CHECKING INTO QT PORT DOUGLAS
Being our second time to Cairns, there was one spot we regretted not seeing during our first visit - the tropical small town of Port Douglas. Just an hour north of Cairns, this is by far the crown jewel of the area and even during peak season you can easily get a reasonably priced weekend escape.
If you are looking for a spot that is spacious, has everything you need and also won't break the bank, we suggest you move your eyes towards QT Port Douglas.
Checking In: QT Port Douglas
One main pieces of advice I can give you when saving money for travel is to head out during shoulder season. The weather won't completely ruin your stay, the crowds have moved on and you are more likely to score a deal on a hotel room - that is unless you stay at the QT - one of the most reasonably priced hotels we have ever come across.
At $260 a night you can't help but think you stumbled upon a last minute deal - nope that's what you can expect to pay throughout the year!
You can't help but fall in love with the 50s nautical LA decor on display. If your Instagram wasn't already filled with photos of your trip to Cairns, it will now with plenty of photo ops around the area.
The Room
We were booked into the QT Garden View Resort which comes with a king bed, kitchenette, lounge room, dining area and a private balcony overlooking the gardens. If there's one thing that stands out it's how spacious the area is.
Perfect for long weekends or extended getaways, here you feel like you have your own holiday home with all the facilities of a resort. Certainly on par with AirBnB prices around the area but at least here you get that resort feel, which at times we all want.
If you are planning to save money and cook you have a Coles 5 minutes away and a kitchen at your disposal. However, if you want to relax and enjoy your stay you can just walk out to the multiple cafe's and restaurants available on site.
Oh and there's free in room WiFi - although a bit slow you should be able to check emails and do some light browsing.
The Pool
Unfortunately we were unlucky that our nights stay happened to fall across a wet patch, but hey it's what you expect when you head out to tropical north Queensland during their wet season. Look what happens when we break our own rule of "when to travel"!
That still didn't stop everyone heading to the pool during the breaks of rain. If it was a sunny day I don't think we would of left the pool, especially with the bar and cafe on demand, blow up floaties at your disposal and tropical trees to make you feel like you are in paradise.
The Food
Included Breakfast Buffet
Our stay was not complete without a visit to QT's in house restaurant Bazaar. Here we were greeted to a delicious buffet of hot food, pancakes and desserts - everything you should be avoiding during bikini season, but who can help seconds right?
Also how can you not be transported back to your childhood with a strawberry milkshake to start your day? Or try remind yourself you are on a healthy diet with a green juice shot.
Bazaar at Night
We were a little baffled by our visit to the restaurant at night. Charged at $65 a person we found very little value being vegetarians. If you eat meat and fish you will find more to eat than us, but for a buffet we felt it was a price tag more suited for a luxury hotel.
The Location
Some may see that not having the resort backed onto the famous Four Mile Beach as a negative, clearly haven't seen the size of this small town. A simple 5 minute drive into the town will get you to the main strip of restaurants and cafe's as well as access to the beach and marina.
Looking for a fun way to get into the town? Catch the 1980's Ballyhooley steam train that stops right outside reception, and dropping you back when you are done exploring the town.
QT Port Douglas Room Tour
As you should know by now we film our adventures daily on our YouTube channel. If you want to see our room, some cheeky drone footage of the hotel and also what we got up to in Cairns – check out our video below and make sure you head on over and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhzMxsJ-oWM
You can book a QT Garden View Resort Room for AUD$260 per night twin share.
Flying The Nest was welcomed as a guest of QT Port Douglas, however as always all opinions are our own.
READ NEXT: A TREEHOUSE RETREAT IN PORT DOUGLAS: THALA BEACH NATURE RESERVE