For more information and to book please visit www.mrandmrssmith.com or let us arrange your whole trip, by calling +44 (0)20 8987 4312 or from the USA dial 1 866 610 3867.
Mali Mali sits atop Mount Somerset, 15 minutes' drive north of Port Douglas and five minutes north of Mossman.
Mali Mali
- Style
- Hedonistic rainforest hideaway
- Setting
- North Queensland hilltop
This luxury self-catering hideaway, surrounded by the Daintree Rainforest, has been showered with awards and accolades. Built on the crest of a hill with panoramic views, it has four separate pavilions, one of which houses the kitchen, lounge, dining area and media room while the other three pavilions contain the bedrooms and their dazzling en suite bathrooms. A covered outdoor walkway, flanked by lily-strewn water gardens, connects the bedrooms to the main building. The massage pavilion is the perfect shady spot in which to curl up with a novel or indulge in a spa treatment. Ceilings throughout are open to the roof timbers, and with many glass walls which concertina fully open, they give Mali Mali a wonderfully airy atmosphere. The top of the hill has been literally lopped off to build the house which offers amazing views in every direction, including straight up: make full use of the telescope and lack of light pollution to do some serious star-gazing.
‘A small group of us go on a mid-year holiday to a different location each year. We’ve visited some magnificent locations and stayed in superb accommodation but we all agree that Mali Mali is in a class of its own. We feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to enjoy this extraordinary home and surroundings.’
In the know
House style
Modern Balinese-style mansion
Grounds
Mali Mali is set in 40 acres of rainforest-cloaked mountains and has jaw-dropping, panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. There’s a tennis court, helipad and infinity pool. On all sides, the ground drops steeply away into the surrounding rainforest.
Sleeps
8
Ideal for
Families, high-maintenance couples, group of friends, rock star retreats, fashion shoots, Bond film locations.
Rates
AU$1,100 a night for up to six guests with an additional AU$50 a person, a night.
Minimum hire
Five-night stays.
Also
Pets are not allowed and smoking is only permitted outside.
Eating & drinking
The open-plan dining area has a 10-seat dining table. The entire front of the master pavilion opens onto a covered terrace with views across the pool to the sea and an outdoor table which seats eight.
The pavilion next to the tennis court also has an eight-seat dining table with banquette seating and a kitchen with state of the art gas barbecue. Catering can be arranged.
Weddings
Mali Mali is an idyllic venue for an intimate wedding.
Children
Are very welcome. Swimming, tennis and an attention-grabbing media room. There are plenty of attractions in Port Douglas, such as water sports. Tennis rackets, tennis balls, games and DVDs are provided.
Music
Mali Mali has a top-of-the-range surround sound system and media room with giant plasma TV and sofa bed (which could serve as a fourth bedroom). There’s a CD player and a selection of CDs.
Provided
Books (including recipe books), CDs, DVDs, board games, WiFi, fishing equipment, bed linen and beach towels. Champagne and an exotic fruit basket will be waiting for you on arrival. Spa treatments, yoga, car hire and day trips can be arranged.
Packing tips
Pack your tennis whites – rackets and balls are provided.
Eco policy
Rubbish is recycled and eco-friendly cleaning products are used when possible. The pool is heated using Solar energy.
Smith card offer
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To check availability and book a vacation rental property please call the Smith travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee best available rates on all vacation rental properties.
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The three bedrooms have en suite bathrooms and private terraces with sweeping views – the perfect spot for a first-thing caffeine fix.
Interior
Bedrooms
Bedroom 1: Large bedroom with kingsize bed and en suite bathroom with sunken bath, double marble basin and private garden. Bi-fold doors in the bedroom lead to a private terrace with comfy chairs and stunning mountain views.
Bedroom 2: Large bedroom with kingsize bed and en suite bathroom with sunken bath, double marble basin and private garden with outdoor shower. Glass sliding doors in the bedroom lead to a private terrace with comfy chairs and stunning mountain views.
Bedroom 3: Large bedroom with kingsize bed and en suite bathroom with sunken bath, double marble basin. Glass (bi fold doors) sliding doors in the bedroom lead to a private terrace with comfy chairs and stunning mountain views.
Kitchen The gleaming white kitchen is fully equipped with chrome appliances and an espresso machine and has a splashback of beautiful red mosaic tiles.
