Port Douglas Tour Tips
There are a number of places close by to Port Douglas that you can explore. It is very hard to get independent tour information in Port Douglas. The Port Douglas Information Center for example, is owned by a reef boat company. Guess which boats THEY recommend? In fact most of the tour shops in Port Douglas are owned by Port Douglas reef tour operators.
Read on for truly independent Port Douglas Tour Tips by Port Douglas Reef Charters. If you want to talk to someone about the tour options from Port Douglas call Port Douglas Reef Charters. Our friendly tour experts will give you honest independent tour advice and some top Port Douglas Tour Tips.
Port Douglas Tour Tips – Great Barrier Reef
If you don’t have the budget to charter your own boat to explore the Great Barrier Reef from Port Douglas then you will need to choose a reef tour day boat to experience the reef.
Port Douglas Tour Tips #1 for Great Barrier Reef is to ask the right questions.
The most important question you need to ask is “How many people travel on this boat? What is the maximum capacity?”
The travel agent or Port Douglas boat companies might not tell you for example that the “small” group tour they are selling to you takes 90-100 people. Or that the big boat that takes you out to the reef from Port Douglas to their pontoon takes 430 people on it.
Port Douglas Tour Tips #2 for the Great Barrier Reef… ask what the wind speed will be on the day you have booked your reef tour for. Don’t believe anyone who tells you that you won’t get seasick on their boat. If there is wind, there are waves. Bigger waves mean more movement. More movement equals more likelihood of sea sickness. Even if the boat is a catamaran, you can still get seasick if the waves are bigger. This is because the bigger Port Douglas catamarans travel up to the northern reef systems and are side on to the swell. Plus the bigger the catamaran the choppier the movement in big seas.
Port Douglas Tour Tips #3 for the Great Barrier Reef – organize sea sickness medication for your tour on the Reef from Port Douglas PRIOR to the date of travel.It is probably not the nicest of topics to bang on about sea sickness but a reef trip for a family is at least going to cost upwards of $1000. That’s a lot of money to waste if all you are going to do is feel dreadful all day.
If you are prone to travel sickness do not wait until you are on the boat and feeling ill before you take something for it.
By the time you actually FEEL sick, it’s all over bar the shouting.
Best results for travel sickness are achieved when travelers take the anti-nausea medication the night before the day of travel and top up on the day.
Port Douglas Tour Tips #4 for the Great Barrier Reef – SUNSCREEN. People worry about all sorts of things they may encounter on the Great Barrier Reef but they don’t always think about the most dangerous thing. The sun. Apply sunscreen all over before you get dressed. Make sure you do the tops of your feet, the backs of your hands and ears. Remember you will be face down in the water snorkeling. Reapply throughout the day.
The sun also reflects off the surface of the water, so even if you are in the shade you can still get burned. I have seen some dreadful cases of sunburn from people returning from the reef. Sitting on the top deck or the bow cruising to the reef, the wind cools you off and you don’t realise how burned you are getting.
If you go on a fishing trip the most exposed areas are the backs of the hands and the tops of the feet. A bad dose of sunburn will ruin the rest of your Port Douglas holiday.
Port Douglas Tour Tips #5 for the Great Barrier Reef is to wear the lycra suits when snorkeling. They protect you from any likelihood of a marine sting but most importantly they protect you from the sun.
Port Douglas Tour Tips – Low Isles
If you have a family group with a non swimmer or very small children then a good Port Douglas Tour Tip is to consider a tour to the Low Isles. Low Isles is also a great destination for those who are very prone to sea sickness. Low Isles is closer to the shore than the Outer Reef, therefore the travel time is lesser. There is also a lagoon that is very sheltered in a strong South Easterly. In addition you are able to get OFF the boat and onto some blessed dry land.
If you want a Great Barrier Reef tour option with a glass bottom boat tour, but don’t want a tour with 400 + people on it then our top Port Douglas Tour Tip is to do a tour to the Low Isles. If you need help to choose a Low Isles tour then contact Port Douglas Reef Charters and we can help you out.
Port Douglas Tour Tips – Mossman Gorge
Do you want to see part of the Daintree Rainforest but don’t have a lot of time?
Do you have younger children that tire easily and a full day is too much for them?
Our Port Douglas Tour Tip is to visit the Mossman Gorge. Mosssman Gorge is a short 15 minute drive from Port Douglas. If you do not have a hire car you can catch a bus from Port Douglas through BTS Tours. If you drive yourself, there is a car park where you park your car at the Mossman Gorge center. You catch a shuttle bus for a small fee into the gorge itself. Once at the Mossman Gorge you can do self guided walks, swim in the cool refreshing clear waters, marvel at the mountains.
The Mossman Gorge is truly spectacular rainforest. The Kuku Yalanji are the original inhabitants and current custodians of the Mossman Gorge. A Port Douglas Tour Tip for the Mossman Gorge is to partake in the guided walks offered by the Kuku Yalanji. Learn about the traditions and bush tucker of the rainforest people in the Mossman Gorge. Another Port Douglas Tour Tip for Mossman Gorge is to bring your swim suit. The waters of the gorge are cool and refreshing even on the hottest of days.
Port Douglas Tour Tips – Daintree Rainforest
There are a plethora of Daintree tours available from Port Douglas. Just like the reef tour operators there is a rainforest tour to suit everyone. Ask the right questions in order to work out the best one for you. Some of the Daintree Rainforest Tour Operators come up from Cairns in big buses. They don’t take you anywhere you couldn’t go on your own. Some advertise 4WD safaris, but they don’t tell you it is a sealed road all the way up to Cape Tribulation.
Port Douglas Tour Tips #1 for the Daintree Rainforest is to ask what vehicle the company use. Steer clear of modified troop carriers. Very uncomfortable and you will all be jammed in like sardines. If the tour uses a 4WD ask how many people they take on the tour and if they go off-road in it.
The best Port Douglas Tour Tip for the Daintree Rainforest is to select a 4WD tour that takes you to a private property for walking and exploring. This way you receive the best rainforest experience and the best interpretation possible. Port Douglas Reef Charters can suggest some great small group rainforest tours to meet your individual tour criteria requirements. Call or email us if you have any questions.
Port Douglas Tour Tips – Port Douglas day tours with your hire car.
Port Douglas is quite close to a number of beautiful and interesting locations easily accessible in a days drive. The Atherton Table Lands, Kuranda, Cape Tribulation, Mareeba and Cairns are just some of the locations close to Port Douglas you can explore. If you would like some Port Douglas Tour Tips for Port Douglas day tour options please don’t hesitate to contact Port Douglas Reef Charters or call us to discuss.
