Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa

MY TRIP TO FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND
Follow Kate as she dives, climbs, eats and sunbakes her way through lush Far North Queensland.

The Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa is located approximately 10 minutes before the ferry crossing to Cape Tribulation. As one of the premier spa's in the world (as voted by various travel authorities, associations and magazines), visitors are attracted to their philosophy of discovering nature through ancient aboriginal traditions.

From Cape Tribulation beach, it's about an hours drive south on the windy single lane extension of the Captain Cook Highway. We stopped for a massage and to sample some contemporary Australian cuisine, with an aboriginal bush tucker twist in the Julaymba Restaurant & Gallery. When we arrived, it was raining hard but the tree house structures seem to blend in well with the hilly terrain. Torrential is probably not the right meteorological description, but colloquially I would call it torrential rain - it didn't stop and it was thick in the air. With the rain feeding the exotic plants and animals, the mosquitos were out and they loved my visit, as much I was looking forward to my massage.

The lodge look a lot like bird houses perched in the trees, connected by a wooden walkway, which threads through the property. This brings you closer to the large scale flora attached to the pre-historic looking tropical plants that inhabit the area. Some of the most spectacular coloured flowers can be seen up close and there are indigenous guided rainforest walks which are better described by the lodge:

"Our guides present an insight into the wonders of the Aboriginal culture, way of life and use of plants and animals - for food and medicinal purposes. Along the way, green ants, usually in abundance, provide an interesting story of how they are used medicinally for the symptoms of colds - they have a citrus, lemony flavour, high in vitamin C. Their flavour is quite pleasant. Try one!!!"

Because the Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa is famous, spa massage appointments must be booked in advance. During peak holiday times, it's best to book a week in advance to secure an appointment. When we arrived, we were given the standard robe and slippers, along with some soap and shampoo. The difference was that once you stepped into the spa, the tempo of your thoughts slowed to a calm pace. Focusing on what you hear, what you taste and what you smell was the first step to relaxation. After we got changed into plush robes, we were given some herbal tea and individually consulted on the type of massage we had chosen and were asked to pick a specific oil (mine was to target stress) from the product range which emphasise native certified organic fruit, flower, nuts and seeds.

Few massages are bad and this is no exception but we were glad that there was no hard sell on their oils and life changing organic fragrant mud. After our detoxifying, de-stressing, muscle relaxing massages we ventured down to the Julaymba Restaurant & Gallery, which is situated next to the pond. The pond has various fish and is a great place to admire the lodge and the surrounding rainforest and sometimes you'll get the odd bush turkey walking by. We were there while there was a downpour so watch out for the mosquitos, because this was prime weather to be bitten. The menu is inspired by native ingredients collected on the property and the owners have consulted the local Aboriginal Kuku Yalanji people to balance the multicultural tastes of cosmopolitan Australia. The menu incorporates unique and exotic Queensland fruits, tropical reef fish and local produce with native and Indigenous nuts, berries, flowers, leaves and seeds from the property.

If your mantra is "my body is my temple" then staying at the Eco lodge is perfect. With great food, professional spa, luxury lodge in the tranquil surrounds, you can forget the outside world. A stay here will strip away your toxins (if not in body, in mind) and restore you to the sane person you were before you started watching (and enjoying) reality television.

CONTACT DETAILS
Address: 20 Daintree Road, Daintree, Queensland, 4873 Australia
Ph: +61 7 4098 6100
Fax: +61 7 4098 6200
Toll Free: 1800 808 010 (Within Australia)
Reception Hours: 07:00 - 20:00
Postal:Private Mail Bag 20, Mossman, Queensland, 4873 Australia
Email: info@daintree-ecolodge.com.au

AWARDS
2007 Leading Eco-lodge of the World - World Travel Awards nomination
2006 World's Best Eco Spa - United Arab Emirates Millionaires Choice
2006 One of the World's 5 Best Ecolodges - Emirates Airlines
2006 Top 20 Australasian Hotels - Conde Nast Reader's Choice
2006 Best 7 Eco Spas in the World - World Travel Awards
2006 Australia's Leading Spa Resort Finalist - World Travel Awards
2006 Top 10 Boutique Spas of the World - SpaFinder USA Reader's Choice Awards
2006 Australian Travel Innovators Award - Travel + Leisure