On Safari at MalaMala Game Reserve

Safari at MalaMalaIn February, we headed off to one of the few continents I had yet to visit, Africa. I am an ardent animal lover who has passed that love on to my 5 yr old son, thus a safari excursion was the perfect birthday present for me and the entire family. If you read our planning a trip to South Africa post, you will know that it was not easy to find a hotel that would allow our young son to fully participate in the safari experience. Luckily, our diligent research paid off and we found MalaMala Game Reserve in Sabi Sands, on the outskirts of Kruger National Park.

Sabi Sands is known as one of the finest Big 5 areas in all of Africa. There are no fenced borders between the reserves and Kruger National Park, so the animals move freely, making their way to the two year round rivers in the area. Due to the near constant water supply, it is almost guaranteed that you will see the Big 5 during a visit, and often even during a single day.

Our trip was all that we had imagined and even more. Exactly what I had wanted for my monumental birthday. Being in the bushveld as a visitor to the animal kingdom was awe-inspiring. It’s taken me months to digest it and try to put it into words. It put in perspective how insignificant we are in the scheme of life on earth but also how detrimental our short existence has been to those who were here before us.

Safari at MalaMalaAfter flying on 3 flights and for more than 30 hours, we finally landed at the small MalaMala airstrip. I loved flying low over the bush spotting animals far down below. But that excitement was nothing compared to seeing our first animals up close and personal. Get ready to fall in love with one of the most majestic places on earth. I really hope it wasn’t a once in a lifetime experience because I am dying to return!

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8 Great Things to Do in London with Kids

Are you heading to London? Overwhelmed with all the things to do in London with kids? If so, this is the post for you!

It goes without saying what an amazing, world class city London is. Having visited many times prior to having a child,  I was excited to see it anew through my son’s eyes.  There is no shortage of things to do in London with or without children. Rather, the challenge is to narrow down what you can reasonably accomplish in a short visit.

Coming from another major metropolis, I tend to shy away from things that can be found in many cities – zoos, aquariums, etc. Instead, I look to do things that are unique about the destination. Even taking things like the Natural History Museum (which I hear is fabulous still!), the zoo, etc off the table, we were still overwhelmed with how much there was to do in London. Loving everything we did in London, it’s hard to come up with just a few, but below are the best things to do in London with kids in our opinion.

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Sky’s the Limit Observatory in 29 Palms

Skys the Limit Observatory in 29 PalmsOne of the best places in Southern California for star gazing is in and around Joshua Tree. We have been out several times specifically to do this, but only recently learned about the Sky’s the Limit Observatory in 29 Palms. On our last visit to the northern part of Joshua Tree we noticed the observatory’s white building contrasting in the desert landscape, but didn’t really know if it was open to the public, so we didn’t stop. On my most recent trip however, I heard that they offer free weekly viewings, so I went to check it out.

Living so close to Griffith Park Observatory, I am no stranger to star parties, so it’s not always easy to impress me with telescopes. But I have to say that the Sky’s the Limit Observatory was fantastic in more ways than one.

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Exploring Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland

Exploring Giant's Causeway in Northern IrelandEver since I first visited Ireland in 2004 I have wanted to get to the north to see the Giant’s Causeway. Even though my husband was born and bred in Dublin he had never made the 3 hour journey to the north due to growing up during ‘The Troubles’. A visit to the north wasn’t super high on his list which meant it has taken me 12 years of visiting Ireland to finally get there.

Days before our departure friends began to tell us that we shouldn’t get our hopes up, it wasn’t that impressive. I started to worry that I’d been building it up all these years even before the popularity of Instagram photos luring people places. However, after visiting it, I have to say it was spectacular, and totally worth the wait to do it with my rock climbing obsessed 5 year old.

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Witnessing a Lion Kill on Safari

Witnessing a lion kill on safariThere are many reasons people go on safari in Africa; but, it’s safe to say, the main reason is to see animals in their natural habitat, untamed and free to be wild. Not every person comes to see the same thing, either. Some come for the close-up photo opportunities, some for the less well known mammals or birds, while some go on safari for the exhilaration of seeing a kill.

Prior to our trip to South Africa, we spent weeks checking out the Mala Mala Instagram feed surveying the animals we would soon see in person. It is there that we first saw a video of lions attacking a buffalo. It was horrifying, mesmerizing and addicting. I was too squeamish to watch with the volume on, however, my 5 year old was hooked. Seeing the circle of life in action quickly became the *must see* on his South African adventure wish list. Mine was a bit simpler.. only to see a herd of zebra grazing peacefully on the open savannah. But would either of us get our wish, we weren’t sure when we set off on our adventure across the world. 

