Hayman Island - The Honeymoon Island

If “beauty is the promise of happiness” as French writer Stendhal once said, then Hayman Island, Australia has it in abundance. Whether you’re actually looking for a honeymoon destination or not, this has to be one of the most romantic places you could wish for.

With crystal clear waters lapping gently over shimmering, white sands, and the very highest standards of service offered at this exclusive, tropical island paradise, you can fully expect to have your every whim catered for.

Northern most of the spectacular Whitsunday Islands and right in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, the natural beauty of Hayman Island is unsurpassed. The resort is one of only four hotels in Australia to belong to the prestigious ‘Leading Hotels of the World’, an organisation that combs the globe in search of the finer points of hospitality, comfort and luxury.

Hardly surprising then that Hayman regularly features in all the prominent international tourism gongs. It achieved ‘Hall of Fame’ status at the Australian Tourism Awards and is in Condé Nast’s ‘World Top 100’ as well as Travel & Leisure's ‘Greatest Hotels in the World’.

Your arrival

It’s a private island and as such there is no airport on Hayman (save for a seaplane and heliport reserved strictly for pleasure use). Guests are greeted at Great Barrier Reef Airport and then escorted to the luxury Hayman Cruiser (or you can choose a seaplane or helicopter if you wish). You will then cross the extraordinarily beautiful Whitsunday Passage to reach the island. During the cruise, refreshments are served and check-in formalities completed.

Your accommodation

Upon arrival at the island you are personally accompanied to your room. The accommodation as you might expect is second to none. There are 244 rooms including suites, penthouses and villas overlooking gardens, pools, lagoons and the coral sea.

Whether you choose a sea view or the slightly more secluded ‘Retreat Rooms’, set back from the beach in tropical gardens, all are beautifully appointed and all come with private balconies and terraces.

The surroundings

Hayman resort is situated around a crescent-shaped, white sandy bay on the south western side of the island; there are no other buildings. Sandstone walkways meander through lush gardens with shaded ponds and the gentle sound of trickling waterfalls. Over 700,000 shrubs and trees have been planted in these beautifully manicured gardens, inspired by many cultures.

Calm and crystal waters spill into palm fringed beaches around the island rolling onto the untouched, native Australian bushland. White Cockatoos, Painted Lorikeets and Kookaburras nestle amongst the palms and eucalypts and from May to November hundreds of butterflies arrive.

By boat or foot, you can reach the warm, surrounding reef waters, teeming with incredible coral and exotic sea life.

Dining at Hayman Island

This luxury hotel takes great pride in its culinary offering. Boasting no less than fifty acclaimed international and Australian chefs, Hayman Island’s kitchen brigade serve an extensive variety of cuisine featuring Australian seafood, Thai, Indonesian, Malay, Japanese, Chinese, Italian and Mediterranean.

Buffet breakfast is served at ‘The Azure’ in a breathtaking setting at the water’s edge – what a view to wake up to! Australian seafood is served here in the evenings.

‘The Oriental’ with its ceremonial teahouse amid tropical gardens offers a range of Asian cuisine. Or indulge in the unabashed luxury of ‘La Fontaine’, with its Louis XVI furnishings, crystal chandeliers and magnificent limestone fountain centrepiece. (The wine cellar holds over 10,000 bottles of wine).

The indoor/outdoor ‘La Trattoria’ has a cheerful, laid-back atmosphere for Italian and Mediterranean dining al fresco. While for lighter snacks and cocktails at sunset you must try the wonderful ‘Beach Pavilion’.

Sports and activities

For the actively minded there’s certainly a lot to do. Sports are comprehensively catered for with floodlit tennis courts, squash, golf putting and driving ranges, archery and a fully equipped Activities and Gymnasium centre.

A plethora of pools including the famous Hayman Pool (seven times Olympic Size) as well as the resort’s stunning beaches, beckon for swimming, catamaran sailing, windsurfing or paddleskiing (all complimentary).

But if there’s one activity you have to try, it is to experience the amazing multicolour underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef. There’s a PADI Dive and Snorkel Centre on site with many trips taking you to the very best reef locations.

Take the seaplane, helicopter or boat to Blue Pearl Bay, or the white silica sands of Whitehaven Beach (said to be the whitest sands in the world) for private picnic lunches and snorkelling. In season there are opportunities for whale watching too.

Children, shopping and ‘Spa Chakra’

Back at the resort, a dedicated children’s facility at Hernando’s Hideaway Cottage has a Kids Club and Crèche with garden playgrounds and activities supervised by accredited childcare staff. Hayman Arcade houses an array of boutiques, fashion stores, newsagents and an Art Gallery with one of the finest assemblies of contemporary Australian art in the country.

If all the activities sound exhausting, relax and pamper yourself at the new ‘Spa Chakra’. A huge range of therapies feature the ‘Guerlain Methode’ – a French patented facial and body massage technique. There are 13 individual treatment rooms including wet treatments, steam rooms and a meditation suite as well as a state of the art hair salon incorporating special occasion make-up.

Afterwards if you wish, you can retire to your private balcony for an intimate candlelight dinner for two.

Haymans Island Weddings and Honeymoons

You can see how it all adds up to the perfect wedding and honeymoon location and at Austravel we can arrange the perfect wedding, honeymoon or holiday at Hayman Island.