Southeast Asia Overwater
Southeast Asia has more accommodation built over water than most people expect, and the cheapest good version of it anywhere. Malaysian Borneo has dive resorts standing entirely on stilts above the reefs near Sipadan, Indonesia has Bawah Reserve in the Anambas and a string of Raja Ampat lodges, Cambodia has Song Saa, and Vietnam has the rock and water villas at Ninh Van Bay. The structures are usually timber, usually smaller than a Maldivian villa, and often sit over water shallow enough to read the seagrass through. We rank on what is under the deck, how the place is built, and how hard it is to reach, which is the real cost of most of them.
- 1
Vietnamese bay resort with five water pool villas perched on the water's edge overlooking coral. Wooden steps lead directly to the sea; 154 square meters each; boat-only access to remote peninsula. Natural materials construction blending with surrounding rocks.
- 2
Fifty-nine wooden chalets perched on stilts over the Ligitan Reefs, accessible only by speedboat. The structure sits atop shallow sandbanks where visibility extends to the seafloor, creating a true open-sea overwater village.
- 3
Twenty-four luxury wooden chalets over shallow lagoon with glass portholes for viewing marine life, connected by wooden walkways lined with tropical flowers. The structure separates overwater bungalows from land-based villas, making the water setting a deliberate category choice.
- 4
Private island resort off Malaysia's west coast with dark timber Sea Villas perched on engineered stilts above the Strait of Malacca, featuring marble bathtubs and private balconies overlooking crystalline waters.
- 5
Indonesian lagoon resort with 11 timber overwater bungalows across a six-island marine reserve. Direct water access from each 105-square-meter unit; boat-accessed and remote, set over clear shallow water in the Anambas Islands.
- 6
Fifty-two wooden villas perched over coral-rich waters off Kota Kinabalu, connected by boardwalks and accessible by short ferry from the city. Water depths support snorkeling directly from private decks.
- 7
A 5-star resort in Palawan with 81 thatched-roof villas featuring bamboo design, 64 of which are overwater with private sun decks, outdoor jacuzzis, and glass-floored spa villas over the water.
- 8
An exclusive dive resort on a private island in southern Raja Ampat with eight overwater cottages built from reclaimed tropical hardwoods, direct lagoon access, and a commitment to marine conservation.
- 9
Vietnam's first overwater resort on a 27-hectare lagoon between Hue and Hoi An, with water villas on stilts and elevated wooden walkways connecting private decks to the calm waters below.
- 10
Fifty-room Filipino-style resort on Miniloc Island in Palawan, with seven water cottages built on stilts above the lagoon, woven bamboo walls, and thatched roofs set against dramatic limestone cliff formations.
- 11
Twenty overwater chalets built in traditional Bajau style on Mabul Island, each with wide sliding glass doors, glass floor sections, and wooden piers connecting a small village. A hybrid structure that blends vernacular architecture with modern comfort.
- 12
Seventy-acre resort on Langkawi Island with twenty-three Premier Chalets on Water, each fifty-six square meters, perched on stilts above the Andaman Sea with connections via timber boardwalks.
- 13
A 26-room eco-resort on Birie Island in Raja Ampat featuring traditional-style overwater bungalows built directly above the sea with views of pristine house reef and direct water access via a 40-foot pier.
- 14
Cambodian resort on two Koh Rong islands with overwater villas built on stilts above the Gulf of Thailand. One-bedroom and two-bedroom units from 135 to 300 square meters; glass-floor viewing of marine life below; boat-only access.
- 15
Eighteen-hectare private island resort in Coron, Palawan, with overwater bungalows positioned above coral reef zones and shoreline bays, offering direct water access and snorkeling from villa decks.
- 16
An exclusive boutique resort on a private island in Bacuit Bay, El Nido, featuring 30 wooden thatched villas including overwater Water Villa accommodations with Filipino-inspired design.