The U.S. state of Hawaii is home to a very large amount of great accommodation options, from those that rest right on the beach to those situated a bit farther back. With that said, however, you won't find any overwater resorts on any of the islands here. If they could be built on Hawaii's shores, there would be dozens to choose from.

However, with this bad news does come a bit of good news. There are all sorts of great overwater resorts to choose from over on the islands of Tahiti and Moorea. Along with those, situated less than an hour away from these islands, you'll find more overwater resorts on the island of Bora Bora. Also, due to their location and how they are considered more remote than Hawaii, they are a great choice for honeymooners who'd like to escape the crowds while enjoying an exotic vacation in a beautiful tropical paradise.

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Why are there no overwater bungalows in Hawaii?

At the moment, there are no overwater bungalows in Hawaii. Though this is unfortunate and will most likely always be the case, it is because Hawaii is comprised of volcanic islands that are less than ideal for a hotel room on stilts that sits above a lagoon. For the bungalows that most people dream of staying in, you actually need a shallow lagoon that doesn’t see any wave action, with breakwater that’s well away from the beach, as you can see in the photos throughout this page.

 

These atolls, which are groups of islands, that are suitable for overwater resorts are only found in the South Pacific and in the Maldives, which is just southwest of India, and is home to around two-thirds of the water villas in the world.


Let's go to the South Pacific

  • Los Angeles to Honolulu: about 5.5 hours each way
  • Los Angeles to Tahiti: about 8.25 hours each way

Overwater Bungalows in Tahiti

With only a few exceptions, you’ll have to travel through the main Tahiti airport, which can be found in the capital of Pape’ete, to reach your overwater bungalow resort.

 

On the tropical island of Tahiti, you’ll find that there are two large resorts with these types of bungalows, including one that can be found rather close to the airport. For all the best ones, however, you’ll need to take another short flight to an island that’s more secluded, just as most people do after landing in the city of Honolulu in Hawaii. It should also be noted that the flights to other islands do leave frequently and are generally reasonably priced. Due to this, many people actually end up staying at resorts on two or more islands during the course of their honeymoon vacation.

>More information about the Overwater Bungalows in Tahiti

Overwater bungalows in Moorea

Finding your way to Moorea is easy as it’s only a very short 10 minute flight from Tahiti. If you don’t really like the idea of taking another flight to the island, you do have the option to take a 1 hour ferry ride that leaves from Thaiti’s capital city of Pape’ete. Most people feel that Moorea is even more beautiful than Tahiti, and it has quite a few clear-water lagoons that play host excellent resorts.

Nearly all the resorts found on Moorea are situated in such a way that you can easily visit restaurants, shops, or activities that are situated elsewhere on the island. This is an added bonus for those who like to explore rather than stay put in one place for the duration of their stay.

>More information about the Overwater bungalows in Moorea

Overwater Bungalows on Bora Bora Island

As Bora Bora is only about a 50 minute flight to the northwest from the island of Tahiti, you’ll find that it’s both easy to reach and a great location to find some fantastic rooms with a stunning view. Many of the resorts here are located on small private islands (which are called motus). These resorts can be found a few hundred meters off shore from the main island of Bora Bora.

 

When staying on the island of Bora Bora, you’ll note pretty quickly how easy it is to visit and eat at one of the off-site restaurants and how one can partake in one of the nearby activities. On the other hand, if you rather not go anywhere outside of your chosen resort, you’ll find that each resort is very secluded as well and offers lots of amenities right on-site.

>More information about the Overwater Bungalows on Bora Bora Island

Overwater bungalows in the South Pacific

Spread throughout the entire South Pacific, there are 7 additional overwater bungalow resorts, most of which reside near either Bora Bora or Tahiti. You’ll also want to note that there are a few resorts that are even more remote, with those being near Fiji and in Samoa.

 

There are some great choices that are very popular with Aussies and Kiwis that can be found closer to New Zealand. With that said, all of these resorts can be reached by a short flight from Tahiti.

>More information about the Overwater bungalows in the South Pacific
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  1. Coco Bodu Hithi is one of the very few resorts that allows 4 adults in all their villas but the lowest category.
    Which makes it excellent value for a family with 2 teenagers or young adult children.