We’ve officially reached that time of the year when the festive summer break feels like a distant memory. Your fingers are itching to pack a suitcase and your ‘gram is in desperate need of some wanderlust-worthy content.
While international travel is off the cards for the next little while, we’re seriously blessed here in Australia to have a backyard that is filled to the brim with jaw-dropping scenery. But where to start? And how to discover hidden gems that only the real locals know about?
Well, you’re in luck because we’ve teamed up with vacay experts Intrepid Travel to create an exclusive, one-of-a-kind trip that will see you venturing deep into the world’s oldest rainforest, soaking up rays on secluded, sugar-white sand beaches and learning about Australia’s true history and culture with First Nations guides. Oh, and even better, we’ll be tagging along too. That’s right, Urban List’s travel editor Morgan Reardon will be taking you to the secret spots only the serious wanderlust-seekers know about. Trust us, your ‘gram is about to blow up.
So, What’s Involved?
Over four nights and five days you’ll discover the gem in tropical north Queensland’s crown—the Daintree Rainforest. You know, the 180 million-year-old stunner that is tens of millions of years older than the Amazon. Yep, that glorious region is located right here in Australia.
When it comes to crafting the perfect getaway, we firmly believe a holiday should be an actual holiday—as in, you shouldn’t return home feeling like you’re exhausted and need another vacay—but, it should also be about experiencing, learning and uncovering new things that provide LOLs and memories that fuel travel stories for years to come. Yea, it’s a pretty tall order and fortunately that is exactly what our Daintree adventure is all about—the perfect balance of chilling out, cocktail in hand, mixed with experiencing culture, food and nature.
What’s On The Itinerary
You’ll kick off your five-day adventure in beautiful Cairns, where you’ll make your way to Barron Gorge Lookout (which looks over a set of tumbling falls bursting from the rainforest) and the mountain village of Kuranda before rolling into the postcard perfect holiday nirvana of Port Douglas where you’ll set up at camp at the lush Paradise Links Resort.
On day two you’ll head deep into the Daintree rainforest cruising along Cooper Creek—look out for the crocodiles—before stopping for lunch (on us) at a heritage restaurant smack-bang in the middle of the forest. Yep, it’s bucket list worthy stuff. If you need to cool off, there is also time to take a swim before continuing to Cape Tribulation.
Day three is all about relaxing. Spend the day at leisure enjoying the beauty of Port Douglas—we’ll point out all the picture-perfect deserted beaches for you to throw a towel down on.
While we don’t like to play favourites, day four is seriously special. After checking out Mossman Gorge you’ll head to Kuyu Kuyu (Cooya Beach) for a goosebump inducing experience with a member of the local Kuku Yalanji community. Learn to throw a spear, which plants are edible and how the Kuku Yalanji people live in harmony with the ever-shifting landscape. You’ll even join an Aboriginal painting class in the afternoon and learn about the significance of traditional storytelling. When you roll back into Port Douglas in the arvo, it’s time to cap off an amazing trip with—yep, you guessed it—more cocktails and delicious eats.
Solo Sojourn Or A Private Getaway With Your Mates
Here’s the thing about Australia, while you might know the beach town you visit every Christmas like the back of your hand, there’s a big landscape out there, full of epic places to see. But we know it can be a little intimidating (and time consuming) figuring out where to stay and what to see in a short amount of time—hey, that annual leave is a precious commodity. Which is why we’re loving small, private group travel. Let's be honest, if we were heading to Morocco or wanted to trek Nepal, we’d be calling on a local tour guide to ensure we had the best possible experience, and Australia shouldn’t be any different.
Our curated trip has only the most knowledgeable—and coolest—locals showing us parts of their hometown that tourists could only dream of having access to. With a maximum group size of 11 people, you could fire up the group chat and score you and your mates the ultimate private holiday tour. Now that’s pretty baller!
Or if you’re wanting a solo sojourn but still like a bit of guidance—and want those exclusive, money-can’t-buy experiences—then get booking because this special tour was made for you.
The Finer Deets
The trip kicks off 30 April 2021 from Cairns and finishes up in the same spot on 4 May 2021. You can dissect the whole itinerary here in greater detail, but most days at least one or all of your main meals will be on us—because we’re nice like that.
The trip will set you back $2,450 per person and includes four nights accommodation at Port Douglas’s gorge four-star resort, Paradise Links. It also covers all the meals mentioned in the itinerary here, plus your exclusive activities, guides, ferry and transport.
Even better, you can lock in your trip with a $99 deposit and then pay the rest in instalments whenever you like, with no interest or fees. Just make sure you've paid in full by 21 days before your trip is scheduled to depart.
For more info and to book, head here. Go on, you deserve it.
Image Credit: Tourism And Events Queensland
After more wanderlust-inducing trips? Check out these bucket list adventures around Australia.
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