The lodge sits on the edge of the Daintree rainforest, above a bend in the Mossman River. Its 40 treehouses are built from local timber, each with a deck and hammock looking into the forest or down to the river, and there is a two-bedroom Daintree Pavilion with its own pool. The open-air restaurant hangs over the river, and the Healing Waters Spa has six treatment rooms. The lodge reopened in 2022 after a major refurbishment.
Port Douglas is about 20 minutes away and Cairns airport is a little over an hour's drive, so getting here is easy. Days can be spent drift-snorkeling the river, on guided walks with Kuku Yalanji guides, at Mossman Gorge, or driving north to Cape Tribulation. The lodge can arrange sailing to the Low Isles, outer reef trips and helicopter flights. It pairs well with a reef island like Lizard Island, or as the tropical leg after Sydney and Uluru.
Best for couples, families and first-time visitors who want the rainforest without roughing it. The caveats: it is humid and buggy, and the wet season (roughly December to April) brings heavy rain, though the forest is at its greenest then. The outer reef is a boat trip away, so if the reef is your priority, a reef island may suit better.
Silky Oaks Lodge puts you in the rainforest canopy above the Mossman River, close to the Daintree and a short drive from the reef boats at Port Douglas. It suits couples and families who want rainforest and reef in one stay, with good food and very little effort.
Sample itineraries that include Australia:
Every trip is tailored. Tell me what you have in mind and I will build an itinerary around this stay.
Tell me when you'd like to go and who's traveling, and I'll check availability, perks where available, and how it fits a wider trip. It starts with a 20-minute planning call; full trip planning is a $250 fee, credited in full toward your booked trip and non-refundable if you don’t book. I brief the property before you arrive — that's what the fee funds.
Plan your trip
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