Litchfield National Park, a 90-minute drive south of Darwin, is a local favourite thanks to its stunning swimming holes and refreshing waterfalls. Tackle the three-kilometre Wangi Falls walking track, stopping for a dip at the base of the craggy cliff. Crocs are a rare sight but always remember to check the warning signs.

Enjoy Darwin’s celebrated sunset aboard a luxury Sail Darwin catamaran which offers a three-hour Champagne Sunset sail. Although summer isn't the time for sea-swimming in the Top End, this cruise gives you your ocean fix and  with over 100 square metres of deck space, you can sprawl out under the shade of the sails in the heat while  indulging in a BBQ dinner.

No trip to Darwin is complete without getting up close – safely! – to the world’s largest reptile. Take a jumping crocodile cruise on the Adelaide River to see wild salties snatch at bait or visit Crocosaurus Cove, where you can even “swim with the crocs” in the perspex Cage of Death.

Darwin Waterfront’s free saltwater Recreational Lagoon lets visitors and locals alike make the most of the city’s balmy weather and is a great place for the whole family to hangout. Patrolled by lifeguards from 9am-6pm, the lagoon is surrounded by lush lawns, dotted with daybeds, where you can relax between dips. If you want more action, there’s a Wave Lagoon right next door and the whole precinct is surrounded by restaurants and bars.

Cool off with a dip in Darwin. Plan your trip now.

Forget drawing straws to be the designated driver: with Airborne Solutions, you can check out five pubs in one day by chopper. The seven-hour tour includes a scenic flight over Darwin Harbour and stops at local institutions such as The Lodge of Dundee and Crab Claw Island Resort.

Explore the culture of the local Pudakul people with Pudakul Aboriginal Cultural Tours. On this experience, a First Nations guard  will take you out to the wetlands where you’ll board a vessel to view birds and crocodiles and later, learn about bush tucker on a walk and talk, have a go at throwing a spear and blow into a didgeridoo. Billy tea and damper in the bush is provided.

The Top End’s tropical weather makes it ripe (pun intended) for a ripper mango season. Keep a lookout for frozen chunks of mango – or maybe a mango daiquiri – served at sunset while lounging at Mindil Beach Casino Resort’s Infinity Pool Bar.  You can even camp on a mango farm in Tumbling Waters and enjoy as much mango as you like straight from the trees.

You can’t eat all the mangoes in Darwin but you sure can try. Plan your trip now.

Since launching in 2017, the Darwin Street Art Festival has commissioned dozens of eye-catching large-scale murals, best viewed during its festival season of August/September. You can set off on a self-guided walk around the CBD however, to take in works like Pete Cto’s The Multidimensional Man, a 29-metre-high portrait of Arnhem Land guide Hilton Garnarradj.

With its cool indoor/outdoor space, locally-minded menu and relaxed vibe, much-loved Snapper Rocks is a must visit. Come for the charred banana prawns with coconut prawn bisque and stay for a cocktail with Troppo Top End gin, which is distilled in-house with a delicious range of native botanicals and fruits.

As you wander through Litchfield National Park, you’re bound to stumble upon the hundreds of Magnetic Termite mounds. These structures are up to 100 years old and have their thin edges point north and south while the backs face east and west – giving them their name. Termites can build these mounds up to two metres high while another species, the Cathedral Termite, builds its home to a towering four metres.

Explore all that the Top End has to offer. Find flights to Darwin now.

Darwin is one of the best places in Australia to buy First Nations  art. Make your way to Provenance Arts – a mixed-use Aboriginal-owned art centre – where you can watch local Indigenous artists create incredibly detailed paintings right in front of your eyes, browse through hundreds of other exhibits and buy the ones you like. Outstation in Parap and Aboriginal Fine Arts Gallery in the CBD are a couple of great options.

There are many reasons to visit this market, open every Saturday from 8am to 2pm: local arts and crafts, vibrant gift shops and food stalls. But one of the most important reasons locals flock to Parap Village Markets is authentic, spicy laksa. Mary’s Laksa is the indisputable queen among a bevy of stalls but there are plenty of other just-as-amazing options nearby.

Set on 17 hectares of lush greenery and home to hundreds of tropical species, George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens is an ideal spot for a walk, jog or picnic. Venture deep into the rainforest to find the waterfall, swing by the lily pond then grab a bite at Eva’s Cafe.

Headquartered in Darwin, Paspaley’s pearls are cultivated in Australia’s northern oceans.  Their spectacular pieces hero  wild pearl oysters from the area, the brand’s lustrous pieces make for a seriously sophisticated souvenir.

Darwin’s sunsets are simply spectacular. See for yourself when you book your flight.

Operating out of the ground floor of the Darwin Surf Life Saving Club at Casuarina Beach, De la Plage has a vista that can’t be beat. Serving classics like smashed avo toast and tricked-up burgers, you can also order a grazing platter in the evenings to enjoy on the lawn.   

Moments from restaurant hotspot Mitchell Street, Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Esplanade boasts plush rooms, gorgeous harbour views and a spectacular swimming pool. For a family-friendly accommodation option,  three-bedroom Darwin Waterfront Wharf Escape Holiday Apartments is a great option, complete with spacious balcony and barbecue.

With a mix of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, natural-history specimens and artefacts from across South-East Asia, the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) is the place to get acquainted with Darwin’s history. Don’t miss the museum’s most famous resident, Sweetheart, a preserved five-metre-long, 780-kilogram saltwater croc.

A 20-minute flight or 2.5-hour ferry ride north of Darwin in the Timor Sea, the Tiwi Islands is a picturesque  archipelago of friendly locals and beautiful scenery. At Tiwi Design – one of Australia’s oldest art centres – you can join a cultural tour that includes a Welcome to Country, morning tea, a trip to the ​​Patakijiyali Museum and a screenprinting workshop with a Tiwi artist.

Its proximity to Asia means Darwin offers some of the best multicultural cuisine in Australia. Make your way to Hanuman for a sensational fusion of Thai and Indian, Sumatra Café (40 The Mall, Darwin) for authentic Indonesian and Saffrron in Parap for terrific Indian cuisine.

Whether you’re a first-timer or expert angler, there are plenty of ways to experience the Top End’s world-class fishing. For a family-friendly outing, Barramundi Adventures Darwin is a land-based fishing farm at the southern end of Darwin Harbour. After something more adventurous? Hire a charter to explore the coastline. 

The Best Things to See on a Northern Territory Holiday