A Dream Come True: Staying in an Overwater Bungalow in the Maldives

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I’ve always dreamed of staying in an overwater bungalow. I drooled over photos of luxury villas perched on stilts above an impossibly blue lagoon on a distant tropical island. I wanted to gaze at the sea from my bed and watch fish swim by my terrace. My only regret about our decision not to get married (we’ve been together 17 years) was that I missed out on a honeymoon—the perfect excuse to splurge on an overwater bungalow.

Because rooms on stilts are expensive. Prices of $1000+ a night are common and $500 is considered budget. But when we planned to visit the Maldives—a classic overwater bungalow destination—I didn’t want to miss the opportunity, even if we didn’t have a marriage to celebrate. For most of our trip, we travelled on a budget staying in guesthouses on inhabited islands like Fulidhoo, but we also wanted to experience luxurious resort life.

I did a lot of research trying to find the most affordable overwater bungalows in the Maldives and was amazed when I found one at Reethi Beach Resort for $250 a night. Was there a catch? The villas looked lovely, the lagoon suitably turquoise, and the reviews were excellent.

But could my dream possibly live up to expectations?

The Journey

Getting to Reethi Beach Resort was part of the experience. We flew by seaplane, a tiny 15-seater that uses the sea as a runway and flies low over the ocean. The Maldives is 99% water and is best appreciated from above. It looked like a painting in hundreds of shades of blue.

The Maldives from above. Arriving at Reethi Beach Resort by seaplane.
The Maldives from above. Arriving at Reethi Beach Resort by seaplane.
The Maldives from above. Arriving at Reethi Beach Resort by seaplane.

After a 35-minute flight, we arrived at Reethi Beach Resort’s private island. We disembarked on one of the floating “terminals” just offshore and transferred to a boat for the two-minute ride to the beach through inviting turquoise water.

Reethi Beach Resort in the Maldives from above
Reethi Beach Resort from above
Arriving at Reethi Beach Resort, Maldives by seaplane
Arriving at Reethi Beach Resort by seaplane
Arriving at Reethi Beach Resort, Maldives
Our first look at Reethi Beach Resort

At reception we were greeted by our personal check-in assistant, Igne from Switzerland, who brought us a cold towel and fresh coconut, and made the check-in process as easy as possible. Our luggage would be brought by wheelbarrow later (there’s no motorised transport on the tiny island) and Igne walked us to our villa.

The water villas are at the far end of the island about a 10-minute walk from reception. The walk on the sandy, shady trails was pleasant and Igne pointed out the various restaurants, bars, pool, and gym along the way. We were struck by how quiet the island felt, despite being fully booked.

Our Overwater Villa

Affordable overwater bungalows in the Maldives at Reethi Beach Resort

When we reached the water villas I felt like we’d entered the pages of a magazine. The colours seemed unreal— the blindingly white beach, the crystal sea in vivid turquoise, the deep blue sky.

The thatched-roof villas sit on stilts above the lagoon in a gently curving row and are reached by wooden walkways. Ours was the last in the row. As we walked to our villa we saw schools of needlefish, powder blue surgeonfish, and even a reef shark.

Affordable overwater bungalows in the Maldives at Reethi Beach Resort
Affordable overwater bungalows in the Maldives at Reethi Beach Resort
Affordable overwater bungalows in the Maldives at Reethi Beach Resort

Unlike most overwater villas in the Maldives, Reethi Beach’s villas are semi-detached, so you have a neighbour. This makes the price much lower and was worth the compromise for us. We never heard our neighbours inside the villa and only occasionally on the terrace. The terrace fence ensures privacy and people can only see you if they swim past (which doesn’t happen often).

The villas are spacious with a huge, comfortable bed that was decorated in red hibiscus when we arrived, a sofa, a long desk, and plenty of storage space. The bathroom is also massive with a bath and separate shower cubicle featuring a powerful, hot rain shower.

Affordable overwater bungalows in the Maldives at Reethi Beach Resort
Affordable overwater bungalows in the Maldives at Reethi Beach Resort
Affordable overwater bungalows in the Maldives at Reethi Beach Resort
Water villa bathroom at Reethi Beach Resort

Facilities include a kettle with plenty of teas and coffee, a fridge (which you need to stock yourself from the nearby bar or room service), and TV and DVD player. There’s a fan and air conditioning, but it does take a while to cool the room down, especially in the afternoon when the sun hits the villa.

