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How many of you have heard you will no longer be a How many of you have heard you will no longer be able to travel once you have kids? I find most people who say these things don’t even have kids or if they do they have never traveled with their kids!

I’m not really into counting countries and we enjoy visiting places more than once, seeing the beauty all over the US and right in our state too. You don’t have to travel far to give your kids amazing experiences but you can also take them wherever you want. Y’all know my motto, if kids live there kids can visit!! 

Where have you been that people said you were crazy for taking your kids (or your parents for taking you) but you were so glad you didn’t listen to them and went anyway.

#travellingwithkids #familytravel
Everything you need to know about visiting Chichen Everything you need to know about visiting Chichen Itza, one of the 7 Wonders of the World (SAVE + SHARE this post).

Chichen Itza is 2.5 hours from Cancun, 2 hours from Playa del Carmen, and 90 minutes from both Tulum and Merida.

You can get here by renting a car, booking a private tour on Airbnb Experiences like we did, coming on a tour bus or for budget travelers taking the ADO bus. 

Most tours from Cancun are all day long, leaving as early as 7/8 am and as late as 9 pm drop off. This is because you’ll visit cenotes outside of Chichen Itza and the town of Valladolid. Since we only had 4 days in Cancun we didn’t want to spend a full day on the road but also really wanted to visit so booking private transportation allowed us to skip all the other stops and just go there and back. We were picked up at 9 and back at the hotel by 4 so we could have a relaxing evening.

Current admission is $533 Mexican pesos for adults, $80 for kids 3-12 and free for kids under 3. That’s about $30 US for adults and $5 for kids.

Once inside there is the main attraction that everyone comes to see but there are also other Mayan dwellings and a cenote. I recommend coming with a guide or hiring an official guide once on site so they can give you information on the history.

Have you been to any of the 7 Wonders? If so, which one(s)?

Hubby and I climbed the Great Wall of China together in 2007, Jordyn, James and I have been to the Colosseum in Rome, the girls and I have been to Petra and we all visited Machu Picchu, Christ the Redeemer, Chichen Itza and the Great Pyramids of Giza together!

#chichenitza #7wondersoftheworld
Today is the last day of school and I could not be Today is the last day of school and I could not be more proud of Jordyn! Look at all those awards she racked up at her end of the year ceremony. She’s reading 3 grade levels above hers, was only 9 points away from a perfect score on her state reading test and made the Honor Roll every quarter of the year. It’s time to celebrate, let summer begin!!!
We’ve been to 34 states and while we haven’t v We’ve been to 34 states and while we haven’t visited them all yet these are 4 states you should consider visiting this summer. (SAVE + SHARE this list for inspo)

📍Idaho- Last year we explored Southern Idaho and it blew us away. City of Rocks National Reserve, Kayak to Shoshone Falls, white water rafting, and walking behind Perrine Coulee Waterfall are musts!

📍Alaska- We visited the South East part of Alaska, Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan and WOW talk about stunning. You’ll love exploring ice caves, walking on glaciers, canoeing through ice bergs, seeing the volcano and hopefully spotting some bears!

📍Utah- From the famous national parks like Zion and Bryce to the lesser known areas like Kanab, Utah is stunning. You can’t miss sand boarding through Coral Pink Sand Dunes and ATVing through the gorgeous landscape.

📍California- Where else can you surf and ski/snowboard in the same day? California has the most national parks in any state so you know the beauty is beyond amazing. Having lived there for 3 years I’ve explored so many cities and there is something for everyone!!

Would you like me to share my website link for our itineraries for each of these trips in stories? Have you been to any of these? Which state intrigues you the most from this list? What city/state would you like to see us cover?

#visittheusa #bucketlisttrip #travellingwithkids
We have been traveling with our girls since they w We have been traveling with our girls since they were 6 weeks old. Is traveling with kids always easy? Nope! Are there added costs to traveling with kids? Yes! But having status with World of Hyatt has helped elevate our travels, making things a little easier and saving us money, here’s how (SAVE + SHARE this post).

1. Being a family of 4 standard hotel rooms can be kind of cramped. Having status with World of Hyatt means we’re eligible for free upgrades when available including suites as a Globalist.

2. Eating out for breakfast everyday on a vacation starts to add up really quickly. As a Globalist we get free breakfast for 2 adults and 2 children.

3. At hotels with club access Globalists also get free access which includes drinks and snacks, the perfect way to hold kids over until dinner without spending money.

