A strong candidate for the best luxury resort in Mauritius, the 5 Star Constance Le Prince Maurice, just an hour from Port Louis and its international airport, is a divine slice of paradise and one which boasts the country’s only overwater bungalows. There are just eleven in total though – eight junior suites and three particularly spacious and luxurious water villas – so be prepared to book well in advance. Though the height of luxury and beautifully styled they have just one drawback, that is that they sit over a lagoon fish sanctuary which, though it features much interesting sea life, means you are not allowed to swim just outside your door. Once that disappointment is overcome though these overwater bungalows leave very little else to complain about and the Constance Prince Maurice in general is a truly fantastic resort. It has excellent spa facilities and a whole host of activities can be enjoyed including water-sports and golf at not one but two different 18 hole championship golf courses. Though the resort mainly caters for romantic getaways, honeymoons etc. children can and do come here too, and the Prince Maurice Kids Club does a fine job looking after them. Overwater Bungalows & Other Accommodation: Constance Le Prince Maurice has 89 suites and villas spread over 150 acres of stunning beach, lagoon and lush tropical gardens. The overwater bungalows, as mentioned above, sit on the lagoon and are of two types – suites and villas. Both are beautifully designed and furnished in the traditional Pacific style and feel incredibly romantic. They only major difference between the suites and villas is their respective sizes. The suites come in at a respectable 753 square feet (70 m²) and have one double bedroom with a seating area, a lovely outdoor terrace plus some very swish bathrooms The villas though are over twice the size at 1,400 square feet (130 m² ). Along with a larger bedroom they also come with a separate lounge/living room plus dining space, and have a whirlpool bath/jacuzzi in the bathroom and a soak tub outside on the terrace. Beyond the overwaters the beachside accommodation at Constance Prince Maurice is READ MORE

The 5 Star Pangkor Laut is a stunningly beautiful private island near Malaysia’s Straits of Malacca with pristine rainforest ringed by dreamy sand beaches and crystal clear waters. It is seen as one of Malaysia’s, and Asia’s, finest luxury resorts and as such attracts a sophisticated, Malaysian and international, clientele. You will not find any kind of unnecessary formality or stuffiness here though, the atmosphere is notably pleasant, friendly and relaxed. Its facilities really are top of the range – Pangkor Laut’s spa in particular has won countless awards and is consistently named among the world’s very best. Overwater Bungalows & Other Accommodation: Their accommodation is divided between four categories: Garden, Beach, Sea and Hill. The sea section is as you may have guessed where the overwater bungalows reside. All are one double bedroom and as stylish and luxurious as you might expect from such a resort. They also feel thoroughly romantic. We particularly liked the spa baths looking out onto the sea and the elegant wood panelled interiors. At 55 m2 / 592 ft2 they are not really large enough to impress with their size – an extra few meters of terrace would be great for eg. – but overall they feel airy and spacious. Some of the overwater bungalows also allow direct access to the spa village for an extra 50 dollars a night or so. You’ll see them listed on the booking page as spa villas. The Garden Villas though beautifully internally decorated have a relatively disappointing setting. The Beach Villas are certainly superior, and for not much extra money. If we had to choose something else beyond the overwater bungalows though we’d head for the hills – The Hilltop Estates, as they are described on the booking page, are really quite fabulous. So much so that if money were not a factor we’d choose them over the overwater villas for a very memorable romantic vacation. Tucked away in the hills surrounded by lush tropical forest they have an old colonial mansion feel and are the resort’s most private, and most opulent and expensive, accommodation. They come in one, two, three and four bedroom units and guests READ MORE

Maitai Polynesia is a charming little resort in the south of Bora Bora by Matira Point Beach, just below the InterContinental Le Moana. It offers the cheapest luxury overwater bungalow experience in Bora Bora. This might be possible because they seem to have pared back some of the more expensive, but maybe unnecessary for many people frills – things such as a swimming pool, private airport transfer to the resort (though there is private transfer from Vaitape, and you can get there easily, and cheaply, by public ferry from the airport) and an excess of choice in terms of restaurants, bars and other facilities. For a lot of people this is an easy trade off, especially seeing that guests at Maitai have complimentary access to the facilities of the InterContinental just a few minutes walk away. Note: Maitai is placed in our adults only category as, though children can stay in some other parts of the resort, the overwater bungalows are strictly adults only. Overwater Bungalows & Other Accommodation: The resort has a nice range of options – overwater bungalows, bungalows on the beach or in the gardens of the resort and some rooms farther back and higher up which have lovely ocean views. All are stylish, spacious and super comfortable and include air conditioning, satellite TV and a minibar plus the overwater bungalows have a glass table and floor to allow guests to watch the sea life below their feet. Note: Rather surprisingly in this day and age the WiFi can be very weak in many rooms, in particular the overwater bungalows. In the hotel common areas though it works just fine.  The overwater bungalows are great value but they might now have they same wow factor as the other resorts in Bora Bora, being quite close to the shore and relatively close to one other. But, they are much cheaper and again, for what they offer, great value. Overwater Bungalow Prices: Check out all the details – prices, reviews & more photos, on the booking page here. Resort Facilities & Things to Do: The resort is relatively small but has two bars and two high quality (and good READ MORE

