Hotels

Known simply as "Port" to locals, Port Douglas offers a similarly wide range of outdoor adventures as Cairns, but in a smaller, more laid-back tropical setting. As a burgeoning tourist town, there's a palpable buzz, despite the sleep-inducing tropical haze and humidity. Travelers from around the world flock here to be close to the north's wild rain forests and the Great Barrier Reef, and to take advantage of the varied lodgings, restaurants, and bars on and around the main strip.