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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.

September 5, 20240
Hambrick didn’t feel there was anything that particularly drew her to Dubai.

The Traveling Child

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.
Hambrick’s husband, James, and her daughter, Jordyn, also came to Sydney with her.

The Traveling Child

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.
Hambrick went on a solo trip to Madeira, Portugal, and dreams of returning with her children and husband.

The Traveling Child

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.
The Hambrick family visited Southern Idaho a few years ago and were blown away by the natural landscape.

The Traveling Child

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.