Sailaway Review
Low Isles is the gentler Great Barrier Reef day: five hours at a coral cay island, with a lagoon you can snorkel straight off the beach. A guided nature walk passes a lighthouse that has been standing since 1878, and the glass bottom boat means you can see coral without swimming a stroke. Be straight with yourself about one thing: the operator calls this an adventure tour needing good mobility.
GuestTours Verdict
GuestTours award: Best for Families. GuestTours rating: 4.7 / 5.
Sailaway
Sailing Catamaran to Low Isles · Port Douglas
Fares
Adult
per person
$365
Child
4–12 years
$255
Infant
0–3 years free
Free
Family fare
2 adults + 2 children
$1116
What your fare covers
- Courtesy coach transfers in the Port Douglas area
- Five hours at tropical Low Isles
- Morning tea on boarding, and afternoon tea and coffee with muffins and pastries
- Superb tropical buffet lunch, including prawns
- Snorkelling equipment, instruction and in-water assistance
- Guided snorkel tour
- 100% solar electric glass bottom boat tours and reef interpretation
- Low Isles nature walk
- Sailing on a luxury catamaran
- Environment Management Charge
Is this the right reef day for you?
Great fit
Families
A protected lagoon, a beach, five hours ashore and a glass bottom boat for anyone not swimming.
Great fit
People who want a beach as well as a reef
Low Isles has white sand and a lagoon, which the outer reef pontoons do not.
Great fit
Anyone interested in the history
The lighthouse was built in 1878 and weather data has been collected here since 1887.
Look elsewhere
People set on the outer reef
Low Isles is a coral cay closer to shore. For the outer reef, look at the Mackay Coral Cay trip or Wavelength.
Look elsewhere
Anyone with limited mobility
The operator is explicit that this is an adventure tour needing good mobility.
Look elsewhere
Divers
There is no scuba diving on this trip.
How the day runs
8:30 AM
Courtesy coach and boarding
Collected from the Port Douglas area, then morning tea on boarding.
Morning
Sailing to Low Isles
Sail out to the coral cay on Sailaway VI, a Lagoon 560 catamaran.
At the island
Five hours at Low Isles
Snorkel the lagoon with instruction and in-water assistance, or join the guided snorkel tour.
At the island
Solar glass bottom boat and nature walk
A 100% solar electric glass bottom boat with reef interpretation, plus the Low Isles nature walk.
Midday
Tropical buffet lunch
Served on board, including prawns.
Afternoon
Afternoon tea and the sail home
Tea and coffee with muffins and pastries.
4:00 PM
Back in Port Douglas
The day finishes at 4:00pm.
Before you go
Departure point
Port Douglas, with a courtesy coach in the Port Douglas area
Hours
8:30 AM to 4:00 PM, with five hours at the island
Vessel
Sailaway VI, a Lagoon 560 sailing catamaran with an air conditioned cabin
Destination
Low Isles, a coral cay island
The reef there
Around 150 species of hard coral, dominated by 15 species of soft coral
The lighthouse
Built in 1878, staffed until it was automated in 1993. Weather data has been collected on the island since 1887
Mobility
The operator describes this as an adventure tour suitable for travellers with good mobility, and notes that snorkelling can be strenuous
Infants
Children aged 0 to 3 travel free
The full review
Low Isles is the gentler Great Barrier Reef day, and Sailaway does the nicest version of it. Five hours at a coral cay island, a lagoon you can snorkel straight off the beach, and a guided nature walk past a lighthouse that has been standing since 1878. The glass bottom boat is 100% solar electric, which the operator says is the only one of its kind, and it means you can see coral without swimming a stroke. Sailaway VI is a Lagoon 560 with an air conditioned cabin. One thing to be straight about: the operator calls this an adventure tour needing good mobility, and says snorkelling can be strenuous.
Sailaway FAQs
Five hours at Low Isles, which is longer than most day trips give you anywhere.
No. Low Isles is a coral cay closer to shore, with a protected lagoon you can snorkel off the beach. If you want the outer reef, look at the Mackay Coral Cay trip or Wavelength.
A 100% solar electric glass bottom boat, which the operator says is the only one of its kind in the world. It runs reef interpretation tours over the coral.
8:30am to 4:00pm.
Sailaway VI, a Lagoon 560 luxury sailing catamaran with an air conditioned cabin and a covered outdoor saloon.
The operator is direct about this: it is an adventure tour suitable for travellers with good mobility, and to snorkel you need to be confident in the water with good swimming ability, as snorkelling can be strenuous.
The reef around Low Isles has around 150 species of hard coral and is dominated by 15 species of soft coral.
Yes, there is a guided Low Isles nature walk, and the island has a lighthouse built in 1878.
Yes, a tropical buffet lunch including prawns, with morning tea on boarding and afternoon tea with muffins and pastries.
Yes, courtesy coach transfers in the Port Douglas area are part of the fare.
Yes, $1,116 for 2 adults and 2 children. Infants aged 0 to 3 are free.
No, this is a snorkelling and sailing day.
Sailaway does not publish a passenger capacity for this tour. We will confirm this with you when you book.
Sailaway
Sailing Catamaran to Low Isles · Port Douglas
Fares
Adult
per person
$365
Child
4–12 years
$255
Infant
0–3 years free
Free
Family fare
2 adults + 2 children
$1116