While Mother Nature seems to be ramping winter up a notch here, it’s the perfect time to visit balmy Port Douglas. Right now it’s their dry season, highs are a balmy 27 degrees and there’s plenty of fab resorts to get amongst – as well as not one, but two UNESCO World Heritage Sites right on the doorstep. It’s no wonder that Port Douglas has been named one of Booking.com’s Top 10 Trending Destinations for 2026. Alice took a look at what’s on offer in this up-and-coming tourist destination…
I’m expecting to feel terrified. I’d felt my heart starting to beat more rapidly as I descended the wooden staircase, waving goodbye to my friends – as well as complete strangers sat watching me, pointing and waving. I imagined by the time I got into the tank – if I actually even mustered the courage to get inside – that my heart would be beating out of my chest.
But instead, I feel oddly calm.
Instead of fear, I feel awe and amazement – by the time I’m out of the tank I’m energised and buzzing from the experience.
I’ve surprised myself – and a fair few friends back home – by trying one of the more daring attractions on offer in Port Douglas: the ‘Swim with the Salties’ experience at the Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas’ CrocArena. The attraction puts you nose to snout with giant saltwater crocodiles, swimming alongside them, separated by just Perspex. On one side of the tank is Goliath, a 4.3m, 500kg croc – and on the other is Big Al, a 75-year-old beast, weighing 600kg and stretching 4.3m long.
Yes, the two crocs are fearsome, but being in such close proximity to them, I suddenly have a newfound respect and admiration for them. They’re beautiful up close. But yes, also terrifying.
As I swim with my nose pressed against the glass, Big Al’s doing the same with his snout doing the same on the other side of the glass, I kick my legs to rise a little higher in the water – he does the same. I dip back down so only my eyes are above the water – he does the same. He’s gorgeous – but he’s also clearly just waiting for me to make a mistake, or hoping the Perspex wall between us to drop.
This mesmerizing experience is just one of the surprising gems that seem to be scattered all across Port Douglas. By the end of my four-night stay in the North Queensland town, I’m not in the least surprised that it was named one of Booking.com’s Top 10 Trending Destinations for 2026. Every year the company runs a Travel Predictions Research survey and discovers what’s new in travel trends and where the top must-visit up and coming spots are in the world. Port Douglas made the list because, well, it simply has it all.
You’ll find Port Douglas about an hour’s drive north of Cairns – and it’s a stunning drive at that, as tall, bush-clad hills meet tropical beaches like something out of Jurassic Park. During the high season (that’s the winter months – the dry months when the day temperatures reach a balmy 27-28 degrees) Air New Zealand flies direct to Cairns, which takes around five-and-a-half-hours.
It’s a gorgeous seaside town, with a laidback vibe – the main center feels like a chill, easy-going Byron Bay. There are several gorgeous resorts, but it’s incredibly quiet and tranquil wherever you go. A lot of that vibe is all thanks to the careful planning of the town – there’s a strict ‘palm tree rule’ in place, meaning no building is allowed to be constructed higher than the tallest palm tree. Development is also not allowed to stretch right to the water’s edge, which means you can walk along the main beach – a beautiful strip of white sand, blue water and swaying palm trees, called Four Mile Beach – and have absolutely no inkling that you’re not far from some of the town’s biggest resorts including the massive Pullman Sea Temple, or the Sheraton Grand Mirage.
The Must-Do’s
A Sailaway Port Douglas Tour
Port Douglas is one of the easiest points to access the world famous Great Barrier Reef from – and heck, the UNESCO World Heritage site should be on your bucket list.
Sailaway made it incredibly easy, fun and relaxing to visit. I headed out on one of their afternoon tours (running from 1pm – 6.30pm) which saw us take a luxury Lagoon 500 sailing catamaran out to the Low Isles – a journey that took just over an hour and was relatively smooth sailing, despite some quite high winds on the day. From there, we took a solar electric glass bottom boat out to the island Low Isle, where you could choose from a few different activities. I opted to join one of the experienced crew members on a guided snorkel tour followed by a walking tour of the small island.
The snorkelling was gorgeous – even though visibility wasn’t at its best I watched swarms of colourful parrot fish, butterflyfish, angel fish and a small black tip shark (we were thankfully told before getting in the water that we’d likely see some of these and that they’re entirely harmless but friendly). My absolute highlight though was being joined by a large green sea turtle who glided slowly underneath me, stopping to have a chew on some seagrass.
Back on land we explored the sandy beaches and learned the history of the island – from mysterious tales of mad lighthouse keepers, to modern day science expeditions. Perhaps the biggest surprise though, was walking up to a unassuming shed where our guide qently told us it was where Steve Irwin was brought after being fatally struck by a stingray at Batt Reef (around 15km away) and was where he was sadly pronounced dead. I was thankful to our guide for saving this information until we were out of the water – although he did remind us how incredibly rare and unfortunate that attack was.
The entire crew was so helpful, knowledgeable and experienced – I spent the whole trip feeling like I was in safe hands. It’s a must-do!
Mossman Gorge Tours and Guided Dreamtime Walks
You’re pretty spoilt in Port Douglas. Not only is it a stone’s throw from the Great Barrier Reef, but it’s also at the foot of yet another UNESCO World Heritage site – the Daintree Forest. The Kuku Yalanji are the traditional Aboriginal custodians of the area, and with a history that spans back over 50,000 they’re part of the oldest continuous living culture on Earth.
