Dear Vanessa & Brenda,

Our holiday was AMAZING!!!

The accommodation was simply beautiful!  The apartment was extremely spacious and everything we needed was there.  But the balcony. . . . oh my goodness!!  Simply sitting outside, watching the waves hit the beach and hearing the roar of the ocean first thing in the morning was so relaxing/enlightening/serene.

It was more than I ever expected.

In terms of the activities we participated in, we completed a half day estuary fishing experience, which was somewhat ho-hum.  But my partner had used the same company some 10 years ago (!) and had a ball, so he gave them another shot.

Apart from that, as we had hired a car, we drove to Mossman Gorge (stunning!), had a late lunch in Port Douglas and then spent a day travelling to the Atherton Tablelands, chasing waterfalls.  We also drove into Cairns a few times, sometimes for dinner, other times for shopping.

We rose early to watch the sunrise over the ocean, only metres away from our apartment, which was incredibly beautiful.

In addition to escaping the never-ending Melbourne winter, we sought a relaxing and warm escape to simply relax and unwind, after announcing to our family and friends that were over 3 months pregnant!  So the holiday was absolutely perfect.

Palm Cove was the best choice - Cairns has no beach (which we were aware of) and Port Douglas was too 'busy.'  Palm Cove was the perfect pace for us on this holiday.  I don't know how many times we walked up and down the esplanade, admiring the beauty of the area.

We will definitely be back!  If my partner had his way, it would be for good! ????

So thank you so much for your recommendations and assistance.  My only complaint is that we should have stayed longer. . . . . .

Kind regards,

Michelle Zammit

Hi, Sara,

We did enjoy very much our stay in the apartment & in Palm cove. All services & staff were exceptional & helpful as well as our different booked trips. Pity we did not have the chance to meet you & thank you personally for your dedication & your help in organising our accomodation & trips.

Best regards, Philip

Hi Sara,

Happy for you to use my comments. Thanks for your email. Appreciate the discount voucher again I’m sure we will use it sometime over the next twelve months. Thank goodness Cairns was not badly affected with the cyclone early this year!!! Once again we were delighted with Palm Cove. The weather was fantastic (wish we could have brought it back home to Sydney with us), the food as always fresh and delicious. Amphora once again was up to standard this was our third time staying. One tiny gripe was the noisy motor on the air conditioning unit outside our apartment of a night time when trying to sleep. ( I am a light sleeper) The rooms are spacious and clean. We had a one bedroom ocean view apartment and connecting hotel room. It was great to look out at the water and eat breakfast out on the balcony in the morning. We visited Hartleys Crocodile Farm, great day out. Added bonus was the option to return over a three day period if you had the voucher stamped. My Aunty misplaced her reading glasses and the staff were fantastic. The glasses were found. (in the back of the car where she left them!!) We went for a drive to Yorkeys Knob and had lunch at the Boating Club. Saw a flock of red tailed black cockatoos down by the beach, What an amazing sight. Beautiful birds. The rest of the time we relaxed, ate slept and walked, it’s so easy to enjoy yourself in Palm Cove. Looking forward to our next trip to beautiful Cairns, it never disappoints us. The sad part is the holiday is never long enough. Will be in touch when we start planning our next holiday.

Thanks again Sara.

Kind regards,

Joanne

Hi Sara,

1 word, Awesome.

A) We had a fantastic time, even though we only saw about 4 hours of sunshine. The weather was terrible but thankfully the location, venue and service made up for that. We will definitely be going back to Palm Cove. While we were unable to complete many of the activities the area has to offer due to the weather, we did spend a fair amount of time relaxing and unwinding which is what were really there for anyway. While we did find some restaurants to be quite pricey we could see that you still get what you pay for, and the meals were delicious and nicely presented. All the staff and locals we bumped into were very friendly and I think just a reflection of the atmosphere up there. It really is a magical place.

B) I have never experiance service like yours, It has been outstanding to say the least. Your communication has been clear and thorough and made us feel as though we had our own Personal Assistant! Congratulations on providing such an excellent service. You have something to be very proud of. We have already recomended your services to all our friends. Thanks for making our first wedding anniversary so memorable.

Hi Sarah

Everything was fantastic with the four short days we had in Palm Cove. The weather was perfect, the unit was great (absolutely fabulous location and pool). The reef trip we did with Downunder Tours was the highlight of the four days, everything about it was terrific - the boat, the crew, the food, the reef, etc. Thanks for all your help with organising things - we feel that the service you provided was great and would not hesitate to contact you again when planning our next trip.

