Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef

Wake up with the sun from your eco-luxe safari tent, peeking out to the largest fringing World Heritage-listed coral reef in the world just metres away… with the ancient Western Australian folklore-filled terrain behind you.

The sand’s a welcoming warm, the native birds are in song, and the sun’s inviting golden tone blankets the ground.  This is Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef and it can be your luxury safari style tent home for the next few days… with the Cape Range National Park, kilometres of Indian Ocean and a thousand-star sky all to yourself.

Here, time stretches and slows down. It’s an opportunity to disconnect from responsibilities and routines, to connect with nature, and most importantly, yourself. The Sal Salis experience envelops you. It encourages a new way of being… intentional and exploratory. Of connecting to and living in sync with, the land.

Fill your days however you like. Relax in your tent’s hammock with a book. Laze on the beach and let any worries float away. Kayak, paddle board and snorkel just off your camp, with more than 500 species of colourful fish and 250 coral types. Join the experience that’s made Ningaloo Reef famous worldwide – swimming with magnificent whale sharks and humpback whales.

Out ‘bush’, explore the ancient ranges and canyons, stepped in 30,000-year-old lessons. You never know what you’ll discover. Let the terrain guide and teach you. After a dreamy day out, return to a shared long table, five-star dining experience.

With chefs that celebrate the best in local food and a dash of serendipity… a surprise gin bar on the sand… a skewered shrimp appetiser sprawled out on blankets… or bubbly on the water’s edge, with the sinking sun giving your glass an orange hue.

LOCATION
Never in your wildest dreams will you experience so many astounding contrasts in a uniquely, spectacular location in this utterly Australian eco-luxe holiday. Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef is so far out of the ordinary it defies ‘best of both worlds’ and ‘glamping’. It’ll be that trip you always return to in your mind.

An hour’s drive from Exmouth, Sal Salis is best reached by car. Fly into Exmouth’s Learmonth Airport and book a transfer with us or take the drive yourself. Scenic and private charter flights are also available, at an additional cost, for travellers who want to squeeze every bit of adventure from this experience.

WORLD-RENOWNED CORAL REEF
1,200 kilometres north of Perth sits a magical place where words can’t do justice. Ningaloo Reef, the world’s largest fringing coral reef, awaits. This 260-kilometres long spectacle is just a few salt-watery steps from the eco-luxe safari tents of Sal Salis. Magical because it’s the rarest of places. Where outback, reef and ranges meet and merge… amidst a spectrum of colour for which, only nature has the palette.

NATURE UNTOUCHED
Between May to October, migrating humpbacks are drawn through Ningaloo Marine Park. Whale sharks, blue whales, southern right whales, orcas, turtles, mantas, and a range of dolphin species are also part of the reef’s oceanic menagerie.

A natural symphony that only happens here. A reminder that this world can still astonish. A world even greater and more beautiful exists. The moment you submerge into the realm of whale sharks and humpback whales… your life changes. The whale shark season runs from mid-March to July.

ANCIENT, GROUNDING CAPE RANGES
Behind the beach dunes, the Cape Range National Park awaits. Rugged limestone ranges, gorges, bays, creeks, deep canyons and trails dominate the park’s 50,581 hectares. Its northern boundary is just 40 kilometres from Exmouth.

It’s the unforgettable, great Australian outback that many wait too long to see… but not you. A haven for birds, emus, euros, red kangaroos, Stuart Desert Peas, Bird Flowers, and unusual flora… let the mystical energy of this scorched, ancient terrain ground you, after a day submerged.

CAVES, CANYONS AND HISTORIES, UNDISCOVERED
Once an isolated island, this ancient Range offers up several species of plants and animals, native to this remarkable area. Lessons lie under the rocks with many caves, still undiscovered.

Trek the red rock, kayak the gorges, and experience the rich biodiversity through your own senses. The layers and cracks in the rocks, like wrinkles, hint at a prehistoric lifeline. A hint, hard to resist.

