A travel expert who has visited 50 countries has lifted the lid on the various cities that you should ditch – and the ones that you should move further up on your bucket list.
Monet Hambrick, 36, frequently jet sets around the globe and shows off her lavish vacations on her Instagram account, where she has garnered more than 294,000 followers.
The mom-of-two has developed a list of hotspots that she is itching to go back to.
However, throughout her travels, she has also found a slew of places that she has deemed overrated.
Now, Monet has detailed the stunning spots that travelers often forget while also sharing the ones that you can do without splashing out cash for.
Travel expert Monet Hambrick (seen in Spain) who has visited 50 countries has lifted the lid on the various cities that you should ditch, and the ones you should move up on your bucket list
Monet (seen in India), 36, frequently jet sets around the globe and shows off her lavish vacations on her Instagram account, where she has garnered over 294,000 followers
Monet often documents her fun-filled vacations with husband James, and her daughters: Jordyn, 10, and Kennedy, eight.
The travel vlogger first fell in love with jet setting around the world when she was in high school.
She told Insider that her summer getaways ‘truly made an impact on how I choose to travel now with my family.’
Now, the travel pro makes a constant effort to travel with her family so that her kids can experience more of the world.
So far, her children have visited a whopping 35 countries.
Meanwhile, Monet has explored the sights of 50 countries herself.
During her trips, she has paraded around tourist hotspots and worked hard to find hidden gems.
While speaking to Insider, she recalled the locations that left her feeling overjoyed and the ones that she thought she could have skipped out on.
Skip! Travel expert brands Dubai ‘overrated’ and expensive
The travel vlogger visited Dubai in April while on a girls’ trip and left feeling confused as to why vacationers flock to the hotspot (stock image)
The travel vlogger visited Dubai in April while on a girls’ trip and left feeling confused as to why vacationers flock to the hotspot.
She revealed that it flooded ‘three’ out of the five days she was there.
Monet added: ‘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.’
The frequent flyer explained that Dubai was the go-to spot for travelers looking to splash out all their cash.
She noted that it was easy to spend a ton of money while there.
‘Dubai is a place you can spend a lot of money, but I wasn’t doing that, so it wasn’t for me,’ she said.
A must see! Abu Dhabi was at the top of the vlogger’s favorite spots
And while she wishes she could have spent less time in Dubai, the travel vlogger noted that she could have spent more time in Abu Dhabi (stock image)
And while she wishes she could have spent less time in Dubai, the travel vlogger noted that she could have spent more time in Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and is just one hour away from Dubai.
She explained that there were more things to do in the capital and noted that it was more of her way of traveling.
While there, the family spent some time at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque before heading to the lake.
At the end of their visit, they headed to the Emirates Heritage Village museum to take in all the culture.
She added: ‘I really enjoyed Abu Dhabi and wish we had spent more time there.’
Ditch and dash! The two spots in Australia that you should flock to and avoid
In addition to Dubai, Monet felt that Sydney, Australia left her wanting more (stock image)
And while she wasn’t the biggest fan of Sydney, she did have plenty of love for Melbourne, which is located on the southeastern coast of Australia (stock image)
In addition to Dubai, Monet felt that Sydney, Australia left her wanting more.
She admitted that it felt like any other city and she could have done similar things elsewhere.
However, she advised travelers to visit at least once.
She told the outlet: ‘I would say that you should still go to Sydney, spend a… day or two. Pop in and see the highlights and then continue on in the vastness that Australia is.’
And while she wasn’t the biggest fan of Sydney, she did have plenty of love for Melbourne, which is located on the southeastern coast of Australia.
She admitted that she ‘loved’ Melbourne for its artsy vibes.
‘Four countries in one’: Madeira, Portugal was the expert’s favorite spot
Another hotspot the mom-of-two couldn’t get enough of was Madeira, Portugal (stock image)
Another hotspot the mom-of-two couldn’t get enough of was Madeira, Portugal.
She admitted that she saw photos of the area while scrolling on Instagram and knew she had to add it to her list.
‘I know that it’s popular in Europe, but it is not popular in the United States at all,’ she told the outlet.
Despite having been to a slew of locations, the vlogger was blown away by Portugal.
She confessed that it was like visiting ‘four different’ countries.
While there, she hiked to the peak of Pico do Arieiro mountain, went on an adventure to a volcanic crater, went dolphin watching, took in the glorious waterfalls and gushed over the black sand beaches.
The travel pro told the outlet that she hoped to return with her family one day.
She said: ‘They would love it. Well, my kids would not like the hiking. Neither would my husband. So I’ll just do more hiking on my own, but everything else they would enjoy.’
The perfect spot for nature lovers! Southern Idaho is the go-to for the ultimate adventurers
Lastly, the mom-of-two gushed about the hidden gem located in Southern Idaho (stock image)
Lastly, the mom-of-two gushed about the hidden gem located in Southern Idaho.
She explained that Twin Falls, Idaho wasn’t on her bucket list until a tourism board got in touch.
Monet spent five nights in Southern Idaho and was immediately hooked on the glorious views and found herself loving all the outdoor activities.
While there, she and her family went hiking, kayaking, zip-lining and more.
She told Insider: ‘It was really, really beautiful and a lot of fun. I would definitely go again.’
