World's Greatest Swimming Pools: Soneva Jani, The Maldives; 3 bedroom water reserve. It's hard to top overwater villas perched in a private lagoon. Several of these levitating bungalows – all of which boast their own pools – also come with water slides that plop revelers directly into the Indian Ocean. Or, in the case of the property's sole beachfront home, the Island Reserve, a curving slide concludes in a stately private pool. (From $2,989). (Photo by Jack Brown/Blumberg)





World's Greatest Swimming Pools: Hotel Villagio Citta del Mare, Terrasini PA, Italy. In this corner of Sicily, forget about the day's tourist quota and embrace your inner child by careening over Europe's tallest water slide. Constructed on the side of a cliff, the group of three pools and four slides culminates with a restorative thud into the Gulf of Castellammare. (From $156). (Photo by Vittorio Sciosia/Blumberg)





World's Greatest Swimming Pools: Grutas Tolantongo , Hidalgo, Mexico. Don't be turned off by the nearly four-hour drive from Mexico City. After arriving, you'll be rewarded with a cascading throng of thermal pools filled with mineral-rich water. Once you're ready to leave this breathtaking spot, keep your suits on for the resort's hot-spring river or wandering the caves (“grutas”) interiors, which have waterfalls and warm aqua pura simmering throughout. (Day pass from $7.54, rooms from $26.94). (Photo by Laura Sausina/Fun Life Crisis)





World's Greatest Swimming Pools: The shark chute at Golden Nugget hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. This waterslide is one way to get up close and personal with some of the world's most dangerous animals – because it snakes its way through a shark tank. Thrill-seekers no longer have to go deep sea diving to experience the rush of coming face to face with exotic creatures of the deep. Instead they can take a ride on this Shark Chute, ducking and weaving on the three-story slide through the center of the aquarium protected by four inches of sturdy acrylic. The 200,000 gallon shark tank is filled with Sandtiger sharks, brown sharks, Pacific blacktip sharks, nurse sharks and zebra sharks along with southern stingrays. The slide is part of a swimming pool complex at the Golden Nugget hotel in Las Vegas, USA, which also includes waterfalls alongside the three-story slide. (Photo by Caters News/ZUMA Press)





World's Greatest Swimming Pools: Iceberg Pool on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. With a swimming club that first opened in 1929, the public pool and sauna along the Pacific have since become Bondi Beach staples for locals and visitors alike. Log your laps in this saltwater amphitheater – waves often crash over the side! – then cap off your visit with a meal (and spectacular balcony views) at the Icebergs Club Bistro. (From $3.71 per kid and $5.19 per adult for pool and sauna entry). (Photo by Gordon Bell/Alamy Stock Photo)





World's Greatest Swimming Pools: Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. This curved infinity pool located atop the Sands SkyPark is flanked by palm trees, plants and red lounge chairs on one side and Singapore's mesmerizingly dense cityscape on the other. Spanning the length of the hotel's three towers, it's the world's largest outdoor pool for its height – which is 656 feet, or 57 floors, in the air. (From $351). (Photo by Scott Frances/Marina Bay Sands)





World's Greatest Swimming Pools: MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada. The hotel's 1,000-foot-long lazy river sits within a complex that also includes five pools and whirlpools, private cabanas and a poolside restaurant. Our top pick? Splash, the activity-centric pool that has offerings like volleyball, Jenga, beer pong and cornhole. (From $80). (Photo by MGM Resorts International)





World's Greatest Swimming Pools: Rockhouse, Jamaica. What can top floating in an infinity pool as the Caribbean crashes into jagged volcanic cliffs at your feet? This: Clutching a Rockhouse Delight cocktail – pineapple, papaya, coconut rum and cream blended to frothy perfection – as the sun melts the sky into streaky orange sorbet, sailboats blasting reggae punctuating the twilight like white cherubs. (From $95). (Photo by Corey Hamilton/Blumberg)





World's Greatest Swimming Pools: Iberostar Bahia de Palma, Majorca, Spain. If you've yet to experience the bliss of a “flying pool” – a glass-bottomed tub that protrudes beyond the edge of a building, making you feel as if you're swimming through the air or even flying – this jewel would make an excellent first foray. Constructed with tempered shatterproof glass walls and stainless steel, marvel at the seascape as you encourage lily-livered companions to take a dip. (From $200). (Photo by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts)





World's Greatest Swimming Pools: King's Pond at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Kona, Hawaii. King's Pond is a 1.8 million-gallon “aquarium” bursting with more than 4,000 tropical fish, swimming about in both fresh and ocean water. The natural pond at this Four Seasons is carved into black lava rock that dissolves into a sandy bottom. Snorkel, swim or “snuba” (a hybrid of snorkeling and scuba diving) your way across while taking in the underwater views. (From $895). (Photo by Four Seasons Resort Hualalai)





