As the final days of summer drift away, many across the country are crossing their fingers hoping for a few more warm days so they can savor the last few dips in the pool for the year. If you are getting ready to put the cover on your pool, The Pool Guy Store is sharing a few drool-worthy pools to add to your vacation bucket list from all over the world.
Nemo 33 - Brussels, Belgium
If you love diving into the deep end, The Nemo is the pool for you. Known worldwide by adventure seeking swimmers and divers, it currently holds the title of the world’s deepest indoor swimming pool at 108 feet deep. Filled with 2,500,000 liters of filtered spring water, the pool contains a series of underwater caves beginning at 32 feet under the surface. If you want to take a peek into other areas, the underwater windows allow visitors to peer into the pool at various depths.
photo credit: nemo33.com
Four Seasons Safari Lodge - Serengeti, Tanzania
While there are many hotels with luxury swimming pools in swanky cities or beachside resorts, pool at the Four Seasons Safari Lodge is the only pool on our list in the middle of the desert. Do not be fooled, this swimming pool is no mirage, and offers an unprecedented experience for the animal lover in you. As you lounge in the pool, releasing some of the heat from a day in Africa, elephants do the same in their own watering hole directly next to yours. Night vision cameras feed to a channel in the comfort of your room so you can watch the animals drink and play through the night. Plenty of swimming pools offer you the chance to swim with dolphins, but how many give you the chance to swim next to a 10,000 pound elephant? This is definitely an experience to add to your bucket list.
photo credit: Four Seasons Magazine
The Library Hotel - Koh Samui, Thailand
The swimming pool at the Library Hotel is certainly the most colorful on our list. Many are initially shocked by the bold color of the water, which appears to resemble blood thanks to the red, orange, and yellow mosaic glass tiles beneath the water’s surface. This has been widely named one of the best swimming pools in the world in highlight pieces by CNN and TripAdvisor, among others.
photo credit: thelibrary.co
The Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle - San Simeon, California
The Neptune Pool may not be the largest or most expensive on our list, but it has certainly seen the most famous patrons. When owned by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, guests included celebrities such as Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, Charles Lindbergh, Greta Garbo, and Clark Gable, in addition to global political leaders Calvin Coolidge, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill. The Hearst family maintained the private residence until it was named a US National Historic Landmark in 1976. Since being named a historic landmark, only two projects have been granted permission to film in the pool: Stanley Kubrick for Spartacus, and more recently pop star Lady Gaga for her Y.O.U. music video. Unfortunately, visitors are not permitted to take a dip, but still flock from all over the world to walk around the statues and imagine the iconic personalities that once basked in the sun poolside at The Neptune.
photo credit: hearstcastle.org
Ubud Hanging Gardens Resort - Bali, Indonesia
The double decker swimming pool at the Ubud Hanging Gardens Resort is rivaled by few for the title of the world’s most beautiful swimming pool. Although each room has its own private pool, guests prefer to dip in the hotel’s iconic stacked swimming pools that seem to float as if by magic atop the jungle. Peer over the treetops at the beautiful birds and wildlife that Indonesia has to offer.
photo credit: hanginggardensubud.com
La Piscine Molitor - Paris, France
In the 1930’s swimmers at Paris’ famous La Piscine Molitor were protected by a lifeguard named Johnny Weissmuller, who would later be better known as Tarzan in the series of popular movies by the same name. A favorite spot for Parisian masses for decades, it was closed and scheduled for demolition in 1989, but wound up sitting derelict for years. When closed, it was colorfully targeted by vandals and graffiti artists. In 2014, the pool was reopened and restored to its original splendor as part of a new hotel in the city, regaining its place as one of the most beloved swimming pools in the world.
photo credit: lepoint.fr
Huvafen Fushi - The Maldives
The Huvafen Fushi resort in the Maldives is home to one of the world’s best swimming pools, particularly once the sun goes down. A series of fibre-optic lights in the base of the pool create the illusion of twinkling stars beneath the water. Passes to the resort have also recently been given in gift baskets to Academy Award nominees, and it is not uncommon to see an A-list celebrity like Nicole Kidman from across the pool.
photo credit: Inlighten Photography
The Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa - Grindavik, Iceland
Kicking back in the steaming waters of the Blue Lagoon in Iceland may feel like you are in a natural bath, but in fact it is a man-made lagoon. With a year-round water temperature of 98-102 degrees Fahrenheit, the spa is a beautiful place to warm up after a chilly day in Iceland. Rich in minerals like silica and sulphur, the water is said to have rejuvenating and healing benefits for your skin, and guests flock from all over the world to step into this luxurious pool.
photo credit: fastlanemag.com
Oberoi Udaivilas - Rajasthan, India
Why walk across the hotel to your swimming pool when you can wade out directly from your room’s patio? At this luxury swimming pool in India, guests can do just that. Overlooking a lake, this is one of the most serene pools in the world, as the still waters provide relief from the heat.
photo credit: Travel + Leisure
Alila Villas Uluwatu - Bali, Indonesia
The second pool in Bali on our list, the infinity pool at the Alila Villas is one of the most beautiful swimming pools in the world, and one for every bucket list. Perched high over the ocean on a cliffside villa, it is picture-perfect. Wander out over the edge of the pool from the birdcage-like lounge and take in the sunset in this romantic setting and feel like you are floating on air.
photo credit: Tim Griffith & Patrick Bingham-Hall
Have you taken a dip in any of these pools? Know of others that didn’t make our list? Let us know in the comments or on our Google+ page.
About the Author: The Pool Guy Store provides discount pool supplies for above ground, in ground, and commercial swimming pools. For more information on products and services, please visit www.thepoolguystore.com.
