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  • Carla P
    Adelaide, Australia19 contributions
    Pleasant surprise
    We were a bit unsure of what to expect after reading some mixed reviews. We were greeted by a very strong smelling bird odour upon entering the main precinct on the island, and then walked the perimeter where signs indicated that swimming and snorkelling was not advised. This left us very confused as the tour we took offered snorkelling as an option on the island. We followed the crowds and chose to snorkel next to the jetty, and we were not disappointed. Our kids explored the reef and were very impressed with what they saw. We lost count of the number of sea turtles we saw and the weather was just perfect! We opted for sandwiches from lite bites cafe, which were on the cheaper end of food available which we enjoyed. Overall, our day was incredibly special and the sea life and coral is definitely worth seeing. After a questionable start, the day was fantastic and we would recommend to others.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 3 November 2023
  • D-towner R
    Darwin, Australia170 contributions
    Gorgeous day on Green Island
    What a fabulous time you can have on Green island! The beauty of this island is that the reef is easily accessible by strolling off the beach and into the water. We found the best beach and snorkelling opportunities were next to the jetty when you first arrive at the island. The beach is clean and the water calm and inviting. The snorkelling offered an array of marine life including turtles, plenty of fish, an octopus, coral and a cruising shark. Both my husband and I and our two children loved it here. My best tip for the day would be to invest in hiring a stinger suit - these offer great protection from stingers, the sun and provides some insulation for the cooler water. The only negative I have for the island is that food and drinks are eye watering expensive. Other than that - amazing!!
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 6 November 2023
  • Travelogo
    London, United Kingdom281 contributions
    Ticks many boxes but not ideal for a barrier reef visit
    This is a good place to get an overview of the barrier reef. it is on the fringes of the reef so do not expect an "authentic" reef experience. I say that it ticks many boxes for a reef type visit for the following reasons: it is close to cairns- you can get to it in 40 minutes by ferry; it is one of the least expensive tours of the reef; it has lovely beaches; it is children friendly; it has walks and a swimming pool; it has passable coral for snorkelling; it has an adequate restaurant. The best place to snorkel here is under the bridge that takes you to and from the landing boats, anywhere else is a disappointment. If I visited again I would choose another tour that takes you to the outer reef. Green island is suitable for those who aren't much into snorkelling (or those who are elderly or travelling with very young children) but want to dabble whilst enjoying all the other amenities of a beach resort. It's a beautiful island but if you want to take a proper look at the GBR I would advise you to take one of those tours that take you to a floating platform in the outer reef, where you can spend all day viewing the reef.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 30 April 2024
  • Jennifer T
    Brisbane, Australia22 contributions
    Green island Escape
    We stayed here in a slow season for 7 nights so the resort was definitely not at capacity. Busy through the day though with day trippers. This was a place to relax. We swam, read, visited the Crocodile Park, went to the outer reef to snorkel and scuba dive, did the glass bottom boat trip and some rainforest walks. Something to note is that house guests can come in and out of the Crocodile Park once you’ve paid the entry fee. We visited 3 times to see the show so get in early during your stay for best benefit. House guests get free use of beach equipment, beach chairs, umbrellas, kayaks etc. Snorkelling off the beach near the jetty is best but limited coral. Plenty of fish and the odd turtle though. The resort is pretty well maintained. Some things might need refreshing but mostly all good. The staff were so friendly and competent Food in the restaurant was amazing. Prices a bit higher but that was to be expected. We took some snacks with us as the shops have limited choices. Mostly icecream, crisps and a few chocolate bars. Note -You are not permitted to take an esky or alcohol to the island Breakfast was included and had all we could want. Other Dining was mostly in the Little Bites for lunch ( hamburgers, steak sandwich, hotdogs etc) and restaurant for dinner other than a couple of nights we had burgers from the bar. The bar is open in the evenings if there are enough house guests. A couple of nights during our stay it was closed. All in all a good holiday. Probably wouldn’t return as we’d explore another island next time.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 25 May 2024
  • Helen & Rob
    Adelaide, Australia64 contributions
    WORTH THE VISIT
    Enjoyed this little island on a day tour. Lovely walks etc to do. It's all well organised. Apparently you can stay there as there is a small resort. But too quiet for me. Some people told us only about 30 people staying there. They said the food was quite expensive. We enjoyed the day tour. Enjoy....
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 27 May 2024
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Jennifer A
Sydney, Australia11 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
After reading the mixed reviews, I didn't know what to expect, but was very pleasantly surprised!
Yes, the island does smell of guano. It is a forested, tropical island and a national park.. if you are not anticipating this, then you need to re-adjust your expectations. With that said the staff spend a great deal of time trying to keep on top of the birds and do a great job.
We stayed on Green Island for 7 nights in a reef suite. The accommodation is lovely (local TV, movie channels and WiFi are included), the restaurant serves tasty, solid meals and has a good wine list, considering it is 45km off shore and everything needs to be brought in. Meals were a little expensive, but the wine was very reasonable. If you are expecting a hatted restaurant, this is not the place for you, but the food is well cooked, we enjoyed the hospitality and had enough variety for the week.
It is very clear that the resort makes its money from the day trippers, not the house guests, which was a really nice surprise. As house guests, we were very well looked after. The staff were lovely, remembered our names and orders..
We managed to secure a great package through Luxury Escapes and had lots of bonus inclusions. It is well worth staying the night, if only to experience the relaxed pace of the island when the boats leave. The snorkeling was magic first thing in the morning and after the fish feed in the evening. The staff leave torches for the guests to use at night on the jetty for fish spotting.. The jetty was alive with nighttime activity which the day trippers miss. Do snorkel to, and past, the end of the jetty. It is by far the best snorkeling around the island.
The diving was also a surprise. There are 4 dive sites around the island + a day trip to the Moore Reef pontoon. 2 sites (New York and moorings) are very shallow (10m / 5m max depth), but the sites were teaming with marine life, including turtles, clownfish, trevally, batfish, sweetlips, rabbitfish, reef sharks etc and a spotted eagle ray thrown in for good measure. They are used for the large numbers of discover scuba divers and snorkelers.
The other 2 sites (Point X and 4 sisters) had a bit more depth (21 and 17m) and were terrific to dive, with all of the above and some nice nudi's, morays and barracuda. They aren't dived on often, but if you get the chance, take it!
The pontoon diving was quite different with more / better quality coral. Seeing a huge QLD grouper and the very large Maori wrasse, was pretty cool too. I was surprised that the fish density was actually higher at Green Island, but both were worth doing and the combination provided some nice variety.
Note the coral on Green Island is often covered in sediment on the dive sites (due to the ocean currents), but again the fish life was very dense and more than made up for it.
All in all we had a terrific week on Green Island and I think that 5-7 days is the perfect amount of time to spend there. I'd happily go back.
Written 16 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ChezzaDavidson
Warrnambool, Australia68 contributions
Jun 2024 • Solo
This visit was part time for a tour package and with the hype delivered by the marine biologist onboard I so looking forward to it.
The rotting, decaying smell of undergrowth assuaged your senses as you walked into the food court and it took ok sometime to adjust.
Women jumped on you attempting to sell their tours and were abrasive in their attitudes- I have encountered aggressive hawkers in my travels overseas but these were a group to their own.
The pool was badly set up- minimal loungers and groups of chairs around a table
Food and drink were on the expensive side - guess I understand that due to remote location.

