Ever looked at your itinerary and wondered what kind of room category you’ve actually booked!?
Bungalow, bure, chalet, unit, villa, cottage, fare and fale… what on earth are all those things? Surprisingly…. most of them are all basically the same thing. Each one is usually detached, single storey and has some sort of veranda or outdoor area. See below for the full run down;
FALE
Typically used in Tonga, Samoa and Niue. Pronounced “fah-lay”. Generally they are ‘open-air’ and have a thatched roof.
FARE
Originated in Vanuatu, fare is correctly pronounced “fah-ray” and refers to a small cabin.
Uepi Island Resort, The Solomon Islands – Room Category: Bungalow
Matava Resort, Fiji – Room Cartegory: Bure
BURE
Bure is the Fijian word for a wood-and-straw hut, sometimes similar to a cabin. In its original sense, a bure is a structure built of anything that comes to hand. Pronounced “boor-ay”.
CHALET
A chalet, also called Swiss chalet, is a type of building or house, native to the Alpine region in Europe. Malaysia also has a lot of chalets. Pronounced “shallay”
COTTAGE
In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cosy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. Indonesia has a lot of cottages. Pronounced “cottay”… just kidding.
Wakatobi Dive Resort – Room Category: Villa
BUNGALOW
Interesting fact: the term originated India and was derived from the word meaning “in the Bengali style”. Such houses were traditionally small, only one storey and detached, and had a wide veranda. Typically found in Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.
VILLA
Originating in Indonesia – this is a superior room type and in other regions is often used to describe a superior, completely self-contained dwelling, sometimes two-storey.
UNIT
Often used to describe a room in a simple standard design, without any local influence.
So now you know… happy travels!