SLEEP BETWEEN TWO NATURAL WONDERS
Sal Salis’s 16 off-grid, luxury safari tents are as ‘glamping’ as it gets. These smartly equipped wilderness tents are a benchmark in eco-retreat experiences, camouflaged in this strikingly stark landscape. All, just 50 metres from the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo coral reef, in sync with Indian Ocean tides.

A ‘DOWN TO EARTH’ EXPERIENCE
Perched on platforms over the dunes, your wilderness tent offers uninterrupted coastal views enjoyed from your deck or inviting hammock. Inside, tents are spacious, understated and comfortable.

Your ample bed of handcrafted jarrah is dressed in fresh linen, your eco-ensuite bathroom comes with organic shampoo and native herb soap, drinking water and, of course, a daily cleaning service.

DRIFT OFF TO WAVES. WAKE UP TO BIRDS.
Sal Salis provides a sanctuary to explore immediate natural wonders of the world, with comfort at every step. What lies before you is a ‘holiday of all holidays’. Ningaloo Reef ignites something different in everyone.

One day, you’re relaxed out on your tent’s shaded deck, encapsulated in a book, only pausing to count kangaroos. The next, the ocean’s calling you out to swim with… let’s see… how about humpback whales? This is completely your time… in a place like you’ve never imagined.

IT’S ALL-INCLUSIVE
Nightly accommodation in the wilderness tents of Sal Salis include all your meals, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks from your open bar, and national park fees.

Kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, snorkel gear, wetsuits and all guided wilderness activities are covered as well. Please note, all activities are tide and weather dependent. You don’t need to pre-book. The Sal Salis staff will help you arrange these upon arrival.

AUSTRALIA’S MOST ROMANTIC SPOT
Located a little way from the 15 wilderness tents is a secluded, intimate love nest. With its private beach access and romantic touches, the honeymoon tent is for newlyweds and couples celebrating their love. Love holidays here.

HONEYMOONS, ANNIVERSARIES & ‘LET’S RECONNECT’ TRIPS
With the extra solitude and a beach to yourselves, nature reveals her perfect romantic setting. Step outside your private eco-luxe safari tent to the gentle waves lapping the shore, whispering come on in.

Emerge from the four-poster bed and onto the spacious double hammock deck – ready for the next evening’s star-filled sky gazing. You ‘cheers’ to the view and clink to another day, celebrating this amazing life.

SHHHH. IT’S AUSTRALIA’S BEST KEPT SECRET.
Sal Salis has a habit of turning special dates into unforgettable experiences. A place you quickly won’t want to leave, because you love who you are here… and how you are as a couple, free from the must dos… only the want to dos.

This is a celebration of your love that’s both luxurious and laidback. Siestas and five-star, inventive menus. Sunrise hikes and no WiFi. You won’t experience anything like Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef anywhere else in the world. Here’s the next chapter of your love story.

THE SAL SALIS ‘MEETING POINT’
The Lodge is the head and heart of Sal Salis. It’s where we come together as a group to share meals, kick back and exchange stories. Time stretches here, unbound by responsibilities and places to be. Here, you have everything, and all the time, you need.

THE LANTERN-LIT GROUP LODGE
As the sun sinks below the horizon, raise your glasses over creative canapes in the recently refurbished, communal Lodge. A delightful entrée to your three-course fare that follows.

The Lodge is the kitchen table for all your meals. It’s everyone’s ‘luxury campfire’, sharing adventures, forging friendships, and filling ravenous stomachs. After a day out at sea or trekking land, this is the place to be. No matter how you relax, you can do it at the Lodge. It’s just like coming home after a long day adventuring.

THE PLACE TO BE AT ANY HOUR
The Lodge sits above the sand and coastal scrub, taking in expansive reef and ocean views. With an adjoining library to peruse with books, board games and a self-service bar, the Lodge is an all-day (and night) affair.

All three meals are served here, where sunset dinners become an event in themselves. A three-course meal is created from a commercial kitchen, that will leave you, and your tastebuds, speechless.

The flickering candlelight enhances the mood. Relax, put your feet up, break bread, and converse… with your new friends, new stories and a new experience of nature.

