Jules Undersea Lodge travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises, spa and resorts

Just think of it as a goldfish bowl in reserve. There you sit inside one of the world’s underwater hotel and look out as the fish swim by. Jules Undersea Lodge was originally a research laboratory, created so that scientists could study the continental shelf off the Puerto Rican coast. Ocean experts Ian Koblick and Neil Monney decided to develop the facility – which sits at the bottom of the Emerald Lagoon in Florida’s Key Largo Undersea Park – into a lodge. They managed to fit it out with hot showers, a DVD player, a microwave, and a fridge. Photo by: Round America

The lodge usually accommodates two couples, although six can stay here at a squeeze. The journey is not exactly straightforward. To reach the lodge, you must scuba dive down 6 m, although you do not have to be qualified diver to do this. In three hours the Jule‘s staff can teach you all you need to know. Couples can even get married there. Photo by: Mi-Wu

The bedding, admittedly, is not all that romantic. The duvets and pillowcases all have an underwater theme. Still, this underwater escape has attached its fair share of notable guests, including former Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau, rock star Steve Tyler of Aerosmith and Jon Fishman of the rather-too-aptly-named Phish. Photo by: ddancernc

The big attraction is the real fish, though. Wake up in the morning and you will see angelfish, parrotfish, barracuda, and snappers peering in at you through the windows. Are you watching them? Or are they, perhaps, making their own observations on the behavior of the strange humans inside. Photo by: ddancernc