Travel Gift Ideas for Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is on May 9th, which means you need to start thinking of a special way to honor mom this year. What better way to show her how much you appreciate all that she does then by giving her the gift of travel? Or at least a day of pampering and some time off from cooking!  We’ve rounded up some inspired ideas so you can spoil her and make her feel like a queen for a day, or even an entire week.

Bed and Breakfast Gift Card

Let mom choose where she wants to go with a gift card from www.bedandbreakfast.com. With a listing of over 4,000 B&B’s in the U.S. and Canada, choose from a wide selection of cozy inns, lodges, or small resorts like Jamul Haven, a charming, restored 1890 Victorian mansion. Located just outside of San Diego, Jamul Haven sits on a sprawling six acre compound and offers a health spa and pool where mom can relax and recharge.

Save 10% with code BBMOM10 on any gift card purchase of $100 or more. 

Bhutan Yoga Retreat

For moms who love yoga, book a week-long yoga retreat at the luxurious Uma Paro resort in Bhutan.  Wedged between India and China, Bhutan’s mesmerizing landscape filled with ancient temples  and pristine mountains offers the ultimate escape. The COMO Shambhala Retreat provides daily yoga sessions taught by yoga guru Louisa Sear, along with Asian-inspired therapies and Ayurveda treatments.  Mom can also explore the rich Bhutanese culture, and discover why this country is guided by the philosophy of “Gross National Happiness.”

Single occupancy rates start at $3,227 for Louisa’s retreat at Uma Paro; double occupancy rates also available. The weeklong program include six nights’ accommodation, most meals, and airport transfers.

Spa Day

Treat mom to a Mother and Daughter Day of Beauty at The Biltmore in Santa Barbara.  This luxurious Spanish style resort offers stunning Pacific Ocean views and the relaxing spa has a myriad of treatment options ranging from calming massages to restorative facials. For the Mother and Daughter package, the pampering starts with a rejuvenating Lavender Cornmeal Body Scrub followed by an extra moisturizing Grape Seed Geranium Rose Cocoon. The full day of spoiling continues with an 80-minute Custom Facial and a Paraffin Hand and Foot treatment. The package is available for $705.00 USD per person and is 4 ½ hours long.

Twitter Contest for Free Spa Treatment

Tech savvy kids should take advantage of the Tweet for Mom offer from Four Seasons Seattle.  Enter Four Seasons Hotel Seattle’s Twitter contest by letting the hotel know what makes your mom special and she will be entered to win a 50 minute spa treatment for two. For further details click here.

Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Retreat

This inspiring women’s retreat offers mom the ultimate getaway to reflect, engage, and relax in an intimate mountainside setting in Scottsdale Arizona. Starting May 21, the four destination weekends include Health and Wellness, Business Boot Camp, Glam in the City, or Mind, Body, Spirit. Led by Dena Patton, CEO of the award-winning events and inspiration company, Chat, Chew & Chocolate, the retreats will feature celebrity speakers like New York Times best-selling author and columnist for O, The Oprah Magazine, Martha Beck,  and will include lots of pampering and spa time, along with inspirational sessions designed to distress and empower.
Prices range from $1,900-$2,600 per person, per retreat, and includes luxury accommodations, sessions with Dena Patton, two-hour sessions with the celebrity speaker, a 60-minute spa treatment at the Sanctuary Spa, wellness classes including Tai Chi and Yoga, a chocolate happy hour, welcome bag with skin care goodies, journal and other gifts, healthy meals and snacks.

Wellness Weekend

Book mom an indulgent weekend of fun and relaxation with a Women’s Wellness Weekend package at the Estancia La Jolla Hotel and Spa near San Diego.  Together with the Scripps Center for Health, the Estancia La Jolla Spa will offer inspiring fitness sessions, classes on stress reduction and nutrition, and healthy cuisine. But mom will also have plenty of fun activities, including wine pairings and relaxing spa treatments.

Single rate for a 2-night stay is $830 inclusive of taxes and gratuities.  Double rate for a 2-night stay is $645 per person and again includes all taxes and gratuities.

Mother’s Day Globetrotting  Lunch and Dinner

Instead of a boring buffet, treat mom to a decadent culinary adventure at Vermilion in New York. The Globetrotting Gallivant features a six-course, six country, Mother’s Day meal with dishes from Venezuela, India, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Argentina and Mexico. Mom can feast on dishes like Venezuelan duck arepas in a Goan vindaloo seasoning, or the Brazilian seafood caldeirada, and a duo of Mexican desserts like crisp warm churros and cool horchata. Toast mom with one of Vermilion’s signature “herb & spice” Champagne fizzes, with a choice of blueberry cardamom, jalapeno cilantro or prickly-pear ginger.

Cost is $55 per adult ($90 with wine pairings that will expand the menu’s geographic horizons); $20 for children five to 12; free for children five and under. An alternative six-course vegetarian option will be available, as will At Vermilion’s regular a la carte lunch and dinner menus.   For reservations, call (212) 871-6600 or go to OpenTable at http://bit.ly/dqyeL4.

Monumental India

For moms who are armchair travelers, this magnificent coffee table book offers the ultimate insider’s journey through India’s famed monuments and architectural wonders. Let mom sit back and discover the splendor of Hindu and Jain temple complexes and majestic palaces, including the 13th-century Thiksey Monastery or the iconic Taj Mahal.

Buy online at Traveler’s Bookcase.