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Quick answer: Cable Beach is the best base for most first-time visitors, with the sunset, the camels and the resort strip on one side of town. Chinatown, the actual town centre, is the better pick if you want to walk to food and pay less.
Broome is a remote pearling town on the edge of the Kimberley, and it runs on one long beach and two seasons. The decision about where to stay in Broome comes down to whether you want to wake up near that beach or near the shops and cafes. Both sides of town are a short drive apart, so neither choice locks you out of the other.
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The areas at a glance
Broome is small, spread thin, and split into a handful of pockets rather than dense neighbourhoods. Cable Beach sits on the western, ocean-facing side, roughly a few kilometres from the town centre. Chinatown and Old Broome make up the historic core inland, near Roebuck Bay on the eastern side. The port and the Roebuck Bay foreshore face east, which matters because that is where you watch the moon, not the sun. Getting between them is easy with a car and awkward without one, and that single fact shapes most of the decision.
Cable Beach
Cable Beach is the postcard, and it is where most visitors picture themselves before they arrive. It is a long strip of white sand facing due west, which is why the sunset camel trains and the resorts cluster here. This area suits couples, honeymooners and anyone who wants the ocean at the door and does not mind paying a premium for it. You will find the higher-end Broome hotels here, plus a few mid-range options and a caravan park.
The trade-off that photos hide is distance. Cable Beach is not walking distance to the town centre, so if you want dinner in Chinatown or a supermarket run, you are driving or waiting for a shuttle. The beach itself is glorious but exposed, and stingers and the occasional croc warning mean you check the signs before you swim. The northern end past the rocks is clothing-optional, which surprises some families. It is quieter up there, and busier and more managed down near the resorts.
Chinatown and the town centre
Chinatown is the working heart of Broome and the most sensible base if you want to walk to things. Despite the name, it is a small grid of streets holding most of the town’s restaurants, pearl showrooms, the old open-air cinema, tour offices and the visitor centre. Prices here run cheaper than Cable Beach, and you will find mid-range motels and a couple of budget-friendly stays within a few blocks of dinner.
This is the area for car-free travellers, budget travellers and anyone who plans to book tours, since most operators run from or near here. The vibe is low-key by day and genuinely quiet at night once the restaurants close, so do not expect a nightlife scene. The catch is the beach: Cable Beach is a drive away, and Roebuck Bay’s shore, while close, is tidal mudflats rather than swimming sand. You trade beachfront for convenience, and for a lot of visitors that is the right trade.
Old Broome
Old Broome is the residential pocket just south of Chinatown, wrapped around the top of Roebuck Bay. It is where you find leafier streets, some heritage bungalows, a scattering of guesthouses and self-contained apartments, and easy access to the bay foreshore and Town Beach. This area suits families and longer-stay visitors who want a kitchen, a bit of space, and a short hop into the centre without being in the middle of it.
The feel here is quiet and local rather than touristy, which is the appeal and the limitation. You are close to Town Beach, where the low-tide flats reveal dinosaur footprints and where the Staircase to the Moon is watched on the right nights, but you are still a drive from Cable Beach for a proper swim. Self-contained places book out early in peak dry season, so this pocket rewards planning ahead more than most.
The port and Roebuck Bay side
The eastern side of town faces Roebuck Bay, and it is a different Broome from the surf-and-sunset version. This is the deepwater port, the mangroves, the birdlife and the mudflats that draw migratory shorebirds, and it is the vantage point for the Staircase to the Moon, the optical trick of a rising full moon reflected across wet tidal flats. Accommodation over here is thinner: a few foreshore stays, the caravan and camping options near Town Beach, and self-contained units.
This side suits birdwatchers, photographers and repeat visitors who already know they want the bay rather than the beach. The trade-off is blunt: the water here is not for casual swimming. Enormous tides expose kilometres of mud, and saltwater crocodiles use the mangroves, so Roebuck Bay is for watching, not wading. If your idea of a beach holiday is a morning dip, this is the wrong side, and Cable Beach is the right one.
Which area is right for you
| Traveller type | Best area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timer | Cable Beach | The beach, the sunset and the camels are why most people come |
| Couples | Cable Beach | The resort strip and west-facing sunsets are built for it |
| Families | Old Broome | Self-contained apartments, quiet streets, close to Town Beach |
| Budget / backpacker | Chinatown | Cheapest beds, walk to food, most tours leave from here |
| Car-free | Chinatown | Everything you need on foot in a few blocks |
| Birders / photographers | Roebuck Bay / port | Shorebirds, mangroves and the Staircase to the Moon |
What to book first
Book the room first, because Broome’s dry season fills fast and the good stays sell out months ahead. Then decide on transport: a hire car makes moving between Cable Beach, Chinatown and the bay effortless, and it is close to essential if you want the Dampier Peninsula or Kimberley day trips. Book those bigger tours early too, since the best ones cap numbers and go quickly in peak months. The live map below shows real, current prices across each area so you can compare where to stay in Broome side by side.
Live nightly prices from Booking, Airbnb, Hotels.com and more across every Broome area — move the map or change your dates to compare.
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Frequently asked questions
When should I visit Broome?
The dry season, roughly May to October, is the season, and it is not a small preference. This is when the weather is warm and rainless, tours run, and roads into the Kimberley are open. In the wet, from around November to April, it is hot and humid, cyclones are possible, and many tours and unsealed roads close entirely. Plan your trip inside the dry, and book early because everyone else is doing the same. Tourism Western Australia’s official Broome guide is a good starting point.
Is Broome expensive?
Broome is not a budget destination, mostly because it is remote and everything has to be trucked or flown in. Cable Beach resorts sit at the high end, Chinatown motels are more moderate, and camping or hostels keep costs down. Prices also swing hard with the seasons, peaking through the dry, so the live map is the honest way to check what any given area costs right now.
Do you need a car in Broome?
You do not strictly need one if you stay in Chinatown and stick to the town centre, but a car makes everything easier and opens up the region. Cable Beach, Gantheaume Point and the bay are all spread out, and the day trips that make the region worth the flight, up the Dampier Peninsula and beyond, need a vehicle or a tour. Most visitors hire one.
How many days should I spend in Broome?
Three to four nights is a comfortable minimum to see the town itself, catch a sunset at Cable Beach and fit one big day trip. If you want the Dampier Peninsula, Horizontal Falls or a longer Kimberley run, give it a week or more. Broome also works well as the start or end of a bigger Kimberley overland trip.
What is the best area for a first-time visitor?
Cable Beach for the experience, Chinatown for the value. First-timers who came for the beach and sunset should base at Cable Beach and drive in for dinner. Those watching the budget or without a car should pick Chinatown and taxi or shuttle out to the beach when they want it.