Kind Regards,

Diane & Steve

Hi Sara,

Thanks again for orgainsing the apartment at the Mantra in Plam Cove We were really happy with the service and accommodation. As we've been to Palm Cove before we were really pleased to do very little, and so the beach and the pool were just what we needed. Hope to be in touch again sooner rather than later when the budget permits!

Thanks again,

Michael

Hi Sara,

The spacious apartment in Palm Cove was just what we needed following three weeks cramped up in a campervan! We were delighted with the standard and quality of the Mantra Amphora apartment. Our teenage children exploded with excitement upon seeing the generous sized beds, showers and spa baths in our three bedroom apartment. My wife was overjoyed to be able to keep up with the laundry, so we could return to the UK and work without the odious task of washing every item of clothing. We hired a car and so were able to make trips out to Kuranda, Cape Tribulation and Cairns. We didn’t book the Barrier Reef trip before our arrival because we needed to see the full array of trips on offer and gain first hand information about the most suitable trip for our needs. We eventually went with Reef Magic and opted for two dives. Your booking service was very efficient and made finding an appropriate apartment a lot easier – especially from the far side of the world! I originally intended to base ourselves in Port Douglas but was very pleased that we accepted your suggestion of the quieter, up-market Palm Cove accommodation.

Hi Sara,

We couldn't have been happier with our holiday other than if it was longer! Everything went very smoothly. The apartment you booked for us was perfect, perfect location, beautiful pool that we enjoyed many times. We looked around at the other locations and resorts while we were in FNQ, Palm Cove and the Amphora were by far the best for what we were looking for, so thank you so much for your efforts. Palm Cove is a very beautiful place for a relaxing break. Very popular with retirees it seems. We took a trip to Green Island with Big Cat Tours which was fantastic. The staff and crew were excellent. Wouldn't bother too much with the buffet lunch on board though, nothing grand. The semi-submersible was a great way to see the reef life although not good for anyone who suffers claustrophobia. We snorkelled and had a great day. All in all an excellent time had, so much so that we are looking into buying into an apartment ourselves. FNQ is definitely the place to be.

Thanks again for your service I would recommend you to anyone.

Vicki

I had a great trip, very relaxing, the apartment and resort where first class along with your service. The food in palm cove is OUTSTANDING!!I ate like a king. I will use your services again no doubt. Did little in the way of activities, just relaxed, next time I'm up there i will be more proactive, thanks for the holiday sara, you will hear from me again, soon i hope...

Regards,

Steven

Hi this is Vince, Jenny's husband.

Replying for both of us. As it was a special occasion long weekend we could have considered other Palm Cove locations, but for what we wanted this turned out to be very appropriate. The resort itself is setup for families rather than couples , but we expected that, else we enjoyed the facilities provided. We choose Mantra Amphora ahead of others for its central location in Williams Esp. and it was an easy walking distance to all the eateries which is what we wanted. Our holiday turned out incredible due to the great weather and a wonderful day out spent at Cape Trib. Jen was very happy with service you provided Troy as she always has a million questions. Thanks again and we gladly recommend you to all our friends and acquaintances.

Regards,

Vince

Thanks ,

the rooms and the location were fantastic the best we have ever stayed in , and Im sure we will be back to Palm Cove again next time with the whole family,

Regards Peter

Good Morning Sara,

Thanks for your invitation to provide feedback. Jill and I had a wonderful relaxing holiday, and we both agree that we will go again (Palm Cove) next year, sometime around September – October. The apartment was excellent, the unit was clean, well appointed and well presented and we liked being high up on the third level. There was no oven in the unit, which was unfortunate. When I mentioned this on handing back the keys, I was advised that it had been sent away for repair and had not yet been returned. Jill and I felt that the bed was very firm/hard. Maybe it is simply that our bones are a bit older, but it did take some getting used to. All that aside, we intend to go again next year, (preferably not during school holidays), so please feel free to let me know what options are available.

Kind Regards,

David

Hi Troy,

We had a great holiday thanks. The apartment was perfect; great location, spacious and well equipped. We also spent a lot of time in the pool which we thought was perfect. We were also very happy with the check in/out arrangements and the staff at Boutique Collections were helpful. We only did one day trip to Green Island which was organised through them. Thanks for you help in organising our holiday and making the suggestion to stay at Amphora. I am sure we will come back and look to stay there again.

Kind regards,

Aileen

Thanks for the welcome home note.

