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Wow, thank you for watching and the kind comments. We're so glad we could help! Thankfully you're spoiled for choices in Thailand, but we feel you on narrowing down the decision. We hope you have the very best time! ❤️

Hello! Thank you for watching and for that correction. We must have miscommunicated with our boat driver. 😊🙈 But the Seven Island tour said they took us to Railay Beach for sunset so maybe you see it a little later in the video. ☺️

Hello and thanks for watching! We stayed in an apartment right next to a taxi stand just off the main square in Cusco. We hailed a taxi the morning we left and asked if they could do this itinerary. Seemed like it was pretty routine. The man was very, very kind. He let us stop at much as we wanted, and even helped out when the kids got carsick. But if you want to vet the experience more in advance, want more narration, have lunch included etc., you may want to check out a half-day tour like this from Get Your Guide: gyg.me/tcy6z835 Any other questions, please do let us know! 😁

Hi John, thanks for watching! And how fun you have a little Sienna too. ❤️ We apologize that we didn't include those exact details. You can see the general area on the map included in the video as you meander from the central plaza, but the exact location is here: Giardini la Lizza maps.app.goo.gl/4c181wbXogJ9SZR18 Please let us know if you have any other questions. Until then, safe and happy travels! ✈️

Haha, we're right there with you!! 😁 Thanks for all the kind comments, we are so happy to keep sharing in case it can help with travels or even daydreams ❤

Oh wow, this is appreciated so much! Hanoi caught us by surprise for sure, but we tried to enjoy the ride. It probably would have been a little easier without a toddler (and have been more thankful for places with sidewalks ever since), so we're counting Hanoi as a place we want to redo when the kids are bigger.

Hi and thanks for watching! Great question. We only did public transportation here, but given your situation would consider renting a car only if you are planning to leave the city for a daytrip. It's very popular to do roadtrips around the country so lots of tourists do drive here. However depending on what time of day you arrive and later leave, your second/middle day might be your only full sightseeing day and so would recommend dedicating that to Istanbul with so much to do there. But Istanbul is over 10 million people so like any city it can be very congested to drive and using public transportation can avoid some of this. And also like any big city could prove tricky for parking, so would recommend sketching out your route and locating parking ramps or parking lots before you head out: www.google.com/maps/search/parking+ramps+in+istanbul+/@41.0244856,28.9439472,14z/data=!3m1!4b1?entry=ttu Let us know if you have any more questions.

Hi @oodulaja - great question! We've found most airports and train stations can hold bags, including Istanbul airport. There is typically either a desk with an attendant or unattended lockers in one (or more if you're lucky) terminals. Here is everything you need to know for Istanbul iGA airport, including a picture of what the facilities look like: www.istairport.com/en/services/experience/airport-services/left-luggage-offices-and-storage-lockers/?locale=en You can always book a city tour and the guide team will often hold your bags while you sightsee. In a pinch, you could do a DIY version with a taxi driver who will hold your bags and wait for you. We have done this when it got too logistically complicated, or needed to run some errands during that stopover time. If you are flying with Turkish Airlines, they offer a free stopover tour of Istanbul *THAT COMES WITH A FREE HOTEL STAY* in some instances!! 😁More here: www.turkishairlines.com/en-us/flights/stopover/ Please let us know if you have other questions. Until then, safe travels! ✈❤

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond and share all this information!!

@@oodulaja of course, our pleasure! There's so much unknown and uncertainty in traveling so anything we can do to reduce that. ❤️