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A Perfect Weekend: Things to Do in Huntington Beach

Things to Do in Huntington BeachWhen most people think of Southern California, the image that comes to mind is of golden sand beaches running for miles, beautiful sunsets and surfers galore. This is exactly what is waiting to greet you in Huntington Beach! From relaxing on the beach, to adventure sports and delicious restaurants, Huntington Beach offers something for everyone, making it a great destination for families who love to sit back and relax or get out and explore.

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Finding Adventure in Dinosaurland

Last summer we took a 10 day road trip through Arizona and Utah with our family friends from Texas. While researching that trip I came across Dinosaur National Monument in northern Utah and western Colorado. We weren’t planning to be anywhere near that area so I stored it away for any future trips in the … Read more

Where to Eat in Cape Town with Kids

Where to eat in Cape Town with KidsOne of the most stressful parts of travel for me is figuring out where to eat. Somehow I manage to research and plan most aspects of our travel, always forgetting to look at food options. However when you travel with kids (or a mama who gets hangry!) this is kind of important.

We typically find ourselves in situations with almost no choice or like in Cape Town, an abundance of options. To be honest, I found Cape Town to be a bit overwhelming in the food department because there were just so many choices everywhere we looked. However, on closer inspection, many of the places don’t have kiddie menus which means paying full price for a meal your child may or may not eat.

On our quest to find family friendly restaurants, we lucked out and found a few gems we would highly recommend to others. Below are our the top 5 restaurants we ate at in Cape Town that not only provided delicious food for children, but also helped to entertain them!

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Family Day Trip to Muir Woods

Family Day Trip to Muir WoodsThe Bay Area is one of my favorite places on earth. Not just because I lived there for almost a decade, but because no matter where you turn you are surrounded by so much beauty. The abundance of beautiful scenery, picturesque streets and my favorite, the fog rolling in each day can’t be beat.

There is so much to do in San Francisco itself, that many visitors find it difficult to even leave the city. However, there are some great day trips that are worth taking time to explore. One of our favorites is spending the day across the Golden Gate Bridge, checking out the view points and exploring the wilderness in the Golden Gate Recreation Area as well as Muir Woods in Mill Valley.

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Where to Stay in Cape Town with Kids

Where to Stay in Cape Town with KidsCape Town is one of the most spectacular cities I have visited in my many years of travel. From its picturesque beaches, abundance of outdoor activities and vibrant local culture, Cape Town offers something for everyone. Kids especially will love taking a cable car up the mountain, watching penguins play on the beach and exploring neighborhood playgrounds. It’s a beautiful, friendly and accessible city that welcomes visitors easily, much like my other favorite city, San Francisco. Cape Town is a wonderful place to base yourself, for as long as you possibly can!

The problem is knowing where to base yourself! While planning our trip to the city, we were stumped about what area would be best for families. There is not a ton written on exploring Cape Town with kids, so we took a gamble and chose the safe bet of the V & A Waterfront. It has its perks, but after thoroughly exploring the city, I have even more recommendations on where to stay in Cape Town with kids.

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Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle

Chihuly Garden and GlassFor most visitors to Seattle, a stop at the Space Needle is a must. Now you have something else to add to the ‘must do’ list- the Chihuly Garden and Glass Exhibit.

Located at the base of the Space Needle, there is little reason to not see it. This turned out to be one of our favorite activities while in Seattle. If you plan to see a few popular tourist spots in Seattle, check out getting the CityPASS which provides access to both of these and more at a fraction of the cost.

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Couchsurfing with Kids

Couchsurfing with kidsA few years ago, a friend of mine went traveling for several months one winter with her 4 year old daughter. As I watched their journey I kept wondering how she was managing for so long on her own while traveling to off the beaten path locations throughout Europe. Turns out, she survived (and thrived) in part by Couchsurfing.

What is Couchsurfing?

Couchsurfing is where you stay with a host family for free. There is a website, couchsurfing.com, where you set up a profile to share with other travelers. Later, this is also where people can provide reviews of you as a host or a guest. In many ways, couchsurfing was the free pre-cursor to Airbnb. 