Drove back to Mount Isa in one day so am now ready for bed. The holiday was fantastic even though the weather wasn't at it's best. The great thing about the Mantra was that although it was howling out on the esplinade it was beautiful in the pool area. We had a two bedroom apartment which was just right with the two kids. We did a family trip to Green Island (half day) which was great. I took the kids on a Skyrail trip to Kuranda and back via the scenic railway. Skyrail was fantastic and the train trip was OK but I think I should have done it the other way round. the kids were falling asleep on the way down. We ate out every night at adifferent venue, The Sebel - Great, Greek - Great, Thai Choc? - great, Tamaras ? (same complex as Thai) - Good, Vivo's -not so good - weird menu, Spice Market - the best and one night of fish and chips from Pete's Place which was very good. Also a Pizza takeaway from the place half way down the esplanade, pricy but very good. Also managed to fit in a day at Port Douglas wandering around the shops and Marina as it was raining and a day into cairns and took the kids to the waterpark. We were very pleased that we extended the two days. Overall a very good holiday. Your staff were very nice but we did not really have much contact with them after ariving and booking our tours. Loved our appartment, stylish great aspect and the complex has one of the best pool setup we saw in the area. Will probably return oneday but we like to change our destinations but will always go where it is warm.

Would recommend the Mantra Amphora to anyone.

Bill

Hi Sara,

I must say, we loved our holiday so much, we didn't want to leave and we are grateful we decided to extend the stay after you had suggested it to us. Accommodation was absolutely perfect. Palm Cove is a beautiful place, lucky people who call it home.... Highlight of our holiday was a trip to Cape Tribulation - unforgettable. Thank you for organising our stay. We've been very pleased with your service, follow ups and person-to-person contact. No travel agent could match that. We will definitely recommend your services to our friends and we are hopping to come back.

Regards,

Vlasta

A fabulous area in which to holiday! Well, particularly when the weather is so perfect as in our case. One can sightsee or stay in such comfortable areas in Palm Cove, and totally rest. We were fortunate to have friends in the area and so spent much time with these folk. We had already spent a week at the Beach Club which we absolutely loved, and felt that we would not be at all happy to then spend the next week at the Amphora which you had booked for us. However, this proved to be unfounded as the apartment you scured for us was large, very clean and had the most wonderful view and proximity to the beach. We felt enormously relieved. Perhaps a thought may be spared to mention that the Amphora could perhaps have offered to help with our bags on arrival. They were totally helpful as we left and next time I will not hesitate to ask for this. I realise that with age and stairs this can be a real problem.

Many thanks for you help. I hope this satisfies your queries.

Melinda

Troy,

Our holiday was very enjoyable. Our time in Cairns and Daintree was great and the car and hotel arrangements worked out very well for us. We were particularly impressed with the Amphora apartment you arranged. It was just beautiful and after spending 3 days in Ayers Rock in a tent, the luxury and convenience was most welcome. As you know, we did the Kuranda skyrail, train, wildlife, and butterfly tour. It was a pleasant day although I personally could have done without the slow train ride at the end. Also, Palm Cove seems to have been the last stop for our bus on our return trip and the drive took quite a long time. In retrospect, we would have been better served if they had sent a smaller bus to the outer locations or id we had used a car to get to the skyrail and then home at the end. We did just that when we snorkeled at Michaelmas Cay. We took the car rather than riding the tour bus. The snorkeling was great and the whole reef experience was well handled by the tour company you proposed. We spent the last few days in Daintree hiking and doing mostly self-arranged tours in the car. We were very happy to work with you on this. Your efforts and availability made our experience great. It was a low stress operation. We would recommend you to others.

Best regards,

Marty

Hi Troy,

I won't go on about how bloody great FNQ is, as you live there ( I think) we've been 4 times now, so end of story, we will be back. The arrangements you made for us is what I do want to make comment about: your attitude over the phone was as if we had been mates forever, well done, we were made to feel nothing was a bother, the bookings you made for us for travel and apartment went without a hitch, answered all my many questions promptly, everything was clear, totally trouble free, and very much appreciated. You allowed us to get on with enjoying ourselves knowing that all was taken care of, and we thank you again for that. I put that down to you, rather than who you work for and would have no hesitation in and have recommended you to other friends, we will definately be in touch when next we return. (long sentence) We have a couple of visits to Fiji organised for next year then France in 2007 and by then it will be time to return to lovely Palm Cove. Please keep in touch where ever you are and as I have already said we have given your name to friends should they take up any of our reccomendations. We originally got your name from Alan & Susan of Melbourne. Thanks again for your input which helped to make our break more enjoyable. ps there was one downside we had a Mitzibishi (sp) rather than a preferred ford or holden, but heay who really cares.

