Updated: 10/16/20 | October 16th, 2020
We all have our own version of The beach — that spot in the world where all is perfect and all is paradise. I found my version back in 2007. It’s a small town in Western Australia called Coral Bay (population 207). It’s a one-road town with one bar, one supermarket, three restaurants, and three hotels. This is a small town.
There’s not much to do.
And that’s why I love it.
Coral Bay is my paradise. From the first time I visited, I fell in love with this idyllic little beach town in the middle of nowhere. On one side, it’s barren, arid cattle country, where sheep roam and truckers dodge kangaroos. On the other, it’s turquoise blue water, white sandy beaches, and the Ningaloo Reef with its abundance of marine life.
And, in between those environmental extremes, is a little town that’s home to one hotel, an RV site, a bunch of backpackers, and some beach bums enjoy the tropical beauty at the end of the world.
Everything in this town revolves around one giant white sand beach with turquoise blue water that stretches out endlessly into the horizon and a reef system so close to the land, you can swim to it from the beach. When I was there in 2007, I woke up every day, swam with turtles, kicked back on the beach, and serviced my tan. At night, the setting sun would light up the sky in fiery tones of red and orange while I cooled off with a cold beer and good friends.
Life in Coral Bay is idyllic perfection. I could have stayed for weeks and I longed to go back and visit because a quiet beach town is all I want in life. Now, eight years later, I got to return thanks to a partnership with tourism Australia. (They’d invited out to visit Broome and I made visit Coral Bay a condition of saying yes.)
Tourism in Western Australia has grown in recent years and I wondered if this sleepy town had been spoiled. would I return to my one-road paradise just to find multiple roads, more hotels, and more restaurants? After years away, I was pleased to see the town was still quiet and peaceful.
Whatever Coral Bay looked like now, I planned on doing more this visit than just sitting on the beach. To begin with, it was off to explore the outback that surrounds Coral Bay. While I was in the countryside, kangaroos jumped all around, eagles and other birds flew above, and there was wildlife everywhere.
Then we went down to the beach and identified parrotfish jumping in the shallows and reef sharks circling for food. Snorkeling and swimming around the reef for a second time, I realized this is the best reef in Australia. The great barrier Reef gets all the attention, but the Ningaloo Reef is much better. There’s brighter coral and more wildlife, including whale sharks, turtles, and dolphins. It hasn’t been spoiled by overdevelopment or overfishing. While the great barrier Reef looks remarkable from the air, it’s what we see underwater that matters, and I see far more underwater action here than I do on the great barrier Reef.
During March and April, whale sharks migrate up the coast, and large manta rays can be found around the reef. It being off-season, I had to settle for the manta rays. I took a half-day snorkeling trip around the reef; about an hour outside of Coral Bay, we identified some large manta rays.
These creatures were huge! It was remarkable to swim with them and enjoy them glide effortlessly through the water. I never realized how big these creatures were. In my mind, they were as big as a person. In real life, they’re as big as three!
This isn’t your standard Aussie tourist destination. It’s that very isolation that keeps a lot of tourists away, leaving the place so serene and detached from the rest of the world. This is a spot for mostly Australians and people driving around in campervans. There are no hordes of people spoiling the beaches or wildlife. It’s a world away from the busy east Coast.
If you ask me, there’s nothing in eastern Australia that equals the beauty of Coral Bay. forget Cairns, Noosa, Magnetic Island, or Bondi Beach. If you want to experience the beaches you see in ads for Australia, come to Coral Bay.
While part of me wants you to go there, part of me wants it all to myself. paradises are all eventually lost but I want to hold onto mine just a bit longer.
If you make it there, you’ll see what I mean.
How to visit Coral Bay
Coral Bay isn’t an easy place to get to. It’s located in the middle of the western coast, making it far off the beaten trail. The closest airport is located a couple of hours away in Learmonth. shuttle buses are available from Coral Bay airport Transfers for 95 AUD per person (one way). They run round-trip service with a flexible schedule based around the arrival and departure of flights.
Integrity coach Lines also have service from Learmonth to Coral Bay, though they only operate a few days a week in the area. One-way tickets are 50 AUD per person.
If you plan to drive from Perth,Verwacht dat de reis minstens 12 uur per enkele reis zal duren. Als je uit de andere richting komt, is de reis een solide 14 uur durende rit van Broome.
Wat de accommodatie betreft, er zijn een paar hotels in de omgeving en een hostel om in te blijven. Als u rijdt, vindt u ook wat RV -parken.
Boek je reis naar Australië: logistieke ideeën en trucs
Boek uw vlucht
Gebruik Skyscanner of Momondo om een goedkope vlucht te vinden. Ze zijn mijn twee favoriete zoekmachines omdat ze op websites en luchtvaartmaatschappijen over de hele wereld doorzoeken, zodat je altijd weet dat geen steen ongemoeid blijft. Begin echter eerst met Skyscanner omdat ze het grootste bereik hebben!
Boek uw accommodatie
Je kunt je hostel boeken met hostelworld omdat ze de grootste inventaris en de beste deals hebben. Als je ergens anders dan een hostel wilt blijven, gebruik dan Booking.com, omdat ze consequent de goedkoopste tarieven voor gastenhuizen en goedkope hotels retourneren. Mijn favoriete plekken om te verblijven zijn:
Ningaloo Club
Ningaloo Reef Resort
Ningaloo Coral Bay
Als je probeert meer plaatsen om te verblijven, zijn hier mijn favoriete hostels in Australië!
Vergeet de reisverzekering niet
Reisverzekering beschermt u tegen ziekte, letsel, diefstal en annuleringen. Het is een uitgebreide bescherming voor het geval er iets misgaat. Ik ga nooit op reis zonder dat ik het in het verleden vele malen moest gebruiken. Mijn favoriete bedrijven die de beste service en waarde bieden, zijn:
Safetywing (het beste voor nomaden)
Wereldnomaden (meest uitgebreide)
Verzeker mijn reis (voor die ouder dan 70)
MedJet (voor extra evacuatiedekking)
Op zoek naar de beste bedrijven om geld mee te besparen?
Bekijk mijn resource -pagina voor de beste bedrijven om te gebruiken wanneer u reist. Ik vermeld alle mensen die ik gebruik om geld te besparen als ik onderweg ben. Ze zullen je geld besparen als je ook reist.
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