Hayman Island, Australia

Hayman Island, Australia

There’s a very good reason Hayman Island wins the title of Australia’s best resort year after year and is at the top of the list as one of the Leading Hotels of the World.
Last year Hayman was in the top 3 resorts in the world and you can only understand why by going there.

Image courtesy Hayman Island Resort

Picture this…your resort room overlooks what must be the best ocean view in the world; dazzling aquamarine water that laps gently onto a white sandy palm-fringed beach with mysterious islands framing the view in the distance.

This is what every well-travelled adventurer with the beachcomber within wants. And here's a tip - pay a little extra for the Lagoon Deluxe rooms overlooking the best beach and ocean panorama you can imagine. This island resort folks, is possibly the best in the world.

Hayman Island room with a view, complete with cockatoos

Revamped in 2005 with a multi-million dollar upgrade, Hayman Island is located in the Whitsunday Islands on the Great Barrier Reef, an hour and a half north of Brisbane.

When you fly into the Great Barrier Reef Airport on nearby Hamilton Island, Hayman’s private luxury cruiser is waiting within metres of the airport to spirit you away on the 50 minute trip to Hayman Island. You’re given a taste of what’s ahead with the champagne and smoked salmon included on board, and the excitement builds as you approach Hayman’s dazzling white crescent beach on which the resort is built.

And Hayman Island has its secrets you’ll fall in love with, including dazzling snorkelling on its own untouched section of the reef. Here on Hayman, you can take a short walk through beautiful foliage across the island to Blue Pearl Bay and simply wade into waist-deep water to see coral that's more pristine than that on the long day trip out to the Great Barrier Reef.

Lagoon wing room with ocean view

What to do on Hayman Island

At Hayman you’re faced with the delightful dilemma of heading for the perfect palm-fringed white beach or the huge pool, which until recently was the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere. Both the pool and beach offer almost-indescribable views over the aquamarine Coral Sea.

Hayman Island's huge pool with stunning views

As you sit by the stunning pool on the stunning beach, Hayman staff arrive unprompted with chilled jugs of water that keep getting refilled. The lounges you're on are the most comfortably padded lounges we've experienced anywhere in the world.

If you can drag yourself away from the beach or pool after a couple of days, go to nearby Whitehaven Beach, consistently voted Australia’s best beach and always ranked in the world’s 10 best beaches. You can take a luxury cruiser, sea plane (yes, more barefoot pilots) or helicopter to experience pure white silica sand that squeaks as you stroll along another piece of Australian paradise.

Whitehaven Beach is one of the best 10 beaches in the world

Try a Hayman day trip to dive or snorkel on the outer reef, or go fishing in Queensland waters renowned for delicious seafood the resort will cook fresh for you.

Back on Hayman Island, you can take a complimentary catamaran out on the calm sea, try windsurfing or even go kayaking. If you want something different, head into the luxurious Hayman lounge, which is like a private club with its library and even billiards room.

Hayman Island Resort lounge

Or if you want to keep fit, Hayman’s open-air gym with the latest state-of-the-art equipment overlooks six tennis courts, a 9 hole putting green and two squash courts.

And Hayman also offers complimentary high-speed internet if you really have to contact the outside world, unlike most hotels which make you pay.

Hayman's al fresco gym

Hayman Island Food

Of course if you’re going to an island, you want to be well fed and have variety. On Hayman, there are five restaurants to choose from.

The Beach Pavilion with some of the world's best views

You’ll never forget your first lunch at the Beach Pavilion, casual al fresco dining overlooking the blue, blue Coral Sea.

The best choice for dinner is the French restaurant La Fontaine, closely followed by the Oriental Asian restaurant and the Italian restaurant La Trattoria.

The Chef’s Table is a memorable dinner experience in the main kitchen as you indulge in a six course banquet prepared by Hayman’s international Chef.

You can also have dinner at Azure on the beach, the focal point in the morning for breakfast.

Fine Hayman cuisine

Best Beach Holidays has stayed at a lot of resorts around the world and Hayman Island’s breakfast is right up there for fresh produce and variety. The chefs will even make you an egg white omelette with any ingredients you desire as you sit watching what must be the best breakfast view in the world - mirror still blue ocean, dreamy little isles offshore and the silhouette of bigger islands further off.

Azure restaurant for breakfast

When you add these ingredients of breathtaking view and a sprinkling of nature in the form of polite cockatoos dropping in, you happily realise this has to be one of the world’s best holidays.

From a woman’s perspective, the staff are outstanding by international standards. The laid-back Australian friendliness is so endearing that you’ll feel like you’ve made new friends. Even in the resort toilets, Molton Brown toiletries await you along with freshly-cut young roses.

Hayman Island History

The Whitsunday Islands including Hayman were discovered by the ubiquitous Captain James Cook in 1770 and given their name after the Christian festival of Whitsun.

A century later Hayman Island was named after Thomas Hayman, the navigator of the sailing vessel Salamander, which supplied and protected islands along the Queensland coast.

Then another century later, Australian aviation pioneer Sir Reginald Ansett bought the lease in 1947 for 10,000 pounds before building the Royal Hayman Resort to be ready for a visit by King George the VI.

In 1970, Cyclone Ada devastated Hayman without warning, killing three people and destroying all 11 vessels in the Hayman fleet.

A massive redevelopment was completed in 1987 at a cost of $350 million, before the most recent refurbishment in 2005 including one of the world’s best spas and $20 million in art works for guests to enjoy.

Unbeatable best beach views from your balcony

SUMMARY - Hayman Island

Hayman Island sits easily as one of the world’s best holidays. The Hayman experience takes you into a world of breathtaking island beauty complemented by a luxurious beachfront Leading Hotel of the World. That’s why this is the best of both worlds – stunning beaches, and luxury accommodation you’re totally at ease with because of the friendly, casual staff who encourage other guests to lose any hint of snobbery.

The facilities and food are first-rate, and you can’t help but smile widely when you sip a drink by the pool or in the Beach Pavilion, thoroughly enjoying one of the World’s Best Beach Holidays.