While the word itself – ”babymoon” – seemed to turn my husband’s stomach, he had absolutely no problem with the concept of actually taking a fabulous trip before our little munchkin arrives. Personally, I don’t care what you call it. I will take a romantic getaway with my husband any chance I get! So off to the Maldives we went to celebrate the upcoming arrival of Baby Hutch.
After rave reviews from my sweet friend and newlywed, Brandace Wilson (who just returned from her honeymoon), we knew we must take advantage of the direct flight from Beijing to Malé while we still had the chance. And while it was difficult to choose a resort (because they are all quite amazing), in the end, we went with the W Resort & Spa on Fesdu Island … just one of the 1,200 that make up this beautiful island nation situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
The vast majority of our time in the Maldives was spent in our own little ocean oasis. When your “hut” has everything you need, including direct ocean access, a plunge pool, a well stocked snack station and minibar, and the best in-room service … why leave? So, we basically didn’t. Except for breakfast. This preggers couldn’t resist the delicious spread of the buffet and the “fruit man” who created custom fruit plate masterpieces to suit one’s individual tastes.
We decided to do a little photo shoot after breakfast one morning (mainly because I had finally washed my hair for real in a legitimate shower … as opposed to an ocean one)!
One night, we decided to take advantage of the W’s In-Room BBQ Service. They provide all the “fixings” and you can choose between American or Asian style. Clearly, with the current lack of American BBQ in our lives, we opted for the potato salad and grilled corn-on-the-cob option. All that was left for us to do (after they delivered the spread and set up the grill for us) was to actually throw the meat (ribs, burgers, and wings) on the grill and eat it!
The proximity to China and the lack of visa issues for mainland Chinese makes the Maldives a great destination for Chinese honeymooners.
On our last day at the resort, before heading back to Malé for a quick tour of the world’s smallest capital city and then back to Beijing, we decided to allow ourselves the ultimate cliché in destination drinking: pina coladas! (A virgin one for me, of course!) But who could resist this packaging??
Morgan Hutchinson – blogger, fashion stylist, former New Yorker, and mom-to-be – has lived in Beijing for almost three years. Her blog, A Blonde in Beijing, focuses on fashion, family, and funny tales from this very foreign land. This post originally appeared on July 20, 2012 on her blog.