What I thought was the biggest rip off was charging people for use of sun lounges and umbrellas on the small beach.

Seeing people congregating at the table and chairs in the food court was not due to delectable food, it was due to a place to sit.

The toilets were clean and smelt better than the outside environment.

If this option is offered to you- give it a miss or select the 1/2 day option.
A full day is too long.
The toilets were clean
Written 12 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Helen & Rob
Adelaide, Australia64 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
Enjoyed this little island on a day tour. Lovely walks etc to do. It's all well organised. Apparently you can stay there as there is a small resort. But too quiet for me. Some people told us only about 30 people staying there. They said the food was quite expensive. We enjoyed the day tour. Enjoy....
Written 28 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jennifer T
Brisbane, Australia22 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
We stayed here in a slow season for 7 nights so the resort was definitely not at capacity. Busy through the day though with day trippers.
This was a place to relax. We swam, read, visited the Crocodile Park, went to the outer reef to snorkel and scuba dive, did the glass bottom boat trip and some rainforest walks.
Something to note is that house guests can come in and out of the Crocodile Park once you’ve paid the entry fee. We visited 3 times to see the show so get in early during your stay for best benefit.
House guests get free use of beach equipment, beach chairs, umbrellas, kayaks etc. Snorkelling off the beach near the jetty is best but limited coral. Plenty of fish and the odd turtle though.
The resort is pretty well maintained. Some things might need refreshing but mostly all good.
The staff were so friendly and competent
Food in the restaurant was amazing. Prices a bit higher but that was to be expected.
We took some snacks with us as the shops have limited choices. Mostly icecream, crisps and a few chocolate bars.
Note -You are not permitted to take an esky or alcohol to the island

