Travel Diaries vol 6 - Cairns City, Gateway to Australia's The Great Barrier Reef
Here is the trip of my life and the vacation we had been planning since a year. A dreamy holiday for 2 weeks in the most beautiful country of the world. We explored, dreamed and discovered!
Itinerary -
Cairns city which is, gateway to Queensland tropical north and Australia's The Great Barrier Reef is the most spectacular place. It is not really well connected and is like 20 hour drive from Brisbane so taking a flight is obviously the best option. We took a flight from Singapore with one stop at Darwins. The bumpy and long ride left us exhausted and jet lagged.
Accommodation -
So we snoozed and stretched till evening after checking in at Hilton Hotel. We got an upgrade to their honeymoon suite with spa as Vish is a gold member at Hilton Hotel. So this was our home for the next 5 days in Cairns.
Later in the evening after deep slumber we took a stroll along Esplanade which is buzzing with all the eateries, pubs, night markets and casino. It is the epicenter of all the fun in Cairns. The shops shut early around 9 so we headed to a nearby booking shop to book the tour for the next days. We didn't get good deals online as such and this seemed the best option after discussing with the travel experts there.
We took 2 tours on alternative days for The Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Forest. After a sumptuous dinner we called it an early night as we had to board the cruise next morning. The cruise port was just at the back of Hilton Hotel. We used to take a stroll everyday and relish the gourmet meal by the ocean.
Fun Facts -
- The 2,300 kilometer Great Barrier Reef consists of huge and varied ecosystem of over 900 islands and is the largest coral reef system in the world.
- It is a home to diverse marine life and the most popular location to activities such as scuba diving and snorkeling with Cairns and Port Douglas being popular destinations to set out from.
The Great Barrier Reef -
The cruise stopped at 2 islands, one was Fitzroy island and other I really cant recollect. We spent hours on the cruise sailing away, lunching and snorkeling with a bunch of other tourists and professional guides who took good care of us.
If you indulge in snorkeling in The Great Barrier Reef I can say it without any qualms you don't need to experience these activities in any other part of the world. We saw the magnificent reef by snokel, glass-bottom boat, jet ski and sail boat.
I was never a water person and was scared to get into the middle of ocean. Vish and I almost got into a tiff as I was reluctant to get into the water and insisted on taking a guide. Well I still thank him today for pushing me as it was one of the best days of my life because if you don't do this you are surely missing out on the greatest natural wonders of the world.
A guided tour for 45 minute amidst the most beautiful marine species was a life changing adventure. Snorkeling at The Great Barrier reef which houses 70% of the coral reefs of the world, will remain the most cherished experience. I really cant articulate the real beauty in words and not even in pictures.
Sparkling ocean, pristine coral reefs, unique wildlife, beautiful marine species and lush rainforests. There is nothing more we could ask for!
You, me and the sea!
Sumptuous meal at Cairns Esplanade the day we arrived (Day 1)
Here we board the cruise in the morning to view the breathtaking Great Barrier Reef
And here we went cruising all the way!
A quick breakfast in hilton hotel and here we are in the middle of the ocean to view the coral reefs for snorkelling, lunching and other water activities.
We were not allowed to touch coral reef and other marine species other than this fish. What a beauty!
Mandatory selfie post snorkeling after seeing half the crew of finding nemo!
So this sums up our day 1 and day 2. Read more about our Daintree forest escapades and other activities in the coming post.
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