Written by Julie Jones, Half Wheelchair Will Travel, January 6, 2025
What could be better than staying in an accessible two bedroom villa with a water view and waking up to a pod of dolphins swimming by? There were many reasons that RACV Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort made it to favourite status on our Coral Coast, Western Australia road trip and these are just a few. Read our full review of RACV Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort to learn the others.
RACV Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort review
If there was one place we would return in a heartbeat for a longer stay on the Coral Coast, it would be Monkey Mia. We can all picture ourselves having a relaxing four or five night stay in the accessible beachfront villa because we had everything we needed and a priceless view. Accessible accommodation with a view, especially as good as the one at Monkey Mia, is like looking for a unicorn so we were disappointed to only have two nights to enjoy it. But enjoy it we did!
The two bedroom accessible beachfront villa has been thoughtfully designed with good circulation space throughout including the outdoor dining and barbecue area. Holiday mode kicked in the minute we were sitting outside catching the cool sea breeze while nibbling on a fruit and cheese platter I’d whipped up in the fabulous kitchen.
Braeden was able to wheel around without getting his wheelchair caught on the furniture and the small gate and fenced in verandah meant that when he kicked a ball around it didn’t disappear and need fetching. I imagine the fenced in verandah would also offer peace of mind for families travelling with young children too.
Inside the villa we were treated to a spacious and easy wheeling experience too. A dining table, lounge area and kitchen all caters well to larger family groups and as a family of four we could spread out with enough comfy seating for all of us.
When the temperature rose and the breeze no longer cut it, the air conditioner and ceiling fan kicked in working a treat.
A galley kitchen ensured no obstacles were in Braeden’s way when he was moving from the lounge area to the bedroom or bathroom and allowed me to glance at the view as I pottered preparing our meals.
The well equipped kitchen has crockery located at a lowered height, offers room under the kitchen sink for a wheelchair user, has a full size fridge, toaster, microwave, stove top and a dishwasher. The only thing missing for us was an oven but we used one of the ovens in the camp kitchen for our pizzas so there was a work around.
Guests can keep on top of the pile of washing a family creates while on holiday with an in-villa washing machine and a portable drying rack.
The contemporary master bedroom is also air conditioned and has a wall mounted television for lazy mornings or cosy evenings. Transfer space is available on both sides of the queen size bed and if not quite enough on one side there’s plenty of room to have the bed moved slightly.
Bedding is comfortable and everything about the villa was spotlessly clean.
Bedroom facts – entry door 100cm, bed height 62cm and clearance under bed 14cm.
Book accessible accommodation at RACV Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort here.
Bunk beds allow for four guests to be accommodated in the second bedroom and there is a good transfer space between the two sets of bunks. An air conditioner ensures comfortable sleeping on a hot night and there’s space to unpack with a set of drawers at a lowered height.
Bunk room facts – bedroom door clearance 87cm. distance between bunks 66cm and good clearance under the beds.
A spacious bathroom features a shower bench, height adjustable shower, grab rails, lever taps and a toilet with backrest.
The lowered sink with lever taps has space underneath for a wheelchair user to wheel up to it with ease but as with many accessible bathrooms there is a lack of space for toiletries bags. As a family we travel with four and there was nowhere to keep them in the bathroom.
Bathroom facts – entry door clearance 100cm, sink height 82cm, shower bench height 48cm, toilet height to seat 44cm and height to pan 43cm.
A wide parking bay is located beside the accessible villa with a path leading from the car space to the entry door.
The accessible facilities continue throughout the resort with a Kingfisher pool seat available for use by guests with limited mobility.
An accessible bathroom is located within the pool enclosure so guests don’t need to leave the fun and go back to the villa to pay a visit.
Monkey Mia is famous for its visiting dolphins and the research that goes along with these regular visitors but the resort’s location itself is a headline act. Sunrise, sunset and the crystal clear blue sky days in between are magnificent.
To the left of the accessible villa (as you walk out the door) is a boardwalk which helped us get Braeden’s wheelchair down to the water’s edge. Unfortunately, sand erosion means there is now a step at the end of the boardwalk but hopefully this is fixed in the future. It doesn’t go all the way to the hard sand but we were able to manage from here.
Braeden loved the shallow water and the ease of swimming right out the front of the accessible villa.
Accessible level pathways connect the accommodation, restaurants and the dolphin experience which makes navigating RACV Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort easy.
A trip to Monkey Mia would not be complete without taking part in one of the dolphin experiences. A beach wheelchair is available for guest use (we suggest booking it in advance) which assists guests with mobility restrictions get up close to the dolphins in the water. This is an early version of a beach wheelchair and it isn’t easy to push. We have chatted to staff about potentially getting a newer beach chair when funding is available as this really is a special experience no-one should miss out on if they wish to participate. An entry fee is payable by everyone to participate but as you can see from the photo, some budget conscious guests choose to watch on for free from the jetty. I think the fee is a small contribution to the research and work done by Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) and the team of marine researchers
Staff provide great commentary, information and details about the individual dolphins that visit.
The dolphins visit when they wish and stay as long as they fancy. Some even introduce their young ones to the crowd.
If camping is more your style, RACV Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort offers excellent camp facilities too. A camp kitchen has all the mod cons including ovens, cook tops, large refrigerators and indoor seating areas. There are even high chairs for the littlies.
In the camp kitchen and surrounds we found everything to be once again spotless.
Camp barbecues are available to use too.
A definite advantage to camping is that the emus seem to favour the area and are likely to pop by for a drink if you are lucky!
Either that or they are visiting to critique your wardrobe.
We absolutely loved how far removed we felt from our regular life at Monkey Mia. The wildlife, facilities and scenery had us wanting more.
Stay tuned for my detailed review of the activities we did while staying at RACV Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort.
If in the meantime you’d like more information about RACV Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort you can visit their website.
We were hosted at RACV Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort but as our photos hopefully show the accessible beachfront villa is fabulous.
Book accessible accommodation at RACV Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort here.