Bedarra Island, Australia
Bedarra Island Resort
Rainforest island hideaway
Rainforest island hideaway
Just twenty-four guests share forty-five hectares of private tropical rainforest, with motorized dinghies waiting on the beach.
What it’s good at
Notable
Freestanding split-level timber villas integrated into granite boulders and rainforest canopy, featuring private infinity plunge pools.
Notable
Private beach dinners, open-air pavilion massages, and an all-inclusive open bar stocked with French champagne across twelve villas.
Notable
Motorised dinghies for island exploration, bespoke beach picnics, sea kayaking, and walking trails across forty-five tropical hectares.
What they say
UK Readers' Choice Awards – Australasia and the South Pacific
Condé Nast Traveler
2025
Tucked away
A place apart: the property is the destination.
Ten kilometres offshore from Mission Beach, the island sits within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, surrounded by quiet turquoise coves.
The rooms
Split-level timber villas tuck into granite boulders and canopy, with select categories adding open-air rainforest bathrooms and private plunge pools.
The pool
Bring a swimsuit.
A cascading pool looks out across the beach, bordered by timber sundecks and shaded daybeds.
At the table
Open-air dining terraces overlook Hernandia Bay, serving daily rotating menus of local seafood beside a 300-year-old calophyllum tree.
How it began
Following Cyclone Yasi in 2011, the resort rebuilt off-grid, deliberately scaling down from sixteen villas to twelve for sustainability.
The app
Like this one? There are so many more.
Swipe any city’s hotels and heart the ones you love. The app gets your taste.
Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.