Polski
From the world, Issue 7/2026
Vacations on the Water: The Maldives, Houseboats, and Floating Hotels
Aug
You don’t have to go on a cruise to spend your vacation on the water. Accommodations located directly on the water—houseboats, stilt houses, floating cabins, and bungalows—are becoming increasingly popular. This is a way to spend your vacation where attractions require no extra effort and begin right outside your door.
What is a houseboat?
A houseboat, or a residential boat or barge, is a vessel adapted for recreation or living on the water. Unlike a traditional yacht, it is not used for recreational boating, but for leisurely travel on lakes, rivers, and canals or for a stationary stay along the shore.
The interior of a houseboat resembles a small apartment: it usually includes a living room, a bedroom, a kitchenette, a bathroom, and a deck. Some houseboats have a small engine, while others are permanently moored and serve as summer homes on the water. In Europe, houseboats have long been associated with the Netherlands, but they are also becoming increasingly common in Poland—in Masuria, the Pomeranian Lake District, and on larger reservoirs.
Where can you spend a vacation on the water?
Houseboats are just one type of water-based lodging. In different parts of the world, they take on quite diverse forms. Here are the most interesting examples of places where you can stay directly on the water or just above its surface.
Kettuvallams—Traditional Boats on the Backwaters of Kerala
In Kerala, India, accommodations on the water have a long history. The local kettuvallams—traditional boats with wooden hulls and distinctive canopies—were once used to transport rice and spices. Today, many of them have been converted into tourist houseboats with bedrooms, a bathroom, a dining area, and a kitchen on board.
These boats offer cruises lasting several hours or a full day through the backwaters of Kerala, including the areas around Alappuzha and Kumarakom. On overnight trips, they moor in a quiet spot in the evening and set off again in the morning. The route winds through canals, rice paddies, coconut palms, and villages situated right on the water’s edge.
Maldives – overwater bungalows on stilts above the lagoon
The Maldives have introduced the world to one of the most recognizable types of beach vacations. The archipelago, consisting of over 1,000 coral islets, offers guests the opportunity to stay in bungalows and villas built on stilts directly over the ocean. These distinctive structures allow guests to live literally above the turquoise waters of the lagoons—all they have to do is walk down the steps from the terrace to find themselves among coral reefs, colorful fish, and sea turtles.
In addition to overwater villas in the Maldives, floating restaurants, platforms, and—increasingly—rented houseboats or boats for traveling between atolls are also popular. Thanks to this, a vacation on these islands isn’t just about lounging on the beach, but a true experience of life on the water—snorkeling and diving right from your doorstep, sunsets over the horizon, and a sense of closeness to the ocean around the clock.
Thailand – Floating Houses Amid the Jungle and Rocks
In Thailand, a vacation on the water doesn’t necessarily mean being near the ocean. One of the most interesting examples is the raft houses on Cheow Lan Lake in Khao Sok National Park. These are floating houses built on platforms, surrounded by limestone cliffs, tropical forest, and green water.
These places serve as bases for boat and kayak trips, hiking, and nature observation. They’re nothing like a typical beachfront hotel—they’re more like accommodations on the water in the middle of a national park. Another example is Koh Panyi in Phang Nga Bay, a settlement built on stilts where houses, walkways, restaurants, and a school form a compact village situated on the water.
In southern Thailand, longtail boats—traditional vessels with a distinctive long propeller shaft—are also an important part of the aquatic landscape. Thanks to their shallow draft, they can reach places that larger vessels cannot. For many tourists, these boats are the very symbol of traveling between islands, beaches, and limestone coves.
Arctic Bath – a floating spa in Swedish Lapland
Vacations on the water aren’t limited to the tropics. In Swedish Lapland, on the Lule River, lies Arctic Bath—a hotel and spa with a wooden structure inspired by log rafting. In the summer, the facility floats on the water, and in the winter, it is surrounded by ice, becoming part of the Arctic landscape.
Instead of palm trees and a warm lagoon, there’s a sauna, cold baths, snow, and the northern lights. This shows that staying on the water can take many forms: from a lake house to a villa on stilts to a property set against the rugged backdrop of the North.
OFF Paris Seine – a hotel moored on the Seine
OFF Paris Seine is a prime example of a typically urban water-based lodging. It’s a hotel barge moored on the Seine, between the river’s right and left banks. The property features 54 rooms, 4 suites, and a bar with a pool overlooking the river.
Unlike houseboats typically associated with lakes or canals, OFF Paris Seine offers a more urban take on a vacation on the water. Guests don’t sleep by the river, but directly on it—close to bridges, riverbanks, cruise ships, and the daily traffic of the Seine.
Why are we increasingly choosing vacations on the water?
The growing popularity of vacations on the water is no coincidence. More and more often, we’re looking not only for comfortable accommodations but also for a break from noise, screens, and the hustle and bustle. In a hotel on the shore, we look at the lake, river, or ocean from a distance, but in a houseboat or a villa by the lagoon, that distance disappears, and we become part of nature.
These forms of relaxation combine comfort with direct contact with nature. The terrace becomes a bridge to the outdoors, the morning is enlivened by the sound of splashing water, and the view from the window changes with the light, the weather, and the movement of the waves.
