Over the years as I have traveled around the world, one of my favorite places to visit are unique swimming pools. Perhaps it is my love of swimming or simply the excitement of visiting a world renown spot, but finding these spectacular pools have been the highlights several trips.
1) Marina Bay Sands Infinity Pool- Offering the best view of Singapore’s Bay, this infinity pool stretches across the "boat" or "surfboard" that spans the three hotel towers which are 55 floors high. Not only is this the world’s largest rooftop infinity pool, but it sits atop the world’s largest cantilevered balcony. The 1,120 ft long pool is the premier attraction of the SkyPark and definitely one of the most incredible pools in the world.
2) San Alfonso Del Mar- claiming the title of the world's largest swimming pool, this Chilean pool stretches over a mile long and holds more than 66 million gallons of water. Located just an hour northwest of Santiago, the San Alfonso Del Mar apartment complex includes their Crystal Lagoon which feels more like a small lake than a swimming pool. The major downside to this pool is that no one is allowed to swim in it because it is reserved for small crafts ranging from kayaks to small sail boats. The apartment I rented for two nights in one of the five buildings in the complex came with a kayak, which I took out immediately after dropping my bags in the room. It was August when I visited which is Chilean winter and meant that both the air and water were quite cold. The upside was that I literally had the entire pool to myself! Even though the main pool is reserved for small crafts, there are several small pools and hot tubs surrounding it which are available for swimmers to use for a fee throughout the year.
3) The Hanging Gardens- One of Bali's numerous and stunning infinity pools, the Hanging Gardens are tucked away in the jungle just outside of Ubud. It is a part of a luxury hotel that is comprised of beautiful villas surrounding this cascading infinity pool overlooking the valley. The price tag for renting one of the villas definitely exceeded my travelers budget, so I stopped out at the resort for lunch and a quick dip in the famous pool. The Garden's restaurant is well known for its Indonesian cuisine and its dishes serving freshly caught fish from the Jimbaran Bay. It was a bit of a trek to get all the way out to the Hanging Gardens Resort, but the views and this beautiful pool certainly lived up to the hype!
4) Bondi Beach- Located just 6 miles outside of Sydney lies the iconic and beautiful surfer town, Bondi beach. The half mile strip of golden sands is one of Australia's most famous beaches chichis well known for its' excellent waves that draws surfers year round. It also boasts nearly a four mile stretch of paved trail paralleling the coast line and offering impressive views that connects Bondi Beach to Coogee. Along the trail at the southern end of the beach is the Bondi Iceberg Pool, named after the dedicated group of locals who swim all year long- also called the Icebergs. Situated on the edge of the ocean, seawater crashes over the edge of the pool. Costing only $5 to visit and open to the public, it is another unique pool worth making a detour to visit.
5) Rehab Pool Party- One of the most notorious pool parties in Vegas, a trip to the strip is not complete without a cocktail or two at Hard Rock’s famous pool. Tourists come here to see and celebrities come here to be seen. If you have seen the reality TV show about Rehab, the parties thrown here on the weekends do not disappoint. My first time to Vegas and Rehab was shortly after my 21st birthday which was an easy selection because it was THE notorious pool party that we had all heard about. My next trip to Sin City was with a more seasoned crew of Vegas-goers, yet based on previous experiences we still all opted for the Rehab pool party. This time though my group decided to get a cabana and bottle service, which is definitely the way to go. Even though the tab added up quickly since it was a group of Marines who all knew how to drink having a place to sit, quick service, and a meeting point as the day wore on and we began to wander off, made it worth it to have our own spot. Also there is no wait for ordering more drinks since we had a cabana (which of course is both a good and bad thing).
6) Jade Mountain- Tucked away on the side of a mountain up a narrow and bumpy road, is the incredible Jade Mountain Resort. The luxury hotel offers 32 private sanctuaries where complete solitude is provided and any service that is required, can be delivered directly to the comfort of your room. Each sanctuary is unique with special colored glass tiles and matching interior details throughout the room. The lavish rooms include their own private infinity pool and lounge chairs for sun tanning in the open air as the exterior wall does not exist. The pools in each room offer stunning views of the Piton Mountains, probably the best on St. Lucia. Also the resort enforces a strict no-drone policy for obvious reasons, so in these pools it is a personal preference for swim attire or lack thereof. One of these exclusive sanctuaries with a private infinity pool will set you back around $2k a night, but certainly earn their spot as a bucket list vacation resort.
7) Local Cave House- Cappadocia, Turkey is famous for its fairy chimneys and morning skies filled with hot air balloons. The area offers unique cave hotels where guests have the chance to actually stay in a room carved into the distinctive rock formations. Over the last ten years most of the hotels in the city have sprung up in response to the influx of tourism, with many new similar style of stone hotels being built. However, the Local Cave House offers some of the original cave rooms as well as an ideal spot to catch the sunsets as it is located directly adjacent to Sunset Point. Even better, the best views of the city can be seen while lounging beside their gorgeous pool. Definitely a beautiful spot to enjoy the morning ritual of watching hot air balloons stream overhead as well as the evening sunset over the city.
