Comments on: The Perfect Travel Spot: Lagoons, Mountains, and On-The-Water Bungalows

Question: The Perfect Travel Spot: Lagoons, Mountains, and On-The-Water Bungalows

GenTso — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:26:51 -0800

Planning a honeymoon. Can you help me find a place outside the continental U.S. that has bungalows on the water? Or if not, what about lots of shallow clear lagoons/secluded spots? (Mountains a plus!) I'm in Michigan and don't want to fly all the way to Bora Bora, which seems to have that - anything closer that is comparable?

(What I've seen so far in the Caribbean and Mexico seem to be hotels on the actual shore and little privacy or great clear swaths of shallow waters.)

By: tastybrains

tastybrains — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:35:30 -0800

Unfortunately, the only over-water bungalow resorts I have heard of are all in French Polynesia, mostly in Tahiti.

I would look more into the less touristy parts of Hawaii perhaps for the type of honeymoon you are looking for if you are willing to make an exception on the over-water bungalows.

However, I have to say...you only honeymoon once (hopefully)...maybe you deserve to splurge & get exactly what you want in French Polynesia?

By: cyclopz

cyclopz — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:36:15 -0800

Biras Creek, Virgin Gorda... no cars...you check in they give you a couple of bikes and a dinghy with a motor and you have the run of the whole North Sound...hiking action in the mountains with spectacular views...party action at the Bitter End Yacht Club if you want it with just a quick hike around the point...quiet little cottages if you just want to shack up. Awesome food too. Fly to Tortola and they send a boat with cocktails to pick you up. Have fun!

By: Thorzdad

Thorzdad — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:37:54 -0800

I always recommend Verana to couples looking for something different. It may not be exactly what you want (i.e. the bungalows are up the mountain from the sea) but it's quite lovely, relaxing and rustic (in a good way)

We went there for our 25th anniversary. We'd go back in a heartbeat.

By: tastybrains

tastybrains — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:41:19 -0800

Actually, Glover's Reef Atoll in Belize seems to have over-water bungalows.

By: goo

goo — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:43:30 -0800

The Maldives Hilton has bungalows over the water.

By: koshka

koshka — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:46:45 -0800

I was going to say Maldives too:

http://www.kuredu.com/

By: MrMoonPie

MrMoonPie — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:47:25 -0800

Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort has rooms (not bungalows) directly over the water. We stayed in one last year, and I'd highly reccmmend it. Our room had a 250-square-foot balcony and two full-sized sliding glass doors, and cost something like $240 a night. It's in a somewhat touristy area (though the Big Island isn't as touristy as other areas of Hawaii), but you can take easy day trips to very isolated spots. And tide pools abound--I swam around by myself with a couple of sea turtles directly under our room.

By: The World Famous

The World Famous — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:51:42 -0800

No over-the-water bungalows, but northern Michigan has plenty of shallow, clear lagoons and secluded spots. Get a cottage in a nice secluded area. Up North is full of them, though probably not as exotic as you're looking for.

By: jeanmari

jeanmari — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 15:06:24 -0800

St. Lucia. We stayed at the Ladera for the first 4 nights and the Ti Kaye for the next 4 nights.

Ladera. Oh. My. God. A room on a cliff, with only three walls, looking over a jungle/the pitons/the ocean. Private pool. Amazing meals. Very quiet.

Ti Kaye had just opened when we stayed there, but also amazing. Private bungalow with outdoor shower in a garden. You could borrow snorkling equipment and walk down the stairs set into the cliff to a gorgeous beach with a reef. Some of the most beautiful snorkling ever.

Enjoy your honeymoon!

By: rongorongo

rongorongo — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 15:08:46 -0800

Wherever there are bungalows over the water you risk running into potentially toxic concentrations of other honeymooners. Unless fishing is involved in some way or other.

By: JaredSeth

JaredSeth — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 17:51:59 -0800

Depending on the time of year, you could do 9 Beaches in Bermuda. And seconding Belize...which may be more laid back than most.

We just honeymooned in the Maldives after getting married in Sri Lanka, and if you can handle the long flights it is absolutely beautiful there. And if ocean levels rise, the atolls there will be some of the first places to be submerged so see them while you can.

By: Brittanie

Brittanie — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:20:51 -0800

We went to French Polynesia summer of 2006 and it was fantastic, but very, very expensive. Like, more expensive than you can possibly imagine. We stayed in a fabulous OW bungalow in Rangiroa, which also has some of the best diving I've ever seen, BTW, and prices on Rangi are way cheaper than Tahiti or Bora Bora but they were still very expensive.

So, this summer we went to The Philippines instead. Not really as nice as FP, but much less touristy and definitely less expensive. Our OW bungalow there was less than $100 US a night, and it was still just a beautiful as Tahiti, only maybe a little less... fancy. But see, that's part of the charm to me.

That said, neither one of these places is very close to the US. Perhaps you should look at the Bahamas or Jamaica or Mexico or Hawaii for something closer.

By: JujuB

JujuB — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 21:42:29 -0800

The Island of Roa Tan sounds just like what you are looking for. We stayed at Anthony's Key resort. The little bungalow was over the water, it had 3 sides made of louvers. After the lights were turned off, we opened all the louvers. It was wonderful.

Anthony's Key resort is geared towards scuba diving. But there is plenty of other things to do as well. This place is primative, no phones,tvs or even clocks.

By: JujuB

JujuB — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 21:46:39 -0800

Damm, thought I hit preview... oh well here is a link to Roatan

By: GenTso

GenTso — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 07:58:11 -0800

These are very helpful - thanks all! [Looking at links/researching now...]

By: Cobalt

Cobalt — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 12:03:52 -0800

You might be interested in the Hotelito Desconocido, on Mexico's Pacific coast. You've got bungalows, the ocean and the fact that the entire thing was designed for honeymoons. Mind you, I've never been there, but a lot of Mexican couples spend their honeymoons there and bring back glowing reports.

By: hudsonvalley5

hudsonvalley5 — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 19:21:03 -0800

dominican republic, try bavaro, or punta cana