There’s no WiFI in the rooms, only in reception and some restaurants. Usually this would bother us, but we didn’t come to a resort like this to work, and we liked having the temptation to go online removed. It added to the feeling of getting away from it all.

The villa isn’t super luxurious by Maldives standards—there are no chocolates on the pillows, espresso machines, or jacuzzis on the terrace—but it had everything we needed and was very comfortable. We didn’t need fancy amenities—the real attraction is the view.

Affordable overwater bungalows in the Maldives at Reethi Beach Resort
Affordable overwater bungalows in the Maldives at Reethi Beach Resort

The large glass doors meant we could gaze at the lagoon from our bed, sofa, desk, and even from the bath if we raised the bathroom blinds. We felt like we were on a boat (without the seasickness) as all we could see was shimmering sea and tiny uninhabited islands on the horizon.

As the villas aren’t overlooked you can leave the curtains open and go to sleep with a view of the stars and wake up with the aquamarine water the first thing you see. Magical.

We loved the seamless flow between our room, terrace, and the lagoon. Outside there’s a table, chairs, and umbrella, two sunbeds, and a drying rack. Stairs lead down into the water—a mix of sandy patches and coral so we could stand on the bottom. The water height varies throughout the year, but when we visited in May it was the perfect level where we could stand but also swim.

Water villa terrace at Reethi Beach Resort, Maldives

All rooms at Reethi Beach Resort are allocated beach sunbeds. The water villa sunbeds are across the water on a narrow stretch of beach. The beach has eroded in recent years and doesn’t compare to the beauty of the wide west coast beach (around the corner from the water villas).

Water villa beach at Reethi Beach Resort
The water villa beach
Water villa beach at Reethi Beach Resort

You can ask to be moved—we were allocated new beds on a lovely stretch of sand at the other end of the island near the water sports centre. It was nice to have an afternoon on the beach, but we preferred relaxing on our terrace. That’s really what having a water villa is about. If you’d like to spend more time on the beach, consider a deluxe beach villa instead (and save yourself some cash).

Lazy Days in an Overwater Villa

Affordable overwater bungalows in the Maldives at Reethi Beach Resort

The villa was so gorgeous that it was tempting to never leave, despite the many attractions and activities at the resort. And we did spend a lot of time there. I loved sunbathing in the privacy of the terrace and being able to jump down into the water to cool off.

Simon doesn’t like sitting in the sun, so he could relax in air-conditioned comfort but still enjoy the lagoon view. We loved ordering room service so that we didn’t even need to leave for lunch.

Affordable overwater bungalows in the Maldives at Reethi Beach Resort

Other than the view, the thing we loved most about our villa was being able to snorkel right off our terrace, which we did twice a day. Even at the bottom of our stairs we could see dozens of fish—once we even saw a huge titan triggerfish munching away.

A few minutes swim took us to the edge of the reef where the dramatic drop off is home to an incredible array of sea life. We often hopped off our terrace, snorkelled along the west coast, stopped at the sunset beach bar for a drink (no money needed!), and walked or snorkelled back to our villa. It was the most stunning accessible snorkelling we’ve ever experienced.

Fish outside water villa at Reethi Beach Resort, Maldives
Fish outside our villa

We did do a few worthwhile trips, but the highlight of our stay was the lazy days spent reading, sunbathing, snorkelling, and floating in the lagoon. With paradise on our doorstep, we didn’t need to venture far.

Floating outside our water villa at Reethi Beach Resort

Our most difficult decision of the day was deciding whether to watch the sunset with a fruity cocktail and our toes in the sand at the sunset bar or on our terrace, watching the ocean turn a shimmering gold. Luckily we had time for both.

Sunset at our water villa at Reethi Beach Resort, Maldives
Sunset at our water villa at Reethi Beach Resort, Maldives
Simon and Erin of Never Ending Voyage at Reethi Beach Resort, Maldives

It’s not often that dreams become reality but staying in an overwater villa truly lived up to our expectations. It was an incredibly relaxing experience in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Reethi Beach Resort Details

Reethi Beach Resort is in the Baa Atoll and can be reached by seaplane or domestic flight from Male. Prices for a water villa start at $256 a night bed and breakfast. It’s one of the most affordable options in the Maldives. It’s worth staying as long as you can as transfers are expensive—the seaplane trip is $458 per person return. Domestic flights are $336 per person return.

Check the latest prices at Reethi Beach Resort here.

Read my comprehensive Reethi Beach Resort review for more details about the food, facilities, activities, and costs.