4. I don’t know who decided 9 or 10am was a good time for check-out, hello we’re on vacation, we want to sleep in! Having status with World of Hyatt means you qualify for late check out at 2pm or 4pm depending on your level of status. So whether you sleep in, hit the pool or use the other amenities at the hotel you can enjoy a little longer. It especially helps us when we have flights later in the day.

5. After paying for our hotel room we hate having added fees. Thankfully when you have Globalist status with World of Hyatt resort fees are waived on free night awards and/or eligible rates.

6. Free hotel nights! There is nothing like booking a hotel and not paying a penny! Having joined World of Hyatt we rack up points (on more than just stays) and the higher your status, the more points you earn to get free stays faster.

7. As World of Hyatt members we even earn American Airlines miles on our Hyatt stays, getting us free flights faster to save even more money!

From being more comfortable to finding more ways to earn, you’re missing out if you haven’t joined World of Hyatt!

@hyatt #HyattPartner
4 Ways to Redeem Points at Hyatt Hotels & 7 Ways t 4 Ways to Redeem Points at Hyatt Hotels & 7 Ways to Earn World of Hyatt Points & (SAVE + SHARE):

Ways to Redeem
1. Redeem points for rooms at Hyatt hotels. There’s nothing like experiencing luxury without the cost, so glad I could redeem Hyatt points for this stay with one of the best views of Tokyo.

2. Redeem points to cover your meal at participating restaurants at Hyatt hotels.

3. Redeem Hyatt points to cover your spa treatment at participating spas at Hyatt hotels. 

4. Redeem points through World of Hyatt FIND experiences. With over 200 experiences like cooking classes, tastings, & walking tours there are so many activities to choose from!

Ways to Earn
1. Are you an elite member with American Airlines? If so, you can earn 1 Hyatt point for every $1 spent on AA flights. These are in addition to the normal miles you’ll earn on American, just sign into your AA account & link your World of Hyatt account.

2. Rent a car through Avis & can earn 500 Hyatt points per rental. Just provide your Hyatt membership number when making the reservation & use AWD code K817700.

3. Book a FIND experience by World of Hyatt and earn 10 points per $1 spent. Hyatt offers over 200 experiences such as culinary classes with celebrity chefs, hot air balloon ride in Arizona, guided bike tour over the Golden Gate bridge and more.

4. Even if you aren’t staying at a Hyatt property, if you eat at the hotel restaurant or book a spa treatment you can earn 5 points per $1 spent. We actually ate at a Hyatt restaurant in Kyoto & even though we weren’t staying there I gave my World of Hyatt number & received points!

5. Earn points on everyday spending with a World of Hyatt credit card: 2 points per $1 spent on restaurants, airline tickets, local transit, rideshares, & gym memberships plus earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

6. Transfer points earned on other credit cards who partner with Hyatt such like Chase Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, Freedom Unlimited & Freedom Flex. 

7. Book a cruise with Lindblad Expeditions & earn 5 points per $1 spent.

Are you doing any of these?

📍Andaz Tokyo

@hyatt #HyattPartner
If you visit Lisbon or any mainland city in Portug If you visit Lisbon or any mainland city in Portugal I highly recommend adding a trip to Madeira! It’s an island off the coast of Portugal, actually closer to Africa than Portugal. Here’s how I spent 6 days in Madeira (Save + Share this post):

🇵🇹Day 1: Pool day at my hotel (NEXT Hotel) for most of the day and then I went running up the crazy hills of Madeira to see Funchal by foot.

🇵🇹Day 2: I explored the NW part of the island visiting Seixal Beach, Ponto Moniz, Fanal Forest and Ilheus da Ribeira da Janela.

🇵🇹Day 3: I went on a sidecar adventure where I explored Valley of the Nuns, the Cabo Girão Skywalk, and the fishing town of São Pedro with @madeirasidecartours.

🇵🇹Day 4: Whale and dolphin watching tour but we only saw dolphins. In the evening I did an Airbnb Experience at a locals farm house where he cooked a great dinner where 90% of the items were picked directly from his gardens that day. He also taught us how to make poncha, a favorite local drink. The tour should already be linked in my Maderia story highlights.

🇵🇹Day 5: I toured the SE part of the island visiting Ponta do Garajau, Monte Palace, and ended the day at the most beautiful views from Pico do Arieiro (the shots of me on the clouds).

🇵🇹Day 6: I watched the sunrise from Miradouro Ponto do Rosto and then did an 8 mile hike of Levado do Caldeirão Verde. After the hike I relaxed at the pool!

