06 Jul, 2023

Tourism and holiday parks with a difference: Mandalay Holiday Resort

by Julija Zivanovic

Mandalay Holiday Resort and Tourist Park in Western Australia’s Busselton is one of the premier places to stay in the region.

Sitting opposite the clear waters of the Indian Ocean, this resort has all the bases covered for a memorable trip with family or friends. As 2019’s Caravan Park of the Year, Mandalay has a variety of accommodation options for all travellers with a range of amenities and facilities to boot. The resort sits in an ideal location, being only a stone’s throw from Busselton’s town centre, a 20-minute drive to Dunsborough, 30 minutes to Margaret River and one hour to Augusta and Cape Leeuwin. It’s really the perfect spot from which to explore the country’s southwestern-most region.

Luxury to basic

Mandalay Holiday Resort offers many different accommodation types to suit every type of traveller. The options range from luxury two-storey villas and superior and standard two and three-bedroom chalets (some with spas) to studio cabins and glamping tents. And of course, plenty of powered ensuite sites and powered sites suitable for caravans, motorhomes and tents.

Facilities galore

Mandalay Holiday Resort boasts countless facilities for guests to enjoy and for a second, or perhaps longer, you’ll forget about the outside world. If you’re not a beach goer, Mandalay features three resort-style pools to choose from including a heated indoor pool. The main outdoor pool has a shaded poolside deck with sun lounges and seating area. There is also a large rainbow waterslide suitable for all ages and a fully equipped games room with big screen TV, fireplace, pool table, table tennis, foosball table and video games.

For the little ones, there are four adventure playgrounds located around the park (all ages allowed). The largest is the Summit Tower Playground which is over 10.5m high and features three huge slides and levels connected by rope ladders. There is also a toddler-friendly fenced playground and indoor toddler playground for the winter months, suitable for children aged one to four years.

When it comes to food preparation, the resort also has you covered. There are four undercover barbecue areas for guests to use. There is a camper’s kitchen with indoor cooking facilities including indoor barbecues, gas cooktops, plenty of tables and chairs, a refrigerator, microwave, kettles and even a vending machine.

The resort also has every amenity you could need while away from home, including laundry facilities (with washers, dryers, irons and ironing boards), two dump points for caravanners, an ATM, free wi-fi throughout and a resort shop which is open seven days a week offering ready-made meals, snacks, toiletries, confectionery, fishing tackle, pool toys, postcards and much more. There are also two amenities blocks with toilets/showers which feature underfloor heating to keep warm underfoot during the winter months.

Other facilities within the resort include bike hire for adults and children (baby seats available), boat parking, a fish cleaning area, a safe pathway to the beach opposite the resort and communal herb gardens for guests to use as well as a large playing field perfect for ball games and other outdoor activities.

Nearby attractions

Located only 4km west of Busselton, and directly opposite the beach, Mandalay Holiday Resort offers plenty of natural and man-made attractions to enjoy. Starting with the beach directly opposite the resort, Geographe Bay is a 70km-long white sandy beach featuring calm and clear waters perfect for swimming, snorkelling, paddle boarding, fishing and crabbing.

Only a short drive away is Busselton Town Centre, where guests can enjoy a variety of local retailers, restaurants, craft breweries, museums and arts and craft shops. Also nearby is the beautiful foreshore precinct and the iconic 2km-long Busselton Jetty, where you can walk or catch the jetty train to the Underwater Observatory.

If you drive a little bit out of town, you will hit the magic that is Margaret River. The Margaret River region includes the townships of Dunsborough, Meelup, Yallingup and Cowaramup Bay and is home to award-winning vineyards, wineries, breweries and galleries. The region is also home to incredible surfing beaches where worldwide competitions are held and picturesque scenery which will make anyone a nature lover.

Choose Mandalay

Family owned and operated since 1964, Mandalay Holiday Resort is a popular spot among tourists and locals alike. Currently the third generation of the Johnson family is actively running the park, giving the resort a feeling of closeness and community. The resort has cultivated an extremely safe environment over the years, with endless green manicured lawns, shady peppermint trees and a very busy events calendar featuring movie nights on the big screen, kids’ craft activities, laser tag, quiz nights, bocce tournaments, bingo, brass band performances and much more. Mandalay has a large number of returning guests which is a testament to their hospitality — some have even been returning for over 50 years!

Award winners

Mandalay Holiday Resort has deservedly won several awards for its incredible work. These include the ReviewPro People’s Choice Award in both 2019 and 2020, the G’Day Parks Travellers Choice Award in 2021, the Holidays with Kids Readers’ Choice Best Holiday Parks Award in 2016 to 2022 and most recently, the Trip Advisor Travellers Choice Award in 2021 and 2022.

Wrap up

If you’ve never ventured into the breathtaking area that makes up the southwestern-most tip of Australia, you really need to. Mandalay Holiday Resort will happily accommodate you while you explore the countless natural wonders this region has to offer. Choose from a variety of accommodation types ranging from fancy villas to camping sites. And if you’re keen for some winter touring, Mandalay is offering a ‘stay three, pay two’ winter special. This offer must be taken for travel dates between 25 April and 21 September 2023. Also please keep in mind that it’s not valid during the July school holidays, event weekends and long weekends and the special must be applied at the time of booking. So, what are you waiting for?