Located in Far North Queensland, Niramaya Villas & Spa is a Port Douglas resort renown for its year long sunshine, beautiful wildlife and environment. The luxury self contained resort is situated along the main street alongside other hotels but what made us pick Niramaya is the 15 hectares of gardens it is set on, the exclusiveness (by that, I don’t mean wanker unattainable but secluded in a way that you can relax and recharge) and the architectural aesthetics..

Glenn and I drive for about an hour from Cairns airport to Port Douglas on one of the most scenic drives in Australia, if I dare say. Palm trees, coastline, towering escarpment, yup, the quintessential Australian elements are there.

We get to Niramaya which instantly becomes our little piece of tropical haven. I am ready to soak up some sunshine. Each pavilion comes with its own private plunge pool so it doesn’t take me long to jump in and pretend that I was King of the jungle. 

“Glenn!” I yell, “where are you?” “In the kitchen,” he replies. We live in a tiny apartment in Sydney so we’re used to whispering but this villa is huge (not even the biggest, we were told). It’s one of those Balinese-type pavilions you can only afford to stay in when you’re in Bali or Phuket, except this time, we didn’t have to leave Australia. There are high ceilings, which elevated the spatial experience, and an al fresco dining area, perfect for our many meals outside during those golden ray mornings and balmy evenings?

While the Balinese inspiration is prevalent, the contemporary elements only added to our appreciation for this Port Douglas accommodation. Private is one word that I would use to describe Niramaya. We’ve been fortunate enough to have stayed at a few private resorts – including the adults-only Tokoriki Island Resort in Fiji – but we still bumped into guests or members of the hotel team. At Nirmaya, the only interaction we had with anyone was our conversation with the concierge during check-in.

We spend our days swimming in the 30m infinity edge pool or stepping up our fitness at the gym. Most mornings, we’re up early for a stroll along the famous Four Mile Beach – just a short walk from Niramaya – watching the tide come in as stand up paddle boarders battle the waves or locals power walking to the other end of the beach. This, of course, is just one of the many things to do in Far North Queensland.

If I’m honest, there isn’t a need for Glenn and I to stay at such a huge villa but it’s definitely a nice change to get away from the small apartment we live in. Niramaya is one of the few luxury self-contained accommodation in Port Douglas so yes, while we did splurge on living like a King, we saved by cooking our own meals. If you’re a family of four or more, or travelling with a few friends, you’ll be paying much less per person as compared to a couple.

Glenn and I have decided that Niramaya is the holiday resort home that we’ll never be able to own but can afford to rent during summer vacation and given that we love Far North Queensland for its gorges, lush tropical forests and the Great Barrier Reef, we’ll be back. We might even bring a few close friends along next time to share the adventure and save on accommodation with one of the bigger villas!