Welcome back to Travel with Kids! Season 5 is officially here!

After a very travel-heavy summer, I'm kicking off the new season with a catch-up episode. I'm sharing some highlights from our summer travels, what I've been up to during the podcast break, and what you can expect from Travel with Kids this season.

Then we're talking about something a little different: travel things I've been loving lately.

Not a packing list, but new-to-me (and truthfully kind of random) items, apps, services, etc that made travel a little easier and more enjoyable this summer.

• A quick welcome back and what's coming in Season 5

• A recap of our summer travels

• The travel gear I've been reaching for again and again

• Clothes that earned a repeat spot in my suitcase

• A few things that have made planning and managing travel easier

• Some of my more random recent favorites

• Why Swedish candy apparently deserves a spot on a travel favorites list

• Tobiq Bags

• Meliae Cognac Leather Camera Purse

• Clean Skin Club Travel Size Clean Towels

• Chase Sapphire Reserve (My personal referral link, not an affiliate link).

• Lemme Debloat Daily Digestive Gummies

• Wanderlog

• Skylight Calendar

• Walli phone case

• American Eagle jorts

• Old Navy running shorts

• Long-sleeve swimsuit

• American Eagle long-sleeve shirts

• Pact t-shirts

• Swedish candy

Want all the details (and links to everything I mentioned)?

Read the full blog post: Travel Things I've Been Loving Lately

FIND ME AT:

Blog: http://www.emilymkrause.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amomexplores/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amomexplores

EMAIL ME AT:

hello@amomexplores.com

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you're following Travel with Kids so you don't miss what's coming in Season 5. And if you have a family travel question or an episode topic you'd love to hear this season, send me a message. I'd love to hear from you!

Thinking about visiting Ecuador with kids? In this episode, I'm sharing our family's experience traveling through mainland Ecuador, including Quito, Cotopaxi National Park, and the Amazon Rainforest.

Ecuador has had a special place in my heart since I first visited while studying Spanish in college, so getting to return years later with my husband and four kids was incredibly special.

One of the things I love most about Ecuador is how much variety you can experience in one relatively small country. You can explore a historic city high in the Andes, stand on the equator, ride horses beneath a volcano, and venture into the Amazon Rainforest, all in the same trip.

In this episode, I'm sharing what we did, what our kids loved, where we stayed, and a few things I would definitely do differently next time.

We talk about:

• How we flew our family of six to Ecuador using points
• What it was like flying Avianca with kids
• Visiting the Intiñan Equator Museum
• Exploring Quito with kids
• Riding the TelefériQo high above Quito
• Climbing the towers of the Basílica del Voto Nacional
• Dealing with Quito's high altitude as a family
• Our overnight adventure in Cotopaxi National Park
• Staying at Tambopaxi Lodge and horseback riding in the Andes
• The mistake we made arriving at Cotopaxi National Park too late
• Hiring a private driver to get around Ecuador
• Traveling from Quito to the Amazon Rainforest
• Staying at El Jardín Lodge & Spa in Misahuallí
• Canoeing, visiting a butterfly garden, trying a blowdart, and searching for monkeys in the rainforest
• What surprised us about traveling Ecuador with four kids
• Tips I would give another family planning a similar trip

And yes, our trip also included the Galápagos Islands, but I'm saving that entire part of our adventure for next week's episode!

If Ecuador has never been on your family travel radar, I hope this episode gives you a little inspiration. It was easily one of the most memorable family trips we've ever taken.

Resources Mentioned:

Portugal Women's Group Trip

Read my full Ecuador + Galápagos family itinerary

Read my Ecuador Packing List

Coming next week: I'm sharing everything you need to know about visiting the Galápagos Islands with kids, including how we planned a land-based trip, where we stayed, what we did, and whether I think the Galápagos is actually worth the cost for families.

FIND ME AT:

Blog: http://www.emilymkrause.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amomexplores/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amomexplores

EMAIL ME AT:

hello@amomexplores.com

Did you know you can visit the Galápagos Islands without taking a cruise?

Before planning our family trip to Ecuador, I honestly assumed a Galápagos cruise was the only realistic way to experience the islands. And with a family of six, I also assumed it would be WAY out of our budget.

Then I started researching land-based Galápagos trips.

Instead of sleeping on a boat, we stayed in hotels and Airbnbs on the inhabited islands, took a ferry between islands, planned our own activities, and booked a snorkeling excursion to Kicker Rock. It gave us more flexibility with the kids and allowed us to experience the Galápagos for significantly less than many of the cruise options I had researched.

In this episode of Travel with Kids, I'm breaking down exactly how we planned our 5-day, 4-night Galápagos trip with four kids, including what worked, what didn't, and what I would change if we did it again.

We'll talk about:

• Why we chose a land-based Galápagos trip instead of a cruise

• The pros and cons of land-based travel with kids

• How many days I think you REALLY need in the Galápagos

• Why we chose Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal

• Our complete 5-day Galápagos itinerary

• Flying into one island and out of another

• What it's actually like taking the inter-island ferries with kids

• Seeing giant Galápagos tortoises on Santa Cruz

• Visiting Tortuga Bay

• Our Kicker Rock snorkeling tour—and why it ended up being the highlight of our trip

• How our first-time snorkelers handled snorkeling in the open ocean

• The island I really regret skipping

• What I would do differently if I planned this trip again

• How much our Galápagos trip cost for a family of six

• Whether I would choose a land-based trip again—or splurge on a cruise next time

Our land-based Galápagos trip cost around $7,000 for our family of six, including our flights to Ecuador, flights between mainland Ecuador and the Galápagos, accommodations, transportation, park fees, excursions, food, and other expenses. We used miles for part of our international airfare, but I break down those costs in the episode so you can get a better idea of what to budget for your own trip.

And while I LOVED the freedom of traveling the Galápagos this way, my biggest regret is that we didn't stay longer. If I were planning this trip again, I would give ourselves at least 6–7 nights so we could add Isabela Island and another snorkeling excursion.

If the Galápagos Islands have always felt too expensive, too complicated, or like a destination you need to save until your kids are older, I hope this episode shows you that there's another way to experience this incredible destination as a family.

Read the full Galápagos with Kids guide:
https://www.emilymkrause.com/blog/galpagos-with-kids-how-we-planned-our-land-based-galpagos-islands-trip

FIND ME AT:

Blog: http://www.emilymkrause.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amomexplores/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amomexplores

EMAIL ME AT:

hello@amomexplores.com