Admit it, you get hypnotized when looking at those amazing photographs of overwater bungalows in Bora Bora and throughout the South Pacific, just like the rest of us. Even if you can’t afford to spend a vacation in one it’s fun to daydream about it, and what it would be like to dive right off your private deck into that stunningly clear lagoon water below.
Just to help you out a bit we decided to collect all of the best and most inspirational photos and put them below.
Each week we comb all the best deals on water villas and overwater bungalows around the world to present the most interesting one for our readers. This week we came upon a treasure trove of amazing discounts on Maldives water bungalows for the summer months.
Even though the Maldives weather is nearly the same all year round, with just a few more quick rain storms during the summer than the winter, the months of June through August are the off season for the resorts with the lowest prices of the year.
In the past week two separate water-villa resorts have been tapped for prestigious honors within the hotel industry. Both are in Asia and both already had a great reputation so these recognitions are really no surprise, but still it should give potential guests just that much more confidence in both of them.
This week we are highlighting one of the handful of Maldives resorts that promotes what they call a “No news, no shoes” policy. The Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu is a luxurious private-island resort where the emphasis is on being casual and comfortable rather than fancy and posh.
This style is perfect for those who might have to wear a suit every day during their normal life and the last thing they want to do on holiday is to dress up for dinner on a tropical island.
This week we are highlighting a luxury property that is really two resorts in one. With the recent merging of the Sofitel Marara Beach and Sofitel Private Island resorts guests can now choose the convenience of being on the main island of Bora Bora or the solitude of staying in an overwater bungalow a short boat ride away on the private island.
The Sofitel Bora Bora has a lot going for it even if it were one of the more expensive Bora Bora overwater bungalow resorts, but in fact it’s often the cheapest of them all due to some very appealing online special rates.
With each and every Maldives over water villa resort located on its own private island, it’s a rare case when guests can combine that kind of privacy with the conveniences of a second island a very short ride away. The Anantara Veli Resort & Spa is just such a place. It’s small and secluded with only 50 water villas and no island rooms, but it’s a very short boat ride to its sister resort where more restaurants and activities are waiting for all guests.
Of the twenty or so overwater bungalow resorts clustered around Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora Bora, the most remote is one of the more affordable in the region, called the Manihi Pearl Beach Resort.
Some people may prefer to be on an island with another resort every few hundred yards, but for those looking to feel that they are in paradise at the edge of the world, this is one to consider.
The year 2011 has been a big one for the overwater bungalow and water villa industry, with nearly a dozen new resorts having opened or having added brand new overwater rooms. Not surprisingly, the year 2012 looks to be shaping up at least as big with a wide variety of highly anticipated projects opening or reopening.
Among the more notable openings in 2011 have been the massive Golden Palm Tree Resort just south of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, with nearly 400 water villas.
all due respect to offline travel agents and the hard work and expertise they can provide, those traveling to the Maldives for a private-island holiday don’t really need them, and will almost certainly save money without one. If you’ve only ever booked luxury holidays with your friendly neighborhood travel agent, then you might as well carry on doing that. But if you don’t have a travel agent and unsure of the value they bring, read this article and you’ll discover that you are probably better off without them.
One of the larger private-island resorts in the Maldives, the Vilamendhoo Island Resort & Spa only added its 30 Jacuzzi Water Villas in late 2010, so everything is still new and pristine. There are 154 rooms and villas on the island as well, and with that size there are great benefits for guests, not least of which is a very reasonable price compared to similar water bungalows in the Maldives.