Travel expert who has visited 50 countries shares the US city that’s a surprising hidden gem — and the popular spots that are overrated

A travel expert who has visited 50 countries explains which cities to avoid and which to put higher on your bucket list.

Monet Hambrick, 36, regularly travels the world and shows off her luxury vacations on her Instagram account, where she now has more than 294,000 followers.

The mother of two has made a list of hotspots that she would like to visit again.

However, during her travels she also discovered a lot of places that she considers overrated.

Monet now describes the beautiful places that travelers often forget, but also shares the places you can visit without having to spend too much money.

Travel expert Monet Hambrick (pictured in Spain) who has visited 50 countries, has lifted the lid on the various cities you should avoid and the ones you should put higher on your bucket list

Monet (pictured in India), 36, regularly travels the world and shows off her extravagant vacations on her Instagram account, where she has more than 294,000 followers

Monet often documents her fun vacations with her husband James and her daughters: Jordyn, 10, and Kennedy, eight.

The travel vlogger first fell in love with traveling the world when she was in high school.

She told Insider that her summer vacations ‘really influenced the way I travel with my family now.’

Today, the travel professional strives to travel with her family constantly so her children can see more of the world.

So far, her children have visited no fewer than 35 countries.

In the meantime, Monet himself has explored the sights of 50 countries.

During her travels she visited tourist attractions and went on a quest to find hidden gems.

During her conversation with Insider, she talked about the locations she was so happy with, but also the locations she should have skipped.

Skip! Travel expert calls Dubai ‘overrated’ and expensive

The travel vlogger visited Dubai in April during a girls’ trip and wondered why holidaymakers flock to this hotspot (stock image)

The travel vlogger visited Dubai in April during a girlfriends trip and wondered why so many holidaymakers come to this hotspot.

She said that there was flooding ‘three’ of the five days she was there.

Monet added: ‘We went to the Miracle Garden and that was fun, but then it was just about shopping in stores that you would find in America and eating in restaurants that are chains.’

The frequent flyer explained that Dubai is the destination for travelers who want to spend a lot of money.

She noted that you could easily spend a lot of money there.

“Dubai is a place where you can spend a lot of money, but I didn’t, so it wasn’t for me,” she said.

A must see! Abu Dhabi topped the vlogger’s list of favorite places

And while she wishes she could have spent less time in Dubai, the travel vlogger noted she could have spent more time in Abu Dhabi (stock image)

While she would have preferred to spend less time in Dubai, the travel vlogger said she could have spent more time in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and is only an hour’s drive from Dubai.

She explained that there was more to do in the capital and noted that this was more her way of traveling.

During their stay there, the family spent some time at the Sheikh Zayed Mosque before heading to the lake.

At the end of their visit, they went to the Emirates Heritage Village museum to explore the culture.

She added: ‘I really enjoyed Abu Dhabi and wish we had spent more time there.’

Ditch and dash! The two places in Australia to flee to and avoid

Besides Dubai, Monet found Sydney, Australia left her wanting more (stock photo)

And while she wasn’t the biggest fan of Sydney, she did have a lot of love for Melbourne, which is located on Australia’s southeast coast (stock image)

Besides Dubai, Monet found Sydney, Australia, left her wanting more.

She admitted that it felt like a place in another city and that she could have done similar things elsewhere.

However, she advised travelers to visit it at least once.

She told the outlet: “I would say you should still go to Sydney, spend a day or two there. Go there and see the highlights and then go out into the vastness of Australia.”

Although she wasn’t exactly a fan of Sydney, she did have a soft spot for Melbourne, located on the southeast coast of Australia.

She admitted that she “liked” Melbourne because of its artistic vibe.

‘Four countries in one’: Madeira, Portugal was the expert’s favourite spot

Another hotspot the mother of two couldn’t get enough of was Madeira, Portugal (stock image)

Another hotspot the mother of two couldn’t get enough of was Madeira in Portugal.

She admitted she saw photos of the area while scrolling through Instagram and knew she had to add it to her list.

“I know it’s popular in Europe, but in the United States it’s not popular at all,” she told the newspaper.

Despite having already visited many different locations, the vlogger was very impressed by Portugal.

She admitted it was like visiting “four different” countries.

There she climbed to the top of the Pico do Arieiro mountain, went on an adventure to a volcanic crater, went dolphin spotting, enjoyed the beautiful waterfalls and strolled along the black sand beaches.

The travel professional told the newspaper that she hopes to return with her family one day.

She said, ‘They would love it. Well, my kids wouldn’t like the walking. And my husband wouldn’t either. So I’m just going to walk more, but everything else they would love.’

The perfect place for nature lovers! Southern Idaho is the place for the ultimate adventurers

Finally, the mother of two excitedly shared about the hidden gem in southern Idaho (stock image)

Finally, the mother of two enthusiastically told us about the hidden gem in South Idaho.

She explained that Twin Falls, Idaho, wasn’t on her bucket list until a tourism board contacted her.

Monet spent five nights in South Idaho and was immediately captivated by the beautiful views and loved all the outdoor activities.

There she went hiking, kayaking, ziplining and much more with her family.

She told Insider: “It was really beautiful and really fun. I would definitely go again.”