Affordable Overwater Bungalows

Why We Like It: The eco-friendly Koro Sun Resort sits on a lagoon surrounded by a lush 160-acre nature sanctuary on the island of Vanua Levu, just to the northeast of Fiji’s main island. It’s a place with a strong back-to-nature appeal. If you’re feeling adventurous you can head out on some awe-inspiring jungle hikes or deep sea diving trips or, if you’re feeling lazy, just lay back and enjoy as much fine food, pampering, and relaxation as you like. Overwater Bungalows & Other Accommodation: The resort has a broad range of accommodation including overwater bungalows which actually float on the water, and larger, two-story, two-bedroom overwater villas in a semi-separate, private section of the resort. The overwater bungalows are romantic and cozy with interior design that doesn’t stray much from the traditional Fijian. They are 377 square feet/35 square meters and have a small outside terrace with direct access to the water. The overwater villas are far larger and more modern in style and have a large upstairs terrace and a small deck downstairs with access to the water. They also have a small round glass panel in the READ THE REVIEW

Why We Like It: The adults-only St. George’s Caye is a scenic private island off the coast of Belize City near the Caribbean’s largest, and the world’s second-largest, barrier reef. It offers adventure and excitement on the one hand (it is a popular vacation spot for divers for eg.) and peace and tranquility on the other (honeymooners come here too). The food is generally highly praised, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner included in the room rate, the service is great and the atmosphere is relaxed, warm, and friendly. It sells itself as a luxury resort but if you are indeed expecting luxury the accommodation, though charming and very comfortable, may be underwhelming. Overall though the resort, the island, and the general atmosphere of the place make it a very enjoyable place to spend time in. Overwater Bungalows & Other Accommodation: You have a choice of broadly similar thatched roof cabanas, all doubles/twins in three different locations – Overwater, Beachfront & Garden, with the Oceanfront being the most expensive, the Garden cheapest, and the Overwater in the middle price range. In the vast majority of resorts, the overwater accommodation is the READ THE REVIEW

Updated on October 8, 2022 The Float House River Kwai Resort is a uniquely romantic floating hotel in Western Thailand. These luxury villas are generally only reached by boat, so very much offer the sensation of getting away from it all. This is not some primitive jungle camp though, it is a luxury boutique resort with overwater bungalows that are extremely spacious and comfortable and equipped with all modern luxury hotel conveniences. The Overwater Bungalows: Their villas are all two-bedroom, one double and one twin, and all almost identical; there are no ‘standard’ or ‘superior’ villas or the like here. Beyond that, your accommodation choices are B&B villa, with breakfast only, half board or full-board. Going for full-board makes the most sense we think. The food included in the package is of good quality and even if it weren’t, as the place is so isolated, unless you bring your own food you will be spending extra to eat at the same restaurant anyway. The villas have around 90 square meters/1,000 square feet of space and have a nice, natural elegance; their thatched roofs, teakwood furniture, and natural materials allow you READ THE REVIEW

Why We Like It: The enormous, 5 Star luxury, Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson Resort, just south of Kuala Lumpur, is one of Malaysia’s most iconic resorts, and it has the largest amount of overwater bungalows of any resort in the world. There are an astonishing 522 overwater of them stretching out nearly a mile into the Strait of Malacca in the shape of a hibiscus flower. Each water villa is beautifully put together, with suitably luxurious interiors and outdoor decks with private plunge pools. The only negative we can see though is that with such a huge amount of overwater bungalows together they are relatively close together and so not as private as some people may like. The resort itself has excellent facilities, including a big choice of restaurants and snack bars, spa facilities, a kid’s club, and a huge range of fun water and land-based sports activities. On land too there are a further one hundred-plus guest villas. Water Villas & Other Accommodation: So there are 522 overwater villas and a further 117 on-land villas divided into categories and price points depending on location, view (sea view or beach READ THE REVIEW

Why We Like It: Punta Caracol is a boutique, eco-friendly resort in Bocas del Toro, along Panama’s Caribbean Coast. It has nine very picturesque bungalows over the water which have the aesthetics of old colonial jungle huts but with modern comforts. The setting is sublime – a deeply remote spot accessible only by boat and surrounded by 100 acres of the lodge’s very own rainforest reserve, 98% of which is left completely as nature intended. It is absolutely a place for relaxation and contemplation. The food is excellent and the staff are helpful and friendly. Overwater Bungalows & Other Accommodation: They have just nine bungalows in total, divided into three categories – Standard Suites, Luna Suites, and a Master Suite. The latter is definitely the pick of the bunch with 1076 square feet/100 square meters of open plan space including a mezzanine bedroom with its own outside terrace and wonderful views. Its two terraces cover a combined area of 646 square feet/60 square meters. The three Luna and the five Standard suites are broadly similar to each other, with the Luna just having that bit of extra space internally – READ THE REVIEW

