Five luxury stays above the waves

Chris Carter looks at five new villas and bungalows on stilts around the water, as well as this year's hammock craze.

854-water-villa-634

Slide straight from the hotel into the sea at Noonu Atoll's Soneva Jani resort

"From glass-bottomed villas in French Polynesia to boat-like bungalows in the Maldives, overwater' accommodation graces many a bucket list," says Nina Ruggiero in Travel + Leisure magazine. The Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay became the first destination to offer accommodation set directly over water on the main island, Viti Levu, when it opened in April this year. The resort on the west coast, with its three restaurants and three pools, includes 22 luxury bure ("huts" in Fijian) that sit on the water, so guests can dive directly from their private decks into the surrounding lagoon.

Subscribe to MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Sign up
Chris Carter
Wealth Editor, MoneyWeek

Chris Carter spent three glorious years reading English literature on the beautiful Welsh coast at Aberystwyth University. Graduating in 2005, he left for the University of York to specialise in Renaissance literature for his MA, before returning to his native Twickenham, in southwest London. He joined a Richmond-based recruitment company, where he worked with several clients, including the Queen’s bank, Coutts, as well as the super luxury, Dorchester-owned Coworth Park country house hotel, near Ascot in Berkshire.

Then, in 2011, Chris joined MoneyWeek. Initially working as part of the website production team, Chris soon rose to the lofty heights of wealth editor, overseeing MoneyWeek’s Spending It lifestyle section. Chris travels the globe in pursuit of his work, soaking up the local culture and sampling the very finest in cuisine, hotels and resorts for the magazine’s discerning readership. He also enjoys writing his fortnightly page on collectables, delving into the fascinating world of auctions and art, classic cars, coins, watches, wine and whisky investing.

You can follow Chris on Instagram.