Living room Open-plan living area with snug sofa and matching armchairs and footstool. There’s an enormous telescope by the window.
Dining room The enormous table in the dining area seats 10. Alternatively, dine outside on the terrace at the eight-seat table.
Other
Outdoor
Poolside The semi-circular infinity pool seems to blend seamlessly into the ocean beyond and has a spacious sun deck furnished with plush loungers.
Gardens
Parking There’s undercover parking for two cars.
check availability
To check availability and book a vacation rental property please call the Smith travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee best available rates on all vacation rental properties.
Activities
Best picnic spot
The well-signposted Mossman Gorge is five minutes away by car and is the prime spot for a romantic picnic and afternoon swim. The ancient rainforest borders a pristine river, which weaves its way through giant boulders big enough to accommodate your picnic blanket.
Best beaches
If you can drag yourself away from your slice of paradise, head for Newell Beach, a 20-minute drive away. Swim in the aquamarine ocean (when stingers aren’t in season) or go horse riding along the beach (+61 (0) 7 4098 7583 www.ridethebeach.com.au).
Best walks
The Mossman Gorge. While you are there, make for Kuku Yalanji Dreamtime, at the entrance of the gorge, where indigenous inhabitants of the local rainforest offer guided rainforest walks with demonstrations of traditional plant use and identification of bush tucker.
Activities
The vibrant resort town of Port Douglas is a 15-minute drive away and offers a multitude of activities, including world-class golfing, day trips to the Great Barrier Reef, shopping, fabulous art galleries and world-class dining. Your hosts can organise day trips and a hire car.
Take a scenic helicopter ride to remote Aboriginal rock art sites and the outback, or try a heli-horse or heli-rafting safari. (www.skysafari.com.au; +61 (0) 7 4099 3666)
Smith tip
Pack a star chart and swot up on the constellations of the southern hemisphere. The Milky Way, a paler swathe of sky, stretches north to south and is studded with brilliant stars including Alpha Centauri and Beta Centauri, commonly known as ‘the pointers’ since they point to the Southern Cross – the most famous group of stars in the southern hemisphere, once used by explorers to point south.
Eating, drinking and dancing
Cafés
Soul n’ Pepper
+61 (0) 7 4099 4499
Facing a former sugar wharf, this cafe is right on the water and is the perfect spot for a casual breakfast before the Sunday market. The freshly squeezed juices and tropical fruit platters are sublime and their signature breakfasts are served in cast iron frying pans.
8/2 Dixie Street, Port Douglas, Queensland 4877
Java Blue
+61 (0) 7 4099 5814
Java Blue serves the best coffee in town and is popular with locals so it’s always buzzing. They serve fresh juices, wraps and sandwiches with a choice of bread.
3/2 Macrossan Street, Port Douglas, Queensland, 4877
Beaches Café
+ 61 (0) 7 4099 4998
This classic Aussie beach kiosk has plastic chairs and a sand-covered floor. Wander in barefoot for an ice cream or tuck into one of their superb burgers.
Cnr Mowbray Street / Esplanade, Port Douglas, Queensland 4877
Junction Café
In the nearby town of Mossman, five minutes’ drive away, this cafe is locally renowned and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Front Street, Mossman
Restaurants
Nautilus
+61 (0) 7 4099 5350; www.nautilus-restaurant.com
This restaurant is the most romantic place to dine in Port Douglas, hands down. Under a canopy of towering palms, you are served sumptuous seafood by candlelight. Dinner only.
17 Murphy Street, Port Douglas, Queensland
Treehouse Restaurant
+61 (0) 7 4098 1666
At nearby Silky Oaks Lodge, the Treehouse Restaurant nestles in the rainforest on a deck overlooking the Mossman River, an idyllic spot for lunch or a romantic dinner. The cuisine is modern Australian with a tropical flair.
Finlayvale Road, Mossman
Salsa Bar and Grill
+61 (0) 7 4099 4922
This charming restaurant, in an old wooden Queenslander building, dishes up tropical, modern Australian cuisine. The vibe is lively yet relaxed and is perfect for lunch or dinner.
