Overwater villas cheaper than the Maldives – from Dubai to Doha and Greece

Many Brits consider a villa in the Maldives to be the ultimate holiday destination.

White sand beaches, crystal clear water, snorkelling, scorching sun and plenty of food – what’s not to like?

Well, there are downsides to a luxury Maldives holiday from the 11 hour flight time (if you manage to go direct) to the need for a boat or sea plane to get to your resort.

READ MORE: Greek hotel boasts overwater bungalows that are far cheaper than the Maldives

But, the biggest thing to put holidaymakers off is the price.

A night in an overwater villa in the Indian Ocean can cost thousands of pounds.

Luckily, other holiday destinations are realising the attraction of a room directly over the water.

And, Brits can now indulge in a Maldives-style trip a bit closer to home as hotels in the UAE and Qatar launch their overwater villas.

Both Banana Island Doha resort and the Anantara The Palm are apparently offering the luxe room-type that lets you leap from your room to the ocean.

Or, you can slip into the lagoon instead if you prefer.

Glass floor panels let you gaze into the water and infinity pools are also an option for those who prefer fresh water to sea water.

And, Dubai is a much shorter flight than the Maldives – it takes around seven hours to get there.

A return flight costs around £520 non-stop to Dubai on a British Airways flight taking 7 hours according to Google Flights.

That’s a decent saving compared to the Maldives as Google Flights shows the cheapest option from London to Male will cost £559 taking 21 hours and with two stops!

The cheapest non-stop option to Male takes 10 hours 20 minutes and costs a whopping £843.

Rooms at Anatara's Dubai resort start from £181 according to the Telegraph.

While Anatara's Banana Island resort in Doha costs start from £347 – and a flight to the Qatar city will set you back around £513.

Dubai isn’t the only holiday hotspot to offer overwater villas.

Stella Island resort in Crete, Greece, has been dubbed "a Maldives experience in the Mediterranean sea” thanks to its overwater bungalows and swim up rooms at a fraction of the cost.

The 225-room adults only hotel boasts overwater bungalows, which looks like the ones you’d see in the Maldives.

Guests who want to sleep on one of the Maldive’s style overwater bungalows can do so from as little as £299 per night in winter.

The cheapest flight to Crete within the next six months was a non-stop Ryanair flight to Chania taking under four hours and costing a tiny £67.

You’ll be living the dream!

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