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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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Things to Do in Graz, Austria

September 30, 2019      Austria, Destinations, Europe

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 years of exploring cities Western Europe such as Paris, Brussels, and London I finally visited Central Europe thanks to the Propel Conference by Captivate. I applied to attend this professional conference and was accepted thereby granting me the opportunity to visit Graz, Austria for nearly free. During free time at the conference I got to explore the city and here are things to do in Graz, Austria to help you plan your own trip.

Free Things to Do in Graz

Schlossberg Clock Tower

If you’re looking for a small workout that will lead to amazing views of Graz climb the 260 stairs to get to the Schlossberg Clock Tower. If walking up 260 steps isn’t your thing ,you can take an elevator for a small fee. Either way when you get to the top you will see a beautiful landscape. 

If you visit in the spring or summer enjoy the garden with it’s beautiful purple, yellow and orange flowers. In front of the Schlossberg Clock Tower you will find a piano that has free play hours where visitors take turns playing for the crowd.

When you’ve taken in the views you can walk back down the stairs, take the elevator or even slide down! Yes, there is not only a slide to take you down but it’s the longest indoor slide in the world. There is a small fee to take the slide down but so much more fun than the stairs.

Murinsel

We were lucky enough to have one of our conference events hosted at the Murinsel. It’s an artificial island made of steel, built in 2003. It has a full bar so it’s the perfect place for a morning coffee or evening cocktail. Even if you see it during the day be sure to pass by at night when it’s lit up in blue.

Check Out the Art Murals

There is so much street art around Graz and walking around the city stumbling upon them was one of my favorite things to do. This piece below was personally one of my favorite ones!

Beautiful street art in Old Town Graz

The Double Staircase in the Burg of Graz

Double spiral staircases so you should add it to your Graz itinerary. The people of Graz affectionately call this one the Stairs of Reconciliation because “if you go separate ways, you will ultimately reunite.” It is only open Friday-Sunday so plan accordingly.

Affordable Things to Do in Graz

Eggenberg Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage site and mostly unchanged since the 18th century. It has 24 state rooms and a planetary room and they are decorated from top to bottom including gorgeous ceilings. In addition to the palace there is a huge park and gardens area. You can choose to pay entry to see just the gardens and explore the outside of the palace or pay entry for both.

 

Kunsthaus Graz

The Kunsthaus or better known to locals as the friendly alien. It was built is 2003 and it’s modern architecture looks quite different than the rest of the architecture in this part of the city known as old town. Since it’s opening it has give many artists the opportunity to showcase their work.  As of September 2019 they were open Tuesdays-Sundays from 10AM-5PM.

Guided City Tour

If exploring on your own isn’t your things or you want to learn more about the history of Graz while you explore, take a guided city tour. Our group took one which lasted about two hours and it was nice having someone to help us navigate the streets as it can be a little intimidating on your own with all the streets.

 

Take Yodel Lessons

This was one of favorite things to do in Graz. At dinner on our first night we had two Austrian natives from the Folk Song Institution teach us how to yodel. It was so much fun and we learned that yodelling was first done to pass messages from mountain to mountain. If you’re up for a bigger adventure the same company also offers hiking tours with learning to yodel mixed in. You will need to contact the Graz Tourism Board to assist you in setting up a tour.

Photo credit: Graz Tourismus_Werner Krug

Visit the Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum

I’m not even an Arnold Schwarzenegger fanatic or anything but this was my second favorite activity beside our Yodel lessons. The museum is in the home he grew up in and has the original bed from his youth. Each room highlights a different stage in his life including bodybuilding, acting, and his time as Governor or California. It was so interesting to learn more about him and that he actually made his first millions as a businessman. It’s a little further out from the city center so you will need a car or taxi to get here but so worth the visit.

Foodie Things to Do in Graz: Get Your Grub on at These Restaurants

Glöcklbräu

If you want a traditional Austrian meal then you have to visit Glöcklbräu. Meat is big in Austria and there is no shortage of it here. My favorite dish was the Käsespätzle, it is Austria’s version of mac and cheese and it is so good. For desert you have to get the apple strudel, my mouth is watering now just thinking about all it’s goodness.

aiola im Schloss

Looking for a fancy night out? Then head to Aiola im Schloss. This restaurant, which looks like a mansion or castle is on gorgeous grounds. I can easily see why so many people choose to get married here. The restaurant decor is upscale and modern with excellent service.

 

How to Get to Graz, Austria

While Graz does have an airport of its own it usually calls for a longer travel time as direct flights are limited from most destinations. Graz is easily accessible from Vienna, Austria if you can get a direct flight there. From Vienna it’s a quick 2.5hr train ride to Graz. Taking the train in Europe is extremely and convenient, here are 5 reasons to travel Europe by train.

To make travel affordable, especially to Europe I  always book a flight deal to the cheapest European country from my home in Miami. This is because once you’re in Europe it’s cheap to get from one country to another. Using Skyscanner has always been one of the best ways to find the cheap flights to Europe and you can download their free app here.

You may also be interested in: 7 Least Expensive Countries in Europe: Places to Visit When Budget Traveling

Where to Stay in Graz: Hotel Wiesler

If you come to Graz and want to feel special Hotel Wiesler is the place for you. After all this is where Arnold Schwarzenegger stays every time he returns home, he even has his own special room at the hotel. Hotel Wiesler is in the perfect location to walk to the majority of the places I’ve listed as things to do in Graz. There is free WiFi and a restaurant on site which makes it quite convenient. 

Dinner at Hotel Wiesler

I had a great time exploring my first city in Austria. After exploring all the things to do in Graz a group of us in the conference headed to Southstyria to spend a few days exploring that region on Austria. I’m looking forward to returning one day to explore other areas and experience their infamous Christmas markets. 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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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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