26 Wharf Street, Port Douglas, Queensland 4877
2 Fish
+61 (0) 7 4099 6350; www.2fishrestaurant.com.au)
2 Fish is a great option for a casual lunch or dinner. The scallops with pancetta are beyond delicious and their speciality is market fish cooked seven different ways.
Shop 7, 20 Wharf Street, Port Douglas, Queensland 4877
check availability
To check availability and book a vacation rental property please call the Smith travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee best available rates on all vacation rental properties.
Housekeeping
A cleaning service is provided for stays of eight days or more.
check availability
To check availability and book a vacation rental property please call the Smith travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee best available rates on all vacation rental properties.
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Planes Regular flights are available to Cairns from all major cities in Australia with Qantas (www.qantas.com.au), Virgin Blue (www.virginblue.com.au) and Jetstar (www.jetstar.com). There’s also an international terminal at Cairns.
Sunlover Helicopters offers airport transfers from Cairns airport to most resorts and islands along the coast (+61 (0) 7 4035 9669; www.sunloverheli.com.au).
Trains You’d have to be an avid railway fan to attempt this journey by train. The business-class-only service from Cairns to Brisbane will take an eye-popping 24 hours and there is no sleeper service (+61 (0) 1 300 131 722; www.tilttrain.com.au).
Local taxi service Mossman Taxi Service (+61 (0) 7 4098 1138) or nearby Port Douglas Taxi (+61 (0) 7 4099 5345). Rainforest Limousine Service offers airport transfers to and from Cairn (+61 (0) 7 408 186 687; www.rainforestlimo.com.au)
Directions by road It’s a one-and-a-half hour drive from Cairns to Mali Mali, along one of the most spectacular stretches of Australian coastline. There are plenty of car hire companies at Cairns airport and city, including Hertz (www.hertz.com.au), Avis (www.avis.com.au) and Europcar (www.europcar.com.au).
Mali Mali sits on the crest of a hill within 40 acres of untouched rainforest, and has unbroken views of the sea and mountains; a fittingly tropical setting for this Balinese-inspired mansion.
Review
The sole problem with sojourning somewhere of such high calibre is that you get used to it, and quickly. This self-catering stunner was designed by renowned architect Chris Vandyke and has been winning awards hand over fist.
Mali Mali sits on the crest of a hill within 40 acres of untouched rainforest, and has unbroken views of the sea and mountains; a fittingly tropical setting for this Balinese-inspired mansion.
At first sight of the grand pavilions and never-ending grounds you will see that there is something exceptional about this place, and the interior more than confirms those first impressions.
Mali Mali is lush living to the nth degree. The interior is furnished with cool stone floors and the relaxed yet polished décor is fit for sultry climes. The three bedrooms are housed in individual pavilions behind the main house and have en suite bathrooms. Everything is geared towards the highest levels of comfort, naturally.
Enjoy a healthy dose of top-notch pampering by having a rejuvenating massage in the absolute privacy of the massage pavilion. Mali Mali’s whole set-up, in fact, is utterly discreet and perfect for paparazzophobes and clandestine couples alike.
Kids of all ages are well catered for and the cocoon-like media room with gigantic plasma screen and surround sound system is bound to get their techie pulses racing.
The main house is an open-plan living and dining area with bi-fold doors which open fully to reveal a vast deck with an outdoor table overlooking the infinity pool; just the spot for laidback entertaining. The pool and the distant ocean unite to dreamy effect , making it all too easy to while away the time gazing at the magical landscape.
There are countless activities in the area. Wholesome types should take advantage of the neighbouring jungle, accessed via one of the many nearby paths, and the awe-inspiring Great Barrier Reef is simply unmissable.
Practice your overhead smashes on the private tennis court, or settle for a civilised game of doubles. The tennis pavilion is a particular delight; not only is it surrounded by acres of greenery, but it also houses a kitchen, barbecue and bar if you need a shot of match-point Dutch courage.
When it comes to food, you will be spoilt for choice. Try one of the much-lauded local restaurants in the nearby town of Port Douglas, or stay put and hire a caterer to do the hard graft for you.
And be sure to make full use of the private helipad; the only way you could possibly squeeze any more style out of a hedonistic hol at Mali Mali is to arrive and leave by chopper.
check availability
To check availability and book a vacation rental property please call the Smith travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee best available rates on all vacation rental properties.
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