I was very lucky to go and stay at Port Douglas with my family in January, 2022. We stayed in a very nice apartment at Hibiscus Resort and Spa. We were there for 3 nights and had a very good time.
When we got there we got the key out of the safe and it had instructions and a map of where our apartment was. The lady who looks after the resort is named Jenny and she was very nice and sent us a lot of emails before we went there. She also rang up the day before we arrived to tell us where we could find the key because she would be out when we arrived.
Our apartment was on level 3 which was the very top floor and it had 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. You had to walk up a lot of stairs to get there but I didn't mind because I like walking up stairs. I stayed in the bedroom with my sister and we had our own bathroom. It had a shower over the bath which was a little bit tricky to get into but the shower was nice and worked well.
Mum and Dad stayed in their own room and they had their own bathroom with a rainshower. The apartment also had a small lounge room and a very small kitchen area. There was a fridge and microwave and a hot plate but no oven or dishwasher.
We really liked the balcony for our apartment and it had a very nice big table and 6 chairs and a nice view of one of the pools.
The apartment had two air conditioners and they kept it nice and cool because it was very hot outside. There was one TV and a DVD player and you can borrow DVD's to watch from Jenny at the front office for free. The TV was very small though and it was sometimes hard to see because there were lines going across the picture. The beds were comfortable and it was nice and dark in our room so we could sleep in but there were some very noisy birds outside in the trees that woke me up one morning.
There were two pools and they both had lots of lounge chairs and tables and sun lounges around them. There were a lot of people enjoying the pools but we could always get somewhere to sit.
One pool had a spa as well and they both had BBQ's you could use. The water was warm and nice and clean and we went swimming a lot. Mum and I liked sitting by the pool and reading our books too.
They have a day spa where you can go and have a massage but we didn't go there.
The Hibiscus Resort and Spa is very close to the main street of Port Douglas where all the shops and restaurants are. It only took about 5 minutes to walk there and we really enjoyed looking around the shops. We also went out for dinner one night to the Han Court Chinese restaurant and it was very delicious food there. It took about 15 minutes to walk there and we got take away the other nights and walked to the ice-cream shop after dinner for a treat. It was very good that everything was so close.
The Crystalbrook Marina is very close to the apartment and it only took 5 minutes to walk to both. If you want to go out on a boat and see the Great Barrier Reef or to The Low Isles you can find a lot of tours at the Marina.
The Four Mile beach is also very nice at Port Douglas. It only takes 5 minutes to walk there too. It is a very long beach and you can walk along it or even hire a bike to ride along. There is a lot of seaweed washed up but when the tide is low you can walk in the sand. When it is summer there are marine stingers in the water so if you want to swim you need to swim in the net enclosure.
We got up early one morning and walked to the beach and then up Flagstaff Hill to the other side of Port Douglas, then we walked past the shops and back to our apartment. It took about an hour altogether and it was a splendid walk. The hill is a bit steep in some places but it was very shady and the views were awesome.
There were some spots you could sit down and there was a tap to have a drink from about half way.
I really liked doing the walk a lot.
There are always markets on Sunday mornings in Port Douglas and they sell very nice things like jewellery, smoothies, fruit, art, clothes, candles and decorated coconuts that look like people's faces. It is fun to look around at the markets and get something to eat and drink.
If you want to see some animals on your holiday there is a good place called the
Port Douglas Wildlife Habitat. I have been there a lot of times and there are lots of animals and birds to see. I really like going there to pat the kangaroos and look at the lovely animals. There is also the Hartley's Crocodile Adventure Wildlife park in between Cairns and Port Douglas that has lots of animals to see and a boat that you can go on in a lake filled with crocodiles. It is very good to do.
I really think most people would like to go to Port Douglas and it was nice to stay at Hibiscus Resort and Spa.
Tip's from my travelling companions -
Hibiscus Resort and Spa was in a great position for exploring the main area of Port Douglas. It was close to shops, restaurants, the beach, the marina and it was easy to walk to all of these. The apartment was nice, although if you were to stay for an extended period of time you would struggle with the size of the kitchen and the limited appliances, ie. no oven or dishwasher, especially if you planned to cook at all. The apartment was clean and neat although a little dated. The TV was very small and not working well.
It was great to have ceiling fans in each room and on the balcony though as it kept the air circulating when you didn't need the air-conditioning. The manager was very friendly and helpful both before and during our stay and the pools and gardens were meticulously maintained. If you have trouble climbing stairs though it would be advisable to request a ground floor apartment as there were no lifts in the section we stayed. There were many ramps and walkways to the ground floor apartments though. We would certainly stay there again for a short stay but if wanting to go for a week or more would probably need somewhere with a bigger kitchen/lounge area.
Port Douglas is definitely a picturesque place to visit and has a friendly, relaxed and safe vibe. The weather is very hot and humid in summer but lovely and pleasant for the rest of the year. There is also a very high likelihood of rain during the wet season so be prepared to get wet if you visit from November to March.
By Flynn's mum, Jenni
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