Recently, a new trend has emerged on social. It’s called bestiemoon, or honeymoon between friends.

What does it mean? Instead of depriving yourself of traveling to exceptional romantic destinations, you decide to go with your favorite person. Or even, why not, with a small group of special friends!

Some destinations make us dream with their exclusive paradisiacal beaches and their exceptional hotels. We imagine ourselves enjoying a top-of-the-line spa in front of a breathtaking view; in the evening, we would wear our best outfit to enjoy the best gastronomy. And of course, it is during this kind of dream trip that we imagine taking the most beautiful pictures of our lives!

It’s not every day that we go to French Polynesia, the Maldives, the Seychelles or Santorini in Greece. First of all, these destinations are located on the other side of the world and require a lot of planning, in addition to a large budget! That’s why these idyllic places are often the “trip of a lifetime” and are known to be perfect havens for lovers who come to celebrate their honeymoon, get married or make the big proposal.

But what if you’ve been dreaming about it for years, but life has left you without a better half to fly to heaven with?

If the traditional honeymoon is not in your plans, why not reverse the trend and plan your dream trip with a friend?

This is a trend that makes a lot of sense in a world where inclusivity is paramount! The concept of the bestiemoon breaks the stereotypes around travel traditionally reserved for weddings and honeymoons.

Despite the romantic destinations marketed to couples, this new concept challenges the rigid beliefs that people have clung to strongly in the past.

Not everyone is lucky enough to get married, and of those who do, some can’t go on their honeymoon. Maybe the destination you are dreaming of is not attractive to your lover and you would rather go there with someone who shares the same passion.

Why wait for your lover when you can plan that dream trip with your best friend? For example, you could choose to come and celebrate your friendship.

Having tried it myself a few years ago during a trip to the Amalfi Coast in Italy, I can confirm that it can be very pleasant to travel with a close friend, no matter if the destination is filled with a majority of couples. Laughter and interesting topics of conversation are always present. We can lend each other clothes and exchange advice and beauty products. The precious memories that are created during such a trip strengthen the bonds of friendship and bring people closer than ever. And we can spend all the time we want posing to replenish our Instagram content, because we both love it!

In a recent article on the Bustle website, journalist Hilary Sheinbaum also recounts her recent experience in the Maldives with her best friend:

“Rather than say no to the Maldives trip, go solo or wait for my future spouse, I decided to invite my best friend Amy to travel with me. Because you know what? In a post-lockdown world, I want to share time and memories (in an overwater villa or otherwise) with the people I love.”

In the same article, Alisa Cohen, founder of Luxe Traveler Club, says she has seen a rise in popularity for getaways with friends to romantic destinations, “Given the isolation of the pandemic, clients are using travel as a way to reconnect with friends. They are taking more ambitious trips together. Clients no longer want to wait years to take those dream trips. Life is short!”

On social networks, the bestiemoon trend is very successful. Recently, the hashtag #Bestiemoon gathered over 3.7 million views.

“Although the Maldives is known as a honeymoon destination, we are experiencing the trend of bestiemoons especially among women traveling together,” says Vincent Pauchon, general manager of the St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort. If you scroll through TikTok, you’ll see that the hashtag #bestiemoon has over 939,000 views and #bestievacation 3.7 million. The trend is definitely there.”

The most exotic destinations are traditionally designed to be romantic. We picture them with candlelight dinners on the beach and duo massages in a straw hut on the edge of a turquoise sea. However, these scenarios are perfectly possible between friends.

These are often very expensive destinations that most of us will only be able to afford once in our lives. So, why deprive yourself because you don’t have a lover? That’s the whole point of the bestiemoon which continues its rise in popularity on social networks.

With the bestiemoon, this new emerging trend, we dream more than ever to fly to heaven with our favorite person.

Bora Bora? Paris? Venice? Mauritius? For which of these romantic destinations do you dream of proposing to your best friend (to accompany you!)?

Here are some examples of dream trips shared with friends: