🇦🇺 Cairns Solo Trip Diary ｜ Travel Tips & Must-Knows ✨

This was my first time traveling alone abroad — and I’m so proud of myself! 🧳💪 I met kind people, saw breathtaking views, and tried unique activities… though there were some disappointments too. Sharing my experience and tips for anyone planning a solo trip to Cairns! 📅 DAY 1: Exploring the City Flew in from Melbourne and took it easy on the first day. Wandered around the city and tried: Vietnamese Pho 🍜 La Pizza 🍕 (Both were delicious! 🤤) ⚠️ Tip: Check tide times! I went to the shore late afternoon — the water had receded, and all I saw was bare sand. Not pretty 😅 📅 DAY 2: Magic Reef Day Tour (The Highlight! 😍) Took a 1.5-hour boat ride 🚤 (must take motion sickness pills!!). Even on my second day of my period, with painkillers and a tampon, I made it — and it was so worth it! The underwater world was magical 🐠🪸 — schools of fish, giant corals, full of life! The boat offered a buffet lunch 🥘 and included activities like snorkeling. Highly recommended! I’d booked a helicopter ride over the reef 🚁, but it was canceled due to cloudy weather. ⚠️ Tip: Helicopter tours get canceled often. If it’s a must-do, choose a boat-only round trip or check weather forecasts closely! 📅 DAY 3: Skydiving — My Biggest Dream! 🪂 I’d been dreaming of jumping at Mission Beach… but it was canceled due to clouds. Luckily, I found a last-minute spot in the city — but even that was cloudy. Still fun, but views were limited. In the afternoon, I took the bus to Palm Cove 🏖️ — but again, cloudy, cold, not pretty. ⚠️ Tip: Skydiving in Cairns is super weather-dependent. Mission Beach gets canceled often. Always have a backup plan! 📅 DAY 4: Aquarium + Rusty’s Market Originally planned to visit the Paronella Park or Kuranda Rainforest… but it poured all day 🌧️💔 So I went to the Cairns Aquarium instead — and it turned out better than expected! Great for photos 📸, lots of cool marine life 🦈🐢 Then I headed to Rusty’s Market (open only Fri, Sat, Sun!). Tried yellow dragon fruit for the first time 🐉, drank fresh juice 🧃, walked around in Crocs under the rain — felt like a true local 😂 ⚠️ Tip: The aquarium ticket is $50 — pretty pricey. But students get a discount with ID! This trip didn’t go as planned… No helicopter, no skydiving at Mission Beach, no rainforest, and my period decided to join too 😅 But you know what? These “imperfections” made the experience deeper and more real. I didn’t just travel — I lived. Already dreaming of my next destination 🌍✈️ #SoloFemaleTravel #StudyAbroadLife #TravelTheWorld #CairnsDiary #HiddenGems #TravelTips #AustraliaTravel 💖