A travel expert who's visited 50 countries isn't rushing to return to Dubai or Sydney. Here's why and where she thinks you should go instead.
Maria Noyen
- Monet Hambrick, 36, is a travel blogger who has visited over 35 countries with her family.
- The Hambricks enjoy going on trips that immerse themselves in the local culture.
Monet Hambrick likes to say, "If kids live there, kids can visit."
The full-time travel blogger documents family trips to far-flung destinations with her husband, James, and their two daughters, Jordyn, 10, and Kennedy, 8, on her Instagram handle, @thetravelingchild. She doesn't just preach the motto; she practices it.
Hambrick fell in love with travel back in high school when she spent a summer staying with a host family in Botswana. She learned about the culture there, she told Business Insider, explored Chobe National Park, and camped in the Okavango Delta.
Looking back now, that summer "truly made an impact on how I choose to travel now with my family," she said.
Hambrick is making every effort to impart her love of travel to her two daughters, whom she began traveling with as newborns. So far, the kids have been to over 35 countries, while Hambrick has visited 50 herself.
Whether with her family or not, every trip has taught Hambrick what she likes when she travels — and what she doesn't. She has no shame about wanting to see major landmarks or tourist hot spots but also enjoys immersing herself in the local community of every destination.
Here, Hambrick shares destinations she felt were overrated, alternative suggestions, and two places she loves that she feels are highly underrated.
Hambrick said she didn't see or do much in Dubai that she couldn't have done back home in the US.
Hambrick visited Dubai on a girl's trip in April and left confused about why she saw so many tourists flocking there throughout the year.
First, she happened to be visiting the country right before it experienced torrential flash floods. "It rained three out of the five nights that we were there," she added.
The weather wasn't ideal — especially for dune bashing in the desert, which involves driving speedily over sand dunes — but it wasn't the only reason she didn't warm to Dubai.
"We went to the Miracle Garden, and that was fun, but then it was just shopping stores that you can find in America, eating at restaurants that are chain restaurants," she said.
Hambrick would recommend it for people who enjoy spending money on luxury shopping sprees or booking pool parties, but those weren't on her agenda.
"Dubai is a place you can spend a lot of money," Hambrick added. "But I wasn't doing that, so it wasn't for me."
In retrospect, she wishes she had spent more time in Abu Dhabi.
Just over an hour's drive from Dubai lies Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates and a destination that Hambrick wishes she'd spent more than just a day visiting.
"There are more unique things to do," she said. "There is more of a traditional feel to it for the UAE, and …[is] the type of travel I enjoy."
During the family's day trip, they stopped by the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the country's largest mosque, before heading to Dubai. Hambrick wishes they could've also enjoyed visiting the vast salt lakes and Emirates Heritage Village, an immersive museum that showcases life in the region before it became modernized.
"I really enjoyed Abu Dhabi and wish we had spent more time there," Hambrick added.
Besides the major landmarks, Sydney was another letdown for Hambrick.
Similar to Dubai, Sydney gave Hambrick somewhat of a lackluster impression.
While she has no regrets about visiting landmarks like the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge, nothing else caught her interest.
"Sydney just to me felt like any other big metropolitan city," she said.
Still, she wouldn't advise skipping it altogether.
"I would say that you should still go to Sydney, spend a … day or two," she said. "Pop in and see the highlights and then continue on in the vastness that Australia is."
Hambrick is much more fond of the artsy city of Melbourne.
Regarding major cities in Australia, Hambrick prefers Melbourne to Sydney.
Melbourne, located on the country's southeastern coast, is known for being a little more laid back than Sydney, with a vibrant food culture, eclectic street art, postcard-looking beaches, and near-perfect year-round weather.
"I absolutely loved Melbourne," she said. "I loved the outdoor aspect of it and the smaller city life."
Hambrick said Madeira, Portugal, is highly underrated by US travelers, but it left a lasting impression on her.
Hambrick came across Madeira, Portugal scrolling through Instagram and instantly knew she had to add it to her travel bucket list.
After a family vacation to Lisbon in June 2022, Hambrick flew to Madeira solo to see if it was truly the paradise it appeared to be online.
"I know that it's popular in Europe, but it is not popular in the United States at all," she said.
The archipelago of islands absolutely blew her away. "Every corner has a different landscape, temperature, and temperament to it," Hambrick said. "It's like you're visiting four different countries at one time."
From hiking above the clouds to the peak of the Pico do Arieiro mountain and going on a sidecar adventure through the Valley of the Nuns in the middle of an extinct volcanic crater to whale and dolphin watching, exploring waterfalls, and black sand beaches, Hambrick did it all.
She also plans to return with her kids and husband soon.
"They would love it. Well, my kids would not like the hiking. Neither would my husband," she joked. "So I'll just do more hiking on my own, but everything else they would enjoy."
She also thinks Southern Idaho is a below-the-radar travel spot closer to home that people should consider.
Southern Idaho wasn't exactly on Hambrick's travel bucket list before a local tourism board got in touch for a collaboration in 2022.
But after spending five nights in an Airbnb in Twin Falls and exploring the surrounding areas, she found herself hooked on the outdoorsy activities and the stunning mountainous landscape — going so far as to say it reminded her of Banff National Park in Canada.
While there, she said she and her family ticked off a lot of firsts, including white water rafting, kayaking behind a waterfall, zip-lining, and venturing through ice caves.
"It was really, really beautiful and a lot of fun," Hambrick said.
Since they had to drive around three hours from Salt Lake City to get there, she said it wasn't the most convenient destination but well worth it in the end for the natural splendor that awaited them.
"I would definitely go again," she said, adding that she'd aim to go during the winter season to ski and take a dip in the local hot springs.
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