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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 Oceanside, California

June 28, 2019      California, Destinations, North America

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.

Oceanside, California was the second stop on our sponsored Southern California road trip with Go RVing and Visit California. Road trips with kids are better in RV’s so after landing in LAX from Miami we picked up our rented RV from Outdoorsy and drove to our first stop Huntington Beach. After spending two nights we drove 60 milesto reach Oceanside. We would spend one night in Oceanside before heading to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Here’s how to pack in the best things to do in Oceanside in two days along with the best RV park to book.

Things to Do in Oceanside, California

Things to Do in Oceanside Day One: Oceanside Pier, Oceanside Boat Rentals, Privateer Coal Fire Pizza

After checking into our RV Park we decided to beat the crowds and have an early lunch. We decided on Hello Betty Fish House as we read about it’s great ocean views. Unfortunately they are doing construction right in front of the restaurant so we weren’t able to get that view but the restaurants decor inside was nice. It wasn’t our favorite restaurant of the trip but it wasn’t terrible.

table with 3 plates of food

From Hello Betty Fish House we walked to the Oceanside Boardwalk. Here we rented a surrey bike from Wheel Fun Rentals. We pedaled up and down the pier stopping at the many parks right on the beach for my daughter to play. Bring a bluetooth speaker with you so you have music to listen to on your ride. Be sure to also leave plenty of room for all the good treats sold on the boardwalk. My dad enjoyed a milkshake while my daughter and I had shaved ice.

You May Be Interested in Reading: Tips for Taking Family Vacation Photos

Since we already enjoyed the beach water in Huntington Beach we skipped swimming in the ocean here. Instead we headed to the marina. We came to rent a small boat from Oceanside Boat Rentals and noticed a surf competition! Unfortunately it was the end of it which we were bummed about because we thought it would have been a great experience. I recommend checking local events in the area when planning your trip to not miss out on these unique experiences. Still we had a nice ride on the small boat we rented to go around the marina. We came across some sea lion sun bathing on a pier and enjoyed the sea breeze.

man driving a small boat

You May Be Interested in Reading: The Ultimate Guide to Planning a California Road Trip

For dinner we ate at a local favorite, Privateer Coal Fire Pizza. The owner, Charlie Anderson, is an Oceanside local and surfer. He prides himself on working with Oceanside Cyclops Farms to ensure as many ingredients as possible are locally grown.

My daughter took the longest afternoon nap so she was full of energy after dinner. I saw an advertisement for a trampoline park, Altitude, in the brochure we got from the Oceanside Visitor Center so we went there. It was the perfect place to burn off some energy before bed.

Things to Do in Oceanside Day Two: Beach Break Cafe, Whale Watching Tour, & More

We started off our second day in Oceanside with breakfast at Beach Break Cafe. Another locally owned restaurant, Beach Break is famous for their cinnamon-laced coffee cake. While I don’t like coffee cake in general, my dad who loves them says it was the best coffee cake he’s ever had. I had their signature banana crunch french toast which was excellent but ask for light whip cream if you’re not a big fan as they don’t hold back on it at all.

After a very filling breakfast it was time for us to try to see some whales. We were going on a tour with Oceanside Adventures which lasts two hours. From November to April you can spot Gray, Mike, Humpbak and Fin whales along with all four species of dolphins. Then from May to October you can spot Fin, Blue, Minke and Humpback Whales and all four species of dolphins. Unfortunately for us we didn’t see any whales on your sailing. However we did see a pod of over 300 dolphins and they were not shy at all. They put on a lovely show for us, constantly jumping out of the water and coming right next to the boat for us to see them. While we wanted to see whales, the dolphins didn’t disappoint. I know many whale watching companies offer refunds or a rain check if you don’t spot a whale but Oceanside Adventures does not. 

Our time in Oceanside was coming to an end but not without having our last meal. We had lunch at Lighthouse Oyster Bar and Grill which is right at the marina as you come off the whale watching tour. This was the best meal we had while in Oceanside and it came with a beautiful view.

Other Things to Do in Oceanside

Since we only had two days in Oceanside we weren’t able to experience all the things to do in Oceanside. If you have more time or if your interests differ check out these activities:

  • California Surf Museum
  • Oceanside Museum of Art
  • Vital Climbing Gym

Also be sure to check out Oceanside’s event calendar for things to do in Oceanside during your visit as they often have special events. There was a surf competition going on the day we arrived but we discovered it too late. Check out other family friendly ideas for your California visit here.

Paradise by the Sea: The Best Oceanside RV Park

When we arrived to Oceanside we checked into Paradise by the Sea RV Resort. Just one mile from the Oceanside Pier it’s a prime location for enjoying the water activities Oceanside has to offer. It’s sparkling clean with friendly staff that even helps you park in your spot. Paradise by the Sea is a 4 star RV park with an amazing clubhouse, pool, hang-out area plus it has a path that leads straight to the beach.

Have you rented an RV before? If not, here are 6 tips for first time RVers and what vacationing in an RV looks like plus save $50 of your first RV rental by signing up for Outdoorsy here.

 

There are so many things to do in Oceanside and it’s a beautiful city in Southern California. We’re so happy we got to explore it on our Southern California road trip. Our next and final stop on this trip was Anza-Borrego park, 80 miles from Oceanside. This summer road trip was a big change from our winter getaway in Lake Tahoe snowboarding at Northstar Ski Resort. If you found this article 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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