If you want photos taken in Madeira I recommend @robframing.

Honestly Madeira was everything and I don’t see it dropping out of my top 5 international destinations anytime soon.

The Traveling Child

If kids live there, kids can visit!

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Things to Do in Fes, Our Two Day Itinerary

May 14, 2020      Africa, Destinations, Morocco

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.

After spending two amazing days exploring Chefchaouen (read that itinerary here) we made it to Fes. We spent three nights and two days here before ending our two weeks in Morocco visiting the Sahara Desert and Marrakech. Here are the top things to do in Fes and other parts of our itinerary including where we stayed and how to get to Fes from other parts of Morocco.

Things to Do in Fes Inside the Medina

Dar el Makhzen, The Royal Palace of Fes

Unfortunately the palace is not open to the public, however, just seeing it from the outdoors is satisfying. The huge 7 doors that line the building are gold and beautifully designed. While the King doesn’t live here, it is where he and his family stay when they are in Fes. If you don’t want to fight to get a picture along in front of the doors arrive early!

Visit the Mellah

The Mellah is the old Jewish quarters in Fes. It was purposely located near the Kings Palace for protection as most Muslims were against the Jewish people residing in their community. However, they played a vital role in the local economy so the Kind wanted them protected. The two communities were separated by a gate. While exploring the Mellah we stepped into the Aben Danan Synagogue.

Walk Through the Medina and Find Rainbow Street 

Like all cities in Morocco walking through the Medina is a big draw. That’s because you can see every and anything. From the vendors creating their products right in front of your eyes, the hustle of negotiations, to the smells of the various spices and foods it’s like no other place. You can easily get entranced by it all (or get lost) and spend hours walking around. One street tourists love is Rainbow Street. Not as bright as many of the pictures I saw of it online but it made my three year old happy. Don’t want to get lost trying to find it? Here’s the exact location via Google Maps.

Medrasa Al-Attarine 

Medrasas are religious schools and the Medrasa Al-Attarine is located near the Al Quaraouiyine Mosque, the oldest university in the world. The  Medrasa Al-Attarine was ordered to be built by Marinid Sultan Ya’qub Abu Said Uthman II as an annex to Al-Quarauiyine and completed in 1325.

You may be interested in reading: tips for taking perfect vacation photos.

Visit a Tannery

If you do nothing else during your stay make sure visiting a tannery is the one thing you do. There is a reason it’s on everyone’s things to do in Fes list. Tanneries are where leather is dyed and since cow urine and pigeon poop are key components in the process the smell can be upsetting to the stomach. Shop owners will give you mint to hold under your nose while you look out into the tannery to see the process.

The mint wasn’t enough for me during my first visit in 2013 when I was traveling while pregnant. Thankfully this time I was able to endure the smell and really take in the process which is quite interesting. Chouara Tannery is the most popular one which makes sense as it’s been around since the 11th century. While there are tanneries in other parts of Morocco, the ones in Fes are most well known. 

Medersa Bouanania

The Medersa Bou Inania is part of the Kairaounie University and was originally used to house theology students. It started to be built in 1350 by Sultan Abou el Hassan and took 7 years to be completed. It’s the only religious building in Fes that allows non-muslims to enter but still you can only visit the courtyard if you aren’t Muslim. It costs  20 dirham ($2) to enter. Like most places in Morocco the architecture is stunning! This private cultural day tour of Fes takes you through Morocco and its surviving empire, including Medersa Bouanania.

Looking for a guide to show you around Fez? We booked this walking tour on Airbnb Experiences to learn the history through a local.

Things to Do in Fes Outside the Medina

Jnan Sbil Gardens

If you need some solitude from the hustle and bustle of exploring the medina head to Jnan Sbil Gardens. It’s a short 10 minute walk from Bab Boujloud (the blue gate). While it’s nowhere near as extravagant as Majorelle Gardens in Marrakech it does have a river, pond, fountains, and flowers. You can walk around or take a rest on one of the benches. 

Borj Nord

For the best views overlooking Fez we headed to Borj Nord. It’s a 16th century fortress but honestly it’s pretty ruined. Still it offers great views of the city. In addition to the views there is an Arms Museum here. It’s open Tuesday through Sunday from 9am-12pm and 2-6pm. The museum has a collection of weapons from all over the world including those used in the Battle of the Three Kings.

