Shana's Top Picks for Tropical Destinations

If there is one image the words 'tropical honeymoon' summon, it is this: thatched overwater villas on impossibly clear turquoise water, with a green volcanic peak rising behind them. The St. Regis sits on its own motu on the Bora Bora lagoon, looking directly across at Mount Otemanu, which is the view most people are actually picturing.

The villas are among the largest in French Polynesia, with private decks, direct lagoon access, and glass floor panels in many categories. There is a lagoonarium for snorkeling, a spa built on its own island, and butler service that French Polynesia does better than almost anywhere.

The honest part: Bora Bora is a long way from almost everywhere, and getting there means a flight to Tahiti and then a connecting island flight, so it works best as a longer trip rather than a quick escape. It is also the most expensive tropical destination in this set by a wide margin. If the overwater villa is the whole point of the trip, this is the version worth doing properly.

Summer Beach sits on Boduthakurufaanu Magu, the road that rings Malé, directly across from the city's artificial beach. The rooftop terrace is the reason to know about it: it looks west over the water, the seawall, and the harbor lights, and it turns in a sunset that competes with a lot of far more expensive addresses.

For travelers doing the Maldives on a real budget, or anyone who wants a night in the capital before transferring out to an atoll, it is one of the more comfortable ways to do it. You are walking distance from the beach, the fish market, and the ferry terminal.

The honest part: same caveat as any Malé property. This is a city stay, the beach across the road is man made, and Malé is one of the most densely populated cities on earth, so it is busy rather than serene. Come for convenience, value, and that rooftop, not for isolation.