Planning a day trip to the Daintree Rainforest is generally on every guest’s agenda. Whether to go with an organised tour or self drive is the number one forethought.
There is lots of advice on the web on how to plan it on your own and there are also many companies vying for the business. While you could spend countless hours on the web considering each tour company and comparing inclusions, costs and fare discounting, some of the important things are often missed.
There is a lot more that a good Daintree Rainforest tour company can offer beyond a day out, a nice drive and great scenery. So before you leap into making a decision check all the little details and if unsure, have your questions answered.
From experience and emails, here are some common questions answered to assist you in making the best decision for a day trip to the Daintree Rainforest.
Should I stay in Cairns or Port Douglas if we want to visit the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest ?.. Port Douglas is the closest point to both therefore will save you unnecessary travelling time to both, giving you more time to benefit from your day. Why add in excess of two extra hours onto your day when you could be sleeping in and on your return have the extra hour to savor in the day’s experience.
I have found a cheaper alternative for a day tour to the Daintree Rainforest than yours, can you tell me why?..Consider the inclusions – Will you be going on an bus carrying up to 24 people or will you be joining a small group tour of no more than 8 (including yourself).
Does the alternative offer a world heritage listed private rainforest area for you to experience an interpretive walk with your guide or is it just an area that they have been given access to with not many Rainforest plant species.
Will you be taken to the point where the Rainforest meets the Reef or will you be visiting a beach along the way because the operator does not have a proper permit.
What will lunch include, a salad, a roll? or a full barbeque served with three salads, a damper and followed by a tropical fruit platter. We also cater for vegetarians, vegans and gluten/lactose intolerance.
How can you offer swimming in the Rainforest stream when others only swim in creeks and cattle properties or don’t swim at all? .. The Rainforest stream we access is in the heart of the Daintree Rainforest and it is not crocodile inhabited. We pay a fee for access to this world heritage listed private property to ensure our guests have as much privacy and are able to swim freely and safely.
Will you cancel if we are the only two people travelling? ..No, as long as we have two paying guests, we will travel… Are other companies willing to do the same?
Are your tour guides experienced?.. Yes, they are not bus drivers, they will not take you to the Daintree Rainforest, drop you off and ask you to be back in an hour, they will guide you, be there to interpret and make certain you have ample opportunity to take photos, appreciate and enjoy the day.
Some companies have told us that giving us free time to enjoy Cape Tribulation is what it’s all about?..You will have some free time at Cape Tribulation Beach to explore on your own, however the idea is that we are not a bus transfer company we are a group tour, to ensure you get the most out of your day at take you to all the must see stops along the way, not just Cape Tribulation.
I can do this myself and save a lot of money!…Sure, you can and in some cases we recommend that some guests do that. If you have very young children and wish to stop more regularly than a group tour offers and if they do not travel well with others, then we recommend just that. Otherwise you can join a group tour or if the children are under eight a charter is always an option. If you don’t like group tours, then self driving is best.
Can I access the areas you go to?.. Not the world heritage listed private property we visit. This is not open to the public. You can though, access other private areas that some other companies access. As a self driver you can visit the Daintree Store and they will give you directions to the same cattle farms/properties that other operators visit and you can do it yourself..
What about the Bloomfield Falls?..Unless you are able to hire a 4WD vehicle, you will not be able to drive further than Cape Tribulation.
Some things to take into account when self driving…One person will not experience the Daintree Rainforest as much. He/she will be too busy keeping their eyes on the road and missing most of what’s out there. If driving, please be very careful and do look closely for the cassowary. He is a icon of the Daintree Rainforest. If you do see one please visit www.daintreecassowary.org.au and submit your sighting details.
You will not have a guide by your side explaining the wonders of this world heritage listed area and pointing things out all day or spotting wildlife. You will miss most of it because unfortunately you will not know where to look.
You will need to take into account the cost of a hire car, fuel, ferry fees, entry to any centres, the cost of the Daintree River cruise, morning tea, lunch and the tiresome drive.
You will be competing with many hundreds of other self drivers for a rest stop and lunch spot as well as competing with the other tour companies that utilise these spots daily, because they don’t spend the extra to ensure that their guests have a wonderful private lunch and swimming area.
You will possibly not have a chance to swim in the Rainforest, as most of the local creeks are a ”no swim” area because of crocodiles and the beach is closed for swimming because of marine stingers during some months of the year.
You will however be able to stop when and where you like, without the care of other people in your group and you will hopefully still appreciate this wonderful eco system and leave just a little more enlightened with your journey.
We hope that this has been of assistance in answering the many questions we receive.
Our guides and company have earned us the “Certificate of Excellence” from TripAdvisor as well as “Best Daintree Rainforest Tour” award for two consecutive years. The feedback and opinions by many guests is that…
“The tour was the highlight of our trip to Port Douglas….”
We hope to see many of you on board with us.
