9 Overwater Bungalow Hotels That Live Up to the Fantasy
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Around 60 years after the first overwater bungalows were built in French Polynesia, the laid-back luxe accommodations are a staple in places like the Maldives, Fiji and, more recently, the Caribbean. These days, however, they’re not just for honeymooners.
You can now find these stilt-supported suites at all-inclusive resorts, eco-adventure hubs and even family-friendly getaways around the world. Take, for example, Nayara Bocas del Toro, where you can stay in a Balinese-inspired villa overlooking a mangrove on Panama’s Caribbean coast, or Palafitos Overwater Bungalows in Mexico’s Playa del Carmen, which features units with glass floors and private infinity pools. But no matter their location, they all share an undeniably magic mix: the sound of waves lapping under your feet, tropical decor that reflects their destination’s unique charms and instant access to some of the clearest waters on the planet.
Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora
Motu Tehotu, French Polynesia
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Teakwood furnishings and Polynesian artwork bring a sense of local style to the overwater bungalows at this resort in the shadow of Mount Otemanu. Opt for a villa with a private plunge pool if you’re in the mood to do nothing but lounge in the Bora-Bora sun. If you’d rather be active, Four Seasons offers excursions like helicopter tours, snorkeling with sharks and 4x4 safaris. You don’t have to go far for one of the hotel’s coolest experiences though: Join the resident marine biologist to graft your own coral and place it in the resort’s on-site coral nursery.
InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa
Motu Piti Aau, French Polynesia
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Housed on Motu Piti Aau, or “islet of two hearts,” the InterContinental Bora Bora features appropriately romantic overwater villas, complete with Tahitian design touches like bamboo and pandanus weavings and mother-of-pearl inlays. At the spa, glass-bottomed treatment rooms provide a direct view of the underwater world below, lulling you into a state of complete relaxation during Polynesian taurumi massages with local monoi oil. Another highlight of the property is the Lagoonarium, a protected habitat and coral nursery with plenty of tropical sea life that’s tended to by marine biologists.
Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa
Gaafu Alifu Atoll, Maldives
Located within the remote Huvadhu Atoll, the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa is all about connecting with island life. Guests can spend their days snorkeling in the vibrant house reef that encircles the resort, learning Maldivian culinary techniques during a cooking class or sailing around the atoll in a traditional dhoni. Afterward, they can retire to one of 51 villas, 14 of which stand on stilts above the lagoon. Constructed from native Maldivian timber and stone and oriented toward the sunset, the overwater villas wow with floor-to-ceiling windows, private decks and, most importantly, direct access to the reef just below; a select few even feature plunge pools for swims in absolute privacy. If you can bear to leave your room, make time for a treatment at Vidhun Spa, which offers authentic Ayurvedic therapies and Dhivehi beys-inspired massages, or a meal at one of six bars and restaurants, ranging from a snorkeler’s lounge to a traditional grill to a sushi spot.
Song Saa Private Island
Koh Rong Archipelago, Cambodia
Part of Cambodia’s Koh Rong islands, this resort has one- and two-bed overwater villas outfitted with private pools and sundecks with daybeds. The property’s “spa with no walls” means treatments take place around the island, surrounded by nature, and are designed to honor ancient Buddhist traditions. You can join blessing ceremonies with local monks or arrange meditation or yoga sessions, but if you’re looking for something more high-energy, the staff can take you snorkeling among seahorses and spotted rays, kayaking to hidden coves or boating among bioluminescent plankton after dark.
Sandals Saint Vincent
Buccament Bay, St. Vincent
Set on the less-traveled Caribbean island of St. Vincent, this all-inclusive resort has a castaway feel, bordered by lush rainforest on one side and turquoise ocean on the other. Days here can be as active or as lazy as you want, with everything from snorkeling and scuba diving gear to Hobie Cats, paddleboards and kayaks on offer, plus both white- and black-sand beaches nearby. When hunger strikes, there are 12 different dining options, including a chop house, a sushi spot and a jerk shack. Accommodations are equally varied, ranging from swim-up rooms to suites with soaking tubs on the balconies, but the ones to book are the two-story overwater villas, which come with day beds over the water and dedicated second-floor decks for staring out at the sparkling sea.
Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay
Momi Bay, Fiji
At this Fijian-owned resort, overwater bungalows come in the form of bures, a type of traditional wood-and-straw hut found around the islands. For a touch of luxury, they include vaulted ceilings, freestanding bathtubs and private decks with staircases leading directly into the lagoon. When you’re not enjoying the natural wonders of the South Pacific, you can take a dip in the infinity pool, the kids’ pool or the main pool, with a swim-up bar and programming like aqua aerobics and water polo. Afterward, visit the Quan Spa, where treatments incorporate local ingredients like coconut, guava and seashells.
Nayara Bocas del Toro
Isla Frangipani, Panama
This sustainability-minded, adults-only getaway sits on a private mangrove island off Panama’s Caribbean coast. Overwater villas draw inspiration from Balinese design, with carved teakwood, canopy beds and colorfully tiled bathrooms; also included are “water windows” that look down into coral reefs. Purposefully off-the-grid, Nayara is a gateway to striking biodiversity, and you can plan visits to a starfish sanctuary, a sloth-filled island, a sea turtle nesting ground and a bioluminescent bay. Befitting the hotel’s eco ethos, chef Joseph Archbold is working toward a “zero-kilometer” gastronomic philosophy, which means many ingredients for the restaurant are sourced from the property’s own backyard.
Palafitos Overwater Bungalows
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Flanking a T-shaped central boardwalk, the 30 bungalows at Palafitos float over the turquoise waters of Riviera Maya’s Maroma Beach. Each unit has glass floors, a private infinity pool, an outdoor shower and direct ladder access to the perma-warm waters below. The resort is all-inclusive, and guests also have access to bars and restaurants at sister properties like nearby El Dorado Maroma. Vegetables and spices are grown in a 76,000-square-foot greenhouse, and you can follow days on the sand with mezcal, tequila and wine tastings.
Constance Prince Maurice
Poste de Flacq, Mauritius
Get to know the emerging ecotourism destination of Mauritius with a stay at Constance Prince Maurice, where “suites on stilts” hover above a barachois, or coastal lagoon, and Le Barachois restaurant spans five tented floating decks, connected by a lantern-lit pontoon that cuts through a mangrove forest. There’s a barefoot elegance to the place, but the resort also has some luxury bona fides, including the Indian Ocean’s largest wine cellar, with more than 25,000 bottles.
Booking With Chase Travel
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Lead photo courtesy of Song Saa Private Island.
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