Your guide to a Hawaii babymoon

This post contains affilitate links. If you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, for which I am thankful.

When I was pregnant with our son, I wanted to plan a babymoon. As a traveler who was worried about what travel would look like after baby, I knew I wanted one last trip with just my spouse. I landed on a Hawaii babymoon, and we had a marvelous time. Here’s why a babymoon in Hawaii is a good idea, where to stay in Oahu, how to make a babymoon more affordable, an itinerary for your Hawaii babymoon, and more.

Why choose Hawaii for your babymoon?

There are a few main reasons that I chose Hawaii for our babymoon destination. 

• I wanted someplace tropical and warm
• I wanted beautiful nature access
• I wanted a destination that I could easily visit for a week from the West Coast (didn’t want to fly a massive distance)
• I wanted somewhere that had no Zika risk

Hawaii was basically the only place that met all of those criteria*, so that’s where we went!

*Tahiti is also a good possibility that matches all these criteria, but at the time my husband was not a US citizen and we would have had to get a visa, which I didn’t want to bother with.

We enjoyed watching the surfers on this gorgeous beach on the North Shore of Oahu.

Picking an island in Hawaii for your babymoon

Now, there are multiple islands that form Hawaii that you could select: the Big Island, Kauai, Maui, and Oahu are the main options. Each island has something special to offer. 

• Kauai is known for its rugged beauty, waterfalls, and mountainous hiking trails
• Maui is known for its great food, surf, and luxury vibes
• The Big Island is famous for its volcanic activity, and has a really cool swimming with manta rays experience (my friend absolutely raved about this as an unreal, ethical animal encounter)
• Oahu is known for its urban Waikiki beach and culture, and surfing on the north shore

We picked Oahu for one reason: it was the easiest place to find “budget” accommodations. I suspect this is because Waikiki is chock full of hotels, and more competition = lower prices. None of the other islands came close to the relative affordability of Oahu. So I’d suggest Waikiki as your base if budget is a concern.

You can visit Waikiki without the crowds, if you visit early in the morning. This was before 7 am.

Benefits and disadvantages of Oahu for your babymoon

Oahu has a lot to offer. While Waikiki may be the most famous spot on Oahu, the real beauty can be found outside of the city.

There are gorgeous, isolated beaches with the most beautiful colored waters you’ve ever seen. There are verdant, lush mountains to explore. There are quiet stretches of calm water that are perfect for even the newest swimmers. There are tropical fish and sea turtles to admire and swim with. You will not be bored on Oahu!

Perhaps not what you first think of when you imagine Hawaii, but the mountains on Oahu are stunning.

If you’re the type of person who wants to explore, and can’t stand the idea of sitting in one spot for a week, you will need a car.

Bus transportation is not great, and while you can get some places on the bus, it will take a long time, and you’re at the mercy of bus schedules. And some places are tricky to time appropriately (I’m thinking specifically of Hanauma Bay) with entrance tickets and bus schedules.

One note is that Hanauma Bay is only open Wednesday through Sunday, and you’ll need a reservation in order to enter. Tickets are limited and may sell out within the first few minutes of opening, which is at 7 am Hawaiian time 2 days in advance. Make your reservation here.
Looking out over Hanauma Bay, where you can swim with beautiful tropical fish.
As I mentioned earlier, we stayed in Waikiki due to affordability. Waikiki is not exactly what I’d envision as the perfect spot for a relaxing beach vacation. It’s incredibly urban, with high rise buildings everywhere. 

For example, we stayed on the 38th floor of our hotel…and there were much higher floors. If you love cities, this may be ideal for you!

We enjoyed having breakfast in the morning on our balcony.

For me, I wanted to spend more time in nature, so we also rented a car for 4 of our days there. This allowed us to visit other areas of the island more easily.

Itinerary for a Hawaii babymoon (on Oahu)

I’m going to share what we did for each of the days we spent on Oahu for our babymoon, with some notes about things I’d change or do differently so that you can plan the best trip for yourself.

Day one

Arrive at Honolulu, head to your hotel, and if you have time, grab a tropical mocktail, and relax on Waikiki beach for sunset or some evening waves. I would have liked to take this sunset sail cruise, but we never ended up booking.

Day two

Spend the day exploring the Waikiki area. Visit the beach, grab a massive sno cone at one of the many vendors, and check out the shops if that appeals to you.

