With all the tours offered of the Daintree and Cape Tribulation, it’s surprisingly hard to find one that allows people enough time to actually be in the rainforest. A large area to cover, a lot of day trips to the area don’t give people enough personal time to actually get out of the car and walk about the rainforest.

Daintree Discovery Tours full day tour ($165 per adult and $145 per children 10-14) offers patrons plenty of time outdoors while also hitting most of the crucial spots on any Cape Tribulation tour. The creme de la creme of tours, Daintree Discovery offers patrons door-to-door service in a smooth-riding Mercedes bus at from the tour’s start, around 7:45 a.m., to its finish, around 5:30 p.m.

From the last pick up, the tour begins with the usual route through Mossman, on the ferry across the Daintree River and to the famous Alexadra Lookout near the rainforest entrance. Adding a little comfort and privacy to their tour, Daintree Discovery guides take their guests on a private 45-minute tour of the rainforest with an option to swim at Cooper Creek Wilderness.

Rainforest seeds from trees such as the rubber tree and Looking Glass Mangrove.-Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

After a walk through the rainforest, it’s off to the beach, where patrons will munch on lunch, learn a bit of history about the rainforest and James Cook’s arrival in the area and maybe even spot a crocodile outside of the Daintree River. At the beach patrons have the option to kayak for an additional $30 per person. From there, the tour starts its departure back with stops at the famous Daintree Ice Cream Company and the Daintree River for a cruise with Solar Whisper. During the cruise, patrons are bound to spot at least one crocodile as well as some tree snakes and interesting birds.

The privacy and small size (6 passengers) of the tour made it a lot more comfortable and sociable than other tours. This is a tour for folks who want to see the Daintree in peace, without backpackers or noisy kids (the website advises that the tour is not suitable for children under 10 years old).

The size of the tour makes it easier to have a conversation with one’s guide rather than just listen to him or her, and these are definitely guides that people will want to converse with.

Adrian Hall, Daintree Discovery Tours guide, rubs ochre, which aboriginals use for paint, on a rock. After he painted the arm of one of the tour patrons.-Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

My guide Adrian Hall was fascinating and fun. A Cape Tribulation resident, Hall is knowledgeable about the area, especially all the plant and wildlife within it. He pointed out things like Idiot Fruit, or Idiospermum australiense, with is one of, if not the oldest flowering plant on earth. The soft-spoken Hall seemed to really care about the area and informing his tour of all its amazing features.

Hall was even diligent at setting up a morning tea and afternoon lunch, both included on the tour. Like most tours in Australia, the meals were freshly prepared, locally produced and delicious. Morning tea consisted of tea and lamingtons. Lunch included roasted chicken, salad and fresh bread rolls. The portions are generous, so be sure to save room for four flavors of fruit ice cream sold at Daintree Ice Cream Company ($5).

I can’t think of one complaint about anything on the tour. However, this tour does not travel as deep into the forest as others do, missing stops like the large Fig Tree and Cape Tribulation Beach. But that’s the cost of not having to spend the day in a van snapping shots through the window.

All of Cape Tribulation is too much to cover in one day. Daintree Discovery Tours offers the most a rainforest day tour should comfortably fit, filled with useful information, great food and relaxing walks through the forest and on the beach. The small size of the tour and smooth ride is an added bonus to an already spectacular tour. All that is included is offered at only a fraction more than the going-rate of most Cape Tribulation tours.