World's Greatest Swimming Pools: La Mamounia, Marrakech, Morocco. Below you, glazed Moroccan tiles shimmer in blues and greens. Above you, a dark wood ceiling vaults into a panel of stained-glass windows, with designs reflecting the ornate arches surrounding the pool. Around you, gilded columns frame the swim-up daybed, crowned by a marble platform. As traditional lanterns emit an amber sheen on the walls, you might ask: Is this heaven? (From $432). (Photo by La Mamounia)





World's Greatest Swimming Pools: Ladera Resort swimming pool with the Petit Piton 743m, Soufriere, St. Lucia, Lesser Antilles, West Indies, Caribbean Islands. In full view of the Caribbean island's only UNESCO World Heritage site – the imposing, craggy Piton mountains – each of the 37 suites in this rainforest oasis welcomes guests with a private plunge pool. There's also a stunning communal watering hole (pictured). Some suites even have swings that dangle invitingly over their pools. By night, stargaze and listen to nature's foamy spew and metronomic chirps. (From $560). (Photo by Alamy Stock Photo)





World's Greatest Swimming Pools: The Peninsula, Hong Kong. First off, bask in the Roman-inspired design (marble columns, friezes, statues, you get the idea). But this tranquil natatorium also beguiles with floor-to-ceiling windows and glass doors, which open up to an adjacent sun terrace. There, enjoy a bite to eat and more of that superb skyline as you dry off. (From $558). (Photo by The Peninsula)





World's Greatest Swimming Pools: Ski Portillo, Chile. Expect sensory overload from the heated outdoor gem at this resort: First, the snow-capped Andes mountains rise dramatically above you in all directions. Then, there's the subdued beauty of the Laguna del Inca – a body of water tucked into a valley just beyond the pool in the shadows of the peaks. With the lifts for 18 ski trails steps away, and snow akin to the Rocky Mountains stateside, it's also one heck of an option for après-ski, with pisco sours and two hot tubs on call just two hours from Santiago. (From $1,450 per week). (Photo by Liam Doran/Blumberg)





World's Greatest Swimming Pools: Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur, India. Blooming flowers. Manicured courtyards. An ornate Indian palace setting. Let the serene heated pool, lined with cobalt and light blue tiles, lure you into a calmer state of mind. For a splurge, book one of the four luxury suites, which come outfitted with a private 10-meter infinity pool and dining canopy. (At 1,150 square feet, they're also bigger than most New York apartments.) (From $357). (Photo by Oberoi Hotels & Resorts)





World's Greatest Swimming Pools: Four Seasons, Serengeti Pool, Tanzania. A show of elephants, buffalo and baboons awaits thanks to an active watering hole below the free-form infinity pool at this plush hideaway inside Serengeti National Park. Bonus: Because of infrared technology at the hole, guests can be notified on their bedroom TV when animals are approaching. When you've got word of wildlife on the horizon, catch them from your private terrace – or head back to the pool. (From $1,650). (Photo by Four Seasons)





World's Greatest Swimming Pools: Villa Six Senses Zil Pasyon in The Seychelles. Sure, there's a spa, hiking trails and plenty of beach activities, but you'll have a hard time peeling yourself away from your Seychelles villa's splash sanctuary. Especially when it proffers a sunken bed, small star lights for nighttime dips and panoramic views of the Indian Ocean, lush greenery and nearby islands. (From $5,802). (Photo by John Athamaritis/Six Senses Zil Pasyon)





World's Greatest Swimming Pools: This uber high-end Utah desert resort is proving a big hit with privacy-seeking celebrities. The five-star luxury Amangiri retreat – rumored to be currently hosting A-lister Kourtney Kardashian and her beau Younes Bendjima – is tucked within the luminous canyons of the American Southwest, in a protected valley at Canyon Point close to Arizona's Antelope Canyon. The exclusive hideaway, which was also the honeymoon destination for glamor model Emily Ratajkowski and new husband, has also hosted high-profile actors Sam and Lara Worthington, and reality TV star Kyle Richards. The unique venue is said to offer both “adrenaline-fueled adventure experiences and a peaceful retreat”. Suites and private paradise villas are immersed in the stunning landscape, framing the surrounding dunes, plateaus and mountain ridges. The design and layout is aimed to “embrace the area's raw aesthetic” including its desert-view spa and dining room (From $1,550). (Photo by Aman / Splash News and Pictures)





World's Greatest Swimming Pools: Surfjack Hotel Oahu, Hawaii. Since a well-cropped social media post can serve as a modern-day postcard, The Surfjack has you covered with a jovial “Wish You Were Here!” etched into their pool's base. Painted by Honolulu-based artist Matt Tapia, the eye-catching display serves as the backdrop for poolside events from DJ parties to screenings with the filmmaker present. (From $200). (Photo by The Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club)