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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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Sydney to Cairns: Scuba Diving the Great Barrier Reef and More

November 1, 2016      Austrailia, Destinations

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.

Cairns was the first stop on our Australia itinerary after landing in Sydney and before visiting Melbourne. Unfortunately things got to a rocky start after our flight to Sydney was cancelled due to mechanical errors. As there was only one flight a day this caused us to miss our original flight from Sydney to Cairns and an entire day in Cairns. Instead of spending 3 days in Cairns we only spent 2 days in Cairns. We planned on using our first day to get over jet lag but plans don’t always pan out.

How to Get from Sydney to Cairns

After landing an epic flight deal to Sydney for $580 we needed to get from Sydney to Cairns. The Sydney to Cairns flights we found were very affordable and we flew Virgin Australia. It was very easy to get to our flight from Sydney to Cairns even though we flew United to Sydney. After landing and going through customs and collecting our luggage there was a domestic transfer ticket counter right near the baggage claim. We checked into our flight and the Virgin Atlantic agents took our baggage leaving us hands free. We then took a bus right outside of this area over to the domestic terminal.

You may be interested in reading: Tip for Surviving Long Haul Flights with Kids

We booked Virgin Atlantic because their domestic flights from Sydney to Cairns included 1 checked bag. The flight from Sydney to Cairns was 3.5hrs (with a 1hr time difference). Virgin Atlantic serves a small meal on the flight. They also offer free WiFi as long as you have their app so be sure to download it ahead of time. We had no issues and it was a very pleasant experience.

The Best Time to Visit Cairns

We visited in mid October and I truly believe it’s the best time to visit Cairns. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. Australia has opposite seasons as the US and it was their fall in October. However, Cairns is much like South Florida in that it is warm pretty much year round. It was in the 80s during our visit but it lacked the humidity of summer. When visiting Cairns you should pack shorts, tank tops, sundresses, and other similar clothing. Some nights it got a little cool but cool as in low 70s.

Where to Stay in Cairns

When looking for the best place to stay in Cairns we were deciding between Trinity Beach and Cairns CBD. We chose to stay in Trinity Beach so that we would have the beach to hang out on our 1st day if we were too tired to do anything else. Unfortunately that never happened! Trinity Beach is about a 30min drive from the airport and Cairns CBD. It is smaller area with not as many restaurants or shops.

If you are looking for peace and quiet I would recommend staying here. If you do, eat at the Blue Moon Grill, it was delicious. Next time I visit Cairns I will stay in Cairns CBD. There were a lot more restaurants, shopping, bars and nightlife but with the distance and not having a car it made it tough to partake. You will also pay more for the transportation for tours staying in Trinity Beach. If you plan to spend a lot of time at the beach choose Trinity Beach but if not Cairns CBD will save you time and money.

While the distance was an issue the Airbnb we stayed in was great. It was right on the beach with beach views from the balcony. The grocery store, restaurants, bus stop and kids playground were all in walking distance. The area is quiet and relaxing. Our host Matthew provided laundry detergent, dishwasher soap, shampoo, conditioner, towels, wash cloths, and beach towels, everything we needed for an enjoyable stay. The place hosts 6 adults comfortably with 3 bedrooms and two bathrooms. He even coordinated a crib rental for us for my infant. New to Airbnb? Sign up here to receive $40 off your first rental! Here are 8 tips to guarantee a great Airbnb experience.

Syndey to Cairns Where to Stay in Cairns
Our Cairns Airbnb

Things to Do in Cairns

Day One: Scuba Diving The Great Barrier Reef

Thankfully we booked our Great Barrier Reef diving for what was supposed to be our second day in Cairns. I would suggest doing the same in case you also face delays getting from Sydney to Cairns as we did. This is because tours offering scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef book up well in advance and rescheduling a tour won’t be easy. We visited the Great Barrier Reef through Seastar Cruises. We did their full day tour which included snorkeling at two stops to the outer Great Barrier Reef at Michaelmas Cay and Hastings Reef. The cost was $185 AUD for adults and children under 4 are free so I didn’t have to pay for Kennedy. If you want to do an introduction dive, which I did, it is an additional $75 AUD for the 1st one.

Scuba Diving The Great Barrier Reef

Pros of using Seastar Cruises for Scuba Diving The Great Barrier Reef: 

  • The tour includes a Glass Bottom Bout Tour if you can’t swim or don’t want to get wet.
  • If you plan to snorkel or scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef and wear prescription glasses but don’t wear contacts or forget them they  have masks with prescription lenses so you can see the reef clearly. I wore my contacts but a friend in my group didn’t and she said she could see great with their optical masks.
  • The guides work with the introductory divers are very patient. Scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef was my first experience with diving. I was having a hard time getting adjusted to breathing from the tank and was ready to give up. They were not having it! My guide walked me through what I needed to do several times and gave me pointers to get comfortable. I was so happy I stuck through it and got the experience! Now I’ve continued to dive with my favorite dive being in Tulum.

