Like I said in my Babymoon Plans post last month, I was adamant I was going abroad for a Babymoon trip in my second trimester. I wanted to soak up the sun and relax and really enjoy my LAST trip abroad for a while.
Josh was less enthused about going away. He was hesitant about being too far away from home and worried about what would happen if I took a funny turn in a different country. I think dads-to-be are generally more worried about these sorts of things. But I did the research and followed our midwife’s advice – she actually encouraged us to go away – “Enjoy yourself before the baby arrives, make the most of it!”.
So I managed to convince Josh that going away was a great idea and would give both of us time to relax before the craziness starts. I promised him that we would keep it short – just 5 days in the sun – and we would book a package holiday so that there was very little stress involved.
And after our lovely trip to Alicante with them last year, I was keen to go away with Jet2 again for several reasons.
Firstly, because they have great deals leaving from Birmingham airport. I live in Milton Keynes, pretty much halfway between Birmingham and London, but most trips I go on leave from London. Birmingham however, is way easier to get to, is less crowded and the car parking is a lot cheaper. So it’s a winner for me.
I also wanted a nice hotel and really loved where we stayed in Alicante last year, so I trusted that Jet2 would have a good selection of awesome places to stay.
And finally, I wanted all transfers included. Usually I’m more than happy to jump on public transport or order an Uber or something, but being 6 months pregnant, I just wanted to have a journey where I didn’t need to think about things too much, y’know? And it kept my promise to Josh that the trip would be stress-free.
So off we went to The Algarve, Portugal for a bit of relaxation and winter sun with Jet2 during the first week of October.
A Babymoon To The Algarve
Our flight from Birmingham to Faro was at the crack of dawn on the Saturday, which was difficult when the alarm went off at 2.30am but was a total dream when we were relaxing by the pool at 11am! (I did need an afternoon nap that day though…)
But the journey was pretty much perfect. No rushing around, no delays, no screaming babies (might be my last for a while!!). It definitely got us straight into holiday mode. And a minibus took us to our lovely four star hotel – Vila Galé Praia. All super easy and straightforward, so the ideal Babymoon situation really.
We had a few options of places to stay in the Algarve but ultimately decided on Vila Galé Praia as it’s an adults-only hotel. What could be better for a Babymoon than staying somewhere that’s adults-only?! After all, it might be a long time before we can enjoy a hotel like this once the baby arrives…
And honestly the hotel was everything we needed from our holiday.
Our room was really nice with a balcony you could watch the sunset from and a HUGE king-size bed, which is absolutely mandatory for a Babymoon. I mean there really are three of us in bed now so it was a total treat to be able to stretch out for once!
It also had a lovely big pool with plenty of sun-loungers (none of the agro with reserving them that you sometimes see on package holidays!) and most of the other guests were quite a bit older, so it was so nice and quiet and relaxing. Every day we would spend a few hours by the pool, reading, chilling out and proposing the odd baby name to each other.
Oh and despite being October it was still quite hot – around 27-28 degrees – so it was lovely to soak up the sun, but I made sure to take regular pool and shade breaks so that my body temperature didn’t get too high (important in pregnancy).
Ugh, it was just so dreamy by that pool. We definitely made the right choice.
Vila Galé Praia was bed and breakfast so we would have a big ol’ breakfast to kick off the day – cooked, continental, omelette station, the works – then could go and enjoy lunch and dinners at nearby restaurants. Which is an option I really like. As convenient as all-inclusive is, I’m a total foodie and like a bit of variance in my meals.
Although, big shout-out to the croissants they served at breakfast with hundreds and thousands on them! ZOMG SO DELICIOUS. Literally couldn’t get enough.
For lunch most days we would walk the 2 minutes down to Galé Beach and eat at one of the cafes overlooking the sea, the surfers and the beach full of colourful umbrellas. Gosh, the Algarve really has amazing beaches with all of the cool rock formations and little coves. And even the odd woofer running about. If I don’t meet a dog on a beach, it’s not a good beach. That’s the rule.
And the town of Galé in particular is just dreamy.
It’s quiet but with just enough to fulfil all of your holiday wishes. It has the nice beach cafes but not loads so that it feels too touristy. It has a local supermarket for snacks and a few good restaurants for dinner but is mainly residential. So it just feels very authentic, y’know?
Ooh talking of restaurants, if you find yourself in Galé, try Massa Fina for amazing pizza (it was right next to our hotel!) and Mr Singh’s for an Indian restaurant with the Bombay potatoes of dreams. Oh and I had the most amazing After Eight-flavoured ice cream at Pasterlaria Colibri and cannot get over it. It was delicious and I went back twice for it. No regrets.
Beach cafe-wise, Josh had some amazing seafood at Pedras Amarelas and Restaurante Praia Da Gale and would recommend. ( I really wish I liked seafood because it looked amazing!)
So as I say, most of our Babymoon days revolved around a breakfast full of sugary croissants, a few hours by the pool, lunch on the beach, maybe a walk along the beach or around town, a possible nap, sunset over the sea, out to dinner somewhere lovely and bed by 9pm.
DREAM.
One day we did decide to venture a bit further and got an Uber into nearby Albufeira, the main town we were just 5km from. I thought this might be a good opportunity to see a bit of Portuguese culture and explore somewhere different for a couple of hours. But honestly, it wasn’t for me. Although it had a lovely beach, Albufeira was a very touristy slice of the Algarve with tacky bars, clubs, Irish pubs and places promoting their full English breakfast. Magaluf strip vibes.
But I thought it was worth mentioning that this was so close to where we were staying, which was a total dreamboat. So I wouldn’t let it put you off visiting this part of the Algarve, just be aware that Albufeira’s Old Town isn’t really the quaint Portuguese town you might be picturing. I’d give it a miss. Y’know unless you’re on a hen do.
Oh but I did get a chance to try proper Portuguese Peri-Peri chicken at The Bread Basket here. It was quite nice. But I’m not gonna lie, I prefer a Nando’s. I know I’m not meant to say that but whatever, Nando’s is the best, we all know it.
Overall I just had a really great time relaxing and enjoying some alone time with Josh before the baby arrives. It’s weird, I thought it would be a chance for us to talk about baby stuff in more detail, but in reality I think it was a nice chance for us to get away from all of that and just be a couple. We talked about normal stuff and laughed and enjoyed each other’s company, rather than it being baby-central.
I really think that’s the beauty of the Babymoon in the end. It’s a chance for you to enjoy it being just the two of you, before it becomes three of you!
And I really liked the Algarve. I think the natural beauty of the beach and the pretty white houses and the lovely weather just made it the perfect destination for us. And the stress-free option of booking a package holiday with Jet2 really helped. It put Josh’s mind at ease and just meant that everything was simple and relaxed.
I admit, I have terrible holiday blues after this holiday though. I can’t believe it’s going to be my last trip abroad for a while!! But don’t worry, I have a couple more mini-Babymoons over the next month or so, and will hopefully be able to do a bit of UK-based travel next year.
Ahhh it’s all change around these parts! All change please, all change.
Would you go on a Babymoon abroad?
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Total Blogger Transparency: My trip to the Algarve with Jet2 was a complimentary press trip but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I wouldn’t play you like that, shorty.