Breakfast was included and had all we could want. Other Dining was mostly in the Little Bites for lunch ( hamburgers, steak sandwich, hotdogs etc) and restaurant for dinner other than a couple of nights we had burgers from the bar. The bar is open in the evenings if there are enough house guests. A couple of nights during our stay it was closed.
All in all a good holiday. Probably wouldn’t return as we’d explore another island next time.
Written 25 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sheila L
Melbourne, Australia2 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
WHAT AN INCREDIBLE DISAPPOINTMENT. LUXURY ESCAPE’S SOLD US THIS RESORT AS A FIVE STAR.! FOR OVER 1000.00 DOLLARS A DAY …THE SUITE WAS BASIC. NO KETTLE OR DRINK FACILITY IN ROOM. NO WATER PROVIDED. HAD TO BUY BOTTLED WATER. THE RESAURANT GAVE YOU THE OPTION OF AROUND 7 MEAL CHOICES WHICH THEY NEVER CHANGED FOR THE WHOLE TIME. SEVEN DAYS LUNCH WAS THE SAME MENU.THERE WAS NO QUALIFIED CHEF. FOOD VERY MEDIOCRE AND AT LEAST 2 DISHES INEDIBLE. NEVER ORDER THE DAMPNERS.
THE SMALL POOL FOR GUESTS WAS FREEZING COLD BECAUSE ALWAYS IN SHADE.
IF YOU HAD LUNCH IN THE FOOD COURT WHERE ALL THE DAILY TRIPPERS ATE YOU PAY A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT FOR EVEN A HOT DOG.
ON THE POSITIVE THE STAFF ON WORKING VISAS WERE DELIGHTFUL. 90 PERCENT OF STAFF. THE CROCODILE FARM WAS TO ME TRAUMATIC. AGAIN RIP OFF.
Written 24 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kelly D
2 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
I do not know who refers to this island as "boutique" but it is at the complete opposite end of this scale.
As soon as you get close to the island from the jetty, it is absolutely putrid & there are a number of places on this island that absolutely stink. The place is filthy, the snorkelling is far from good and 4 hours on this island was 4 hours to long. They are charging over $5k for 7 nights and I am soooo thankful we did not book to stay here.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY OR TIME, it's disgusting.
Written 11 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ryans Y
4 contributions
May 2024 • Family
I loved this place … it’s not fancy or luxurious but if you love nature and want to see beautiful coral, turtles, sharks and all kinds of fish it’s fantastic, I snorkeled with all of them. The best stuff happens after the boats leave of an afternoon.
Written 11 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Travelogo
London, UK281 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
This is a good place to get an overview of the barrier reef. it is on the fringes of the reef so do not expect an "authentic" reef experience. I say that it ticks many boxes for a reef type visit for the following reasons: it is close to cairns- you can get to it in 40 minutes by ferry; it is one of the least expensive tours of the reef; it has lovely beaches; it is children friendly; it has walks and a swimming pool; it has passable coral for snorkelling; it has an adequate restaurant. The best place to snorkel here is under the bridge that takes you to and from the landing boats, anywhere else is a disappointment. If I visited again I would choose another tour that takes you to the outer reef. Green island is suitable for those who aren't much into snorkelling (or those who are elderly or travelling with very young children) but want to dabble whilst enjoying all the other amenities of a beach resort. It's a beautiful island but if you want to take a proper look at the GBR I would advise you to take one of those tours that take you to a floating platform in the outer reef, where you can spend all day viewing the reef.
Written 30 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dean V
2 contributions
Apr 2024 • Solo
Worked there. Bad food, management and overpriced. If you want bad frozen food go to Cole’s before u go there cause that’ll be better quality. The beach is lovely though
Written 2 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

trichick5
London, UK31 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
Boat over was rough conditions with people screaming etc. I don’t get seasick but a lot of people were.

The island itself is run down and over priced. It was nice to get out of Cairns though. We just spent the whole day at the pool. I did walk to the beach but it was $45 for a deck chair.

if I went again I’d bring more food and a few beers.

The boat back was less choppy but the materials on the seats was disgusting and needs replacing. I think many people have been sick on them.
Written 30 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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GREEN ISLAND (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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