Hamilton Island, on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef, is an island designed with one purpose in mind: to pamper its guests. Sometimes called the Honeymoon capital of Australia because of all the wedding facilities and the romantic atmosphere offered by many Hamilton Island accommodations, it is sometimes overlooked as a family destination. True, no Hamilton Island resort is cheap, but when you look into the deals offered by some of the accommodations on the island, you will be pleasantly surprised to discover that there are affordable holidays available for families there..
You can find special family offers on Hamilton Island that give you much more than just a nice room to stay in. Right at your doorstep you will find unspoiled beaches, crystal clear, tropical waters and even reefs you can explore at your leisure. In many cases, you can take advantage of perks like free masks, snorkels and kayaks for exploring the many reefs that lie virtually at your doorstep.
For a little more money, you can take your family out on a Great Barrier Reef exploration in perfect comfort and safety.
There are a number of excursions to choose between, ranging from day trips to nearby reefs to more extensive scuba diving tours. It’s up to you, really. The whole of the Great Barrier Reef is your backyard, after all.
For a truly unique reef experience, you can book an excursion aboard a catamaran and go to Reefworld. Reefworld can best be described as two manmade floating islands on pontoons right in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef. Every effort is made to both preserve the reef and make it accessible to the public. For the children, there is a special swimming enclosure to ensure their safety. For first time snorkelers, there is an easy to use snorkeling platform to launch from. If you don’t want to get wet, you can take a ride on a glass hulled, submersible vessel.
Back on land, just five minutes from Hamilton Island is the world renowned Dent Island 18 hole golf course. Just imagine being surrounded by the glistening Coral Sea and the beautiful Whitsunday Islands as you take on the challenge of 18 world class holes of golf. Hamilton Island golfing vacations are so popular, you can often find great special deals for weekend golf packages.
When you look at the list of amenities and activities available on Hamilton Island, you would be forgiven for thinking it consisted of nothing but resorts. In fact, the developed part of the island takes up only a tiny fraction of its total area and the rest of the island is protected from further development. Many tourist come to Hamilton Island for the express purpose of exploring the island’s unspoiled interior. For a mixture of exploration and adventure, try taking a quad bike tour along the fire trails around the island. You will love the exhilaration of the ride and the spectacular scenery you will see along the way.
You probably agree now that Hamilton Island is far more than an upmarket resort island for honeymooners and jetsetters. All of these attractions and more are available on a family budget. Of course, if money is no object, you will be treated like a king on Hamilton Island. On the other hand, no matter what your budget, you will feel like royalty on this stunning tropical resort island.