A lot of couples “dream honeymoon” consists of staying in an over the water bungalow (for short, let’s call them OTWB’s). Unfortunately, sometimes those dreams can fall short once they see the price tag or find out how far they have to fly. But there are many options and for some, this is the time (when you can take 2 weeks off at once) to take that long flight and go somewhere more exotic and far away. Like we always say, everyone’s dream honeymoon is different and today we are going to talk about different options for those whose dream is the OTWB.
The Maldives has the most OTWB’s of any region in the world – Some of the clearest water and most luxurious resorts that you will ever see or find in your life. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for either a honeymoon couple or perhaps a special anniversary (or family vacation) once you are more established. There are of course a range of what is offered, including prices, inclusive meal/drink plans, etc…
French Polynesia is definitely the #2 in terms of amount of OTWB’s and overall natural beauty. We fell in love with Bora Bora and would recommend that if you are going to go all the way to French Polynesia that you definitely book yourself in an OTWB in Bora Bora. It is exactly what you are picturing in your head when you think “dream honeymoons” and has that perfect blue water that everyone dreams about. There are not any All-Inclusive options in this region for OTWB’s, which can make it a costly option, but there are some creative ways to make it work.
Sandals has now built OTWB’s in the Caribbean at the following resorts:
Jamaica – Sandals Royal Caribbean and Sandals South Coast
St. Lucia – Sandals Grande St. Lucian
These OTWB’s are gorgeous, but only some located at SRC come with a plunge pool, the rest only have hammocks for the guests, but all other amenities are super VIP, including butlers. All Sandals resorts are Adults Only All-Inclusive resorts.
One of our favorite destinations, easy to get to from the Saratoga area, Mexico (Riviera Maya), also now has OTWB’s. El Dorado Maroma has built 30 “Palafitos” all of which have plunge pools. El Dorado is an Adults Only, All-Inclusive Property. We have found that these are the most reasonable from a price perspective than the other 3 regions as well.
Tips on how you can afford to stay in an OTWB:
• Plan on spending half of your trip in the OTWB and the other half on land (all resorts)
• Consider doing an All-Inclusive 7-night cruise on the Paul Gauguin and then staying 1-3 nights in an OTWB (French Polynesia)
• Book in advance (these sell out fast, especially the ones in Mexico and the Caribbean)
• Plan in advance and always use a Virtuoso travel advisor (upgrades, resort credits, VIP status, complimentary meals, more tips like these, etc…)
Click here to view a PDF of the article Saratoga Bride Dream Honeymoons.
