Lizard Island Resort

What a lovely place. The flight from Cairns was about an hour, with lots of great views from the plane. Arrival was top-notch - the staff met us at the air ***** and brought us to the restaurant to orient us and offer us food. The rooms were nice, quiet and private. They gave us a beach bag, beach blankets and water bottles to keep. The view was gorgeous. The resort provides everything for water activities. They gave us stinger suits (we didn't see any stinger jellyfish), fins, masks, etc. They had paddle boards, and all of the usual non-motorized sports. We did go out on the yacht one day to Cod Hole for snorkeling and for fishing. One of the fish we caught was given to the staff to eat, and we had it for dinner. Cod Hole had the sharks and turtles and so many beautiful fish. Our guide, Max, free-dived with a GoPro to show us the marine life. It was convenient because he just sent us the footage via the app. We were taken over to the other side of the lagoon to see the clam garden, with huge clams - like 5 feet wide. We saw turtles there as well. The food was delicious. The breakfast and dinner (we didn't eat lunch, only because we were having fun on the water) had good selections, and they knew our dietary preferences beforehand. The desserts were so good - I loved the passionfruit sorbet. The spread on the yacht was unbelievable - just so much food. The staff was helpful and kind. It's a "thing" in Australia for those who wish to get a visa to fulfill a requirement to work in a rural area for 88 days, and you will find these (mostly younger) people helping you at these resorts. They live in a little village right next to the property and they are from all over the world. They were happy to be there, and it showed. We did not use the spa or pool, but they looked very nice and had nice offerings. If you are able to, this is a wonderful place to go for a wonderful experience.

Booked Lizard Island for its NO CHILDREN policy. This is a very expensive holiday and many people don’t wish to share it with children. Unfortunately and unknown to us, their policy on children changes from No under 15 year olds, to No under 10, to No under 5. This is devious. Of the 20 or so guests on our holiday, there were 5 young children. We could have gone somewhere just as beautiful for a quarter of the price. Be aware.

Just left Lizard Island. My brother and I were certified scuba divers on 1971 and 1985, respectively and have been re-certified multiple times. We have scuba dived hundreds of times over the years. Once you go to a great dive locations you don't want to go to anywhere marginal. Where we live there is not good diving so we don't get to go as often as we would like to. We were looking forward to going diving on the barrier reef on this trip. We were presented with a 27 page (no kidding) form to fill out. Asking you every medical questions you could possible ask. If you are over 45 years old you better be accompanied by your doctor or your not going to go diving on Lizard Island. A group of four with us that didn't stay at Lizard Island, where two were certified and two were were not, didn't have problem scuba diving four time (one was a night dive) while we were at Lizard Island over the three days. So I don't think it is an Australia thing more about Lizard Island. Since we couldn't go scuba diving we decided to go snorkeling instead. Still presented with four forms to sign. We were asked to sign a form after we got done snorkeling stating that we were finished and we were releasing them from liability. snorkeling is just swimming with a mask and fins on! They must have a dozen lawyers on staff there! In many encounters they are militaristic in the way they deal with you. They are not very accommodating at all. The food was marginal with very choice in menu and little flexibility to get something else if what they offered was not to your liking. After two weeks in Australia with multiple stops across with country this was the lest impressive place we stayed. There are much better options.

Perfect in every way-we enjoyed a 5 day adventure on Lizard Island. From the flight up, gazing at the turquoise waters of the reef below, to the lovely accomodations, everything was outstanding. The staff took care to engage in conversation, share stories and create an environment where you can totally relax and enjoy everything. The menu was creative, and everything was well-prepared with wonderful fresh fish, fruits; delicious desserts! The watersports area and staff were so helpful; from providing snorkeling gear/GoPro/stinger suits/wetsuits and advice. The snorkeling was top shelf-be sure to take the day trip to the outer reef, so beautiful. As were the private dinghy trips to beaches on Lizard island, complete with picnic basket, chairs and beach umbrella. There was not a minute we didn't enjoy ourselves, perfectly relaxed and refreshed for the end of our trip. We cannot wait to return!

