Build Bath & Shower

The overwater bungalow - that iconic symbol of the paradisiacal tropical vacation , standing in clear blue water on stilt legs - turns the big five-oh this year. The thatched huts, often outfitted with such luxury amenities as plunge pools and glass floors to better see the fish below, are a staple on the bucket lists and Pinterest boards of aspirational travelers the world over. Yet their origin lies in a surprisingly prosaic exercise in problem-solving.  Back in the '60s, three tanned, party- hearty California kids - Hugh Kelley, Don "Muk" McCallum and Jay Carlisle - left their 9-to-5s in pursuit of their tropical dreams in French Polynesia. Opening hotels on Moorea and Raiatea, the trio was dubbed the Bali Hai Boys, after the mystical island in James Michener's novel "South Pacific."   Carlisle, now in his 70s, reminisces about those days:   "Our Hotel Bali Hai on Moorea thrived with its beachfront property, but Hotel Bora Bora on Raiatea stru...

V oting in the 2017 Telegraph Travel Awards is now open, giving you the opportunity to reward those operators and destinations that continue to surpass your expectations. And because we recognise you need to invest time and energy to make these awards what they are, as a reward for your efforts we are delighted to offer you the chance to win one of 20 luxury holidays - including this twin- centre Caribbean escape at the Sandpiper, Barbados & Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort – St. Lucia (worth £28,000) A once-in-a- lifetime Caribbean getaway for two visiting the most exclusive hotels in Barbados and St Lucia, this extraordinary prize offers the winner the chance to experience two of the most luxurious and popular islands in the West Indies. The Sandpiper, Barbados and Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort, St.Lucia have joined forces to create a dual centre escape showcasing the very best of the Caribbean . How to enter Follow this link to tell us about your favourite travel companies a...