The Marinid Tombs at Borj Nord
View of Fes from Borj Nord

Take a Moroccan Dance Class 

My favorite part of our time in Fes was taking a Moroccan Dance Class. I found it on Airbnb Experiences and it was taught in the home of a Moroccan dancer. She’s a stay at home mom to three kids and teaching this class allows her to continue to do so. The class was $27 for 90 minutes and after class she made tea and had home baked goods for us to enjoy together. You can book her class here. 

Bab Boujloud

The Western entrance to Fes el Bali (Old City), the Bab Boujiloud is the iconic blue gate of Fes. While Bab Boujiloud is often referred to as The Blue Gate once you get to the other side look back and you’ll see it’s green. Green is the color of Islam!

tourists walking through the blue side of Bab Boujloud which is one of the most popular things to do in fes

Where to Stay in Fes

After staying at Le Riad Yasmine in Marrakech and an Airbnb in Chefchaouen we were ready for the amenities of a hotel. We booked our three nights at the Fes Marriott Hotel Jnan Palace which was outside of the Medina unlike our other accommodations. It was a nice change of pace and plenty of space! Our room was nice, clean and had a balcony, check out the video of our room tour below.

 

If you’re a Bonvoy member you’ll be able to use and/or collect points towards free future hotel stays at Marriott properties. We also have the Bonvoy Marriott Chase credit card so we got even more points and perks. This included receiving complimentary breakfast each morning, saving us $20 per person per day (sign up here for a special bonus). The buffet includes cold and hot foods like pancakes, waffles, bagels, fruit and an omelette station.

Besides the breakfast buffet in the Marriott Cafe there are four other places on site to dine. We loved Dolce Vita which serves Italian cuisine. It’s open for lunch and dinner and we ate there three times during our stay. Everything we had was delicious!

In addition to Dolce Vita there is another sit down restaurant, Mont Liban. They serve Lebanese and Moroccan food and are only open for dinner. We visited during the slow season so we were able to get a table without a reservation but during the high season reservations are required. During dinner there was a live band playing beautiful music throughout the evening.

There are also two casual dining areas, the Piano Bar and the Pool Bar & Grill. You can get mixed drinks, finger food and typical bar food at both. Just be aware smoking is allowed in the Piano Bar so if you need a snack and want to avoid the smell order your food to go. Besides the bars everyday we walked into the hotel we were offered the infamous Moroccan tea. The staff was so welcoming and accommodating, we couldn’t have asked for a better stay.

If you’re visiting during the summer months there is a pool on site you can enjoy. There is a gym and and a spa you can get traditional services and a hammam. The hotel is just a short drive to the Medina and cost 20 dirham ($2) in the small red taxis.

How to Get to Fes from Marrakech or Chefchaouen 

Unlike Chefchaouen, Fez is one of the more easily accessible cities in Morocco. You can get here via plane, train or bus. Still there are only 8 airlines that service the Fes airport (FEZ), flying from only 33 destinations. This means if you’re coming from the US you will have a layover in another city before arriving in Fes. During our trip we actually arrived and departed from Fez by plane, bus, train and taxi!

We came to Fez from Marrakech by plane, a short 30 minute flight on Air Arabia Maroc. The pilot let my daughter sit in the cockpit before we took off and she was so excited. The flight cost me $77.42 for two tickets! The airport is small but you can exchange money and there are two restaurants to get food. Outside there are endless amounts of taxi drivers willing to take you to where you need to go, for us that was Chefchaouen. 

When returning to Fez from Chefchaouen we took the CTM bus. The ride was four hours and cost $7.50 per person along with an additional $1 per suitcase. The bus was very clean and made two short stops for bathroom breaks. At both stops there was a place to purchase snacks and drinks.

When we left Fez to return back to Marrakech we took the train, ONCF. There aren’t direct flights from Fez to Marrakech daily and the day we needed to leave there weren’t any. For the number of stops and layover length it just made more sense to get on one train and go straight to Marrakech. There are While there were multiple stops on the train, a 6 hour total ride, we didn’t have to get off at any time. For our two tickets the cost was $30, we bought them at the train station two days prior but you can purchase them online here.

Be sure to book a first class ticket for assigned and comfortable seating. Each car is broken into little compartments of 6 seats. Someone walked down the car selling snacks and drinks but I didn’t see anywhere to make full meal purchases so pack something with you.

When we got to Marrakech we spent five days there (read that itinerary here). We had a great time in Fes and I hope our list of things to do in Fes helps you plan your own trip. If it does, please share this article to help others!

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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