Five Best: Hotels for open-air bathing

The view looks even better from an alfresco tub. Rhiannon Batten soaks it all up

Evason Hideaway, Vietnam

Built just last year, the Evason Hideaway is a boutique-style retreat and spa at the Ana Mandara hotel on the South China Sea. Located on Ninh Van Bay, it takes full advantage of the surrounding rocks, reef, white sand and mountain backdrop. Even in bad weather, you don't lose the view, since the breezy restaurant has large glass screens that slide into place if a storm blows in. Guests who want to get really close to nature, however, should slip into one of the villas' glamorous open-air teak bathtubs.

Evason Hideaway at Ana Mandara, Nha Trang, Vietnam (00 800 525 48000; www.slh.com/mandara). Villas start at $460 (£256), room only.

One & Only Kunahura, Maldives

One & Only Kanuhura is built around five-star service rather than all-out style. While its rooms are classy, they also have a certain pan-Asian blandness to them - perhaps designed for One & Only regulars who don't want any surprises. Still, complaining about the décor seems churlish given the quality of the facilities. As well as a lavish spa and gym, the resort boasts several restaurants and bars and a choice of 100 villas. The latter come with private verandas, king-size four-posters and the all-important open-air sunken bathtubs and showers (even in the water villas, perched on stilts over the sea).

One & Only Kanuhura, Lhaviyani Atoll, Maldives (00 960 662 00 44; www.oneandonlyresorts.com). Villas start at $490 (£272), including breakfast.

Jake's, Jamaica

With only 18 cottage-style rooms, Jake's is a funky, laid-back beach retreat popular with honeymooners. Some of the rooms aresimple, while others have Moroccan motifs and cushion-scattered roof decks overlooking the Caribbean. In tune with the Island Records ethos (the property is part of Chris Blackwell's group of Caribbean hotels), rooms feature CD players but no telephones or TVs. And, in keeping with the hotel's bohemian vibe (think jewel-coloured cottages and strolling barefoot along paths), the main features in the outdoor bathrooms aren't shiny chrome showers but large roll-top baths - surrounded by screens peppered with coloured glass bottles that sparkle in the sunlight.

Jake's, Treasure Beach, Jamaica (00 800 6887 6781; www.islandoutpost.com). Doubles from $125 (£72).

Garonga, South Africa

A 14-bed camp in the Greater Makalali Conservancy, Garonga oozes style. The emphasis is on game-viewing, but it is also ideal if you want to unwind. The tented rooms are luxurious - all have decks, draped beds and outdoor showers, and access to a sybaritic outdoor bath - but the dedicated romantic can also sleep out on a deck 20 minutes' drive away. Guests are given food, drinks and a radio and are collected in the morning.

Garonga Safari Camp, Hoedspruit 1380, South Africa (01403 243619; www.garonga.com). Rates start at R1,595 (£137) per person, including all meals, house wines and beers, game drives, bush walks and sleep-outs.

Four Seasons Sayan, Indonesia

Ubud is the cultural heart of Bali, so it's appropriate that the architecture here should be traditional. Perched above the Ayung river, the hotel boasts quiet lotus gardens, decks and thatched roofs. While there are some standard rooms, the villas are worth the extra money, having large living areas, private gardens and vast "bathing areas". The latter feature terrazzo bathtubs, double sinks, and demurely screened outdoor showers. Who wouldn't rather be looking out at rice terraces and palm trees while they wash than mouldy old grouting?

Four Seasons Sayan, Ubud, Bali (00 800 6488 6488; www.fourseasons.com/sayan). One-bedroom villas start at $595 (£330), including breakfast.