Seriously, even if you generally don’t love them, I recommend you try a sno cone on Oahu. They’re fabulous.

Day three

Take the bus to Waimanolo Beach and take bump pictures if you’re far enough along. The photos we took here (at 20 weeks pregnant) are some of my favorite photos of all time.

The waters of Waimanolo Beach can be a bit rough, so do keep that in mind, but it’s a gorgeous and peaceful spot to relax on the sand. There were very few people at the beach when we were there on a weekday.

Waimanolo Beach is unbelievably beautiful and a quiet place to spend the day. It was also perfect for our pregnancy announcement and bump photoshoot!

Day four

This was our first day with a car. We reserved Hanauma Bay for snorkeling, and spent almost all day there swimming and snorkeling (from around 8:30 am to 3 pm). You have to reserve this in advance as entrance tickets are restricted (see logistical details below) but it is so worth it. This was our favorite activity of the entire trip. 

Hanauma Bay is an incredible place for snorkeling. We had the best time here.

My husband is not a confident swimmer, and they rent life jackets there for folks who are less comfortable swimming. But the waters are very shallow and peaceful, so it was relaxing and enjoyable for him. I look back on our experience peering at beautiful tropical fish in crystal clear turquoise waters with a sense of awe. It was a transcendental experience.

After our day of snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, we went to hike Koko Crater Trail Lookout. It’s basically straight up but very short. Wear closed toe shoes; my husband hiked it in flip flops, and I would not recommend it. You’ll get incredible views out over Hanauma Bay and the island from the top, and it’s a nice alternative to the more popular/busier Diamond Head Crater (which you will need reservations for).

Here’s a look at the trail from above. Don’t be like my husband and wear flip flops. Closed toed shoes are your friend!

Day five 

We spent the afternoon at Ko’Olina, an area that has very shallow swimming areas on the western side of the island. I came here because I knew it was a good spot for newer swimmers, and in that sense it didn’t disappoint. The sunset here was also incredible. However, the beach itself wasn’t particularly pretty, and it was busy with families with young children. I don’t know that I’d come here again, or I may make this a shorter stop as part of a day with other destinations. Or, instead, I might go to Kualoa Ranch.

There are a few beach areas that are called “pools” where there is really gentle water for swimming.

Tip: I wanted to visit Kualoa Ranch, which is where some of Jurassic Park was filmed and in general is a beautiful, mountainous area with lots of cool activities. You can do an ATV tour, a bike tour, a more relaxed tour of movie filming sites, and more. However, the tours that I wanted to do (and could do as a pregnant woman) were all booked out for the dates of our trip. Therefore, be sure to book in advance if you’re interested in a Kualoa Ranch tour. 

Day six

On day six, we headed to the North Shore. On our way, we stopped at the Dole Plantation for an amazing pineapple soft serve ice cream. We skipped the tour, but some people love it! It’s a cute place to grab a snack at minimum.

Be warned, you may dream about this pineapple softserve for months after eating this.

Then we drove to do a hike to Lanikai pillbox, which we were unable to do. It was incredibly muddy and slick, and as a pregnant woman I did not feel safe heading up the trail with the risk of slipping and falling. I probably would have done it had I had hiking poles and more sturdy shoes (I was wearing Chacos, which are meant for hiking, but nonetheless feel less secure than boots or hiking shoes).

We hiked a bit up the Lanikai Pillbox trail, but it became steep and muddy and did not feel like a safe option.

We then visited a couple of other local beaches, including Turtle Bay where we attempted to snorkel but didn’t see many fish. We enjoyed our stop at Laniakea Beach, where we were able to observe many turtles in the water, and Sunset Beach, where we watched surfers take on crazy waves. The North Shore is known for surfing, so if you feel comfortable surfing, it’s definitely a place to check out.

Day seven

We spent our final full day at Kailua Beach, on the eastern side of the island. It was also a very beautiful, quieter beach that we really loved. If you’re a kayaker, you can rent a kayak and head out on the waters to the islands nearby, which makes for a fun and more active day. 

A quiet beach, popular with windsurfers and kite surfers, Kailua Beach is a lovely place to spend the day.

Overall notes on our itinerary in Oahu for our babymoon

Oahu was beautiful, and I really enjoyed the gorgeous beaches we got to spend time on. However, I do prefer slightly more active travels in general, and would have liked to have more activities that weren’t beach lounging. 

