Meet Emma, one of our amazing customers who won our £20 gift voucher for her fantastic #gandysinthewild photo. We love hearing all of your travel stories and as she is currently backpacking around Australia, we needed her travel tips! Here are her recommendations for visiting the Whitsunday Islands.

Where are the Whitsundays?

There are 74 stunning Whitsunday Islands (often referred to as the ‘Whitsundays’) that lie between the northeast coast of Queensland, Australia and the Great Barrier Reef. As you can imagine, the white sands stretch for miles and teeming with natural beauty, as most of the islands are uninhabited. As well as white beaches, the islands house rain forests, hiking trails and lots of incredible wildlife.

How do I get there?

You can get to the Whitsundays via two airports; Hamilton Island Airport (HTI) is located on Hamilton Island and Whitsundays Coast Airport (PPP) is located about 25 minutes from Airlie Beach on the mainland.

Emma booked well in advance and took a Greyhound Bus to visit the many locations across the islands. Self driving is also an option if you have a full driving licence and the confidence to drive abroad! You can also camp on certain sites, however this gets incredibly booked up during the high season.

Emma’s Travel Tips

“When it comes to travel, it is best to book a bus well in advance as they don’t always run everyday and can easily sell out, so be sure to get the bus arranged! I considered hiring a car and driving, but they were all booked up so if you’re doing to self drive, be sure to get it arranged before it's too late!”

Where is the best place to stay?

From private islands eco resorts to beachside bures, there’s hundreds of accommodations options to choose from…budget dependent of course!

Emma’s top recommendations are:

- Shute Harbour Road has a brilliant atmosphere as there are plenty of shops, restaurants and bars, however you are further from the Port, which is where most shuttles collect guests
- For a beach stay, Whitsunday Island is home to Whitehaven Beach, which has 7kms of pristine white beach. 

- Hook Island is a national park and perfect for snorkelling.

- If you’re a golfer, then Laguna is the place to stay
- For fishing, Proserpine is the best spot. 

Here are some of our recommendations in the the area where Emma stayed:

Mirage Whitsundays

Club Wyndham Airlie Beach

Airlie Beach Hotel

Which activities should I do?

Taking a Whitsundays Tour is the best way to see the islands. Emma warned us that the popular ones get booked up quickly, so you need to be organised.

Emma’s Travel Tips:

‘Popular Whitsundays Tours sell out at least a week prior to the departure date, if not sooner. So don’t miss out! Many tours and activities include lunch, but they don’t cater to all dietary requirements, so I recommend contacting the provider directly if need be.’

Emma highly recommends the day trips that are taken by boat. You can hire your own boat directly or head on group tours.
Snorkelling is a must thanks to the incredible sealife that surrounds the area. A visit to Hill Inlet is another recommendation that can’t be ignored!

For overnight trips, there again is a huge variety of boats, depending on your budget. If you fancy running the ship, you can join the crew or you can opt for the party experience and dance the night away. Private Charters are also available, so take your pick!

A huge thank you for Emma for her pearls of wisdom. Let us know if you decide to visit the gorgeous Whitsunday islands and don’t forget to pack your Gandys essentials.

Have some travel tips you want to share? Send as a DM on insta to be featured and if you tag us using #gandysinthewild, you might just get a sweet £20 gift voucher!