Enjoy quality time as a couple before the little one arrives with top pampering trips for parents-to-be
ALL this time at home could lead to a baby boom next year.
And that could create a rush for holidays early this autumn as couples grab their last chance to get away before the little one arrives.
The best time for pregnant women to travel is during their second trimester, as morning sickness ends and flying is still considered safe.
So the peak “babymoon” period should be early autumn.
Richard Mellor picks out some pampering trips for parents-to-be, here and abroad.
Cotswolds
THE easiest babymoon option? Splashing out on a country-hotel stay with loads of pampering.
Try the deepest, most delightful Cotswolds, where Dormy House offers an overnight babymoon spa-break package.
These include a full-body pregnancy massage and a facial designed to leave mums-to-be feeling great and looking fabulous.
Anxious dads aren’t forgotten, with a deep-tissue or relaxing massage provided.
That leaves time to drive to Batsford Arboretum, where the trees turn fiery yellows, oranges and crimson in autumn ().
Dormy House’s own gardens impress too, while its log-fire lounge is ultra-cosy.
Breakfast, lunch and a high-quality dinner are included in the package, which starts from £331pp per night.
Prefer a longer stay? Four nights’ B&B starts from £558pp. See .
Gentle French hiking
SOME expectant mothers prefer to stay active and burn off energy . . . without overdoing things, obviously.
Ticking that box is On Foot Holidays’ flexible walking break through France’s Dordogne region, which is at its best during autumn’s harvest season.
Planned by Brit expat Emily Stokely and always in reach of quality healthcare, the easy-to-follow route takes in riverside villages, ruined British forts, waterfalls, sleepy forests and the remarkable pilgrimage town of Rocamadour carved into the cliffside.
Stay in characterful hotels chosen for their excellent local food, while bags are taxied each day, meaning you have little to lug around.
Five nights’ B&B starts from £865pp, including transfers and four other meals. See .
Island luxury
SLUMBER. Paradise. Ease. If those are your babymoon requirements, make for Mauritius and its adults-only hotel Veranda Paul et Virginie.
Non-negotiable during pregnancy, breakfast is available all-day and can be served in your bedroom, so there is no battling the hordes at the buffet.
It is easy to be romantic courtesy of private catamaran cruises and beach dinners.
No pram-purchasing headaches here, either – just the two of you and a healthy dose of heat and sunshine. Creole cookery and rum-making classes are offered too.
Autumn promises warmth but, happily, decreased humidity.
The price is just as appealing. Seven nights’ all-inclusive starts from £1,375pp, including flights from London. See .
Short-haul sun
SHOULD a European beach break be in order, try Crete – where temperatures average 24C in September and the sea will be warm after months of sun.
That is one reason to decamp to the luxurious Castello Boutique Resort & Spa on the island’s northern coast.
Another is the retreat’s adult-only policy, meaning some blessed quiet before everything gets noisier.
Then there are the private pools for those in junior suites – ideal for mums-to-be still adjusting to their bump or craving extra bathing space.
The wider resort throws in a gym, a spa, two more pools and a Cretan restaurant.
Further incentive is provided by savings of £430-plus on a week’s half-board in September, which starts from £1,230pp including flights from Stansted. It requires a deposit of just £89pp.
See .
Cornwall
THE pointy Water Tower might conjure up images of Rapunzel letting down her hair but its four storeys and lone bed don’t suit third-trimester bulges or crawling babies . . . so it’s a case of now, or not for a while.
The winding staircase in the tower, inside Trelissick Garden – a National Trust estate near Truro in southern Cornwall – leads to one circular room per floor.
The bathroom, bedroom, lounge and kitchen each offer glorious seaside views that make all those stairs worth it.
Near the self-catering tower-for-two lie oak woods, plum orchards and the River Fal’s banks and beach, which tenants get first dibs to explore in glorious isolation before day-visitors are admitted.
The gardens feature meandering paths, exotic plants and herbaceous borders bursting with colour.
In autumn, three-night stays start at £370 while a week is from £569. See .
Family fun
BABYMOONS are not limited to first-time parents.
For families taking a tot or two they made earlier, Ras Al Khaimah works well.
This sun-sloshed Emirate is 10C cooler than elsewhere in the baking UAE and has dunes, camels and world-class waterparks to charm children.
At the beachside Rixos Bab Al Bahr, multi-age kids’ clubs are a good stand-in for when parents fancy a restorative spa session, some Pilates or hiring a cabana along the white sand.
All-inclusive board enables flexible dining, with choices from burgers to Mediterranean cuisine.
There are eight palm-tree lined pools including an aqua park and dedicated children’s pool.
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Concerts and acrobatic shows take place during evenings.
Seven nights’ all-inclusive for a family of four starts from £799pp, including flights out of Stansted, transfers and kids’ club access.
Find out more at .
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