7 Babymoon Destinations (Or Places To Travel in 2018)

Being the lover of travel that I am, when I first heard the term “babymoon” three years ago while I was pregnant with Jameson, it didn’t take long for me to be completely bought in to the concept. If you’re not familiar with the term, the idea is that a couple will take a final trip before becoming a family of three.

Now I’m clearly not one to believe all traveling has to stop once a baby arrives (evidenced by all the trips Jameson has made), but I do recognize that finding time to travel away from a baby as a couple is not always easy. So one final trip before the stresses of childcare and separation anxiety kick in is, to me, a wonderful idea. 

It’s quite possible that a babymoon is intended to be just for couples expecting their first child, but I’m of the mindset that, when able, we should all babymoon before the arrival of any baby. My thought being — if we think it’s hard to leave just one child at home, how much harder will it be to leave multiple?

So I’ve been giving this lots of thought lately and figured I’d share, in case you might want to plan a babymoon in the near future. Here are seven destinations to consider…

San Diego, CAAfter lots of deliberation, this is where we went for our babymoon before Jameson was born. Since my second trimester fell in the middle of winter, we wanted a place that would be the closest thing to guaranteed good weather, and San Diego is pretty hard to beat from that respect. We ate great food with views of the water, hiked (leisurely) at Torrey Pines, sat by the pool, and indulged in massages at the hotel spa. We may have also binged on the Serial podcast which was hot off the presses at the time.

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PortugalWe know three couples who’ve visited Portugal in the last six months, and one of them for their babymoon. It’s clearly a hot spot, as Travel + Leisure named Portugal their Top Travel Destination for 2016. The country is a relatively short international flight from the east coast and offers a lot of diversity, in terms of interesting cityscapes, cliff-lined beaches, castles, and cultural sights.

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Quebec City, CanadaJordan took me to Quebec City for my first birthday after we got married, and we both loved it. If you live in the northeast, it’s an easy flight, leisurely train ride, or doable drive. We combined our visit with a stop in Montreal, and we both felt like we’d driven to France. If you want the feel of a European vacation without the trek across the Atlantic, definitely consider Quebec City.

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Sedona, AZI’ve been fortunate to visit Sedona a few times, and the beauty and serenity of this place never fails. Just driving into Sedona is a jaw-dropping experience. In addition to taking in the beautiful red rock mountains, there are plenty of hotels with rejuvenating spas and special babymoon packages.

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Mexico City, MexicoHere’s another location that’s hot on everyone’s radars these days. Mexico City has been on several top destination lists based on its thriving art, food, and design scenes. Friends who’ve made recent trips there comment on how things are incredibly affordable and that while it’s a highly populated city, it never feels crowded. I’ve been dying to travel more in Central and South America, but between trying to get pregnant and being pregnant, the Zika virus has been a huge limiting factor for where we can go. But thanks to its high elevation, Mexico City isn’t on the Zika list.

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MoroccoEvery time I see another photo from Morocco, I become more and more desperate to visit this country. The colors, the food, the textiles, the desert. I want to see it all. Riding a camel in the Sahara might not be the most practical thing to do while pregnant, but there’s plenty of other things to fancy your senses in this place.

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MauiIf an island vacation without the risk of Zika is what you’re after, Maui is a perfect destination. It’s a six hour flight from the west coast, but even if you’re traveling from somewhere further east in the U.S., you can still break up the flights to be fairly reasonable even given the possible discomforts of pregnancy. The weather is awesome, the water is warm, and the view of mountains meeting the sea is breathtaking.

Did you go on a babymoon? Thoughts on great destinations to visit? Thoughts on where we should go?!

 

Portugal photo from Travel + Leisure. Sedona photo from Sedona Real Inn & Suites. Mexico City photo from Maria Condesa hotel. Morocco photo from Lonely Planet. Maui photo from Trip Advisor.