Hi Gabbie, thanks for watching and the kind comments on our video! We love to help other families turn their travel daydreams into a reality. Great questions too! Some thoughts: - The altitude is not to be underestimated. Whew. We have been lucky enough to visit the Andes a few times and each time we all experienced at least some altitude sickness. From dizziness, headaches, nausea, trouble breathing, tiredness, lack of an appetite. All that fun stuff. Our kids didn't want to eat much for a couple days (but also didn't complain about being hungry). The best thing you can do is build in time to rest, and not in Lima since this is at sea level. Once you get to Cusco (the gateway to the Sacred Valley), if time permits, spend a couple days with a light itinerary and you should be much better by the time you head to Machu Picchu. There is plenty to do in Cusco to keep you busy without overdoing it. And it's also at 11K feet elevation, versus MP at just under 8K feet. This is our Cusco vlog: ruclips.net/video/186m6NIe_gk/видео.htmlsi=1PqWFGb4PV8hfyYZ - There are bathrooms, but they are just outside the entrance and re-entry is not permitted unfortunately. We tried to take it easy on liquids leading up to our timed entry and we all used the bathroom just before we went in. You probably need 2 hours to experience the citadel, and probably another hour or two to add any more trails/sites there. We spent about 4 hours in the park and found that to be sufficient to see the classic sights (note adjusted expectations for traveling with kids 😉) and thankfully made it back out without any bathroom issues. Also, it costs a few soles per person to use the bathroom so make sure you bring enough cash/coins for everyone. - The "best" time of day depends on the person so let us offer some different perspectives. Many think the "best" time is sunrise because it has fewer people, but because of all the steps with the bus up the mountain and a bit of a hike after the entrance, this makes for a painfully early morning even if you don't have kids. The direction of the mountains and frequency of morning clouds means it's often impossible to see the sunrise anyways. For us, the "best" time equals low crowds, high visibility/low cloud coverage, even lighting for photos and videos, and if at all possible skipping any early wake-up times. Thankfully those factors converge around 3 pm. People start to leave around this time, morning clouds have parted, light is soft and beautiful, and we didn't have to wake up at a painful hour. So short answer: an afternoon visit from 1-5 pm if you are doing the Citadel and another spot (such as the Sun Gate), or from 2-5 pm if you just want to see the Citadel. We were already in Aguas Calientes, but it might be possible to catch the train from Cusco/Poroy (~3.5 hours) earlier that morning and still do this -- but definitely recommend staying at least one night in the town. And finally, don't forget to build in time for the bus ride back down the mountain and getting back over to the train station if you are not spending the night. Hopefully this helps! Please let us know if you have other questions. Happy travels! ❤

Hi Dawn! Thanks for watching and for your truly kind comments. It means so much knowing this video can help another family. ❤ You can buy them on the official website here: tuboleto.cultura.pe/ -- which redirects here once you select Machupicchu: www.joinnus.com/events/trip-adventure/cusco-llaqta-inca-de-machupicchu-59693 It's confusing if you start with a Google search because there are so many authorized ticket sellers from the many tour companies. If you look at the page with Google Chrome as your browser, it will translate most of the page for you (so long as the words aren't saved as part of an image). Just right click and about 2/3 down the menu there is an option to translate. More on that here if you are doing this from your phone, tablet, etc.: support.google.com/chrome/answer/173424?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid The hardest part is now picking which circuit and this is confusing too because there are so many options. If you want to see the Citadel and Sun Gate like we did in the video, Circuit 2 is a good bet because it gives you access to those and more. You can access that under the "Llaqta de Machupicchu" (Land of Machupicchu) option. In our opinion, your kids should be at least teenagers to hike Huayna Picchu (sometimes spelled Waynapicchu), this is incredibly steep and more than dangerous if not done carefully. However and thankfully, it's not essential to get the classic views of MP. I am seeing options as soon as next month (February) but let me know if you tried the above steps and that is still not working for you. Any other questions, please do let us know! 😁

Hi again Dawn! I don't know if you saw in the news, but buying tickets to Machu Picchu is getting interesting! The ability to buy tickets online is new, and apparently not sitting well with Peruvians because the government contracted with a private company instead of the state providing the service. There have been massive demonstrations, but the government has now relented. They are agreeing to do it themselves rather than outsourcing and are committed to keeping sales online. But I imagine that will take some time to build a new system. I don't know what it looks like during the transition, but you may want to follow the story too. apnews.com/article/machu-picchu-protests-peru-ruins-a7928a169e70ff81a0794179cf7942d0