Regards,

Darryl & Lynda

Thanks.

We had a fabulous holiday at Amphora and enjoyed great ocean views.

Regards,

Chris

Hi Troy,

Just a quick response to your email. Myself and Nicki had a great time whilst we were in Australia, our impressions were as follows: 1) Palm Cove was lovely, fantastic beach and surroundings and the local restaurants and facilities were just what we required. There was quite a bit of building work going on just down from our apartment complex, but it did not disturb us too much. 2) The apartment was lovely, more than we were expecting - so no complaints there! 3) We booked trips to the Barrier Reef (Quick Silver), Daintree (Mossman Gorge, Daintree river cruise, Rainforest Habitat, Port Douglas etc) and the Sky Rail to Kuranda - all booked through the local tourist information office in Palm Cove - all thoroughly enjoyed. 4) The apartment we stayed in was not our first choice (this was not available) the Amphora Apartments was recommended by FNQ Tourist Information, the description was accurate and the discount that was provided to us made it affordable and a great place to stay. Overall, Queensland and Palm Cove were great and the service provided by FNQ Tourist Information was very good.

Hope this helps!

Regards,

Amanda

Hi Sara,

Just arrived home midnight last night. Had a fabulous time. Weather fantastic. The apartment was great and amphora setting beautiful however I think it is very much for families more than couples. There were many children which we don’t mind but next time we would choose somewhere a bit more focused on couples. Babies and kids crying early can be a bit annoying.I just thought this info would be helpful for future clients. All in all it was terrific and we certainly will be back again. We loved the look of Peppers but I thinkthat might be well above our budget unless you have special deals there too. We went to Port Douglas a couple of times which was great. Didn’t go out to the reef it was pretty windy but we were looking for a restful holiday this time. Your service has been perfect and will always use you and recommend you to friends.

Thank you so much for the voucher.

Kind regards,

Heather

Hi Megan,

Thanks for your email. We had a lovely relaxing time, warm and very comfortable. (Its freezing down here so we havent adjusted too well!) Getting onto your questions ..... a) Palm Cove is certainly one of those hidden treasures. The atmosphere was friendly, warm and welcoming. Thoroughly enjoyed our 6 days, if not out and about relaxing at the pool was an ideal way to pass the time. We visited the reef on a half day excursion, probably could have stayed longer but did what we wanted to do whilst we were out there (snorkeling and glass bottom boat). Also did the skyrail. It was a fantastic experience. Wandering around the villiage (Kuranda) was a worthwile experience although it has certainly become more tourist focused than what I remember 10 years ago! We did the boat cruise while up the mountain which was probably one of the highlights as we saw turtles and baby crocodiles just doing their own thing! We hired a car for our visit which certainly made it easier to get to the supermarket! By having the car we got to Port Douglas and further north and back to Cairns for a little bit of shopping! It also made it a bit easier for my husband to get to the golf courses. Megan I was a tad disappointed with our accommodation. The apartment itself was lovely but it was so dark and we struggled to see the ocean views (that we paid for!) Sitting at the table outdoors we could not see anything, the beautiful tropical plants are quite tall and block out any view that their might be. I think it is a bit rich advertising this apartment with ocean views as there are none, unless you stand on top of the chairs. We were not able to enjoy a glass of wine (or anything for that matter) while watching the ocean. We loved the resort, just disappointed that we didnt get the views that we paid extra for! b) The service provided by FNQ Apartments is up there with the best. The friendliness shown over the email was outstanding, it kind of made us feel special in knowing that someone cared about our children and that they would really enjoy the pool at the resort we stayed in. (and you were right!) I guess I am saying that the advice given was exact! Thankyou. I was taken aback by the effort taken to answer all my questions and in particular emailing me a breakfast menu from one of the restaurants. Thankyou again. The voucher system worked really well and I would have no hesitations in recommending your service to anyone venturing up that way. I do hope this info will help with future planning, I am not sure there is anything you can use on your website but feel free to do so. Thanks again for all your help in planning our winter break.

Cheers for now,

Di

Hi Megan,

Sorry for so late in replying, just trying to catch up on everything after getting back, first of all thank you so much for all your help in organising everything, the apartments in Palm Cove were just beautiful and what a beautiful place, we will certainly be recommending you and your company to any of our friends traveling to Australia and who knows we might get back there again ourselves some day. We went out to green island and really loved it, port Douglas is another really nice place and it is calm out there, Cairns is definitely top of our list from our holiday.

Mary