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Family Fun with CityPASS Seattle

Seattle CityPASSIn researching for our recent trip to Seattle, I soon began to realize how many family friendly attractions there are in the city. There is so much to do and see in Seattle, that our to do list was growing exponentially by the day. Our visit to Seattle occurred during the cold and rainy winter season, which meant our normal MO of urban hiking and exploring outdoors wasn’t going to be quite as available. Luckily, many of Seattle’s famous attractions are indoors.  In looking at all of the things we planned to do, it became apparent that the amazing array of activities offered with the CityPASS Seattle passbook was the way to go.

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Planning a Trip to South Africa with Kids

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Photo via Flickr

This year is my 40th/10th (leap day baby) birthday. I decided I wanted something epic. For years the plan had been to go to Tibet to chill with the monks, but with the addition of a child on the scene, I realized that the chill in February might be a bit too much. Instead, our sights turned to Africa, one of only 2 continents I have yet to step foot on. And so the planning began!

I’m not one to shy away from destinations because they are ‘difficult’ or ‘dangerous’, but we definitely have felt the odds stacked against us more than once in planning this trip with a child. Here is some of what you need to know when planning a trip to South Africa with a child.

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Cruising the Backwaters of Kerala (with kids)

Cruising the Backwaters of KeralaOne of the most popular experiences for travelers in the Southern region of India is to take a boat tour on the backwaters in the beautiful state of Kerala.

The Backwaters of Kerala is a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes and inlets formed by more than 900 km of waterways. The backwaters present a unique ecosystem where freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. Local oarsmen take tourists to an amazing world of lush greenery and tranquility hidden from street views. From small wooden boats to large rice barges, there is something for everyone on the backwaters.

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Farm to Table, Fijian Style

Farm to Table, Fijian StyleOne of the most unique adventures on our recent trip to Fiji was our Food Safari at the Nanuku Auberge Resort. Let me start by saying, I am not a foodie. I am actually not even an adventurous eater. I save that for my husband and apparently now also my son. What I do love is to get out of the confines of resort life to actually experience the places we visit. With less than cooperative weather during our stay at Nanuku, our options for outside exploration were somewhat limited. Dying to get out to explore, we opted to experience Nanuku’s Food Safari excursion.

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Hotel Review: Koro Sun Resort & Rainforest Spa

Koro Sun Resort & Rainforest Spa

Fiji is a destination that people dream of visiting, often that dream persists for much of their life mainly due to the perceptions that Fiji is solely a honeymoon destination or one for people who have a lot of money. On the contrary, Fiji can actually be an affordable vacation at anytime during your life and yes, even with children in tow!

On our recent trip to Fiji, one hotel that I pursued on my own to visit was Koro Sun Resort & Rainforest Spa. I had attended a presentation by Tourism Fiji where their representative spoke of the new Floating Bures and the wonderful family friendly vibe of the hotel which included a nanny for children. I was sold and had to see it for myself!

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5 Reasons Why You Should Visit Fiji

5 reasons why you should visit FijiWe have just returned from a “once in a lifetime” trip to Fiji. I put it in quotes because I really hope that it is not actually just once in my lifetime! I wasn’t sure what to expect other than it looked similar to Hawaii, is known as a honeymoon destination and a getaway for the rich and famous.

Without fail, everyone we talked to about Fiji said it was their dream to go someday. Rightly so, who wouldn’t want to go to an idyllic paradise with beautiful white sand beaches in the middle of crystalline waters? Even with the weather not cooperating for most of our trip, I have to admit that it was still magical, but not for the reasons I had initially thought. Read on for the 5 reasons why you should visit Fiji too.

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Places to Visit in Kerala with Kids

Places to Visit in Kerala with KidsIndia is one of those places that so many people dream of visiting. However, that dream often dies when children come on the scene. Everyone says “NO, you can’t go to India with kids!” Actually, you can.  I won’t lie, a trip to India will be challenging, but it will fill your heart and soul like no other place on earth. Kerala, in the South of India, is a wonderful mellow introduction to India for the whole family.

From lazing on beautiful beaches, hiking in mountainous tea plantations to exploring the jungle and cruising the backwaters, a trip to Kerala is a dream for outdoor families. Without massive highways or crowded cities to contend with, a visit to South India can be full of quiet serenity, which is usually not synonymous with travel in India! 

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Our Epic Utah and Arizona Grand Canyon Road Trip

Road tripping is the quintessential American summer vacation. We joined the masses this year with a 10 day road trip through Arizona and Utah.  Our epic journey took us to 4 national parks as well as some classic American gems –Route 66, the wonders of the Grand Canyon, rafting down the Colorado River and hiking through a … Read more