Silky Oaks Lodge

Drove all the way out to Silky Oaks Lodge today only to be greeted by a locked barrier gate. Had to use the intercom only to be told sorry no admission as we are booked out. Then we heard her laughing after she believed she had hung up. Not like it was once upon a time where you had pleasant staff greeting you and you could pop in for drinks and food anytime. Sadly now trying to create a pretentious environment and extremely overpriced. Thala Beach Eco Lodge is where you should go so welcoming and stunning views.

I waited 4 years to tailor my journey to include the Baillie Lodges and it was well worth it. I have traveled the world and stayed in luxury resorts but Silky Oaks is special. The food is justifiably Michelin quality and the staff is accommodating to all its customers. We stayed in premium treehouse and would highly recommend the same lodging to all who visit. As a nature lover, I was highly pleased. I identified over 15 different bird species by call and several insect varieties native only to this area. The variety of flora is fabulous! I recommend a walk with the head gardener and a visit to the herb garden to taste the local fruits and herbs. It’s s very hard to list all the benefits of this place and I am running out of space, but if ecology and attention to detail, luxury, a reasonable sense of adventure, fine wines and gourmet food are your interests, one must visit Silky Oaks.

Next to the Mossman River (Daintree National Park) the cabins are separated in a way that makes you feel like you have the rain forest to yourself. The open area dining/bar areas (Tree House and Marrdja Pavilion) overlook the river. Food choices are good and the nightly special cocktail is a treat – the bartender is “intense” in his craft and makes excellent cocktails.

My wife and I enjoyed our stay very much at this special resort north of Cairns. Each treetop room is a separate space to relax and enjoy the beauty of the rain forest and the relaxed atmosphere of comfort and service. The staff is focused, friendly and responsive and attuned to helping you to relax even from the first encounter. The location is well situated for enjoyable encounters with wildlife or a short drive to Port Douglas and access to the Great Barrier Reef. Breakfast and dinner bring a range of options and we found that they were quite accommodating with our choices and the quality was very good. Every evening we enjoyed the gin drink of the day in the bar and lounge. They were very creative and a wonderful way to unwind from busy days. We both took advantage of a spa experience and had excellent massages followed by a relaxing afternoon enjoying our hammock and deck to just relax. One third of the way in our journey it was nice to take advantage of the washers and dryers that were available to the guests. Special shout out to the wait staff who were so friendly and made our stay that much more enjoyable. A super shoutout to Ella (Ellodie like Melody) who each time brought joy and enthusiasm to each encounter.

Understated, yet beautiful luxury resort in a rainforest setting. We didn’t really get to take advantage of the river sports amenities (and the fitness center needs updating), but the spa, bar and treehouse restaurant were all fabulous. Individual cottages are a bit small, but well appointed and tasteful. We experienced unseasonable (heavy) rainfall during our stay, such that the bridge providing access to/from the resort flooded over, but the staff did a great job arranging four wheelers to safely traverse the high waters… and even arranged for a helicopter to ferry our group back after the water continued to rise. Needless to say, our group was extremely grateful.