Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past six months or so, you’ve no doubt heard the news about the Zika virus. This mosquito-borne illness — currently an issue in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central and South America — is of most risk to pregnant women and those planning to become pregnant in the near term, which means it’s a BIG concern to my honeymoon, destination wedding, and babymoon clients, as well as young couples thinking about beginning/expanding their families some time soon.

The media is releasing frequent (almost daily) “updates” and “developments” about the Zika virus, most of which seem designed more to alarm than to inform, so the best source of information for accurate and timely information is the Center for Disease Control’s website

For travelers who decide, after reading the available information and consulting with their own physician, that they need to avoid regions where Zika is a risk, all is not lost!  I’ve been working with clients on some amazing, luxurious, romantic AND Zika-free “escapes” this year. Some of my favorites include:

–          Hawaii  (beaches, sunsets, island-hopping, golf, spa, adventure, nature, hiking, boating)

–          California  (wine country, city-stays, an iconic coastal road trip, beaches, surfing)

–          Charleston/Savannah  (history, culture, food, romantic inns, beaches, gardens)

–          Scottsdale/Sedona  (decadent spas, desert and mountains, golf, hikes, horseback riding)

–          Vermont  (mountains, lakes, craft breweries, romantic inns, “foodie” culture)

–          Canada  (coastal adventures and food in Vancouver, grand old inns and majestic mountain vistas in Banff, French language/culture/food in Quebec, etc.)

This list doesn’t even include places like Europe, the South Pacific, and other traditional honeymoon hot spots, so if you need to skip the tropics this year, who cares?! There’s a whole big world of amazing “escapes” just waiting for you. Give me a call and we’ll come up with something fabulous 🙂