Four Luxury Lodges of Australia – Southern Ocean Lodge, Arkaba Homestead, Sal Salis and Silky Oaks Lodge – have been recognised in Travel + Leisure Asia’s feature, “10 Luxury Stays Where You Can Meet Native Australian Wildlife,” celebrating exceptional luxury experiences that bring travellers closer to Australia’s iconic fauna. The feature reinforces the extraordinary diversity of wildlife experiences available across the Luxury Lodges of Australia collection, where immersive nature encounters, meaningful conservation and exceptional hospitality come together in some of Australia’s most remarkable landscapes.
From Kangaroo Island to the Flinders Ranges, Ningaloo Reef and the Daintree Rainforest, the feature highlights four distinctive destinations where unforgettable wildlife encounters are paired with world-class hospitality.
Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island is showcased for its encounters with kangaroos, the species that gives Kangaroo Island its name. The article also notes the opportunity to spot echidnas, koalas and sea lions, while praising the lodge’s award-winning combination of wildlife safaris, exceptional dining and spectacular coastal setting.
Arkaba Homestead in the Flinders Ranges is recognised for its resident emus, which roam the open grasslands and savannah woodlands of the Flinders Ranges. The feature also highlights the region’s wedge-tailed eagles, cockatoos, galahs, yellow-footed rock wallabies, eastern grey kangaroos and wallaroos, alongside Arkaba’s conservation model, where every stay supports the ongoing restoration of this remarkable wildlife conservancy, including the return of endangered native quolls.
At Sal Salis, the spotlight falls on the magnificent whale shark, with the article celebrating Ningaloo Reef as one of the world’s premier places to swim alongside the gentle giants during their annual migration. Guests can also encounter manta rays and humpback whales while experiencing the property’s unique eco-luxury safari tents nestled between the reef and Cape Range National Park.
Silky Oaks Lodge is featured for the elusive southern cassowary, one of Australia’s most remarkable rainforest birds. Located on the edge of the Daintree Rainforest, the lodge offers access to one of the country’s richest birdwatching destinations, where guests may also encounter kingfishers, parrots, spoonbills, storks and cockatoos among more than 430 bird species found throughout the Wet Tropics.
Read the article in Travel + Leisure Asia.
