and 80s party and people really dress up!

4. Virgin Voyages doesn’t offer drink packages but they do offer a Bar Tab. You can purchase $300 in advance and get a $50 bonus and this credit can be used for anyone else in your cabin or even friends/family in another cabin so every person doesn’t need one and you don’t have to use it all on yourself. The drinks are very reasonably priced so just be careful getting too much in advance as you can’t use the credit on anything else on board. Beer is as low as $5, a glass of wine $7 and mixed drinks $9 plus tip is included! Soda and non-pressed juices, tea and regular coffee is free on the ship so you won’t have to spend anything on that!

5. Spa services book quickly and can’t be made until you get on board so head straight to the spa to book any appointments you want and note there is a 24 hour cancellation window so if plans change be sure to cancel in advance or you’ll be charged for the full service.

6. Reservations for a time slot for embarkation are required so check in as soon as possible to snag an early time and enjoy the ship longer!

Listen, a time was had on this cruise! Swipe for a cabin tour, food from some of the restaurants on board, and live music. I have more tips coming in a part 2 so let me know if there is anything specific you want me to cover on my next post! Tap the link in my bio for $200 onboard credit if you book a sailing on any Virgin Voyage!

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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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