There are also really cool tours that you can do, like dolphin watching, that we elected to avoid due to the high cost. Hawaii is undoubtedly the most expensive place we have ever traveled together.

One of the challenges of pregnancy is identifying activities that you feel safe doing and that your doctor is happy with, too. Many of the more adventurous activities may be off limits to you (scuba diving, horseback riding, bouncy tours), and even those that are technically okay (like hiking, for me) may not be within your comfort level.

Snorkeling, hiking, swimming, kayaking, bicycling, yoga, and paddleboarding are all potentially good activities while pregnant, but always consult with your doctor before undertaking any physical activities or adventure sports.

Beach bums will adore a babymoon in Hawaii, where you can find endless gorgeous spots to lay out your towel and take a dip.

Hiking in Oahu while pregnant

From the research I did on AllTrails, many of the trails on Oahu are not pregnancy friendly. By that, I mean that they are very steep, often slick and covered with mud, involve a beautiful but questionable ridgeline, and/or are treacherous in some other way. 

I am a big hiker and hiked as much as I could during my pregnancy at home in Washington, but was unable to find many hikes that seemed safe enough for me to not worry about a fall and whose destinations were places I was excited about. I’m sure they exist, but just know that you should do your research on trails before hiking them while pregnant.

Before climbing straight up.

Oahu on a budget

If you’re on a budget and want to visit Oahu in a more affordable way, here are my top tips.

Utilize credit card travel points hacking for your flights to and hotels in Oahu

First, get a credit card that allows you to earn points and has solid transfer partners. 

I use the Chase Sapphire card and they have great redemption values for many hotels within their portal. Using this, we were able to book our hotel for a week essentially for free, except the daily “resort fee” which was about $50 a day. We also got our flights totally covered by points. 

This is the only way we would ever have gone to Hawaii; it’s simply too expensive for what you get otherwise, in my opinion.

There is a lot you can learn about using credit cards for travel hacking, but I’ll leave that to experts for now. Travel Mom Squad has incredible resources.   

Stay in Waikiki for your Hawaii babymoon

As noted earlier, there are so many hotels in Waikiki that prices are lower than many other areas across Hawaii. Here are a few great options:

• Waikiki Malia is an affordable option (~$1,000 for a week in March) centrally located, has a pool, room balconies, a fitness center, and more. Some rooms even have kitchenettes. Book your stay at Waikiki Malia now.
• The Twin Fin Hotel is a gorgeous option located right next to the Honolulu zoo and Waikiki Beach. They offer a poolside bar, onsite restaurant, and rooms with balconies. Reserve your room at The Twin Fin Hotel.
• The Hilton Waikiki Beach is where we stayed and we had a very positive experience there. We loved our balcony view, the beds were comfortable, the staff was welcoming and helpful, and it was really easy to access anything we needed. Book your room at The Hilton Waikiki Beach now. Pro tip: we were able to take showers at the rooftop pool after a day at the beach before our flight home. Sweet deal!

Note: all hotels have some serious taxes that are often not included in the prices you are shown (like a $50 per day resort fee, ~20% in taxes, etc) so be sure to read the details regarding pricing.

I snapped this photo while we waited for the elevators. Gorgeous views of the beach, and very high rise hotels.

Take the bus

While I wouldn’t want to be without a car for an entire week, we managed okay with buses for a few days. First, you can easily take a bus from the airport into Waikiki and it will cost a fraction of what a taxi would cost. Bus 20 will take you to Waikiki for $3 in cash, or you can grab a transit card (HOLO card) and get a weeklong pass for $30.

You can also take the bus to some other spots around the island, including Waimanolo Beach, Diamond Head, and Pearl Harbor, among other destinations. You can find more information on routes here, or you can simply use Google Maps to figure out if there is a convenient bus ride to get to wherever you’re going.

Use Turo for car rentals

If you decide you want a car, Turo generally has more affordable options for rentals than large agencies. We used Turo in Oahu, and it went well. However, note that protections and insurance can look different with Turo, so make sure your insurance will cover any incidents in a Turo rental. 

Choose activities that are free or low cost

You can never go wrong with spending some time at the beach. That’s probably at least part of the reason you chose Hawaii for your babymoon, right? Swimming and beach lounging tend to be free or only the cost of parking, so this is a great option.