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Discover what it's like to stay in an overwater villa in the Maldives. Reethi Beach Resort has some of the most affordable overwater bungalows in the country. Read the full review for details.

Many thanks to Reethi Beach Resort for hosting us for three nights. We paid for an additional three nights ourselves. We would have extended our stay even longer (perhaps indefinitely…) if they’d had availability.

26 Comments

  1. What is the room numbers that we can have sunset view? Is it in the good side for snorkeling? Is it on the sands and not water? I heard complain about water villas on the sands. We are going there in November. Thanks

    Reply ↓

    • I recommend contacting the resort to ask their advice. I don’t remember what room number we were in but we were close to the end on the left hand side, which is best for sunset. It’s also closest to the house reef which runs along the beach just beyond the water bungalows (we could easily swim there and saw a few fish by our bungalow too).

      All the bungalows were in the water when we were there, but that could have changed.

      Reply ↓

  2. Your detailed explanation wants me to pack my bags and leave for it tomorrow.
    I’m really fascinated by that glowing Island at night . But how can I add it to this like already the seaplane is expensive so what to do if we wish to explore more near by island or restaurant’s does ferry works or not

    Reply ↓

  3. Thank you very much, Erin, for this detailed post and the location!
    Could you please advise what is the difference between seeplane and domestic transportation? Is it the means of transport or the location to pick you up or what?

    Reply ↓

    • The seaplane is a small plane that lands on the sea right at the resort. A domestic flight is on a normal plane that takes you to the nearest airport and then you transfer by boat to the resort. Both start from the capital Male.

      Reply ↓

  4. Thanks so much for the great feedback. We are booking there but still hesitating between deluxe beach villa and over water villa. Have you seen the beach ones ? Are they really ON the beach ? Thanks for the answer ! Iz

    Reply ↓

    • The beach villas are right on the beach so if you prefer to spend most of your time relaxing on sun loungers on the sand they are the way to go. We really loved the overwater villas though – it was so magical to look out at the sea as if we were on a boat. Either would be fantastic.

      Reply ↓

  5. Thanks for this detailed write up! Hoping to go to the Maldives in Dec 2017 and was wondering if we could afford it for the both of us and our 2 teenage kids. Am definitely looking at the local islands accommodation as it is cheaper but like what you said, the whole point in going to the maldives is the water villa. Would like to do both like you but is seaplane and domestic flight the only way to get there? Rather costly for the 4 of us…if you can kindly share if there are alternative (cheaper) mode of transportation to Reethi?

    Reply ↓

  6. This post is just what I needed! We’re looking into traveling to Maldives, but it’s pretty cost-prohibitive. Thanks for the practical and encouraging article!

    Reply ↓

    • We have another post coming soon about our travel costs in the Maldives. I think combining independent travel to local islands with a resort stay is a great way to visit on a budget and get the best of both worlds.

      Reply ↓

  7. I never thought Maldives were so magnificient.It just suprised me.
    The waters that are so clean,the different shades of it,the calmness,the way of avoiding technology,the amazing bungalows and many more seem fantastic for a vacation. I hope that one day I will go there,so as to meet new people,relax as much as I can,forget my problems and most important,have the time of my life.

    Reply ↓

  8. Great post and what a great find. Might be the place for us later this year. Can’t wait for the next post about the food as we’re always interested in how other veggies ‘cope’ with other parts of the world.

    Reply ↓

    • We were a bit worried about being vegetarian in the Maldives as local food is very fish based, but it was actually very easy. The food at Reethi Beach Resort was amazing with lots of vegetarian options that were marked on menus and in the buffet. On local islands we mostly ate at our guesthouse as restaurants are limited— veg curry is always an option and we were happy with that.

      Reply ↓

  9. Still a bit out of our price range, but the villa looks amazing! My brother had his honeymoon in the Maldives and it looks like such a romantic destination.

    Reply ↓

  10. Looks amazing! The Maldives have been on my bucket list for a long time but the flight and accommodation costs make it an expensive place to go, so nice to know there are some more budget friendly (but still fancy!) options

    Reply ↓

    • It is an incredible place. Definitely worth it for a special treat!

      If you are coming from Germany look into Condor—they had cheap direct flights from Frankfurt when we were looking. The Maldives could also be combined with a trip to India/Sri Lanka or SE Asia. Our flight from Singapore with Tiger Air wasn’t expensive and Air Asia has deals from Kuala Lumpur.

      I hope you make it one day!

      Reply ↓

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