All-inclusive overwater bungalow resorts and how they work

Since almost all of these resorts boast extremely secluded locations, they have little choice but to provide a long list of activities and recreation possibilities, and most of them are included in the room price.

Typically, all “non-motorized” water activities are included in the room price, which usually means anything from snorkeling equipment to sea-kayaking to sailing to wind-surfing, as long as the guest can do the activities by themselves. You’ll also get free use of the swimming pools, beaches, tennis courts, board games, and whatever else is on hand.

Usually all motorized activities are charged extra. This means things like Jet-skis, fishing trips, sunset cruises, and anything involving resort staff being there the whole time will incur an extra fee. This makes sense since no one should want to subsidize expensive activities for others if they aren’t planning on doing them themselves.

Komandoo Maldives Resort

When you go to book online at any of these resorts you’ll usually be shown a discount that includes the room, most activities, and breakfast. Most resorts will also have an option at a higher price that includes lunch and dinner as well. These options usually provide good value, even if they add, say, US$80 per day per person, because the a la carte food at the resorts tends to be quite expensive. Unless you plan on eating light at almost every meal, the full-board plan will usually save you money compared to ordering off the menu.

Some of these resorts, particularly those in the Maldives, actually include alcohol and other drinks in the price for the all-inclusive option. Not surprisingly, the usually means middle-shelf spirits, beer, and non-premium wines, but it can obviously be a pretty good deal for couples who like to drink more than one or two per day.

La Tahaa Bora Bora Resort

It’s worth mentioning that the majority of these resorts have a captive audience. In the Maldives in particular, every single resort is on a private island, and only a few offer access to another resort, which they also own.

In Bora Bora and elsewhere in the South Pacific, some of the resorts have restaurants nearby, though in most cases those are also quite expensive. Really, it’s only for the two overwater bungalow resorts in Tahiti where you might hop in a taxi and for a reasonable price end up at a cheaper restaurant in Pape’ete.

With this in mind, it’s important to realize that you’re daily food costs will be quite high, mostly because it’s expensive for the resorts to get fresh food to these remote places. Choosing the all-inclusive meal option is a good idea to avoid sticker shock at what you might spend otherwise.

Finding deals on all-inclusive packages

It’s true that some traditional travel agents can offer special package deals, but increasingly the best deals are found online since commissions are much lower. The best thing to do is just pick the resort that interests you and check for the dates you want. In many cases you’ll find that big discounts are available online, especially for stays of 5 nights or longer.

If you don’t see a discount at one resort then check another. If you are visiting during high season then discounts might be harder to find, but even then you’ll usually find at least one or two places offering special deals.

Once you click into the resort you are interested in, you’ll usually see multiple options for each room, with one being an all-inclusive meal plan.