I absolutely loved being pregnant! I ate as much chocolate as I wanted and didn’t have any issues at all. I was just intensely happy, cheerful and proud all of the time. Of course not everyone’s pregnancy is like that, so not all babymoons are the same either.

But no matter how you’re feeling, the closer you get to the end of your pregnancy, the more you start to realise that making time for each other will become a lot more difficult in the future. While I was of course looking forward to taking our baby girl out, I also felt a need to have all sorts of adventures with just the two of us while we still could.

But what are good locations for a babymoon? There’s so much you have to take into account… When you’re not very fit, you don’t want to spend 13 hours on an airplane or deal with a massive time difference. And not all types of food are as appealing as they used to be… You’re not really looking to be very active while on holiday, but on the other hand, you also don’t just want to lounge on the beach (too hot!). Looking at it that way, picking a good babymoon destination can be really hard! That’s why I’ve compiled a list of ‘Best Babymoon Destinations’, on which I’m sure every pregnant woman will be able to find at least one or maybe even several destinations to her liking.

CAPE TOWN

When I was 20 weeks pregnant, we flew to South Africa together for a long babymoon: 2.5 weeks of sun, ocean, beach, safari, amazing dinners, shopping, virgin cocktails and of course a few activities, such as climbing Lion’s Head. The perfect mix of beach and ocean, resting up, relaxing and eating, with a little bit of shopping, enjoying nature, going on road trips and going for walks on the side to keep in shape a little bit.

The advantage of going to Cape Town is that there’s only 1 hour’s time difference with the Netherlands, so you experience little jetlag, and you mostly get around by car, so if you don’t feel like walking anymore, you really don’t have to. Are you curious to find out about all of the places we went? If so, visit this page.

BARCELONA

When I was 30 weeks pregnant, we flew to Barcelona for the weekend, which was the perfect destination at the time! The travel time was just manageable; although, of course, being cramped into a small airplane seat with your big pregnant belly isn’t ideal. But all in all, the flight time is relatively short and if you go for the weekend you won’t need anything more than carry-on luggage, so you’ll be out of the airport in no time. Lounging around on the beach, going out for paella and tapas, doing some shopping for the baby and strolling around the city. We rented bikes as well, because we found that having to walk wasn’t always that relaxing. In short, Barcelona has everything you’re looking for in a brief city trip. If you want to read up on all of my Barcelona travel tips, visit this page.

Apart from Cape Town and Barcelona, there are of course many more great babymoon destinations. On many of the trips I took last year I found myself thinking: ‘this would be the perfect vacation for someone who is pregnant or has just had a baby!’

Sicily, for example: perfect! You can get everywhere by car, which is wonderful if you’re feeling achy or just aren’t in the mood to move around a lot. Exploring the island together, sleeping in luxury hotels, lazing about on beautiful beaches, and great shopping as well! The travel time is perfect, the weather is always good and the food is to die for. I had at least 3 scoops of ice cream every day! If you want to find out about all of Sicily’s loveliest spots, best restaurants and hotspots, visit this page full of tips for what to do and where to go on Sicily.

OR HOW ABOUT IBIZA?

There’s something magical about Ibiza, and there’s so much more to do there than just partying 24/7. Amazing beaches (you’d think you’re on Bali, that’s how beautiful they are), awesome restaurants, great shops and markets and lots of trendy and healthy hotspots to have breakfast and lunch at. Go here for all of my Ibiza activity, hotel and hotspot recommendations.

Other great options are jetting off to Marbella for a week, or going on a weekend getaway shopping for baby clothes in Milan. And if you’ve passed 36 weeks and want to book a mini holiday closer to home or even in your home country, here are a few great options for you as well.

CLOSER TO HOME

Beach houses in The Hague
If you’re lucky like I was and due in June, you might luck out where the Dutch weather’s concerned. And as long as the weather is good, a short trip during the week or over the course of the weekend staying at a beach house would be great! And not just any beach house, no! For the first time this year, you have the option of staying on the very beach at Kijkduin, in the brand new beach houses that have recently been built there. This was such an amazing experience! The houses are decorated wonderfully and equipped with everything you’ll need. Waking up in the morning and getting to look out over the ocean, lots of great beachfront restaurants, and being able to relax entirely. And if you don’t want to have dinner on the beach every night but would like to go elsewhere as well, go here for some tips on great restaurants in The Hague. 

Antwerp
We also went on a weekend getaway to Antwerp. Elaborate lunches at my favourite healthy hotspots, shopping for baby clothes, sleeping in, lounging on the many terraces and having dinner at amazing restaurants… We came back with several bags stuffed with supplies for the baby! Antwerp is great for doing baby shopping, so if you’re still looking for a lot of things, be sure to check out Antwerp! 

Ameland
Even when the weather isn’t particularly great, there’s plenty of fun to be had on the island of Ameland, and it’s a place where you get to feel wonderfully removed from everything and everyone for a little while. As soon as you get on that boat, it feels like your holiday is truly underway, and you can be sitting on a terrace by the beach in roughly one hour. There is plenty to do on Ameland and it is the perfect place to relax and enjoy each other’s company as well as the baby in your belly! 

Unfortunately I’m done going on babymoons for now, because our baby girl was recently born! Of course I’m already busy thinking of places to take her to, but we’ll talk about that some other time!

Love, Rebecca
www.mytravelboektje.com

In addition to working as an actress and model, Rebecca Boektje owns travel & lifestyle blog MyTravelBoektje.com. Every day, she shares the latest hotspots, best restaurants, most delicious dishes and other special experiences from her travels. Now, 2 years later, another dream is becoming a reality, she became a mom.