The InterContinental Le Moana lies along Matira Point at the southern end of Bora Bora’s main island and is, as the name suggests, a sister hotel of the InterContinental Thalasso across the lagoon which has a greater range of facilities, all of which guests at this InterContinental can access via shuttle boat. It doesn’t have the same broad choice of accommodation as its sister hotel and many will consider the Thalasso branch, as it looks directly across the lagoon at the towering Mount Otemanu, to have a more scenic setting. Intercontinental Le Moana also has an extremely idyllic location though it must be said, nestling snugly as it does between the gorgeous white sands of Matira Point and the lush tropical hills behind. It also offers equal amounts of luxury, service and style, and has an understated charm that may be lacking in the larger resort. Its smaller size, more convivial atmosphere, greater access to the main island and lower prices may just make it more preferable for many guests. Overwater Bungalows & Other Accommodation: The Le Moana, as mentioned, doesn’t have the same range of accommodation on offer as the Thalasso, nor are the bungalows and villas on offer as large. Their standard size is 560 ft² with the largest being only a tad larger at 670 ft². That being said they are just as luxurious and beautifully designed and decorated, and have a more intimate, cosy feel. So, if you don’t feel like paying premium prices just for extra space they will work out much better value. The choices are overwater bungalows and beach villas both of which are stylish and sleek, and filled with modern comforts, with the overwaters all coming with a glass bottomed coffee table through which you can peer down into the coral reef. They also have gorgeous views out over the lagoon and the nearby islands of Raiatea and Taha’a, a positive also shared by the beach villas which sit right at the edge of the powder like white sands. All luxury hotel standard facilties are here: air-con, WiFi, cable TVs, music system, coffee makers, refrigerators & mini bars, and the bathrooms are READ MORE

The 5 Star, adults only Anatara Veli Resort has 67 chic overwater bungalows in a sublime setting just half an hour by speedboat from Mali’s International Airport, Maldives. The location is more private and secluded than other overwater bungalows in the area and is very much designed for romantic getaways. It is still though just a two minute speedboat shuttle to the busier (& family friendly) Anantara Dhigu Resort across the lagoon. There you’ll find a broad range of facilities and entertainment; restaurants, bars, shops, water sports etc. Antara Veli also has facilities of its own though with tennis courts, a fitness center, an outdoor spa and three very fine restaurants serving Japanese, Thai and international food at your doorstep. The service here is consistently impeccable, and you are allowed as much, or as little, interaction with staff and other guests as you would like. Overwater Bungalows & Other Accommodation: You can choose between a classic overwater bungalow on the lagoon or an ocean bungalow set on a secluded cliff edge overlooking the ocean. As mentioned this is an adult’s only resort, all the accommodation choices are doubles and all come with a suitably grand King size bed. To sum up though, your choices among the overwater bungalows are: ‘standard’ 62 m² units with an outdoor sun deck and direct access to the lagoon, deluxe units which have about 30 m² of extra space plus some very special open-air bathrooms with terrazzo bathtubs overlooking the lagoon. The ‘superior’ overwater bungalows go a step further with a plunge pool overlooking the lagoon and a full 125 m² of space over two floors. Finally there are the ‘Ocean Bungalows’, not overwater bungalows per se but their position on the edge of a small, secluded cliff directly over the ocean grants them a similar feel. They are broadly similar too in layout, and in size, to the superior overwater bungalows, also having that lovely plunge pool, but this time overlooking the Indian Ocean. All the accommodation choices are B&B and have a pleasing array of modern facilities; air-con, WiFi, cable TV, music system, refrigerator, coffee maker, mini bar (with private wine collection), bathtub, rainfall READ MORE

Veligandu Private Island, just twenty minutes by seaplane from Male Airport, is possibly the best value all-inclusive overwater bungalow resort in the Maldives. Though it lacks the full 5 Star Wow factor of Lily Beach Resort or Ozen Maadhoo, for what you are getting here you might expect the prices to be almost double what they are. As such it is extremely popular and sees return visitors year after year. Overwater Bungalows & Other Accommodation: You have two main room categories at Veligandu – Beach Villas and (Over)Water Villas, all of which are doubles with King size bed though you can order extra beds/cots for children. These are in turn sub-divided into standard and jacuzzi villas. None of these accommodation choices will disappoint though the jacuzzi villas, even disregarding the added jacuzzi on the terrace, are more spacious and open and definitely worth the extra fee. The villas have the traditional Pacific thatched roof look but inside are modern and sleek. Amenities include satellite TV, Nespresso coffee machines, air con, generous minibars and, if not a terrace jacuzzi outside then a spa bath in the bathroom inside. Bathrooms are always a good marker of hotel room quality and here they impress, with the the added bonus of an outdoor rain shower too. Note: Though they are welcome in the other accommodation options children are not allowed in the overwater villas, therefore Veligandu is placed in the adults-only category.   Overwater Bungalow Prices: Check out all the details – prices, reviews and more photos, on their Booking.com page here and on their Expedia.com page here. Resort Facilities & Things to Do: The main resort restaurant is Dhonveli – a large, lively place with a fantastic selection of Asian and international cuisine. The food is buffet style and there are various sections with different categories of food for guests to investigate as well as two live cooking stations. It is located right along the beach and has tables inside, on the large terrace outside and with some tables directly on the sand. Dhonveli has a laid back, boho chic atmosphere but if you want something a bit more formal you can try Madivaru, READ MORE