Daintree Ecolodge: A Rainforest Retreat
The Daintree Ecolodge is a luxurious retreat in the world’s oldest rainforest. It is located near the Daintree Village, before the Daintree River crossing.
We stayed at the Daintree Ecolodge for two nights and found it to be the perfect base to explore the Daintree Rainforest from.
The Daintree Ecolodge is a small, boutique resort. It has 15 eco-friendly bayans (which are like seperate cabins) nestled in the canopy of the rainforest. Each bayan has its own screened-in balcony to experience the sights and sounds of the rainforest while still enjoying the comforts of a luxury hotel (and no bugs!).
All stays at Daintree Ecolodge include a gourmet breakfast from an a la carte menu using seasonal produce sourced from the onsite vegetable garden (which you can walk past on the way to the restaurant) and the surrounding region.
There is no TV or Wi-fi in the bayans! A stay at the Daintree Ecolodge is all about switching off from technology and enjoying the environment around you.
There are three types of banyans to choose from – each has a different price point.
Lagoon Banyan
The entry level accommodation, Lagoon Banyans overlook the onsite lagoon and Jalayamba Restaurant. These banyans have not been renovated like the Canopy and Rainforest Bayans have been. The room includes a king bed with rollaway available to accomodate one additional guest.
Canopy Banyan
The Canopy Banyans are the mid-level room choice. They are located high up in the canopy and have uninterrupted views of the rainforest. Canopy Banyans have been recently renovated. The room includes a king bed with rollaway available to accomodate one additional guest. Access is via stairs.
We chose the Canopy Banyan for our stay and were pleased with our choice. The view from the room was stunning, like we were staying in our own private cabin in the rainforest. It has the utmost privacy too, being on a mid level and away from the other banyans.
The room is simple in design but beautiful, with a huge bathroom and small kitchenette including a sink and fridge at the entry.
Rainforest Banyan
These banyans are located on the ground floor and are the top tier of accommodation choice. Each Rainforest Banyan features a bath on the screened balcony. The rooms include a king bed with rollaway available to accomodate one additional guest.
Julaymba Restaurant
The onsite restaurant, Julaymba, serves up delicious meals with a stunning view across the lagoon. Julaymba Restaurant is open for breakfast and dinner only.
Julaymba Restaurant serves dishes created from seasonal, home grown and locally-sourced produce, and is open to the public as well as staying guests.
We dined at Julaymba Restaurant for breakfast both mornings of our stay and enjoyed one dinner at the restaurant, which was undoubtedly our highlight meal for our entire Tropical North Queensland trip.
Julaymba Restaurant caters to kids and all dietary requirements, so I had a vegetarian menu with plenty of options to choose from, and the kid was happy with her special kids’ menu.
Breakfast at Julaymba Restaurant is an à la carte menu – classic brekkie faves, served with a Daintree twist.
The Daintree Ecolodge has a pool and spa available for guests to use, but we didn’t have enough time to try them out.
Daintree Ecolodge
3189 Mossman Daintree Rd, Daintree QLD
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