It was a trip that was 2 years in the making; originally booked for March 2021, but continually put on hold thanks to a certain C-word that shall not be mentioned. I’m pleased to say earlier this year Chris and I finally made it to the Whitsundays where we spent 3 days and 3 nights on Sailing Whitsundays‘ Entice catamaran exploring what the north-eastern location in Queensland has to offer by sea. Known for its pristine blue waters and white sandy beaches, it’s also the heart of the Great Barrier Reef.

The boat

Entice is a dual-hull catamaran with a capacity for 10 guests with rooms varying from:

• shared single accommodation (single bunk sharing accommodation space and bathroom with others),
• private double accommodation (one double bed sharing a bathroom with others),
• triple share cabin (one double bed and single bed in a private space, but sharing a bathroom with others),
• private twin cabin (two separate beds in a private space and en suite bathroom),
• private double cabin (one double bed in a private space and en suite bathroom) – this is the room we had and was $1880 for the two of us (note pricing changes depending on the time of year you travel).

On board, you also have an interior saloon and kitchen, a covered outdoor seating area where most meals are had, and nets on the deck which is perfect for lounging around while sailing or first thing in the morning.

Unlike the extensive crew you find on the super yachts of Below Deck, Entice’s crew consists of the skipper and a single deckhand who also doubles as the cook preparing all your meals fresh daily.

Weather

We opted to travel in March mostly because it was a birthday present to Chris but also because March falls between the change over of seasons between wet and windy while also still being quite warm coming out of peak summer (ie. it was perfect!).

If I recall correctly, we only had one night where it rained substantially but it was so late that we were all tucked up in bed anyway. During the days the weather was the perfect combination of being warm enough to enjoy wearing your bathers and not much more without the unpleasant feeling of melting away, topped with ideal water temperatures for jumping off the catamaran when we had the chance.

Itinerary

The first day is a relatively chilled day as you don’t board the boat until around 4pm Friday afternoon from Coral Sea Marina, which is easily accessible via foot from the main street in Airlie Beach or if you don’t want to walk then a taxi will cost you about $7-8. After a brief introduction to the catamaran and meeting the rest of the guests, we set sail for our first anchor location approximately 2 hours away.

The following days on board weren’t really set in stone and rather at the hands of Pete (our skipper) who planned our destination points based on the weather and tides. Some days would begin with an early morning sail to a pristine snorkelling spot pre-breakfast while others were a bit more relaxed with having breakfast first and then deciding on what we felt like doing.

During our time aboard, we did 2-3 snorkels daily as well as a stop-off at various lookouts. Whether it was watching the bustling kaleidoscope of tropical fish and coral or visiting a hundred-year-old clam, each snorkel came with a different experience so it was never repetitive or boring – I even had a baby black tip reef shark swim past me on one snorkel. As we were there during stinger season it is a requirement to wear a stinger suit each time you enter the water, and these are provided for you.

There is also a selection of water toys from stand-up paddleboards to glass-bottom canoes that you can enjoy at various stops.

Or if you don’t fancy getting wet, you can opt to just lounge on the nets and catch some rays.

Of course, no trip to the Whitsundays is complete without a visit to the famous Whitehaven Beach or Hill Inlet Lookout, both of which you get ample time to explore and experience.

Entice 3D3N comes to an end with a return to the marina around 2pm Monday.

What’s included

Things you won’t have to worry about packing or organising are:

• drinking water (a.k.a tap water)
• meals
• linen
• bath towel
• wet suit and stinger suits
• snorkelling equipment
• the Marine Park fees

What to pack

However, on your packing list you should have:

• change of clothes (I think the only time I wore clothes was for dinners)
• swimwear
• toiletries
• beach towel
• insect repellent
• water bottles to refill
• camera
• sun protection (sunscreen, hat, sunnies etc.)
• if you’re an avid reader like me you might also like to pack a book or perhaps even a card game, our go-to was Skip-Bo

Depending on the time of year you travel you might want to consider also bringing:

• warm clothes/pullover for evenings (seasonal)
• comfortable walking shoes (to be honest I was barefoot 100% of the time and the one time I took my thongs – flip flops for you non-Aussies – to a lookout I carried them in my hand and didn’t even wear them)

In addition to the above necessities, you also have to bring your own alcoholic drinks (note that no glass bottles are allowed on board with the exception of wine, champagne or spirits). While you are provided with breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, you can also opt to bring any extra snacks you might like and non-alcoholic drinks, however, there are a few soft drink options as well as bottled water available for purchase on board. While the rest of the guests came on board with bags of snacks, Chris and I didn’t pack any (aside from but we didn’t feel as though we needed them as the food throughout the trip was substantial enough.

If you’re someone who struggles with sea/motion sickness I’d recommend stocking up on travel sickness tablets as well just in case – there are plenty of chemists/pharmacies in town where you can buy them however it is recommended you bring them with you from your travelling origin as stock can be low in Airlie Beach.

Would I recommend this tour?

Sailing Whitsundays advises that this particular sailing adventure is only suitable for active people who have a basic level of fitness and mobility (ie. you should be able to climb a ladder easily). When we had the opportunity to sail, some of the guests had the chance to get involved by helping put the sails up.

As a guide, at the time of travelling, I was 10-11 weeks pregnant and aside from morning sickness I was absolutely fine with the copious amount of time spent in water and the various hikes we did.

Depending on what type of trip you’d like to experience (backpackers, adventure sailing, family-friendly), Sailing Whitsundays have various tours to choose from ranging from one-dayers to overnight adventures.

If sailing in the Whitsundays is high up on your bucket list but you don’t want to break the bank, I’d definitely recommend this tour. When you take into consideration that the price included 3 nights accommodation in a private cabin with ensuite, all meals for the 3 days and 3 nights, as well as numerous snorkels daily and activities, it was worth it and a great experience.

The only negatives I’d say we had was perhaps:

• the lack of time spent playing with the water toys (we only had one opportunity for this),
• the tour description on the website mentions getting to use sea scooters but we never saw these or had them offered to us,
• and that we only got to sail once – all other times we were using the motor – but I understand this is out of the skipper’s control as it ultimately comes down to the weather and wind present.