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As someone who is so Type A and always planning ev As someone who is so Type A and always planning every detail of our trip, it was so nice to let the stress of planning go and let @JetBlueVacations handle everything! 

We bundled our flight, hotel and airport transfer and our local insider booked our excursion. I was finally able to relax before and during my vacation knowing everything was taken care of for us. My fellow planners, take a break and let JetBlue Vacations handle everything for you! 

Use code: HAMBRICK for $200 off flights + hotel!
Book by 12/10/23 for travel 12/15/23-11/1/24 Min. $3,500 spend & terms apply
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

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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

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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