Port Douglas / Palm Cove / Cairns
Mar 24th, 2008, 06:08 PM
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Port Douglas / Palm Cove / Cairns
Hello!!!
I am travelling to Australia in January 2009 and will be in this general area for 4 days. Arriving at night, have 4 full days, and then leaving the 5th day in the morning.
I was wondering where most thought it was best to book a hotel- Port Douglas, Palm Cove, or Cairns. I will be with my 'husband' on our honeymoon! However, we are not looking to just sit by a pool but want to see the rainforest, go scuba diving in GBR, head to Kuranda (sp?) if we can (is this worth it?!)
Please give me your opinions as to which city is the most convenient and/or any hotel recommendations.
Thank you!!!
I am travelling to Australia in January 2009 and will be in this general area for 4 days. Arriving at night, have 4 full days, and then leaving the 5th day in the morning.
I was wondering where most thought it was best to book a hotel- Port Douglas, Palm Cove, or Cairns. I will be with my 'husband' on our honeymoon! However, we are not looking to just sit by a pool but want to see the rainforest, go scuba diving in GBR, head to Kuranda (sp?) if we can (is this worth it?!)
Please give me your opinions as to which city is the most convenient and/or any hotel recommendations.
Thank you!!!
Mar 24th, 2008, 09:15 PM
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Stay in Port Douglas. It's closer to Daintree and is where all the reef tours depart from. You will save lots of time (and can sleep later!) by not driving back and forth between there and Cairns. It's a small town that is easily walkable and has some good restaurants. It's much prettier than Cairns. I recently stayed at the Port Douglas Retreat, which is a five-minute walk from the main commercial street (Macrossan), Four Mile Beach and the marina (where reef tours depart from). If you want to go to Kuranda you can easily add on a transfer from Port Douglas to your tour ticket. Ride the scenic railway one way and the Skyrail the other for two different experiences. It's worth it for the fun of riding the train and the Skyrail, although Kuranda is your typical tourist town.
Mar 24th, 2008, 10:51 PM
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Palm Cove is a northern beach suburb of Cairns, its about 25 min drive north of Cairns airport. Due to recent council amalgamation Port Douglas is also now part of Cairns Regional Council and is about an hour north by road from Cairns airport.
Contrary to the above post, there's a far larger selection of reef trips out of Cairns city than Port Douglas, mostly at better prices. All Cairns' reef operators pick up and drop off at Palm Cove, as do some from Port Douglas, which of course charge more for the transfers.
Palm Cove is smaller than Port Douglas, and less built-up. Most of the resort and apartment accommodation is far closer to the beach than much in Port Douglas and some is 100% beachfront, not just esplanade front. See Angsana and Sea Temple. A very attractive foreshore where giant ancient melaleuca trees have been retained and some top class restaurants.
PC and Cairns city are more convenient to Skyrail/Kuranda Train stations than PD, PD is closer to Daintree although trips from Cairns city to Cape Tribulation pick up at Palm Cove.
Cairns city is cosmopolitan with a range of restaurants for all budgets, its recent foreshore improvements make the harbourside attractive, but like any city there is an amount of medium rise (not high rise) buildings. Cairns city does not have a beach of its own but it does have a huge stinger and crocodile proof saltwater swimming lagoon on the foreshore. January is marine stinger season so any coastal swimming at either PD or PC is strictly within the rather small stinger net enclosures. This does not apply to Great Barrier Reef but if at all worried you rent a lycra stinger suit on board which will protect from the sun, a far likelier danger, especially in January which is high summer.
Contrary to the above post, there's a far larger selection of reef trips out of Cairns city than Port Douglas, mostly at better prices. All Cairns' reef operators pick up and drop off at Palm Cove, as do some from Port Douglas, which of course charge more for the transfers.
Palm Cove is smaller than Port Douglas, and less built-up. Most of the resort and apartment accommodation is far closer to the beach than much in Port Douglas and some is 100% beachfront, not just esplanade front. See Angsana and Sea Temple. A very attractive foreshore where giant ancient melaleuca trees have been retained and some top class restaurants.
PC and Cairns city are more convenient to Skyrail/Kuranda Train stations than PD, PD is closer to Daintree although trips from Cairns city to Cape Tribulation pick up at Palm Cove.
Cairns city is cosmopolitan with a range of restaurants for all budgets, its recent foreshore improvements make the harbourside attractive, but like any city there is an amount of medium rise (not high rise) buildings. Cairns city does not have a beach of its own but it does have a huge stinger and crocodile proof saltwater swimming lagoon on the foreshore. January is marine stinger season so any coastal swimming at either PD or PC is strictly within the rather small stinger net enclosures. This does not apply to Great Barrier Reef but if at all worried you rent a lycra stinger suit on board which will protect from the sun, a far likelier danger, especially in January which is high summer.
