How to Have a Relaxing Babymoon in Maui

Enjoy your final pre-baby days with a luxurious Hawaiian vacation

A combination of stunning beaches, warm ocean temperatures and year-round sunshine—mixed with a laid-back attitude and first-class healthcare (not to mention direct flights from Vancouver)—make Maui the perfect destination for a pre-baby vacation.

“Babymoons”, as they’re called, have been gaining popularity in recent years. And as you sip on a non-alcoholic Mai Tai free from thoughts of upcoming midnight feedings and diaper changes, it’s easy to see why.

Read on to get the inside scoop on how to have a relaxing and luxurious babymoon in Maui…

1. Take a road trip

Maui offers plenty to do, whether you’re expecting or not. However, some activities are more pregnancy-friendly than others. Depending on how you’re feeling, you may want to embark on the infamous Road to Hana. This 103-kilometre drive takes you along the coast past lush rainforests and waterfalls. Often considered a must-do in Maui, this trip means several hours spent in a vehicle going through seemingly endless hairpin turns.

If you’re trying to avoid an onset of nausea, the Road to Hana may have to wait. Instead, take a drive to nearby Lahaina. About a 50-minute drive from Wailea, Lahaina has a short, walkable main street and one of Maui’s calmest beaches—the aptly named Baby Beach. Don’t leave without stopping by the Maui Pineapple Store to grab a hollowed-out pineapple stuffed full of the delicious local fruit.

2. Enjoy dinner for two

Surrounded by some of the world’s best fresh seafood and produce, Maui is a paradise for food lovers. Simplicity is often best here, and some of the island’s most spectacular meals (including impossibly fresh poke or fish tacos) are best enjoyed on a towel in front of the pounding surf. Tamura’s Fine Wine and Liquor is a go-to poke stop, hidden inside a liquor store. Don’t be fooled by its unassuming exterior—this place is a favourite of locals and tourists alike.

However, as adult-only dinners will soon be a thing of the past, no trip to Maui is complete without a few splurge-worthy meals. Options for this are endless, but if you’re looking to stay close to home, the Fairmont’s signature restaurant Ko is an excellent choice. Ko’s menu offers a smattering of traditional Hawaiian fare with influences from Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Portuguese and Korean cooking. Linger over a cocktail (they offer excellent options both with and without alcohol) before diving into the chef’s favourite lavender-honey-macadamia-nut shrimp. If you time your reservation right, you’ll be taking your first bites while looking out at a perfectly pink sunset.  

It is almost impossible to go to Maui without being told to stop at Mama’s Fish House. Located on a private beach just outside of Paia Town, approximately a 35-minute drive from Wailea, Mama’s is an institution all unto itself. The restaurant serves fresh fish caught daily, and is continually ranked as one of the country’s best restaurants. In other words, reservations—ones made well in advance of your vacation—are a must.

3. Enter a state of Zen

That pregnancy comes with its share of aches and pains will surely be no surprise by now. However, after a long flight and plenty of sightseeing, you may be feeling a little more worn out or sore than expected. Fear not, as Maui provides plenty of opportunities to indulge in some much-needed self-care. You’ll find spas and wellness centres scattered all over the island that offer everything from mud baths to prenatal yoga classes.

If your goal is to limit travel and optimize relaxation, check into one of the many resort-operated spas in Wailea and Kihei. Willow Stream Spa is located inside the Fairmont Kea Lani, allowing you to go directly from pool to massage in mere moments. If you’re looking for a pedicure or facial, they have plenty of options, but their signature prenatal treatment is the “Expecting Mother-to-Be” massage. Designed specifically for pregnant women, they offer baby-friendly cocoa butter and support cushions to relieve muscles aches and joint pain.

After your treatment, linger in the facility by trying their self-applied clay body masks before working your way through the set of experience showers, which are designed to relax and fresh your body before you head back to the beach.

4. Commemorate the occcasion

Vacation snapshots are fairly standard, but you’ll certainly want to make an extra effort to capture some of your baby bump. Each day will provide plenty of opportunities for photos, but if you want a professional’s touch, consider booking a time with a photographer for a maternity photoshoot. A quick Google search will prove that photographers are not in short supply in Maui (shocking to no one, I’m sure).

Pacific Dream Photography is one such company. As an added bonus, you can schedule your shoot with Pacific Dream directly from your hotel. (They have offices at several of Wailea’s resorts, including the Fairmont Kea Lani.)

Take advantage of the island’s beautiful sunrise by booking a morning shoot. The beach tends to be less crowded early in the day, which means you’re less likely to attract a crowd during your session. The turnaround time for photos is usually one day—which means that, 24 hours after your hour-long session, you’ll be looking through dozens of edited snaps and picking out your favourites.