Touristy Tuesdays: Flames of the Forest

Back in 2006, The Aussie and I took a trip to Cairns (pronounced “Cans”) in northern Queensland with some friends who were visiting us from the states.  During our trip, I arranged for a memorable dinner at Flames of the Forest.

Thankfully transportation was included in the price.  We were staying in Port Douglas, and the bus picked us up right in front of our hotel for the hour long ride up the coast to Flames of the Forest.

When we arrived, we were greeted by a very dark rain forest that was luminescent with candlelight.

There must have been thousands of candles lighting the surrounding forest.   It was a feast for the senses and incredibly romantic.   The waitresses with trays of champagne, wine  and beer  (and diet coke for me as I was pregnant on this  trip) were never too far away as we just soaked in the environment.

After a small interval, we were escorted to the dining room which is a fully covered outdoor room.  So, we were protected from any rain, but still able to experience the environment around us including a candle lit creek just behind the dining room that I could have stared at for days.

I rarely attend these sort of “dinner experiences” for the food.  I’m really in it for the experience.  And, if the food is good, well that’s a bonus.  So, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the food at Flames of the Forest.  It was good, real good.  I’m usually not much of a seafood person, but the coral trout in banana leaves had me going back for seconds.

Throughout the dinner, we enjoyed the didgeridoo music and dreamtime stories of the local aboriginals.  I really enjoyed this part of the evening, and I have even told my girls the story about the beautiful duck and ugly beaver who fell in love.  Can you guess the native Australian animal that was their offspring?

After a wonderful evening of great food, drink, storytelling, and atmosphere, we boarded the bus for our ride back to the hotel.

Flames of the Forest was a great experience, but don’t let the price put you off.  Yes, it is a little pricey ($204 AUD per person ex Port Douglas), but that includes everything – transport, dinner, drinks, and entertainment.  I thought it was well worth the money as we all 4 had a wonderful night.   And, we are still talking about the experience nearly 4 years later.

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Note: This is NOT a paid advertisement.  Just sharing one of my many Australian experiences.