Five of the best floating breakfasts in Asia

In the old days, breakfast in bed was the hallmark of any holiday. They were resplendent affairs, with silver serving domes and white table linens on wheeled carts, and lots of privacy. Enter the smartphone and its insatiable hunger for everything, including your breakfast. But not your breakfast in bed. That’s boring. Phones prefer pools. And so the rise of the floating breakfast.

As the world of hospitality makes a beeline back to normalcy, questions abound, not the least of which is what do we do with the buffet?

But there is no hesitation for breakfast that floats.

We’ve rounded up five indulgent floating meals from around Asia that will not only encourage physical distancing in the era of COVID-19 but will have you reaching for your (hopefully waterproof) smartphone.

Floating breakfast with lush rice paddies as a backdrop at Tanah Gajah, a Resort by Hadiprana

The key to the success of any floating breakfast is the backdrop.

Let’s face it—an egg is an egg no matter where it’s served. But an egg that floats at sunrise on a tray made of coconut wood, in a pool filtered by elephants and moored out among the lush rice paddies of Ubud—well, that’s an egg for the ages.

At Tanah Gajah Ubud, you can enjoy your breakfast in the estate’s main pool or in your own private pool (when booked into a private pool villa).

We suggest a dip following a sunrise hot-air balloon ride where you can drink in views of Mt. Agung.

A lavish floating feast at Banyan Tree Samui

Circle your selections—pancakes, scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, bacon, sausages, Earl Grey tea, coffee, croissants, perhaps a platter of cheeses, cold cuts and olives, or even Champagne and orange juice—and, lo and behold, your breakfast arrives on a trolley the next morning at the requested time.

All that remains is for the waiter to delicately place your breakfast on a giant floating basket and glide it across to you as you wallow on a lilo.

What a great way to start the day at Banyan Tree Samui!

A floating breakfast experience at Meliá Koh Samui

The only way to beat waking up to a lagoon pool that meanders through Meliá Koh Samui‘s grounds like a river is to add a floating breakfast to its surface.

A must-try for anyone staying in rooms and suites with private terraces that segue to the lagoon pool, the floating breakfast makes for a mix-and-match affair.

You select whatever you wish from the resort’s a la carte menu that includes smoked salmon eggs benedict, pastries, delectable Spanish cold cuts and cheese, and fresh fruit as well as coffee, tea, and freshly squeezed juices.

If you’re feeling up to it, opt for a glass or two of bubbles.

Floating breakfast with a view at Banyan Tree Lang Co

In a nation as replete with visual manna as Vietnam, it takes something truly jaw-dropping to stand out from the crowd.

Luckily, that’s what’s on offer at Banyan Tree Lang Co where one of the nation’s most striking vistas provides the ultimate floating breakfast pick-me-up.

While the views over the East Sea and the resort’s own private beach—a pristine 3km long stretch of sand—certainly grab the attention, the repast itself is equally memorable.

Breakfast—either Continental, Healthy, or American—comes served on a fetching sedge tray.

For an additional VND1,500,000, guests can upgrade with a 375ml bottle of champagne.

Now, that’s what we call a beautiful start to the day.

An indulgent picture-perfect feast at Alma Cam Ranh

If you’re not quite content with a floating tray experience at your pavilion’s private pool, Alma’s 12 swimming pools are also on offer for the picture-perfect feast.

Guests populate their tray, available for breakfast and meals throughout the day, by choosing from a broad spectrum of Vietnamese and international dishes on offer at Alma’s host of dining outlets.

Whether savoring bacon and eggs or a banh mi and banh xeo for breakfast, or fresh seafood or a pizza later in the day, from the right photo angle, the meal will look like it’s about to float away to the next pool or nearby sand and sea.

Did we mention that Alma Resort Cam Ranh offers heart-shaped trays in addition to rectangular ones?

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