Silky Oaks Lodge sits above the Mossman River in Tropical North Queensland, next to the World Heritage-listed Daintree National Park, part of a rainforest thought to be around 180 million years old. There are 40 treehouses, built in local timber and set among the trees, looking over the river or into the forest. Some have hammocks and stone baths, and a few have open-air fireplaces for cooler evenings. The design is understated so that the forest stays the focus. The open-air restaurant and bar take in the sounds of the rainforest, with light, contemporary Australian food shaped by Mediterranean and Asian cooking and much of it from the kitchen garden. Healing Waters Spa has six treatment rooms with river or forest views, including a couples' room and a Vichy shower. Kuku Yalanji guides lead walks that explain the forest as a natural larder, and the lodge is well placed for Mossman Gorge, Cape Tribulation and the Great Barrier Reef, with reef trips and helicopter flights on offer.
- Rooms
- 40 treehouses
Insider tip Book a walk with a Kuku Yalanji guide early in the stay, to learn which rainforest plants are food and medicine before you explore on your own.
Why I choose it Rainforest and reef from one quiet base, with First Nations guides who bring the forest to life. It is the tropical chapter of our outback, rainforest and reef journey.
