The most beautiful floating hotels in the world

1. Punta Caracol Aqualodge, Panama

Punta Caracol Aqualodge, Panama 

Punta Caracol Aqua-Lodge is located on a stunning, isolated peninsula of Isla Colon. This Eco-friendly lodge features a collection of 9 beautiful cabanas stretched out out over the ocean. The two-story cabanas offer a separate sleeping area, living room, and oversized deck from which you can swim off.



Breakfast and dinner are included at the restaurant while lunch is available at additional cost. Punta Caracol is somewhat removed from the excitement of downtown Isla Colon but they do have a boat-house where you can catch a taxi or arrange a tour.



2. King Pacific Lodge, Canada
King Pacific Lodge provides the ultimate in luxury adventure travel and ecotourism vacations from its location in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada.

King Pacific Lodge, Canada 

As a luxury wilderness lodge, this is an unsurpassed eco adventure travel destination. Among its many accolades, King Pacific Lodge was selected as the Best Resort in Canada by Condé Nast Readers’ Choice Awards in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

3. River Kwai Jungle Raft, Thailand
Floating since 1976, River Kwai Jungle Rafts resort is the magnificent close-to-nature floating Kanchanaburi hotel on the world’s historic river, River Kwai.
River Kwai Jungle Raft, Thailand 

River Kwai Jungle Rafts resort is the unique Kanchanaburi hotel / River Kwai Hotel nestled in a cuddle of tropical forest, magnificent mountain range and historical river and, at night, dazzled by the beauty of hundreds of candle lights which remarkably grants you the unforgettable getaway experience.




There’s no use of electricity here. It is a total escape from everyday life.River Kwai Jungle Rafts also offers River Kwai Tours for you to travel River Kwai in the easiest way. Touch the distinguish presence of Mon culture and the finest moment of the legendary river flows underneath your bed.

River Kwai Jungle Raft, Thailand  

4. The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort , French Polinesia

 
The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort , French Polinesia

Offering the most exclusive island accommodations in the region, this sprawling 44-acre resort matches blissful Polynesian paradise with flawless signature service.


5. Salt and Sill Hotel in Sweden
It’s Sweden’s first floating hotel. The Salt & Sill Hotel (Salt & Sill is Swedish for Salt & Herring) is open year-round, offering 46 beds and quite a bit of conference space.
 
Salt and Sill Hotel in Sweden 

The upper half of the Swedish hotel has balconies while the lower half enjoys decks. On the roof of the Salt & Sill, there are large, nice verandas with a beautiful view over the water.


An important part of the Salt & Sill Hotel is eco-friendliness. As a matter of fact, I think this will be a very popular accommodation choice among eco-travelers in Sweden. The hotel has been designed to have little or no effect on the environment, and marine life underneath the hotel pontoon is actually increasing.

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Alappuzha Kerala | Floating Alappuzha backwaters | Accommodation, food of Kerala | India backpackers

Alleppey Kerala: Backwaters and Alleppey beach

Alleppey in Kerala, also known as Allapuzha (ala-po-rah), is often referred to as Venice of the East by travel magazines and local tourism government.

It neighbors Vembanad Lake. The network of canals and lagunes -- called the backwaters -- is the main reason why travelers visit Alleppey.

Since the 90s, the number of house boats have increased dramatically.

It started with a couple of house boats in the 90s, but as of today there are 500-600 house boats roaming the backwaters. They were originally used for cargo transport, but now most of them cater travelers and tourists.

The house boat industry in Kerala employs around 1800-2000 Keralites, including boat drivers and chefs.

Alleppey Kerala: Women at Muhamma coir sub-center (Alleppey district) Alleppey itself is quite small, and it's easy to get around. The city center around Mullackal road, is a dusty and a busy place, with traffic jams.

The lake side of town is the most charming part, with luscious jungle and lake side view. This is where many homestays and resorts are located :-)

If you want to cool down, you can visit Alleppey beach. Have in mind though that it's not regular custom to wear a bikini and jump into the water. The currents are very strong, and you will most likely experience staring from the locals.

Some of my class mates solved this problem. They found a resort on the beach, where other travelers where sunbathing in their bikinis. My class mates decided to 'join them'. This way, they felt more comfortable, and there were almost no locals nearby :-)

Alleppey Kerala: Alleppey beach

Beware that Alleppey is a mosquito magnet! Compared to other places in Kerala and India, this place has a high density of mosquitoes.

Kerala is the state with highest literacy rates in India, where 93,3 % of the population can read and write. This is due to the Communist Party in Kerala, who has been prioritizing education and health.

Alleppey and Kerala has its darker sides though. If you take the time to walk in the streets of Alleppey, you will notice long queues to government liquor shops, where local men are struggling to buy liquor.

Did you know that an average Keralite drinks more than 8 liters of alcohol per year?

It's sad that Kerala is also known for its alcoholics, and it has a strong connection to the high unemployment in the State.

By air: The nearest airport to Alleppey is Kochi airport.

For more information on how to get to/from Kochi airport, visit this article -- Kochi India Cheap flights to Kochi/Alleppey:

By train: Alleppey can be reached by train from most major cities and towns in Kerala, for example Kochi (1-2 hours), Trivandrum (2-3 hours), Kozhikode/Calicut (5-6 hours) and so on.

The railway station in Alleppey is a 10 minutes auto ride from downtown (Rs 50-70).

By bus: One of the cheapest ways of traveling in Kerala is by bus. Most inter-state buses stop at Central Bus station in Alleppey (KSRTC).

For example: From Ambalapuzha to Alleppey we paid Rs 14 for the express bus. Ordinary local buses cost Rs 10 from Ambalapuzha.

By foot, it takes 10-15 minutes to Mullackal road. An auto from the bus station to Lake Side cost around Rs 20 depending on your bargaining skills. There's a long line of autos right next to the shops across the bus station -? you can't miss it.

KSRTC bus station in Alleppey Kerala

By taxi: Taking the taxi is obviously the most efficient way to travel from A to B. It's of course a lot more expensive than local transportation. But if you're traveling in a group, it can be economically manageable to take a taxi.

From Varkala to Alleppey we paid Rs 2700 for a taxi (February 2011), and we were 5 people. They had to arrange a bigger car for us, so that's why it was more expensive. If we were 4 people or less, it would have cost Rs 2300.

Alleppey Kerala: On a local bus Getting around: Auto rickshaws are the most common transportation in Alleppey. From Alleppey city center to Lake Side, we paid Rs 50 each time.

There are also local buses in Alleppey. From Lake Side to the city center, the cost is Rs 4,5.

Exploring Alleppey by foot is the most rewarding thing to do. As I mentioned earlier it's quite easy to get around.

We went by foot a lot of times when we stayed in Alleppey. But when the sun and humidity was too much for us, we took an auto.

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Important information for Alleppey:
Banks and ATMs: ATMs are scattered around town, especially along the main road, Mullackal road.Internet: Rs 40 per hour (Hello World, Blue Moon), Rs 3 for a copy