Hi! Thanks for watching and so glad to hear it is helpful. Please let us know if you think of any questions. And have the very best time! ❤️😁

Thank you my friend, and thank you for watching! Rio, like any big city, has its dangers. But with some common sense you can avoid a lot of trouble. For example, keep your activities to daylight hours, in well trafficked areas. Don't wear flashy jewelry or clothes that make you look like a tourist or someone with money, and keep your valuables concealed. Brazilians are extremely friendly and welcoming, and just following this common sense we didn't encounter any troubles. We really had a marvelous time. This city is so impressive with the beautiful mountains popping up across the skyline and kissing the shoreline. Please let us know if you have other questions. Safe travels! ❤️

@@FindingSalas Thank you so much for your inputs! Looking forward to it 🙂

@@kishanpandit5639 you're so welcome! Hope you have the best time!!

Hello as well! Thank you for watching and for your kind comments. ❤ If you are planning to travel here in February you are in luck. We were here approximately the second and third weeks in February and we didn't have a single raindrop -- only sunshine! This timing was also great because it was quiet just after the Lunar New Year. Please let us know if you have any other questions.

Hi, and thanks for watching! ❤️ Great question. The city is very compact. Everything you see (aside from the day trip to Lake Bled) is walkable. We didn't stay in the Old City, but still found it a reasonable walking distance. If you look at 2:53 you can see the mapped location of our Airbnb. Anything else please let us know. 😁

Hi again Mark! 😁 Thank you!

Hey Mark! One great thing about having the kids along is we get to relive our own childhoods. They always keep it interesting. 🤠

Hey Mark, thanks for watching! We appreciate the support. We had so much fun on this road trip. There are lots of gems in the Midwest. Let us know if you are thinking about heading here and have any questions. 😁

Ok so we're not totally alone on that one! Well thank you, truly. ❤ It was a frustrating and expensive few days that's for sure. Working on the rebound video now though and hope to have that out soon! 😄

Hi, thanks for watching and for your kind comment! Please let us know if you have any questions about Krabi or if we can help in any way. 😀

Hello and thanks for watching! Salvador is really warm and wonderful - so underrated. Please let us know if you have any questions. ❤️

Yes looks wonderful - keep up the great content @@FindingSalas

Hello and thanks for watching and all the kind words!! ❤ This sounds like a great time. And yes, you can see a lot in a week and we wouldn't recommend less than a week. Does your 7 days include travel days and/or transitioning from time zones very far away?

Hey @raif4346, thanks for watching! Great question. Looking out the bus window and down the mountainside is not for the faint of heart, especially if you have a fear of heights. However relative to other buses through the Andes, this one went carefully up and down the mountainside and in our case never too close to the side of the road. This is not a public road so it's just the Machu Picchu transport buses going up and down, and just a few at a time. We never met other cars or traffic who didn't share the road well. It's not like the chicken buses you may have ridden on that going flying around the corners with no guard rails. Whew! Let us know if you have other questions.

Heyyy @Johns8-32, is this our dear Marlon?! Hehe, you make the northwoods sound like a fairytale. You are right with the kids too, Sienna is almost as tall as us, and Seneca is getting big too. He just started getting his adult teeth (he calls them "man teeth") and looks like a new person. How are things down your way? We send our love, always in our hearts. Hope you and the family are well.❤

@@FindingSalas Yes, darling, it's me, showing up after a while with a renovated channel dedicated to English learning contents. (The northwoods are an idyllic place, make no mistake about it hehe) I'm quite glad to hear from you and know that you're doing well. I miss your company, hope I can see you soon to catch up with one another. Sending big hugs and warmest regards to my pure blood warrior-hearted Winsconsian buddy and former "gaucho for hire" Martin "Machine" haha, to your adorable "not so little anymore" kids and the rest of the honorable Salas and Bowmans. May God bless y'al.

