Australia · SAILING
Good sailing trips fill up weeks ahead; the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Review of Passions of Paradise from Cairns, with two outer reef stops, snorkeling, scuba, lunch, marine guides, and practical booking advice.
“Fab, Crewe were amazing , so helpful, so friendly , so knowledgeable”
Review of Passions of Paradise, a full-day Cairns catamaran cruise with two reef stops, snorkeling, scuba, lunch, and marine talks.
“The crew were great, really informative and I felt confident with our guide Simon. We did a scuba taster session and enjoyed it so much, we paid for a 2nd one on the same trip. The reefs we visited were amazing and we got really close to them. There was loads of food provided, unfortunately I was too sea sick to eat anything but bread at lunch, but there were lots of fruit and snacks later.”
Sail to Whitehaven Beach, hike Hill Inlet, snorkel, and enjoy an all-inclusive BBQ day aboard the Camira from Airlie Beach.
“Such a great day! The team went above and beyond for the entire day! Special shoutout to Joel who was so accommodating with my gluten allergy and also for his amazing music playlist - everyone was loving it! :)”
Spend two nights aboard Avatar sailing the Whitsundays, with Whitehaven Beach, snorkeling, meals, and simple onboard accommodation included.
“All of it it.was the best trip ever Alex and Ella where the best ella was a awesome cook and helpfull and we had good chat Alex was very professional and nogalagble took us to all the top spot and definitely interested doing it again thank again alex and Ella from matt dillon”
Review of OzSail’s 2-night Whitsundays cruise, with Whitehaven Beach, snorkeling, meals, sailing, bunks, costs, and practical tips.
“We are korean tourists! We were able to see whales, dolphins and turtles on this tour. It was a great experience and an unforgettable memory. The entire tour team sweetly took care of the passengers. This is a tour I would like to participate in again if given the opportunity.”
Review of Sailaway’s Low Isles cruise from Port Douglas, with sailing, snorkelling, reef wildlife, lunch, glass-bottom boat, and practical tips.
“We had a fabulous day out to Low Island (as near as we’ll get to being on a desert island). See was a bit choppy and we weren’t very brave about snorkelling but thoroughly enjoyed sitting in a very warm sea in our stinger suits. Skipper Jake, ERead more”
Review of Port Douglas sunset sailing cruise: catamaran views, drinks, canapés, weather tips, seasickness advice, price, and booking guidance.
“It can get rough, my advice take something for seasickness. Our experience was great, the crew were very engaging.”
Review of Cairns’ Spirit of Cairns catamaran dinner cruise, with sunset views, local seafood, live music, practical tips, and honest drawbacks.
“This was a beautiful and relaxing rhe food was awsome and sitting on the deck wating the lights of Cairns was magical. Would highly recommend and will be going again”
Review of OzSail’s 2-day Matador sailing tour from Airlie Beach, with Whitehaven Beach, snorkeling, meals, stargazing, costs, and practical tips.
“A very enjoyable trip. The snorkelling locations were fantastic and seeing Whitehaven beach before anyone else was great. The food supplied was very nice and had good variety. I would recommend bringing your own drinking water and some beverages to enhance the experience of watching the sunset. The crew onboard were excellent - thank you!”
Review of the Camira sailing day trip from Airlie Beach, with Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet, snorkeling, barbecue lunch, drinks, and practical tips.
“Great staff, extremely well fed, vibrant reef, spectacular views. 10/10 would highly highly recommend”
Review of Reef Daytripper’s small-group Cairns sailing trip to Upolu Reef, with snorkeling, lunch, wildlife, practical tips, and honest drawbacks.
“Overall, today was a good trip. Only 10 patrons came on the trip today and we had a crew of three. The crew was professional and helpful although a little standoffish at first. The trip to the reef took 2 hours under sail and motoring. The wind and waves today were very choppy, I do not recommend this boat if you get sea sickness. I was okay but I saw a few folks vomit. You get a total of 3 hours approximately to snorkel or dive if you’re certified. The instructors stick close and point out fish and we even saw a 5 foot shark. The reef had many types…”
Review of Sydney’s 150-minute Fantasea whale watching cruise, with a fast catamaran, open-ocean sightings, comfort, price, and practical tips.
“Great whale watching experience - lots of active whales to be seen!”
Review of Cairns’ Green Island and Great Barrier Reef sailing tour, with small-group snorkeling, scuba, lunch, sailing, and practical tips.
“Guys from the crew are just amazing! They are so helpful, polite and have interesting stories to tell. Snorkeling spot was just perfect- we have seen a shark and a lot of different types of fishes. Also, food was great. Wonderful seefood and a lot more options. Complimentary cheese, wine and cakes were nice sunset details.”
Review of OzSail’s 2-night Whitsundays sailing trip from Airlie Beach, with Whitehaven Beach, reef snorkeling, meals, stargazing, and practical tips.
“Absolutely loved our Whitsundays sailing trip with Spank me! From boarding to leaving the boat the crew were awesome - attentive, informative and very fun. A lot of credit to Kate, Kayla and Val who worked tirelessly to make it a smooth trip We enjoyed the sunrises / sunsets, the food was great and of course Whitehaven beach was unreal especially after beating the crowd Would highly recommend”
Review of Port Douglas’s 90-minute sunset catamaran cruise, with sailing views, canapés, drinks, practical tips, and honest value advice.
“The crew and the captain was so friendly and helpful. Went around offering drinks and food while the catamaran glided through the ocean. Sunset views were beautiful. Overall great experience.”
Reef days, coast roads, wine country and the red centre.
