Is It Worth Going on the Kuranda Scenic Railway?

If you're visiting or thinking about visiting North Queensland Australia, you might be wondering if you should get tickets to the Kuranda Scenic Railway. Let me tell you about my experience and let you make your decision.

The Pros

1. Our travel agent set us up with a private tour guide to pick us up at our hotel in Cairns and take us to the Kuranda Scenic Railway. The tour guide picked us up in a private van and was a great introduction to Australia. He was welcoming, upbeat, and had so many interesting facts about the area. A true wealth of information but also very engaging and helpful.

2. The boarding was seamless. There was a nice area to sit outside before boarding the train, but we only had to wait a few minutes. Once we boarded, we were given a little brochure fan to look at. We were also given a choice of drinks, a few of which include mocktails, coffee, and tea. After riding for a few minutes, we were presented with a plate of appetizers as we rode along. It was a really nice ride and we could see the mountains and waterfalls from the windows.

3. We stopped to get out and take pictures of the beautiful mountains and waterfalls.

4. The day capped off with a drop off at the village with a solid meal and shopping which was nice for variety. We enjoyed a cafe lunch with our tour guide where we had a choice of meals. I chose barramundi. But before our meal, the tour guide had the server bring out at tasting platter of kangaroo, crocodile, and emu meat. When I heard what it was, I thought oh no - I'm not a big meat person anyway but I managed to try a little. After eating, there were shops near the cafe that we browsed after our meal. It was pouring down rain but that didn't affect the day.

And now for...

5. The best part of the day for me was getting to hold a koala at the wildlife sanctuary. We took a group photo and individual photo. The koala was heavier than I expected - I would say over 20 pounds and I could feel the koala's nails a little, but I enjoyed the way the koala clung on to me and thought holding the koala (don't say bear!) was a neat experience.

The Cons

1. The food, from the appetizers on the train ride, to the cafe food was just ok for me.

So to answer my question, is it worth going on the Kuranda Scenic Railway, the answer is yes! Your experience might be a little different in terms of what you do, but I guarantee you'll enjoy the smooth train ride and beautiful scenery.