We stayed here as you can snorkel from the beach to the inner reef at many of the beaches. This resort is wonderful. Their attention to every detail is superb. We felt pampered from the time we stepped off the plane. I was celebrating a milestone birthday and the management decorated my room with balloons and hats and a bottle of champagne. Rooms are spacious and large and very comfortable. The food is also fabulous. They accommodated our dietary preferences and we probably ate way too much. The staff are very attentive and so friendly, catering to whatever we needed. They remembered what we liked and seemed to really enjoy working here. We were lucky to have some good weather before the tail end of cyclone Kiliry made the beaches in front of the resort very very choppy and all trips canceled. They drove us to the other end of the island to a lagoon where it was calm, the beach was beautiful. We also did a short hike one day on Pandanus trail and came back via Chinamans ridge, after which we went to the pool (and were the only ones there so it was like a private pool). This resort was well worth the splurge. Even with weather issues (which they cannot control) , it was a wonderful visit.

What a stunning place to celebrate our friend’s 60th 🍾 The snorkeling was amazing and the close up experiences with turtles was precious. The staff went out of their way to make sure our stay was all we could hope for. We’ll definitely be back!

We have found heaven on earth. Paradise begins the moment you step off the little airplane onto the island. The natural beauty, the atmosphere, the views, the rooms, the food, the service are unmatched. This is a very special destination, uniquely superb and absolutely worth every penny.

Situated in the Great Barrier Reef in front of two white sand beaches,overlooking the ocean:THE HOUSE stands majestically. The airport reception sets the tone for the service offered in such a wonderful island.We had a warm welcome from the: -The hotel manager Mark, -The supervisor Paul, -The chef Matthew and his assistant Laura. This place is just stunning.Everyday was full of discovery.The reef, the birds exploring, the fishing session, the tasty meals, the house living, the Marlin bar.... The dreamworld discovery land in a unique home over an exceptional reef that's where we came.Thank you so much for such a great service and consideration. Take care.

Lizard Island is incredible and lives up to the expectations set . Rather than gush about it, I will just add what you might not get from the other reviews/website. TEAM The team are very good, but they are very young (as you might expect of people who want to live away from 'civilisation'). They make up for relative inexperience with lots of charm and warmth. There was an older guest (well into 80s, maybe 90s) staying alone at the same time as us, and it was a pleasure to see how she was welcomed. However, whilst that lack of polish doesn't show on site, it did show in pre-arrival interactions which left me very cross. I won't dwell on what happened, but 'it made sense' when I met the actual person with whom I had been emailing. Charming in person, but perhaps lacking in dos and don'ts for the hospitality sector. PROPERTY This is South Pacific idyll, but don't expect Aman style property management. Paths aren't brushed frequently so lots of dead leaves around etc. This makes sense because i) this is a high wage economy and everyone needs to be fed housed and paid. You won't be going at the villa deck with a toothbrush in the way you might elsewhere. Also, whilst some lawns are watered, water management means that landscaping is more natural. I loved the style and substance of the rooms which was 'beach chic' but oddly the reception felt more urban (LED backlighting and polished mid-brown wood). Everything is great, but I think the rooms are a better look than the restaurant. Gym is really great. FOOD We loved the food, and although the menus might be a bit limited and repetitive, the chef will accommodate anything. Remember that there is separate vegetarian menu which you can ask for if you are a meat-eater, but don't fancy those options. The only thing I could have wanted for was freshly squeezed orange juice. The all inclusive is very very inclusive. We didn't add a single $ on food or drink and snacked/dined/drank with abandon. DIVING Friends said 'don't bother with the diving because the snorkelling is so good'. And yes, we saw turtles, sharks etc straight outside of our room. But the diving is out of this world. So well managed, and the dive sites are like being of the set of Finding Nemo, with incredible visibility. The only thing with the diving is - goodness - they require a lot of paperwork and disclaimers. Apparently that's Queensland rules, but it feels v clunky. LOGISTICS All so well planned from arrival in Cairns. You're met, driven to the private side of the airport, nice waiting lounge etc. Reverse logistics are great. So nice to not leave the hotel bar until you hear the plan pass overhead! Thank you for a wonderful stay.