UNINTERRUPTED STARRY VIEWS
After dinner, it’s out to the deck to get cosy in one of the best places in the hemisphere, under the Milky Way, where your guides have stories to tell under an ethereal night sky.

INDIAN OCEAN VIEWS, FIVE-STAR DINING
Sal Salis ignites all your senses with a five-star menu that celebrates scene and setting. Here, food is taken seriously. It’s just as much part of the experience as swimming with whale sharks and humpback whales.

With acclaimed chefs who love to surprise and delight, your menu evolves daily. Expect contemporary plates featuring fresh, seasonal produce, sourced locally with hints of the bush and ocean.

You’ll discover excellent Western Australian wines, regional beers and spirits, plus juices and soft drinks. Sal Salis honours its family-owned roots with a friendly, personal ‘we know your name’ service.

THE CONSTRUCTION
Sal Salis is constructed above ground to protect the flora, fauna and sand hills, with boardwalks to prevent soil erosion, while the tent and lodge colours blend into the surrounding landscape.

ELECTRICITY & WATER
Almost 100% of the camp’s power is solar-powered generated. There is no internet connection or signal, only a 220-volt power point for guests to charge camera batteries. The site uses gas hot water service. The tents or lodge operate without air conditioners, instead, leveraging naturally cool coastal breezes.

Each en-suite bathroom has a Nature Loo. Each tent is allocated 20 litres of water per person, per day – as well as a three-minute shower time policy. Filtered drinking water is supplied at camp where guests are encouraged to refill personal bottles.

LINEN & AMENITIES
The camps are fitted with organic cottage and chemical-free linen. The composition allows easy air-dry hanging. Soaps are produced locally, incorporating native herbs.

Guests are urged not to use non-eco bathroom products to further protect the environment. Individual solar lanterns provide a safe lighting feature along pathways.

RECYCLING & WASTE
All waste generated is carefully transported back to the Exmouth depot. Used bottles and cans are separated at camp and returned to the Exmouth Recycle Depot.

ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND TOURISM
Sal Salis operates under a lease agreement with Western Australia’s Parks and Wildlife Service. In addition to the park entrance fees, 5% of our turnover goes to Western Australia’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Parks and Wildlife Service to assist in their conservation work directly in the Cape Range National Park.

EXPERIENCES
Choose to fill your days at Sal Salis however you like, from whale shark experiences, to kayaking, hiking and much more. Select from the below options to learn more.

SNORKELLING
Wake up, with the world’s largest fringing reef. Peek out of your camp tent, after the best night’s sleep you’ve had in years, to be greeted by the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef.

Home to over 500 species of colourful fish, 250 varieties of coral formations along with rays, turtles, dugongs, clownfish, harmless reef sharks, and sea birds.

Unlike the Great Barrier Reef, the coral is within swimming distance from your private beach, so there’s no need for boats and time-consuming transfers. Walk on the warm white beach sands, before wading into the clearest turquoise waters you’ve ever seen… and within a few long strokes… there’s the coral.

ALL OF THIS, ALL TO YOURSELF
Swimming underwater is a dance with nature. There’s a vast intelligence, a world that you won’t ever completely get, but certainly feel.

Where every aspect of the ecosystem exists for a reason. The sheer diversity of life, colours, textures, and shapes. Touch it. Honour it. Here, you’re a visitor. A respectful guest, here to learn a different language.

Only 500 metres from camp, a beautiful snorkelling site, Turtle Holes, is calling you. You can’t miss the resident turtles, gliding through the coral or resting on their sandy beds.

Ningaloo Reef is a breeding ground for hawksbill, loggerhead and green turtles, that come ashore to lay and bury their eggs in the dunes at night (between September and December).

EXPLORE STUNNING, ‘SECRET’ BAYS
This area is bursting with stunning drift snorkelling in sheltered bays. Open their minds to huge schools of fish and the special manta rays, who let you into their world. There’s nothing like this pristine reef, and wildlife, anywhere on our planet.

All snorkelling gear and wetsuits will be provided. Our guides are always happy to give you beginner and refresher lessons, or simply share a few tips.