Hi, thanks for watching and great question! Yes, we did get money from the ATM. Larger places like restaurants, hotels, etc. take credit cards, but we stopped for street food a handful of times and needed cash for all those exchanges. We had to use a metro card for public transport (Istanbul Kart/Istanbul Card), as they don't accept cash directly. You can pay for that using cash at various kiosks, possibly with a card through the app but it sounds like it's less possible with international cards. We didn't try. You can also use one metro card for more than one person (such as your kids or your whole family), which helps get around the minimum upload if you're only there for a short period of time like us. Please let us know if you have any other questions.

Hi and thanks for watching! You are so welcome. Hope it helped you and your travels!!

Hey Briana! Thanks for watching! Chiang Mai is a DREAM, highly recommended! 😍Are you planning a trip soon? Please let us know if you have any questions. We also made a video about daytrips we took in the area (because there's lots to do inside AND outside the city): ruclips.net/video/85YLawSJvx4/видео.html

@@FindingSalas I'll def check that one out too! I'm tentatively planning to go back in August, hopefully i can avoid some rain but will be looking for fun things to do!

@@BrianaisGoingPlaces Ooooh that sounds like the best time. Will be sending you good weather vibessss 😎

Haha! That tube was the best $1 we've spent! 😝😎

Hi Briana! Thanks so much for watching, and really glad RUclips connected us! We made 3 videos from Thailand, but 15 across Asia if you want to check them out: ruclips.net/p/PLRJXmt9yqgg5ReXuWLdZFacNertxccGIa Thanks to low-cost airlines like AirAsia and JetStar it's pretty affordable and fast to get around. Or Thailand (and Vietnam and probably others) have sleeper trains too. Any questions, please let us know! ❤

Hello, and thank you for watching! It's been fun to learn how to work a camera and document it all, but even more fun to share on RUclips with other folks daydreaming and planning their travels too. We are happy to help if we can. 😁

Hello right back at you! 😁 We used an Ergo carrier through about age 2. However around the time of this video we upgraded to a toddler carrier (because the Ergo was really more for babies up to age 2). We purchased a "3-in-1 ergonomic toddler carrier" from Líllé Baby and it made a world of difference on our backs!! It can be used when traveling, running errands, hiking -- we tested all the limits and sometimes for many hours straight! It's good up to about 60 pounds / 27 kilograms. Here are all of their toddler carriers, in lots of colors: www.amazon.com/stores/page/C2A4A6D9-09F9-4E58-B30A-657AEA77224B?ingress=2&visitId=5a2656c4-1cdd-4830-a2fb-6aea59784078&ref_=ast_bln Please let us know if you have any other questions. And happy travels!! ✈

@@FindingSalas thank you so much ❤️

@@UK_Thai no problem at all! Hope it makes the journey all the better. We know how it is to be dragging along a tiny person who doesn't want to walk. 😂 Don't wish that on anyone.

@@FindingSalas thank you again. I'm actually full Thai. Been living in the UK since I was 6 months old (now 44 years young). We've got over a month in Thailand, starti g in Krabi, through to phi phi, Phuket, Chiang mai etc as we celebrate our marriage in Thailand while we're there. Love your videos, will subscribe and follow. Love the theme and flow of your videos ❤️

@@UK_Thai you are so welcome and thank you for sharing your story, especially the young part! We can relate too haha. This sounds like a truly wonderful trip. Hope the homelands bring you everything you're needing. ❤️

Hi and thanks for watching! That is a great question which we tried to explain in our very first vlog here: ruclips.net/video/NH8TB_GpbgQ/видео.html Short answer is we pulled the kids from school, one parent took an unpaid sabbatical from work and took care of homeschooling, and the other parent works remotely (and we tried to align schedules so we were all free at the same time). Some families also do this by selling everything and living off savings, which allows unlimited freedom for as long as you can make your money stretch. We were a little too risk averse for that, so streamlining life down to work on one income made more sense for us. Any other questions please let us know! 😁