Hiking is also a free or low cost activity, as are walking around town, picnicking at viewpoints, some snorkeling areas, and surf board rentals.

Avoid luaus, boat tours, and day tours. These are all very expensive.

You can visit new beaches everyday you’re in Hawaii for your babymoon. And that may be all you want to do. You may feel tired, less energetic, and more interested in simply relaxing. That was not the case for me personally (I was lucky and had an uneventful and easy pregnancy!)

Look for food trucks instead of restaurants

We ate at several food truck areas instead of restaurants, and honestly, they tasted better than the “nice” restaurants we did go to in Waikiki. I found the food scene to be very lacking in Waikiki, but that is likely because we were in the tourist strip. Regardless, there are some tasty decently priced food trucks or stands, like our favorite spot, the Steak Shack, where you can get grilled meats, rice, and salad for under $20 a person.

Bring breakfast (and snacks) from home

A tried and true friend of the budget traveler, packing breakfast items is always a good idea. I brought packets of instant oats and ate those for several mornings. I also used the coffee maker in our hotel room instead of buying coffee. Snack items, like all food, are likely more expensive in Hawaii than in your hometown.

We also got cheap breakfast items at McDonald’s a couple of times, and also tried acai bowls at a local smoothie stand. 

Just a woman enjoying her packed-from-home poptart on the beach, saving some $$ on breakfast.

Don’t forget any of your supplies

If you have to buy anything on island during your Hawaii babymoon, you’ll end up paying a lot more. This is one of the costs of visiting island destinations (Interested in more budget island travel reads? Check out my post on budgeting for the Galapagos here). Minimize what you need to purchase on island and your wallet will thank you.

What to pack for a Hawaii babymoon

• Sturdy and comfortable shoes for walking around and exploring. I have had a version of these super comfy, cute leather shoes literally for about 8 years. Grab the white pair and you can wear them a million ways, and your feet will be ready to take on miles and miles of walking.
• Maternity friendly bathing suit. Consider coverage level, thickness (I personally wanted something a little thicker during my pregnancy), and sun protection level. Get this highly rated swimsuit now.
• Tums in case you get heartburn, which can get worse throughout your pregnancy.
• Wide-brimmed hat for anytime you’re outside.
• Snorkel masks, so you can avoid renting them when you’re visiting. 
• Maternity clothes. I recommend bike style shorts for active excursions: no thigh rub, more sun protection, great for walking around. I seriously lived in these during the hot months of my pregnancy (which was a lot, considering my son was born in mid-September). Buy yours here.
• A cute dress if you want to take adorable pictures. I wore mine a ton. Get it here.
• A comfortable nursing bra, which you can use when baby is born, too. Don’t get the cheap ones. Kindred Bravely’s nursing bra is the best one I own, and I don’t regret getting it even though the cost is a little more than Momcozy, whose bras I also bought but did not hold up nearly as well.
• Sunscreen. Remember, your skin is more sensitive and susceptible to burning when you’re pregnant, so it’s extra important that you are cautious in the sun. Keep in mind that in the ocean you should use mineral based sunscreen.
• Swim shirt/rash guard. I don’t love mineral sunscreen, and therefore prefer to minimize my need for sunscreen in general by covering up well in exposed areas. I love this one from O’neill, which is SPF 50 and comes in many colors. Get your swim shirt now.
• Pregnancy support belt if you’re more heavily pregnant. This will save your back and you’ll be able to enjoy moving around more. Buy your pregnancy support belt here.
• Lightweight cover up or blanket to protect your skin when beach lounging
• Don’t forget your prenatal vitamins! I liked these basic ones.
• Sunglasses
• Towel. Don’t rely on your hotel to provide a towel. These ones are lightweight, dry quickly, and have fun patterns.

Seriously, these things are life changing. Say goodbye to burned shoulders! Don’t mind me looking like a walking highlighter.

Mineral sunscreen can make your skin a little whiter. But it helps protect fragile marine environments, so it’s really all that should be used in places like Hawaii (honestly, in the ocean in general).

Final thoughts on a babymoon in Hawaii

There are endless possibilities for excellent places to visit for your babymoon, to make special memories with your partner before welcoming a little one into your family. It all comes down to what your priorities are. For us, Oahu checked all the boxes and was a really special trip. I hope you have a blast on your babymoon!