Overwater Bungalow Kerala Style
Note: Last year I completed a fifteen day press trip through Kerala, India which was sponsored by the state’s tourism bureau. I have not been asked to write about any specific topic related to the trip. These words and ideas are my own.
One of the great dreams of many in this hobby is to use to points to stay in an overwater bungalow. Who doesn’t want to stay in a luxury resort with crystal clear water below the bed? We have all seen the pictures!
I too want to visit one of those resorts one day, however it just isn’t on the table yet. While Travel is Free has the ultimate guide to overwater bungalows with points, you won’t find the following resort on it.
Last year while touring the Poovar Island Resort during the Kerala Blog Express, we came upon a set of floating rooms. Accessed by skinny bridges from land, these “floating cottages” sit on an estuary at the edge of the resort.
Poovar is an island surrounded on all sides by fresh water. Poovar Island Resort and other resorts in the area sit on one edge of the estuary with a sand beach off in the distance. They can only be accessed via boat which adds to the charm.
The cottages themselves are small but beautiful. They have a door on the back which opens right up to the estuary with views of the aforementioned beach in the background.
Looking out on the water you are bound to see small boats carrying locals going about their lives. Unlike some of those fancy resorts, you are right in the middle of the action.
Of course the resort has a swimming pool & other standards of the area like Ayurveda treatments and medical dentistry. The comforts of home are not entirely lost here, but this is far from your cookie cutter tourist experience.
Perhaps the other thing of note is the price of these bungalows. While some of the fancier overwater bungalows cost an insane amount of points or money, these rooms sell for $140-$280 depending on the season.
I actually meant to write about these bungalows last year, but somehow it slipped through the cracks. While I stayed in the resort next door and didn’t get to experience these bungalows during my recent visit, I wouldn’t mind trying one the next time I am down there.
Of course the Maldives are just a short flight away as well, so maybe I can try both out? You can find all of my posts about my time in Kerala here. So what do you think? Would you stay here?
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Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
[…] A Different Kind of Overwater Bungalow! – A look at a very different kind of overwater bungalow that I encountered in India last year. […]
Don’t forget about the floating raft hotels on a couple rivers in Thailand.
Again, not your cookie cutter tourist experience. Our family stayed in a small
one (8 “rooms”) a couple years ago, it was great fun for the kids and the staff
was incredible!