{"id":10047,"date":"2019-08-20T10:08:52","date_gmt":"2019-08-20T14:08:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/?p=10047"},"modified":"2021-08-11T08:55:11","modified_gmt":"2021-08-11T12:55:11","slug":"five-reasons-cairns-should-be-on-your-bucket-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/2019\/08\/five-reasons-cairns-should-be-on-your-bucket-list\/","title":{"rendered":"Five reasons Cairns should be on your bucket list"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tropical\nparadise is on offer in any season with a visit to cosmopolitan Cairns. This\nfar north Queensland idyll is blessed with year-round sunshine, its own\ninternational airport, World Heritage-listed natural landmarks, sightseeing and\ndining and entertainment options galore. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gateway to Australia\u2019s Great Barrier Reef, with its scuba diving and snorkelling tours in the world\u2019s largest coral reef system, features 900 islands and spans more than 2300 kilometers over an expanse of 344,400 square kilometers. Underwater explorers are spoilt for the abundance of marine life, including fish, sea turtles, giant clams, seahorses, nudibranchs (vibrantly colored, soft-bodied mollusks), stingrays, sharks and many more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cairns<\/a> visitors should not miss the opportunity to explore the Wet Tropics, the world\u2019s oldest rainforest region. This includes the must-see Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation, Lake Eacham, Crater Lakes and Tully Gorge national parkland, floating over the Barron Falls on a cableway or taking a scenic train that weaves through the rainforest to and from Kuranda. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The Rainforrest<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

World-class\nbeaches and resorts are also at your doorstep, given Cairns\u2019 proximity to Palm\nCove and Port Douglas. These international beachside destinations offer\nsurfing, leisure and dining activities amid picture-perfect tropical settings.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Port
Port Douglas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cairns\nis also the only place on earth where two World Heritage sites collide. Visitors\ncan explore Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures at Tjapukai Cultural\nCentre and nearby Rainforestation Nature Park for an introduction to\ntraditional weapons, tools, bush tucker and indigenous song-and-dance displays.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cairns Art Gallery<\/a> provides a taste of indigenous and local culture at its most diverse and talented. Breakfast at Perrotta\u2019s at the Gallery is another visual feast and taste sensation. Also on the menu in central Cairns are the catch of the day, bursting with freshness, at Prawn Star (complete with inspiring harbor views. Waterfront restaurant Ochre showcases native Australian fauna (salt and pepper crocodile, prawns or wallaby fillet) and flora (lemon myrtle and wattle seed) transformed into cutting-edge culinary creations. Spicy Bite also offers an unassuming fa\u00e7ade with unforgettable fusion food. Crocodile masala and kangaroo tikka merge a taste of India with premium local produce.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cairns
Cairns Esplanade<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Stretching your legs, dipping your toes and whetting your appetite along the Cairns Esplanade, Boardwalk and Lagoon is also mandatory. The sandy-edged 4800 square-meter saltwater pool, with its Woven Fish sculptures, is lifeguard patrolled and illuminated at night. The adjacent three-kilometer foreshore boardwalk offers picnic spots, bird-watching opportunities and free fitness equipment. Muddy\u2019s is the meeting place for child-friendly water parks, skate ramp, beach volleyball courts and the Fun Ship playground. There\u2019s also a selection of the freshest tropical food, markets, concerts, festivals and free fitness instruction on the Esplanade.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lesser-known tourist treasure that is not only priceless, but also absolutely free is the discovery of Crystal Cascades and Josephine Falls. Only a 25-minute drive from the Cairns CBD, Crystal Cascades provides an idyllic spot for freshwater swimming in the rainforest. The three kilometers of walking trails are also easy to traverse and offer breathtaking rainforest canopy scenery. Following your meander amid the marvels of nature, you can pay a visit to the local bakery at Josephine Falls. Babinda Bakery is a perennial favorite for its gourmet pies and cream buns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking\na drive to Millaa Millaa Falls in the Atherton Tablelands is another must for\nits freshwater swimming holes and rocking-jumping or clambering opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Millaa
Millaa Millaa Falls<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Did you know you could also scale the world\u2019s tallest pyramid, not in Cairo, but Cairns? Walsh\u2019s Pyramid<\/a> is just a short drive from the city center. The gentle hike to the top will take between four to six hours, but the view is worth the climb: offering a 360-degree vista of Cairns and the surrounding rainforest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hotels.com<\/a> offers a range of Cairns accommodation<\/a> options for exploring these world-class tourist sites. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visitors can choose from a host of three to five-star properties in prime locations, all offering excellent facilities, ultra-comfortable and family-friendly accommodation. Whether you select the three-star Cairns City Sheridan, four-star Rydges Plaza Cairns or five-star Pullman International Cairns or Hilton Cairns (situated on the Esplanade), you and your family are assured of an unforgettable stay at this bucket list-worthy tropical Queensland paradise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article was written in collaboration with Hotels.com.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tropical paradise is on offer in any season with a visit to cosmopolitan Cairns. This far north Queensland idyll is blessed with year-round sunshine, its own international airport, World Heritage-listed natural landmarks, sightseeing and dining and entertainment options galore.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10052,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_type":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1232],"tags":[116,949],"class_list":["post-10047","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australia","tag-australia","tag-cairns","entry","has-media"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-26 07:53:39","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10047","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10047"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10047\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13545,"href":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10047\/revisions\/13545"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10052"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10047"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10047"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10047"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}