Why We Like It: The eco-friendly & fully off-grid Sol Bungalows is a tiny, very intimate resort with just two overwater bungalows on Bocas del Toro’s Isla Solarte, the least populated and most undisturbed of all Bocas’ main islands. Though relatively undisturbed the location is still extremely convenient, being just 5 minutes by water taxi from Bocas Town. Their brand-new overwater bungalows are sleek, modern, and comfortable – they boast all the features you’d expect from quality overwater accommodation in the Caribbean but at a more reasonable price. Overwater Bungalows: Those features include; traditional thatched roofs, glass floor viewing panels, nice furnished terraces with direct access to the water, overwater hammocks and outdoor showers. The bungalows are spacious too, covering 775 square feet/78 square meters in total, with a lounge area, a separate bedroom with king size bed and memory foam mattress, a bathroom and a lovely outside terrace just made for gazing at sunsets. Other hotel-type niceties include coffee makers, mini-fridges, and blackout curtains. The lounge and bedroom are separated by a sliding door and the sofa in the lounge can be converted into two single beds which allows READ THE REVIEW

Why We Like It: Thatch Caye is a private island paradise in the Caribbean with overwater bungalows 25 minutes by speedboat from mainland Belize. It is eco-friendly and has a kind of rustic, barefoot chic vibe. It caters for no more than 30 people at any one time too so also feels relatively intimate and exclusive, but with a friendly, communal atmosphere. Numerous activities are offered at Thatch Caye and your days can be as busy or as peaceful and relaxed as you may wish. Overwater Bungalows & Other Accommodation: You have a choice of beach cabanas and overwater bungalows. The latter are divided between Standard and Premium with the standard units being three bungalows sitting practically right beside each other just off the shore. Thus they’re really not ideal if privacy is what you’re after. But for a group of friends, if booked together, they could be perfect. The premium overwater bungalows on the other hand offer a huge amount of privacy. Though they are pretty much the same internally as the standard bungalows they have their own private walkway so feel very secluded indeed. They don’t cost all READ THE REVIEW

Why We Like It: The El Nido eco-resort chain’s Lagen Island branch has a jaw-dropping setting, even by Philippines island standards – a picture-perfect cove surrounded by limestone cliffs and lush green forest. Lagen Island as a whole is spectacular and a known sanctuary for a huge variety of flora and fauna. If you’re any kind of nature lover we’d highly recommend the resort’s guided jungle hikes. It is a luxury resort (4-star), with a kind of barefoot chic vibe, and the accommodation, food, and service are of a very high standard. It has 51 rooms in total, a mix of what they refer to as Forest Suites, Beachfront Cottages, and their overwater bungalows which they refer to as Water Cottages. All are crafted from local wood, most of it recycled and, in common with pretty much all El Nido’s resorts, the accommodation, and the resort in general, feel authentic and seem to blend in nicely with the sublime natural surroundings, though mod-cons too are present. Water Villas & Other Accommodation: So there’s a total of 51 rooms, 18 of which are overwater bungalows or Water Cottages, 53 m²/570 ft² READ THE REVIEW

Why We Like It: On Miniloc Island is the Filipino hotel group El Nido’s local eco-resort of the same name. It is something of a luxury resort but one with a laid back unassuming vibe. It is also eco-friendly and feels more locally authentic than most resorts we’ve seen, but with a bit of hippie chic thrown in. There are a total of 50 rooms, a mixture of beach cottages and overwater bungalows. The style is classic Filipino, its bungalows and on-shore cottages have walls of woven bamboo slats and traditional thatched roofs, and all of it blends nicely with the peaceful, rural nature of the setting. Overwater Bungalows: They have overwater bungalows, which you will see referred to as ‘Water Cottages’ or ‘Seaview Rooms’. On shore, what they refer to as Beach Cottages are, as the name suggests, on the beach and then the more secluded Garden Cottages are a little further back. Check out your room options at Agoda here. None are enormously spacious but are certainly cozy, comfortable, and have an authentic, rustic charm, despite them being internally, relatively modern in style. They range in size from READ THE REVIEW

Why We Like It: Eclypse de Mar is an intimate, very much eco-friendly resort, with its own nature reserve in Bocas del Toro, along Panama’s Caribbean Coast. It has some tastefully designed and decorated, overwater bungalows, just seven in total, which blend nicely with the deep jungle behind. Overwater Bungalows & Other Accommodation: Their overwater accommodation has two categories – the Standard Bungalows at 538 square feet/50 square meters and the larger, slightly more plush, Honeymoon Overwater Bungalows at 861 square feet/80 square meters. The latter has one king-size bedroom plus lounge while the former, though smaller, has two bedrooms, one double and one twin. All have seating areas inside and outside on the private terrace which offers direct access to the water (which is beautifully calm and clear), and inside they have glass floor panels to allow you to observe the abundant sea life below. They are super comfortable but this being a very much eco-friendly resort you will have to forgo some luxuries – No air-con just ceiling fans for example but, helped by the fresh breezes from the sea, they do the job well. There are no TVs READ THE REVIEW