Overwater bungalow of the week: InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa

we are kicking off a new feature on overwaterbungalows.net – the overwaterbungalow of the week. With around 110 water bungalow and water villa resorts around the world it seems like a good idea to highlight one of them each week because no one can keep track of them all.

Some of us can only daydream about staying in one of these incredible rooms because they do cost a lot, so this is a way to live vicariously and think about when we’ll be staying in these places ourselves.

Overwater bungalow of the week: InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa
Map of all overwater bungalow resorts in the South Pacific

you might already know, almost all of the overwater bungalow resorts in the world are in two main places. One is the Maldives, which is an island group and nation just southwest of India, where you’ll find about 75 water villa resorts alone. That accounts for about two thirds of all the overwater bungalow resorts in the world.

The other grouping, which is actually more famous internationally, is spread around the South Pacific.

Map of all overwater bungalow resorts in the South Pacific
6 Tips to save money booking an overwater bungalow

Unfortunately for many of us, overwater bungalows and water villas are expensive, sometimes shockingly expensive. So it’s a common question about how to book one of these beautiful rooms at a discount, and there’s some good news about that below.

If you are booking a honeymoon trip and, for example, you want to stay at the same resort where the Kardashians stayed in Bora Bora, then you might have to pay full price.

6 Tips to save money booking an overwater bungalow
One of the greatest overwater bungalow photos I’ve seen

many of us, a large photo of an overwater bungalow resort is as close as we are likely to ever get to them. We are adding photo galleries to each resort page, starting with Bora Bora and Moorea, so I’ve been spending many hours lately going through these magnificent and inspirational images.

I think most of us are easily hypnotized by the aerial photos of the resorts, but one particular photo I came across hit me in a different way so I thought I’d share it with everyone.

One of the greatest overwater bungalow photos I’ve seen
Map of Tahiti and Moorea overwater bungalow resorts

most people think of the South Pacific or French Polynesia the name “Tahiti” immediately springs to mind. While it is the most populated island by quite a bit, Tahiti isn’t nearly as secluded or even exotic as many other smaller islands in the region. Moorea, for example, is a short ferry ride away, and it’s smaller and more beautiful as well.

The main thing that Tahiti has going for it is that every flight into or out of French Polynesia goes through the main Tahiti airport, so it’s a tranfer point for every guest, regardless of whether you are staying on the island or not.

Map of Tahiti and Moorea overwater bungalow resorts
Map of all Bora Bora overwater bungalow resorts

people consider the French Polynesian island of Bora Bora to be the single most beautiful place on earth. While it’s obviously impossible to prove that, Bora Bora is so special that it even looks gorgeous from the satellite view. With that in mind, we’ve made a map showing the exact locations of all the over water bungalow resorts in Bora Bora.

When you are looking at it keep in mind that in the center of the main island you’ll find a tall volcanic mountain, which is visible from just about every resort in the area.

Map of all Bora Bora overwater bungalow resorts
Kardashians invade Bora Bora in an overwater bungalow suite

April, 2011, the Kardashian clan (and their film/production crew) invaded the French Polynesian island of Bora Bora for a 7-day family visit. Needless to say, the whole thing is part of their “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” show, and the 3 Bora Bora episodes begin airing this coming Sunday, August 21, 2011, in the United States.

Evidently the main purpose was that Bruce and Kris Jenner were going to renew their wedding vows for their 20th Anniversary so nearly the whole family were there to help celebrate.

Kardashians invade Bora Bora in an overwater bungalow suite
All-inclusive overwater bungalow resorts and how they work

I’ve written a longer explanation of all-inclusive overwater bungalow resorts, but this seems to be an extremely common question so I’ve decided to offer a short and simple explanation that should help people find exactly what they are looking for more quickly.

It’s no secret that these overwater bungalow and water villa resorts are expensive, so it appears that many people are very interested in knowing almost exactly how much the holiday will cost before they choose a resort.

All-inclusive overwater bungalow resorts and how they work
Overwater bungalows in Vanuatu

the most famous overwater bungalows in the South Pacific are those in French Polynesia, there are others farther to the west that are worth consideration. Vanuatu is a group of islands located north of New Zealand and northeast of Australia, making it a popular holiday location for people from those countries.

Though it’s not part of French Polynesia, this is another country the French claimed in the late 19th Century, but the British did as well so both French and English are commonly spoken, especially at resorts.

Overwater bungalows in Vanuatu
Is a Sandals all-inclusive vacation right for you? Here’s how to decide

You may not yet know that Sandals is a chain of about 20 resorts all over the Caribbean and 3 of those resorts have the regions first “honeymoon-style” overwater bungalows. With a name like Sandals you might also not expect that this is a very high-end chain of all-inclusive resorts, but that’s exactly what it is.

The overwater bungalows start around US$3,000 per night and I had a chance to visit them at two of Sandals’ Jamaica resorts on a recent press trip.

Is a Sandals all-inclusive vacation right for you? Here’s how to decide