Thala Beach Nature Reserve — Hotel in Oak Beach

Checked in at the main reception and drove the 150 metres or so back down to the main guest carpark where a staff member in a golf buggy picked me up and took me back to my upgraded Eucalypt Bungalow, which was a short walk from the restaurant and reception. My first impression was that I'd finally come to a place where staff were friendly, professional and hadn't forgotten the meaning of genuine customer service. The smiling, knowledgeable and passionate staff help to make this resort what it is. My stay at Thala Beach Nature Reserve was booked as part of a $1998 2-person 5 night TripADeal package that included breakfasts, late checkout and a bottle of champagne, as well as a couple of yacht cruises through Sailaway Tours. I probably wouldn't have stayed here had I paid full price, and even some of the "specials" on Thala's own website don't seem great value in comparison, but I think the price I paid was fair. My Eucalypt Bungalow was nestled in amongst the forest canopy though I note there were a few further down the walkway that had a more open view from their balconies, which some may prefer. The bungalow itself was well equipped, and staff brought down some knives and plates for me upon request. The interior design was.... let's call it timeless....! Some people say dated, but I didn't really feel that way. Everything was well maintained and because there were no radical designs or materials used, the overall feel was fine - not modern, but not outdated either. Having a separate bath was great, relaxing, and what I'd expect at a 5 star resort. The split system air conditioner was nice and quiet and everything in the room worked. If I had to make a criticism here, it would be that the toiletries provided should be sourced from local manufacturers. The little shampoos were made in china, and I think we should all be doing our best not to be buying products made there. I would expect a place like TBNR to be all the more conscious of supporting local enterprise. The views and breakfasts at Osprey’s Restaurant were magnificent. Food was of a good quality and presentation was very nice. Serving sizes were decent too. Given that breakfast was included in my package, I could order any of the usual food items on their a-la-carte breakfast menu, as well as tea or bottomless filtered coffee (normally $4). A cup of decent “barista” coffee was $5 on the menu but wasn't included with my package which I found a little disappointing. Anyway, it was a trip back in time in that respect and by the end of my 5 night stay I'd come to be able to stomach the filter coffee :P Sugar and milk certainly helped! I'd recommend doing some of the activities offered by the resort. Unfortunately given the time of year it was too cloudy for the stargazing, but I was lucky enough to be able to do the Bird & Nature Walk. The gentleman running this was amazingly knowledgeable and passionate, and I really enjoyed the walk and commentary. The property was huge so even in my 5 days I actually never managed to do all the other walks I wanted to, in between my other sightseeing. I would have liked to see them offering young drinking coconuts from their plantation to guests, though perhaps this is something they do on their dedicated Nature Walk. A couple of criticisms that I feel need to be made are the lack of Wi-Fi in the accommodation. Free Wi-Fi is available in the reception building, and whilst mobile/data coverage wasn't an issue for me (with Optus), this may be an issue (and an expectation) for many guests these days. Also, having a spa on the top level of the hotel pool was lovely but the water in that was the same temperature as the rest of the pool. I'd have loved (and expected) for the spa to be heated to at least 32 degrees. In the end however, I enjoyed my stay and would love to come back sometime. Being surrounded by nature and not seeing a single chinese tour group was exactly what I needed, and that's what I experienced here! Thank you to all at Thala Beach Nature Reserve, keep up the good work and...

My friend Ellie and I had such an amazing week at Thala and would not hesitate to return if - when - we come back to the area. The resort is as close to perfection as you’ll ever get, set in an idyllic location in amongst the greenery and right next to the coast. The views are breathtaking. You can walk down to the beach for a gorgeous afternoon reading in the sun (only downside is you can’t swim in the beach due to crocs/jellyfish, but that’s the case for this entire region) or you can spend your days by one of the beautiful pools or on one of the many couches around the lodge. The resort was busy when we were there but never felt crowded at all because it’s so spread out and the staff are very attentive. The views from the restaurant are amazing and the food is very good - in particular, the crab linguine is absolutely unbeatable. I hope this dish is never taken off the menu. My friend and I must have ordered it half a dozen times between us.

There are also fantastic activities offered by the resort at no charge including a birdwatching walk, stargazing, and a coconut talk. Each of these were absolutely fantastic. The guides that lead these tours are passionate and very knowledgeable about their areas. I would encourage any guest to take up every opportunity to join in for these if you can as they don’t take long and they’re well worth your time. The staff are all genuinely lovely. Extremely friendly, professional and helpful and just nice to be around.

The resort is not walking distance from Port Douglas but it doesn’t matter, they can arrange shuttles to town for you with a bit of advance notice, or if you want to do guided trips (eg to Great Barrier or the Daintree), the company can probably send a car to collect you.

It is nearly impossible to fault this slice of paradise, but if I had to make a few small suggestions they would be as follows: there are many mosquitos in this region, there’s no way to avoid that, but how about including some coils on guests’ balconies? Or even dried coconut? (We learnt during the talk that the smoke of dried coconut shell repels mosquitos!). That way guests can enjoy a wine on their balconies without needing to douse themselves in repellent. Secondly, because the pools are mostly shaded (which is wise - the FNQ sun is fierce), the water was a little chilly when we were there (winter). It would be amazing if one of the pools was slightly heated. Finally, a small tip for guests who might want to enjoy a mug of coffee, cheese and crackers, or a bowl of cereal etc in your room - I recommend you bring your own equipment for this (mug, knife, bowl etc) because the rooms are minimally equipped with a kettle, two small cups, two wine glasses, and that’s about it. It wasn’t really an issue for us because it was a good excuse to get out of the room and eat at the lovely restaurant! We did miss the breakfast window a couple times (service stops from 10-12) so just ate cereal out of the little cups which...

We requested early check in and room upgrade which they kindly agreed as they weren’t at capacity due to recent cyclone and flooding events. Reception service was friendly.||Upgraded room had a fantastic view of the ocean and trees. Room was large but a little dated and lacking in basic maintenance (e.g. blocked shower head, leaking shower unit and signal issues with television).||The site is large but mostly walkable unless it’s nighttime and pouring down with rain for which I’d recommend using their golf buggy service (a few of the lights supposed to keep the pathways lit were broken)! The buggy drivers were also very friendly. They have their own private beach however there had been substantial damage from the cyclone which they hadn’t managed to clear before they arrived. Spa treatments were available during our stay and we both had a massage which was excellent and a real highlight.||Our main criticism was the on site restaurant, Osprey. Lunch menu was incredibly limited and was just the entrees from their dinner menu. Luckily we were only staying for two nights, any longer and this would be very tedious! Dinner menu wasn’t much better and food quality was not up to standards expected for the prices charged. Service was very relaxed (if anything, too relaxed!) and waiting staff were dressed like they were about to take us on safari (cheap red polo shirts and work boots!). Again, not what we were expecting given prices charged. The breakfast offering was probably the worst I’ve ever experienced and laughable. Hot food selection was limited to scrambled egg, bacon and sausage and that was it. Cold food selection was basic at best. You’d get a better breakfast at any of the budget hotels in the UK (eg Premier Inn). If staying here we’d recommend you do away with Osprey and drive into Port Douglas and make the most of the fantastic restaurants on offer there. |Overall a bit of a disappointing stay as we had high hopes / expectations given the positive reviews we had read...