The Mossman Gorge Tours and Guided Dreamtine Walks allow you the opportunity to access this sacred land and be told stories and legends – or ngadiku as they refer to them by the Kuku Yalanji people.
We began our visit with a Dreamtime Walk – first taking part in a traditional smoking ceremony to cleanse and ward off bad spirits. From there, our guide took us on a walk, pointing out different plants and their traditional uses, whether that was getting to sample a taste of ginger blueberries or watching as he used the leaves of the native sarsaparilla plant and a little water to work up a soapy lather on his hands – the traditional soap of the forest.
We took a second tour through the Gorge, led by two young Kuku Yalanji women, who told us many local legends and stories – later shocking us by saying they’d only recently started taking tours.
We learned about the fearsome ‘milli milli’ plant – and got to lay our eyes on one such plant – a stinging tree that has leaves that are covered on the underside with many tiny silica hairs that cause excruciating pain if you come in contact with them. Despite the fearsome creatures that inhabit these areas (crocs, snakes, spiders anyone?) they both agreed that it was this plant that gives them nightmares. The pain is said to be almost intolerable and can last for months and even years – often flaring up on the anniversary of the contact each year. You best believe I triple checked that they’d cleared every other plant near the track, except of the one that is used to show people, after hearing their stories.
Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas
This is the spot that offers the Swim with the Salties experience, but there’s so much more to experience, whatever your appetite for adventure is. I loved this large sanctuary, which is home to so many different local species of wildlife, all cared for by a passionate staff.
In the enclosures, there’s something in every direction you look – mesmerising frogmouths (they’re an owl-like bird that look like something out of Harry Potter), parrots chattering, Pelicans swooping, Cassowaries pecking, and even the occasional randy Emu (honestly, I think I was more afraid of Kevin the randy Emu than the crocs!).
There’s also kangaroos to hand feed, koalas to cuddle and barramundi to feed – as well as plenty more. I highly recommend a visit.
Silky Oaks Treehouse Restaurant
If you’re looking for the best place to eat in the area, I reckon Silky Oaks is your spot. The restaurant is within the Silky Oaks Lodge, nestled right in the rainforest. Despite it being the dry season, the rainforest reminded us of it’s power as we ate lunch in an absolute deluge – it was stunning. Nestled up in the canopy of the forest, Silky Oaks has a gorgeous outlook, and sensational food and service. The pan roasted Daintree Barramundi is insanely good – as is their roasted cauliflower and char grilled picanha. And you must stay for dessert – the coconut sago with white chocolate, champagne and roasted vanilla is heavenly.
Macrossan Street
The heart of the main town, Macrossan street, is home to boutique shops, galleries and lively markets, plus delicious cafes – perfect for picking up a little souvenir or keeping your caffeine levels up. I fell in love with a little spot called Whileaway Books & Coffee – the owner is a genius and has combined all her favourite things into one store: coffee, books and margaritas. By day you can get a coffee and a bite to eat in the middle of the book shop – by night the coffee is switched up for margaritas and Mexican food. Genius.
You’ll also find a Coles supermarket if you need to pick up supplies. Outside it you’ll find one of the more bizarre offerings the town boasts: an oyster vending machine. Called ‘Get Shucked’, you can pick up fresh and live Coffin Bay Oysters from the large, one of a kind vending machine.
The Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple
Expect a full review from me soon, but this was the gorgeous resort we stayed at. It’s stunning. If you’re looking for the kind of place that your shuttle will pull up in front of and leave you slack jawed – this is it.
The other thing that blew me away about this resort is how tranquil it is. While I was staying here it was the height of the high season and the resort was at full capacity – but somehow, it was ever so quiet. I slept with the shutters in the bedroom open (don’t worry, there’s netting protection so insects or other critters can’t get in), but still, all I could hear – even early in the morning – was the sway of the palm trees in the wind. I joked that maybe the resort had something in the water, because there were lots of children about, but none of that 7am racket of noise that you become accoustomed to hearing in most big resorts.
The Must-Don’ts
Don’t Give the Crocs a Shot…
On our first day I took a little toddle down to the beach to take in the breathtaking sunset – watching the colours change across the beautiful full tide. When I later told the Booking.com team about it, they looked horrified.
Here’s the thing you need to know: crocodiles are at their most active at dawn and dusk, so checking out the beach or rivers at this time is not recommended. Likewise swimming at Four Mile beach, unless it’s being patrolled and the flags are up for you to swim between. In summer the issue is stingers – who thankfully disappear completely in the winter months – but crocodiles are an issue year-round.
Don’t Do the Environment Dirty…
Port Douglas is incredibly positioned at the doorstep of not just one, but two UNESCO World Heritage sites – two natural wonders to explore, right next to one another. And looking after these gems is a job the locals thankfully take very seriously – in 2019 Port Douglas and the wider Douglas Shire became the world’s first certified ECO destination. The certification came after a rigorous testing process, addressing 80 criteria and a full onsite audit. More than 20 operators in the small town have also earned eco-certification – you’ll find the easy to spot logo on their websites or storefronts.
When you’re visiting – do your bit. Take your reusable drink bottle and keep-cup, ensure you don’t leave any rubbish on any of your excursions, wear reef-safe sunblock and support the local businesses who display the eco-certification sign. They’re easy ways to ensure that Port Douglas can be enjoyed by generations to come. It’s obviously stuff us Kiwis are keen on doing anyway – Booking.com’s annual research report this year found that 79% of Kiwi travellers say sustainable travel is important to them.
Alice was a guest of Booking.com – all opinions are her own.
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