Cons of using Seastar Cruises for Scuba Diving The Great Barrier Reef: 

Lunch is provided but contrary to the website stating buffet, it is far from that. We were asked if we wanted 1 or 2 chicken wings, like only the drumstick part, not even the whole wing. That is not a buffet!!
In their defense they did have deli meat for sandwiches but I don’t eat beef or pork so it was no use to me. They also had quite a few vegetarian options including pasta salad and potato salad but I don’t eat those either. Ok, maybe I am just a picky eater but some of my non picky eater friends were also not satisfied with the amount or taste of the food.

Tips for Scuba Diving The Great Barrier Reef with Seastar Cruises: 

Wear water shoes! They make you take your shoes off while on the boat for safety reasons as they say your shoes have no grip and you can slip. However, part of the floor on the boat is carpet and people walk on it with their wet feet and clothing. To me wet carpet is disgusting and unsanitary so wear your water shoes as they do allow you to wear those on board.

Day Two: Kuranda

On our second day in Cairns we wanted to take in the Aboriginal culture. We did the Rainforestation Tour of Kuranda through Skyrail Rainforest. We took the Railway up and the Skyrail down. Once you get up to Kuranda you have about an hour of free time until you start the Rainforestation tour. The first stop is at the Wildlife park where you can learn about Australian wildlife. There are also free roaming Kangaroos that you are allowed to take photos with.

Sydney to Cairns Kuranda Kangaroo Visit

Afterwards in the Army Duck Tour where you learn about the trees and plants in the rain forest, surprisingly more interesting than I would have expected.

​Next is the performance of the traditional dances by Pamagirri Indigenous people and the chance to learn about some of their traditions. We were able to learn that the “Aboriginal” people prefer the term Indigenous People which I did not know. We also learned that it wasn’t until the early 2000s that the Indigenous people of Australia received an apology from the Australian government from the poor treatment they have been subjected to. I was very glad we were able to learn these things. ​After the show they have a few they have various stations where they will teach you how to throw a boomerang.

Sydney to Cairns Exploring Kuranda

​You take the Skyrail down, the longest cableway in the world. If your terrified of heights like myself good luck! I was shooting myself in the foot the whole way as my friends laughed at me. I will admit the views were spectacular and they have 2 stops if you want to get off an explore the rain forest a bit.

Pros of the Kuranda Tour:

    • Free roaming Wallaby’s and Kangaroos that you can feed, pet, and take photos with.
    • The chance to learn how to and try to throw a boomerang.Every aspect of the tour was on-time including the pick up and drop off.

Cons of the Kuranda Tour:

    • The railway up in underwhelming and for a 1.5hr ride had I known what I know now I would have skipped it.
    • Not enough time in between the railway up and the start of the tour to really enjoy a meal without scarfing down your food.

Tips for the Kuranda Tour with Kids:

Strollers are allowed on the train, cable car, and on the Rainsforestation tour and they have elevators throughout so it seemed convenient to use one. ​​For younger kids who can still be carried I would however recommend using a carrier as it’s just easier than folding and unfolding a stroller.

Unfortunately our trip from Sydney to Cairns wasn’t exactly what we anticipated due to flight cancellations. However, we still had a great time scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef and learning about the aboriginal culture. Did you find this post 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. Hang Ly says

    March 22, 2018 at 10:07 am

    Hello Monet ! I love following you and your family. I am a new mom and my little dumpling if 6 months. I have a fear of traveling with her as she is so young. I want to travel to Vietnam and Camobodia however I think about the food, the germs, what will she eat and anything and everything else that can happen. I admire your bravery and willingness to share the world with your little girls and I want to do the same. But this anxiety and fear will hold me back. Thank you for your time and sharing your knowledge with the mommy community.

  2. Monet says

    March 26, 2018 at 4:02 pm

    Hi Hang! Congrats on your new bundle of joy. I definitely understand the anxiety but you will be fine, you just have to make the first step and go. There are germs everywhere so you can’t avoid that even at home. In regards to food Vietnam and Cambodia have rice dishes which I’m sure at the least your daughter will eat. My girls are the least picky eaters ever, I’m the one in the family who has to look at every menu in detail before to choose to eat at a restaurant. Exposing her to different foods at such a young age will only develop her into not being a picky eater. Book something closer to home at first to see how you guys manage and if all goes well book that flight to SE Asia.

  3. G. A. says

    June 22, 2018 at 11:59 am

    Wow! I need that glass bottom boat tour in my life! Glad I read this, as I’ve wanted to travel to Australia but have always been nervous about it! Thanks for always sharing such inspiring travel photos and information!!!

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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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