Wow! What a lovely thing to say, thank you x infinity! ❤️♾️ We are so happy to share and hopefully inspire or help others considering traveling too -- or at least daydreaming about it. 😊😁

Hi and thanks for watching! This is a great question, and timely too since we just revisited Medellin (though unfortunately the vlog won't be out on the for at least a few more months as we work through other trips first). Are you looking for just one base and things to do in/around there? Asking because a) the domestic flights with Avianca and other national carriers are very reasonably priced and most flights are about an hour so it's easier than some countries to do more than one city in a single trip; but also b) because most international if not many domestic flights end up connecting through Bogota so you would be there anyways. We visited Medellin and two other new (to us) cities, and ended up spending a night in Bogota on the way out. But if you are looking to just do one or the other, happy to help you think that through too. 😁

If you are only picking one, Medellin might win out here (though we really enjoyed both). A few reasons why new visitors like it: the weather is almost always perfect (since it is nestled in a valley whereas Bogota can be a bit chillier due to higher elevation); its smaller and more manageable with kids but still with a ton of sights and attractions; it also has more of a fun vibe than the capital city (both due to the super friendly paisas but also the all the innovation happening there). We are not experts on Colombia, but we have visited three times and spent time in a handful of different regions and found all of them to be so vibrant and beautiful in their own way. The people are truly lovely. ❤

@@FindingSalas Thank you for your response. Three times! That motivates me now. I was little skeptical initially for my trip, your message definitely helped. I was leaning towards Medelin as well. Any experiences or must sees you would recommend with kids? I am planning a day trip to Gautape during my 3 night stay there. Planning a free walking tour on day 1 to see the place from the eyes of the locals.

@@FindingSalas I am planning to go Medelin and Pereira (to see Cocora valley) and then to Quito. I am yet to book the internal flights. Though most international and domestic flight go via Bogota, Medelin was sort of a winner in most aspects.

@@Travelmumoftwo you are not alone there, and not sure why Colombia isn't more popular internationally but in the meantime the prices remain very fair if not low for all that is offered. We have had the most beautiful Airbnbs and hotels for surprising prices, delicious meals that cost us a fraction of what the US does.

Aren't they the sweetest? ♥️

Yes, that's the real one. Don't know if you saw our note in the video we amended the legend a bit so it could make more sense to a two and six-year-old. Thanks for sharing the real one for the rest of the group. 😉

Hi Chandra! Thanks for watching!! ❤️

Hi Michelle! Thank you for all your kind comments, what a lovely thing to log on and see. We are so happy to help fellow travelers. This hotel only had adult bikes for hire, but biking around is very popular here so there are other bike rental shops. For example, it looks like Hoi An Now rents them: hoiannow.com/hoi-an-guide/transport-hoi-an/bike-hire-hoi-an/#bicycle-hire-for-kids You'll see they don't recommend kids under 12 ride on their own, but you know your child best. I will say the motorbikes are tough to navigate, however the Ancient Town area prohibits cars and motorbikes during certain times of the day so this is a great time to go with less to navigate around. When we were there it was about 8-11 and then again 3-9 or so, but I would double-check before you venture out. Also, there are lots of sleepy dirt roads that are great for biking out by An Bang and the beach (where you could base and easily cab into Hoi An). That's probably under a 10 minute drive or max 30 minute bike ride between the two. We did the ride a few times while there and enjoyed riding through the rice fields, but had the kids on back. Any other questions please let us know. 😊

Hello N B and thank you for watching! 😁 Thanks as well for all the kind comments, the kids really add a lot of fun to the trips. Also appreciate your comments about the usefulness of the information. We really try to share as much as we can to help fellow travelers and daydreamers so the planning part is easier. When watching RUclips videos we often find ourselves wanting to know where the place is or other important details, so we've tried to fill in those blanks for the viewers. So glad that's coming through! Take care!! ❤️