The Whitsundays – the ultimate paradise and a tropical haven for backpackers, it’s at the top of the list for many and when you visit it’s easy to see why! White sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and the iconic swirl of Whitehaven beach will have you making people at home VERY jealous. There are 74 islands within the Whitsundays and a sailing tour around these islands will give you the most amazing views and access to beaches and reef only accessible by boat. Whitehaven Beach is one of the best beaches not only in Aussie but in the world and all Whitsundays trips include a visit to this little slice of heaven!
We’ll be sharing with your our top tips for choosing a boat and the options for:
- A chilled luxury vibe
- A party boat
- A super social vibe
- And how we can get you epic discounts on these!
Ready to plan your visit to one of the RatPack’s favourite spots on the East Coast?
Click images to see more.
The chilled flashpacker vibe
We KNOW that some of you RatPackers like things a little bit more luxurious and there’s some SICK options for the Whitsundays that cater for the finer things in life and even better are in a backpackers budget.
Powerplay is an insane catamaran that can fit 18 people, has a jacuzzi on board, the best food and even a photographer! We love the Powerplay as it’s the perfect option for the relaxed traveller, couples, the young at heart and those looking for a social but laid back atmosphere. You’ll feel a world away from normal life during the trip as you’ll be chilling in style in the heated jacuzzi, having delicious food & BBQ cooked for you, having drinks under the stars and visiting some incredible locations such as Whitehaven Beach!
The party boat
When backpacking the east coast you have plenty of opportunities to party {trust us, we’ve experienced the hangovers..} and where better to party than on a boat with 55 other backpackers cruising the Whitsundays?
The Atlantic Clipper is an absolute legendary boat and if you are up for a lot of banter, day long bevvys, hilarious crew, and making unreal memories, this tour is perfect for you!
We guarantee that you will have an epic time on this boat, it’s the king of the whitsundays for a party and good times and the perfect option if you like to party! We’re talking a 12 person hot tub, a fancy dress show by the crew onboard and the opportunity to win the King or Queen of the Clipper! Although you will party at night they still hit the EPIC spots in the day aka Whitehaven beach and epic snorkel spots – If you are into this option.. expect to party hard with a large group!
The super social backpacker boat
If you’re looking for something that’s a perfect combo of chilled and party, then there are plenty of boat options to choose from all offering epic times whilst cruising the beaut Whitsundays! These are the most affordable & popular option out of the Whitsundays boats with around 30 people on board..
The New Horizon is an awesome tall ship sailing boat and you’ll have an awesome few days sailing through the Whitsunday islands full of so many activities including a waterslide, snorkelling and a diving board to show off your skills and give Tom Daley a run for his money!
You’ll see all of the top sites and of course a key highlight of the trip is going to the most instagrammable beach in the world. These boats are perfect if you like to enjoy a couple of drinks under the stars at night and relaxing in the day time with a group of social backpackers.
Time to plan your trip
So many options, so many good times coming your way RatPackers – drop us a WhatsApp if you need some help working out what type of tour is best for you! A bit time restricted? Don’t you worry – there are other options that can help you see the beaaaaaaauty that is the Whitsundays. Want to see the Whitsundays from the sky? Skydiving or an unreal scenic flight is the perfect way to see it from above, may as well get it from all angles hey!
- Choose the powerplay boat if you like things on the chilled side and are travelling with a partner
- Choose the Atlantic Clipper if you are KEEN for a party with a big crew
- Choose the New Horizon if you like a combination of chill and party!
- Not sure which one suits you best? Hit us up and we’ll help you choose the tour best suited to you.
About the Author: Sammy
with RatPack Travel?
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From our RatPackers
Ben was amazing and went above and beyond to find us amazing deals and exactly what we were looking for. He did it all in record time too! We were very close to our travel date and Ben was doing so much for us so quickly! Definitely recommend
Mikey was fantastic from start to finish. He was so efficient and easy to talk to. 10/10 for him, would highly recommend the service. So happy I chose to go with RatPack Travel.
Friendly helpful and accommodating. Thanks Ryan. You made it all very easy.
Great service from Ben, came back with answers within minutes and walked us through the process, great experience, thanks Ben
George was fantastic, I came in very vague and he gave me the time and examples to lock in what we were looking for. He found great deals and was easy to talk to - he was able to give tips about the process without putting any pressure. Would recommend using Ratpack.
Ben made it so fast and easy for us to reserve our camper van for our trip in the fall! Excellent service!’n
I had a call with Ryan who was super nice, knowledgable and made me feel really at ease with making my decision. He asked me all about what I want to do and achieve on my trip, although I didn’t really want to pack too much in… nor gave much detail on what I want to do, he gave options and ideas for me to look into. He used his own experience as an example which was really helpful to hear and made me feel like I’m right at home with RatPack, I knew then I was making the right choice by talking to him. He answered any questions I had, even if they seemed like silly questions to ask. The booking process is really easy and straight forward, they do all the hard parts for you. Once Ryan talked me through my options, I made my selection and all I had to do was enter my card details for the deposit and I was done! Thanks to Ryan’s detailed and calm approach I knew I was booking with the right company/team. I can’t wait for the next step!!
George has been amazing. He put together the costings for our trip, and then I changed the dates completely and he redid everything and said it wasn’t a problem. I felt that he worked hard to get me the best deal, advised me which pickup town was the best deal, when was the best time to travel, and how I could save money by adding a day to our trip (yes, it was cheaper to go for 21 days than go for 20!). George sent through mountains of advice on travel destinations, camping sites etc. I would definitely recommend RatPack Travel and George.
The Ratpack team and specifically Ryan f were great for booking our dream New Zealand campervan trip. Ryan worked hard over several days trying to find the best possible deals for us and the communication was great with updates regularly. He was able to get us 2 vans that out did any other quotes that we received and we are really looking forward to our trip with Ratpack being by our side. Thanks a lot Ryan F!
Lovely people, more than helpful.
I am so stoked with the service I received from Ryan at RatPack Travel. He was so proactive and on the ball to help me with all my questions and variations. He gave me several options and gave me other things to look at to make sure I had all that I needed. Ryan did all the legwork in following up the availability of the type of van I wanted. If you are wanting to go on a Campervan holiday no matter how long or short, I would recommend RatPack Travel! They will be you support in every step of the process, in the lead up and while on the road. Thanks Ryan! You're a legend! They are a one stop shop when it comes to sourcing campervans and motorhomes from different providers! I nearly forgot to say - he got me a great deal on a newer model. ;)
Thijs and Gemma were just so lovely to communicate with and explained everything so well. Booked us our campervan seamlessly, and with a great deal too 😊 10/10 service from them both!! Couldn’t recommend more! 😊
Ben was super helpful, easy to deal with and always got back to all my questions nice and quickly, with all the campervan options out there we really didn’t know what one to go with but Ben did all the searching for us and made the whole process really simple.
Amazing and outstanding customer service, Ryan exceeded all expectations, he and his team found the perfect deal for us, if you are looking for renting a campervan in NZ or Oz, don’t look for more! Go straight to them and you’ll see you are in the best hands! 🙌
Greg was superb! We told him what we wanted in a camper van. Even with less than two weeks notice, he didn’t disappoint. We loved our camper van and it was perfect for the two of us!
