You Don't Have To Go To Bora Bora For An Overwater Bungalow

When we think overwater bungalows, we think Bora Bora.

Unfortunately, flying thousands of miles to get to the other side of the world isn’t necessarily feasible for the average traveller. Lucky for those of us in the U.S., it’s about to get a little easier to experience the glory of these stunning accommodations.

There’s a luxurious colony of overwater bungalows on this side of the globe in the works ― and they look like they’ll give the South Pacific a run for its money.

The Viceroy Bocas del Toro Panama, located a short flight from Panama City, Panama, will be home to 186 guest rooms, 42 of which will be luxury overwater villas. The resort isn’t set to open until 2019, but by the looks of it, it will be well worth the wait.

Bocas del Toro is an archipelago off the coast of Panama, close to the Costa Rica border. The area is considered laid back even for Caribbean standards, and is fairly remote, comprised of turquoise waters and quirky, colorful beach towns. The main one, known as Bocas Town, was built by the United Fruit Company in the early 20th century, according to Lonely Planet. From Bocas town, water taxis take travelers to the archipelago’s six main islands and by some 200 islets.

The archipelago has a fascinating history, from Christopher Columbus’ visit in 1502, to the islands becoming an area for 17-century pirates to reside and allegedly hide buried treasure. Today, it’s most well-known for its banana industry after United Fruit Company arrived in 1899, planted massive banana plantations and developed the area.

The exclusive Caribbean resort will be located on the edge of a rainforest, and the only way to access the property will be by boat, seaplane or helicopter. Once you get there, it sounds like it will be nothing short of paradise.

The property includes three miles of private white-sand beaches perfect for sailing, snorkeling and surfing, and the surrounding rainforest is an ecologically rich landscape ripe for exploration. According to a press release, the resort will be eco-friendly, and will be powered only by sustainable technologies.

Sure, it sounds like a dream, but we won’t know if it’s an affordable one until 2019. Until then, we’ll start filling up our piggy banks.