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Most stunning places are a bit trickier to get to. You may need to go on a boat ride to arrive at the 12 floating destinations featured here, but the unique experiences they offer — from luxury accommodations to an authentic bathing ritual — are worth the trips across the water.
Amid fireworks, music and much fanfare, the world's tallest floating Christmas tree, as registered by the Guinness World Records, was lit at the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on November 29. A yearly tradition in Rio for the past 19 years, the 278-foot, 543-ton tree will be illuminated with 3.1 million lights every night until the end of the year.
With its stunning limestone cliffs towering over a floating village surrounded by the bluest waters, Koh Panyee in Thailand is a tropical paradise. But there's something more than its natural beauty that's luring tourists to this island. The village is home to a unique attraction: a floating football pitch.
Thailand's tourism industry has taken a hit from a number of events (protests, a military coup in May, and imposition of martial law), but the island, known for its passion for football, has attracted new tourists and has helped kept the island's younger inhabitants from leaving, according to the Bangkok Post.
Located in northern Idaho approximately 31 miles east of Spokane, Wash., the 338-room Couer d'Alene Resort is set in one of the most picturesque locations in the country, overlooking scenic Lake Coeur d’Alene and the pristine Bitterroot Mountains. But it is most known for its award-winning golf course with the world's only floating green.
The 14,000-square-foot floating green at the 14th hole consists of 104 Styrofoam blocks encased with concrete, according to the Associated Press.It shifts position on the water daily, directed by a computerized mechanical system that allows the distance from the tees to range from 100 to 220 yards, reported WorldGolf.com. A wooden water taxi - named "Putter" - shuttles golfers from dock-to-dock, with a pilot at the wheel.
Located in Loppi — an hour's drive from Helsinki — in Finland, Jalolautta is a unique floating sauna. (Courtesy of Jalolautta)
In the chilly Nordic country of Finland, the sauna culture is so well-established that there are built-in saunas in almost every home. ButJalolautta, a unique floating sauna boat, takes the sauna experience to whole new, relaxing levels. Located inLoppi,in theHämelake uplands,Jaulolattais only about an hour's drive from Helsinki but guests enjoy one of the most serene lakes (where guests can swim) in the country and some of the its most stunning views. TheJalolauttawas designed with sustainability in mind and Nordic simplicity at heart. It features a fully equipped kitchen, a spacious roof deck and room for up to 12 people.
View of the Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur, India. The luxury hotel sits on an island in Lake Pichola, which gives it a 'floating' appearance. (Taj Lake Palace/Leading Hotels of the World)
With its numerous lakes, the city of Udaipur in India is often called the "City of Lakes" or the "Venice of the East." On one of these scenic lakes, Lake Pichola, sits the shimmering jewel known as Taj Lake Palace, considered one of the most romantic hotels on Earth.
Every room and suite in the majestic floating hotel,which sits on the JagNiwasisland against a backdrop of theAravallimountains and city palaces, offers breathtaking views. And each reflects the hotel's past as a royal summer palace, from the antique swing and stained-glass panels of the Khush Mahal suite to the sculpted marble columns of the Chandra Prakash suite. The golden chandeliers and gilt moldings of the latter suite impressed even the Maharaja, who held court in the room in the 1930s, according to the hotel's official website.Guests reach the four-acre man-made island, which also features sweeping courtyards and lotus ponds, via private boat, according to Conde Nast Traveler.
Vendors sell food, fruits and vegetables from their boats in the floating market in Damnoen Saduak, Thailand. (Kaveh Kazemi/Getty Images)
In a fertile region south of Bangkok in the Ratchaburi province is a community of agriculturists who sell their produce by boat. Before it became a floating market, the Damnoen Saduak was a canal dug during the reign of King Rama IV, wrote Asia Travel. Although the market is filled with fruits and vegetables that are much harder to find on the other side of the globe, the Lonely Planet says the market has been reduced to a floating souvenir stand, but that smaller family businesses can be reached by hiring a boat for a longer period of time. To visit the unique floating market, Thai Ways Magazine recommends hitting the road early, because the narrow waterways are quickly packed with boat traffic.
