September 10 – September 13 : Cairns & Port Douglas

I quickly realized that Asia offers a level of convenience when it comes to getting around, whether it’s the abundance of Tuk-Tuks available in countries like India or Thailand, or the well-developed train and subway networks in places like China or Japan—comforts that simply aren’t found in Australia. Everything is spread out, but transportation options are scarce and expensive. While Cairns is small enough to walk around, getting to Port Douglas (about 70 km north), the main entry point to the Daintree Rainforest, requires booking one of several private shuttle services. Public intercity transport north of Cairns simply doesn’t exist!

I booked a SCUBA diving day trip to the Great Barrier Reef, departing from Port Douglas, where I had the option to add a transfer from Cairns to Port Douglas for 20 AUD (about 12 €) one way – cheap! Since I planned to stay one night in Port Douglas to visit the Daintree Rainforest, I decided not to take advantage of this offer for an equally cheap return to Cairns. That turned out to be a costly mistake – more on that later.

• Cairns Botanic Gardens : Explore lush tropical gardens featuring a diverse collection of local and exotic plant species. A great spot for nature lovers and peaceful walks.
• Cairns Beach Esplanade : Walk along the Beach Esplanade, enjoying ocean views, public art, and relaxing parks. Ideal for a sunset stroll or cycling.Kuranda Scenic Railway + Kuranda Village
• Historic Kuranda Railway : Ride the scenic railway through the rainforest to Kuranda Village, where you can visit the Koala Gardens, Butterfly Sanctuary, and explore local markets.
• Great Barrier Reef Diving : Dive into one of the world’s most famous coral reefs. Snorkeling and diving tours from Cairns let you experience vibrant marine life and colorful coral formations. You can do this either from Cairns or from Port Douglas (and many other places, as the GBR stretches for about 2,300 km along Australia’s coast!). It’s a costly experience, with about 400 AUD (approx. 250 €) for three dives. But how many times in your life will you be at the Great Barrier Reef? The corals were some of the most beautiful I’ve seen so far, and the marine life was amazing – though not quite as outstanding as Komodo!
• Dainitree Rainforest : Visit the world’s oldest tropical rainforest, offering guided walks, wildlife spotting, river cruises, and the chance to immerse yourself in pristine nature. You can joint a day tour from Cairns for about 150 AUD (ca 90 €) or do it partially by yourself.
  
  Here is my personal experience on that : to save some money, I tried the solo option: I took an Uber from Port Douglas to Mossman Gorge and hiked around the ancient forest there. The visitor center has easy, well-marked paths, and entrance is free, but I had to pay 35 AUD (21 €) for the Uber. It was about 15 km, and the driver constantly complained that it wasn’t worth it for him (I don’t understand why he accepted the ride in the first place…). On the way back, I couldn’t find an Uber willing to accept the ride, so the visitor center arranged a shuttle to bring me back to my hotel in Port Douglas – for a whopping 70 AUD (42 €)! Then, I still needed to get from Port Douglas back to Cairns, which cost me another 55 AUD (33 €). Remember, I could have gotten that transfer for only 20 AUD if I had included it in the SCUBA trip
  
  All in all, I paid 160 AUD (about 100 €) just for transport that day – more than a guided tour would have cost. The downside of guided tours is that you don’t have time to do the full hike at Mossman Gorge (as it was described to me, it’s more of a rushed touristy experience), but they end up cheaper than going solo (unless you get lucky with the Ubers) and cover more parts of the rainforest. If I had to make the choice again, I’d definitely opt for a guided tour from Cairns.