Lizard Island Resort

We flew into the island on a charter plane from HInterland and were immediately met with cold facecloths and a warm welcome. The entire restaurant, lounge and reception is open air, which gives it a very natural feel but with the numerous ceiling fans at work the temperature was ok. We ate there for breakfast, lunch and dinner and were thorougly impressed with the variety , quality and taste of the food. The selection of wines included in the package was very good and as a result we got to try some that we would otherwise never have chosen. The staff are tremendous throughout the resort. The rooms, ours was overlooking Sunset Beach, were spacious and modern with good Air conditioning and generously sized bathrooms. We like having the double sink but my wife missed having a bath. Having said that, the snorkeling in crystal clear warm reef water more than made up for it. One of those experiences that will be difficult to better.

Our stay here was the highlight of our trip to Queensland last summer with family. We splurged on the Pavillion for ourselves which we would recommend in a heartbeat. It is a fabulous space with great views in both directions. We got very used to champagne for sundowners and canapes which were included each evening and also loved the plunge pool. We travelled with extended family including our 12 year old grandson who was looked after very well. The watersports service was excellent. We are new to snorkelling and so the free lesson was very useful and enabled us to enjoy the other trips available.

This is our second visit 5 years apart. Now Relaix and Chateau I can say the resort gets better each visit. We stayed in the same villa that had been updated and the end result was elegant beach with all that you need in a villa at hand. Twenty metres to the beautiful waters of the Barrier Reef and snorkeling only a 100 metre walk along the beach from our villa. The staff, mainly backpackers are excellent. Delaware North the owners should be proud of the training given. Full board and drinks make for that extra luxury feel and both were high quality and plentiful. The food is high standard and tasty. I would say a little more salad choice as standard would be great to lighten up the food,especially at lunch. That said if you wanted something different the staff went out of their way to accommodate. I even asked for a sandwich and an Aussie hamburger. Activities are professionally run and all equipment top quality. All this is not cheap and we stayed 8 nights where most stay 3 or 4. Try the short trip first as the flight to and from Cairns is extra and I’m sure you will be wanting to return or stay longer.

Like a previous poster, my visits have now hit the teens. First as a family when our youngest hit the magic age, as a couple, mother/daughter and now 3rd time solo. Why: There have been some stays which have been outstanding, some excellent and others good. This last visit was one of the highlight ones. Booking: Direct through the office in Melbourne, all activities sorted, although there was a glitch with my spa booking, partly me not reading confirmation carefully, partly the island making sure I had day and time requested. Flight Over: In the early days it was Hinterland, which was sometimes hit and miss, over to East Air, generally good and this time back with Hinterland. The refurb of the lounge and exclusive access means you start as you will continue- in style Day of departure was hideously wet in Cairns but in the air 15 mins (or less) we were drenched in sunshine with spectacular views, smooth scenic flight. Don't feel stressed by conditions in Cairns. Lizard is another world in weather. Arrival: There were only 2 guests on our flight so we did the standard orientation. Shannon was well informed and pointed out the necessary highlights. Shout outs also to Grace, Ian and Azzi in recpetion of of course Paulie who did my "orientation" Check In etc: Casual lunch, none of the give me your CC, check the ID, just whisked into Saltwater and seated with my L 'Allier. My little package of paperwork contained my dinghy picnic request and itinerary. A new feature is the activities waiver and equipment request form online. WOW... so good. Room: For many years we were a beachfront villa, but being solo I now have a garden room. I only sleep and shower, but I do miss a little place to lay on the verandah for my pm siesta. I don't think I would book these rooms as a couple. Just steps to the beach and sea glimpses. Housekeeping was done at the time requested, but I'd love a sweep of the verandah after a few days in ( I appreciate most don't stay as long as I do) Food: This was up there with the best on island food i have had. Well done to the chefs, especially the inclusion of plenty of seafood. Breakfast has the one menu but it is so varied that it works perfectly. Try the Calimari Pizzata... or as I did add the calamari mince to your omelette. Tofu Scramble, OMG yum! Lunches have a staples and day to day change. It has a 4 day rotation, but there are subtle variations based on produce. Dinners are a delight. The desserts OMG.... matcha swiss roll was a highlight Restaurant staff: It was great to see Camilla, Ethan, Facundo and a few others from last year. Cannot fault the service at any time. Annabel, Michaela, Olivia, Juan, Kat, Luis, Maria, Fre et al made sure I was happy fed and watered. Service was attentive but not intrusive, Spa: This was the oops but not so bad after all. My massage by Liam was good and my pamper and facial by Jess perfect. Beach Club: I cannot thank them enough for giving me the best experiences, letting me head out each morning in the dinghy, a guided morning trip around to the lagoon, the best of the island was on offer. The best snorkels this trip for coral were at Turtle, fish biodiversity and huge array of bottom feeders at Mermaid and adrenalin at Watsons ;-) Sarah and Paige are overseeing a fantastic team, patient and caring. Thank you to Tom as my knight in shining armour, Jasper and Charlee for ensuring all was as needed. It was also refreshing to get great vibes from the new recruits, Rachel and Brendan Boutique: Would like to see a few little kids based things in there to take back for the generation now to young to go. Overall: I thought this would be my last visit for a while, but Mark has done a wonderful job building the resort back up. Can't wait to see the replacement for Serennadae and take a trip next year.

A great place for a short visit (4 nights). Easily accessible yet absolutely isolated. We keep coming back (our 12th visit I think). We love the ambience, the food and the access to the Barrier Reef. A truly wonderful experience. We intend to go back again.