Built in 1867 to repel the French navy, the sea fortress Spitbank Fort located off the south coast of England has stood immovable for centuries. Today, it houses a circular plunge pool and sauna in its former rooftop gun emplacement, and its ammunition store has been converted into a wine-tasting room.The historic sea-granite reopened as a luxury spa hotel and retreat in 2012, with eight bedroom suites offering sea views, bar, sunbathing decks, restaurant, and even fire pits.
The fort-turned-hotel, however, maintains many of its of its original naval features. The gun ports have been converted to windows, which open so guests can sleep to the soothing sound of the waves, and some rooms even come with wooden ammunition hoists beside the dressing tables, according to the Financial Times.Located a mile out to the sea, SpitbankFort provides a peaceful getaway for vacationers searching for an island escape. The hotel provides boat transfers from nearby Portsmouth and Gosport in Hampshire, according to the Daily Mail.
After years of military rule that sparked a tourism boycott, Myanmar has opened its doors to tourists and is seeing a surge in visitors, according to USA Today. And Inle Lake has become one of Myanmar's most popular attractions. It's easy to see why. Green hills surround this body of water, about 350 miles north of Yangon, and it's home to numerous floating villages that feature stilted wood-and-bamboo houses, colorful markets and even floating tomato gardens. Another sight to see? Villagers using a unique leg-rowing method to steer their boats.
In 2013, professional skater Bob Burnquist and his team built and skated on a floating skate ramp in Lake Tahoe as part of Visit Califonia's 'Dream Big' campaign. (Visit California/YouTube)
Lake Tahoe is known as one of the countyr's premier destinations for outdoor recreation. In 2013, its signature turquoise-blue waters was the backdrop to a 7,300lb (3,311kg) floating skateboard ramp installed on Lake Tahoe as part of Visit California's Dream365 tourism campaign. Professional skater Bob Burnquist tested the ramp, which took four days to build,and skated on the floating ramp while a film crew shot a promotional video to attract tourists to the state of California. (Fun fact: a wet-suited snorkeler was at the ready to dive for Burnquist’s skateboard every time it went over the edge and into the water).
Watch a video of the ramp's construction and Burnquist's moves on Lake Tahoehere.
Completed in 2007, the Float at Marina Bay in Singapore is the world's largest floating stage. It's being used for concerts and performance but it has also hosted major sporting events, such as the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics.
On the edge of the bay, a 30,000-seat grandstand faces a nearly 33,000-square-foot steel platform that sits atop 200 pontoons, according to Popular Mechanics.
In 2007, the stadium was used to launch the six-week-long Waterfest Singapore 2007, which showcases stunts and performances by a water ski team and wakeboard professionals, according to the Straits Times. The platform was also the start and finish point for the 2007 Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore triathlon.
Part of the planned Palm Islands, a cluster of "manufactured" islands in the United Arab Emirates, Palm Jumeirah is an artificial archipelago designed in the shape of a palm tree. It consists of a trunk, a crown with 16 fronds, and a surrounding crescent island that forms an 6.8-mile-long breakwater and is now the home of the luxury resort Palm Atlantis Hotel. Construction on the Palm began in 2001, and it added 40 miles to Dubai's coastline. Once complete, the island will have hotel rooms and homes for 65,000 people, according to Guardian.
The Palm was created using 7 million tons of rock, according to its developer Nakheel. The island also includes a curved breakwater using natural rock, intended to encourage the creation of a natural reef and provide habitats for sea life. In 2009, the Palm Jumeirah Monorail opened to the public. It's the first monorail in the Middle East, and connects the trunk of Palm Jumeirah and the Atlantis Aquaventure Station on the crescent and will ultimately connect the archipelago to the mainland.
A floating restaurant in Huong River, a river that passes through Hue, Vietnam. (John S Lander/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Vietnam's Song HuongRiver (or Perfume River) is the spectacular location of the Song Huong floating restaurant, a 300-seat gastronomic destination that also offers entertainment and boat trips. The floating restaurant is also a popular venue for private parties and celebrations. View the restaurant's menu, which includes Korean, Chinese and Western cuisines, here.
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