Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Beach is set on a 59-hectare (146-acre) private peninsula, bordered on three sides
by private beaches and coves. Owners Rob and Oonagh Prettejohn also own the
well-established Kewarra Beach Resort on Cairns' northern beaches. Thala
Beach opened in 1998, taking its inspiration from the flora and fauna of the
World Heritage area that surrounds it. The secluded bungalows are built on high
poles in the trees, where dazzling lorikeets and small red-faced flying foxes feed
on blossoms and hang contentedly from the branches. Some of the bungalows
are a bit of a hike from the public areas, but I thought it was a small price to pay
for the privacy and the rainforest setting.
16km (10 miles) south of Port Douglas (P.O. Box 199, Smithfield, Cairns, QLD 4878).
&
1800/251 958
in
Australia (Small Luxury Hotels of the World), or 07/4098 5700 (lodge). Fax 07/4098 5837. www.slh.com/thala.
85 units. A$335-A$533 (US$218-US$346) double. AE, DC, MC, V. Transfers from Cairns A$26 (US$17) per per-
son. Valet parking.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; 2 outdoor pools; nearby golf course; tour desk. In room: A/C
and ceiling fans, TV, minibar, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron, safe.
A SPA IN THE RAINFOREST
Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa
Check in to your room and head straight for
the Daintree Spa. Here you can relax and soak up all kinds of pampering treat-
ments, including the 90-minute A$195 (US$127) Mala Mayi body treatment
in which you are wrapped in mud as you recline on a magnificent carved tim-
ber “wet bed,” and the Jalaymba rain therapy treatment. It's bliss.
A multi-award winner for “green tourism,” the lodge hosts only a small num-
ber of guests and has a position in the primeval forest. Don't think “eco” means
sacrificing creature comforts: The large rooms, refurbished in 2000, boast mar-
ble floors, timber and bamboo furniture, and tiled bathrooms with robes. Five
have Jacuzzis on their balconies, which are screened to keep out the mosquitoes
that are an inevitable part of a rainforest visit at certain times of year.
You can also join a yoga or Ki (based on Japanese Aikido) session, laze by the
small solar-heated pool and sun deck, walk rainforest trails, join members of the
local Aboriginal Kuku tribe on a bush tucker and native medicine stroll, or take
a four-wheel-drive day trip to modern-day Aboriginal communities. The Bil-
ngkumu Restaurant overlooks a lily pond, and serves food with a gourmet bush-
tucker slant.
20 Daintree Rd., Daintree, QLD 4873 (4km/2
1
⁄
2
miles south of Daintree village).
&
1800/808 010
in Aus-
tralia, or 07/4098 6100. Fax 07/4098 6200. www.daintree-ecolodge.com.au. 15 units (10 with shower only).
A$476-A$531 (US$309-US$345) double. Extra person A$33-A$50 (US$21-US$33). Cribs A$33 (US$21) for
duration of stay. Rates include full breakfast. Ask about packages. AE, DC, MC, V. Scheduled minibus picks up
and drops off once a day at Port Douglas hotels, Cairns hotels, and Cairns airport for A$50 (US$33) (Port Dou-
glas) or A$55 (US$36) (Cairns) per person, one-way. Transfers at any time are available at higher cost. Private
car transfers A$143 (US$93) from Port Douglas or A$165 (US$107) from Cairns, per car, one-way. Stretch lim-
ousine transfers (A$242/US$157 one-way), and helicopter transfers can be arranged. The lodge is 98km (61
miles) north of Cairns and 40km (25 miles) north of Port Douglas. Take Captain Cook Hwy. north to Mossman,
where it becomes the Mossman-Daintree Rd.; follow this all the way to the lodge. The road is paved all the
way.
Amenities:
Restaurant; pool; spa; tour desk; laundry service. In room: A/C, TV, minibar, coffeemaker, hair
dryer.
WHERE TO DINE IN PORT DOUGLAS
Nautilus
TROPICAL/SEAFOOD Bill and Hillary Clinton dined here
during a visit Down Under, and by all accounts loved it. So did I. The restau-
rant, which has been keeping the locals happy since 1953, is set under the palm
trees and stars, with a clever seating plan and unusual high-backed chairs which
give a wonderfully intimate atmosphere. Local produce and seafood is the main-
stay of the menu, which serves such delights as deep fried whole coral trout,