Mar 25th, 2008, 02:36 AM
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Do get the Sky rail to Kuranda and if you do not mind spending about 30 or 40 minutes , from memory, on the return journey ,the old train .I found it a bit dull and dozed off to sleep and with hindsight would have preferred to go on the Skyrail again.
The trip on the Sky rail is wonderful with 2 stops where an Aboriginal guide takes you around the rainforest and explains the eco system .You view Barron Falls and when you are there should be amazing .
We had a pleasant lunch at Kuranda ( many choices ), looked in the market (regret not buying the cane toad change purse), bought yak wool shawls as gifts and looked in an interesting shop that sold ethnographic items from Australia and the Pacific .Wuld have bought if I had more time to think and look .
I have close old friends who live in Palm Cove , rent out their house and have visited them twice and really like it .Beautiful foreshore and immaculately maintained ( reminds me a little of the boardwalks in Maui), realy good food ( NuNu )but it is quiet at night if you want to hit the town .
Port D whilst larger left me with the impression that there were more sarong shops per block than anything else.But lots of people love it especially for its proximity to the Daintree and Cape Trib. My niece has twice gone to the Yacht Club , for free , takes tourists out as crew for a sail and then you have drinks and dinner at the club .
From PC we made day trips that were easy in our hire car .On one we went to Cairns and Crystal Cascades( recommended highly by Pat Woolford who generously gives advice here all the time )which was lovely ,then up into the Tablelands and stopped at Emerald Falls ( a little walk up to top of it ) then to Yungburra (sp)a beautiful town that sits around volcanic lakes and has a monthly ? market that is really good and then to the giant fig tree and then back over the mountains which afford spectacular views watching a rainbow in the valley below as we went back into Cairns . We also did a trip to Mossman Gorge and the Daintree and Cape Trib in a day and I did not feel rushed although more time would have been good .
PD has some excellent new hotels .The Mirage , once the last word in the 80's was looking dated . The Sea Temple has received good reviews ( not on the beach )and I saw another post recently naming another that is excellent and on the beach .
Hard choices.Good luck .
The trip on the Sky rail is wonderful with 2 stops where an Aboriginal guide takes you around the rainforest and explains the eco system .You view Barron Falls and when you are there should be amazing .
We had a pleasant lunch at Kuranda ( many choices ), looked in the market (regret not buying the cane toad change purse), bought yak wool shawls as gifts and looked in an interesting shop that sold ethnographic items from Australia and the Pacific .Wuld have bought if I had more time to think and look .
I have close old friends who live in Palm Cove , rent out their house and have visited them twice and really like it .Beautiful foreshore and immaculately maintained ( reminds me a little of the boardwalks in Maui), realy good food ( NuNu )but it is quiet at night if you want to hit the town .
Port D whilst larger left me with the impression that there were more sarong shops per block than anything else.But lots of people love it especially for its proximity to the Daintree and Cape Trib. My niece has twice gone to the Yacht Club , for free , takes tourists out as crew for a sail and then you have drinks and dinner at the club .
From PC we made day trips that were easy in our hire car .On one we went to Cairns and Crystal Cascades( recommended highly by Pat Woolford who generously gives advice here all the time )which was lovely ,then up into the Tablelands and stopped at Emerald Falls ( a little walk up to top of it ) then to Yungburra (sp)a beautiful town that sits around volcanic lakes and has a monthly ? market that is really good and then to the giant fig tree and then back over the mountains which afford spectacular views watching a rainbow in the valley below as we went back into Cairns . We also did a trip to Mossman Gorge and the Daintree and Cape Trib in a day and I did not feel rushed although more time would have been good .
PD has some excellent new hotels .The Mirage , once the last word in the 80's was looking dated . The Sea Temple has received good reviews ( not on the beach )and I saw another post recently naming another that is excellent and on the beach .
Hard choices.Good luck .
Mar 25th, 2008, 10:55 AM
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I stayed at the Sheridan Mirage in PD last week and I thought it was pretty nice...my room had a lovely big tub that had a window that opened up through the sitting area and then a view of the gardens. Might be nice of a honeymoon?
Mar 25th, 2008, 12:17 PM
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We stayed in Palm Cove. It's quiet, really quiet. Maybe too quiet. Very few restaurants and even less shopping.
Cairns is a big bustling town Lots of tour groups there.
Port Douglas is a good compromise, bigger than Palm Cove but much smaller than Cairns. It's also a little more remote. I liked the feel of Port Douglas. (We visited for a day.)
We managed to do everything from Palm Cove, using either a rental car or mass transportation.
Have fun.
Cairns is a big bustling town Lots of tour groups there.
Port Douglas is a good compromise, bigger than Palm Cove but much smaller than Cairns. It's also a little more remote. I liked the feel of Port Douglas. (We visited for a day.)
We managed to do everything from Palm Cove, using either a rental car or mass transportation.
Have fun.
