After driving for days through sugar cane fields and past sugar mills belching steam and other gases, arriving at the Thala Beach Nature Reserve was almost like falling into a dream. As the car climbed a winding drive, the surrounding tropical woodland became ever more enchanting. Check-in was easy, and before long, we were zipping to our quarters on the electric carts that the staff use to ferry guests around the resort. You can of course explore the grounds on foot, but the carts are handy if you’re sore, or are accompanied by tired little legs you’d rather not carry up a hill.
While Thala Beach Nature Reserve sure does (understandably) attract more than its fair share of honeymooners, I thought it would be worth reviewing it from the perspective of someone taking a family holiday with kids.
We chose the Eucalypt Bungalow with a roll-out bed for the little fella, not because it was the best accommodation on site, but because the balconies look out onto the canopy of the bush below. I always jump at the opportunity to stay in a good tree house. This had the added bonus of leaving us with more cash to spend on food and drink.
Thala Beach Nature Reserve has two pools, both within a lush native garden setting, but the main pool stands out as one of the most beautiful and picturesque I have ever had the pleasure of floating in.
Swimming there feels like you’ve discovered a magical waterhole amongst the Australian bush. With the added bonus of a fully stocked bar just a few metres away.
The beach is a short walk down from the main complex that houses the lounge, open-air restaurant, and reception, but you can call for a buggy pick-up if you don’t want to walk back after lounging in the sun. Even on a windswept day, it felt like paradise. Sitting on 145 acres of coastline bush the energy was serene, and we woke up peacefully to the sounds of rustling leaves and birdsong.
However, the real reason for this glowing review is not the stunningly designed architecture or landscape gardening, but the quality of the staff, who were, without exception, all very nice people. More than that, though, at least three of the gentlemen looking after us – Johan, Dave, and Geoff – had been working for the owners for well over a decade.
From the moment we were welcomed by the receptionist, the staff made sure we all, young and old(er), had a magical time. We received a list of birds to spot throughout our stay and a book to help identify them. Geoff brought the history of the place (and its coconut plantation) alive, with his educational talk on coconuts, while Dave had us enthused about birdwatching.
If you’ve never been to Thala Beach Nature Reserve, you might think of spotting birds as a tedious activity, but our experience couldn’t have been more rewarding. Not only did we start the day with a lovely walk, but we managed to get close-up views (through binoculars) of some very rare birds we had never seen before. My favourites were the rainbow bee-eater and the Little Kingfisher, which we observed collecting breakfast, like an enchanting flash of bright blue. There was also a self-guided Butterfly walk, independently we spotted a huge bright blue Ulysses.
After four days and nights, eating every single meal at the resort’s Osprey restaurant, we’d tried most of the menu. My favourite was the barramundi, breakfast was also great and came with coffee just as perfect as at your favourite trendy Sydney or Melbourne cafe – but without the wait. I found myself drinking more coffee than usual simply because the service was so quick compared to most cafes!
Families might find it challenging that Thala Beach Nature Reserve lacks an onsite laundry, so you need to take a trip to Port Douglas to get that done. We didn’t bother, but did leave with a big bag of laundry. For us, this hypothetical shortcoming was more than made up for with the stunning setting and top-notch (but unpretentious) staff.
Thala Beach Nature Reserve does not promise that you will get wifi in all the rooms, given the complex layout of the resort, though we had a strong connection in ours and, in any event, my Telstra mobile connection was strong throughout. It’s also not bad to have a reason to dip into a book or pop on a DVD, both of which can be sourced from Thala’s library nook.
While Thala Beach Nature Reserve is more eco-resort luxury than big-city luxury, I have to dig deep to find any criticism when the standard of the staff equals my recollections of the best hotels I’ve ever been to, like the Little Nell in Aspen and the Hotel Danieli in Venice.
We paid our own bills at Thala Beach Nature Reserve, and the staff didn’t have a clue that I intended to write this review, so I believe the experience we had is more or less representative of the experience you could expect as a guest. I strongly recommend the Thala Beach Nature Reserve for those looking for a special treat on their journey through North Queensland.