KAYAKING
You, Ningaloo Reef, sunset, and all the feels. Spend the day drifting the Ningaloo Reef, perfecting your stroke under the generous Western Australian sun.

Marvelling at the sparkling crystal-clear turquoise-coloured water, only touched by your oar. This is relaxation nirvana. Time your kayak adventure as the sun sets, seeing and feeling it slowly cascade into an oceanic plane of vibrant orange.

GRAB YOUR FLIPPERS, LIFEJACKET & GO!
As the world’s largest, fringing reef, you’ve got a fun day of kayaking adventure waiting, metres away from your camp. Our guides check the tides and weather to ensure conditions are kayak friendly. Don’t forget to pack your flippers, so you can jump out and swim whenever you want.

With an array of colourful reef residents, you can explore a little farther along the shore with a kayak. There’s beauty waiting to be discovered, from a different perspective.

SHHH… THIS IS THE BEST SNORKELLING SPOT
Prefer to go with a group rather than float in the company of nature? Our guided kayak-snorkels take you further off-shore, where we drop an anchor in the sand and discover deeper lagoons.

These oceanic oasis’s offer a rare experience of the lifecycle of the reef, and all that embodies it. Witnessing soft corals, sponges, wobbegong sharks, and hundreds of marine fish.

Our guides will show you how to interact with this unique ecosystem, without interfering with nature.

KAYAKING BETWEEN AUGUST TO OCTOBER IS EXTRA SPECIAL
Just imagine, gliding gently on the water, in your groove with the infinity sign move pushing you forward… and you see a humpback whale, just metres away from the reef. You’re not just seeing them from a distance, as visitors. You’re in their environment, now. You’re part it.

HUMPBACK WHALE SWIM
An experience transforming lives. Plunge into the pristine Indian Ocean water and prepare to have the experience of a lifetime. Although a mighty 40,000 kilograms in size, humpback whales are gentle, charmingly curious creatures.

Your heart is surging with anticipation, not fear. Never in your life have you seen such a spectacle. If you’re lucky, you might even see a calf and the intimate dynamic between mother and young.

HEAR THEM SING, SEE THEM BREACH & SLAP THE WATER!
Each year, from June to November, approximately 30,000 humpback whales migrant along the Ningaloo Reef on their way to their breeding and birthing grounds in Exmouth Gulf, as far north as the Kimberly.

Then, between August and October, they make the journey back down to their feeding grounds in the Antarctic. Ningaloo Reef is one of only a handful of places you have the opportunity for in-water interactions with these magnificent creatures.

Glide gracefully next to these ocean-going giants, intimately observing their distinctive body shape, from a few metres away… with the males’ in full song, evoking a trance-like state as you swim.

BE OPEN TO NATURE’S LESSONS
Your humpback whale experience begins with a transfer to Tantabiddi Boat Ramp, approximately 25 minutes from Sal Salis, where you’re met by your experienced skipper and crew.

With morning tea, served as you motor out into the Indian Ocean, the whales are soon spotted, as they breach, lunge, slap the water and blow. The show is starting, as you get kitted out in wetsuits and snorkel gear on deck.

Swimming confidence is required as the whales are found in open ocean, with currents and swells to contend with. A spotter plane is also on the lookout for whale sharks, manta rays, turtles, dolphins, dugongs, and sea birds to snorkel with.

Depending on the day, you may return to the calm waters of Ningaloo Reef for lunch & snorkelling, with your return to camp in the mid-afternoon. Humpback whale swims are available from August to October. Pre-booking months ahead is advised, as this is a popular experience.

GUIDED GORGE WALKS
The dreamy Cape Range is waiting to be discovered. Sal Salis is perfectly positioned between the Ningaloo Reef and the striking Cape Range National Park, both of which make up the Ningaloo Coast Worls Heritage Area.

Start your day with a guided hike across this unique landscape, where you can get out on foot and explore a different kind of ecosystem; the Australian bush.

Connect with the beating heart of Australia, through the ranges and gorges, steeped in geological history and dreamtime mythology. Let the arid terrain, unique Australian fauna, plants, birds, red kangaroos, rock wallabies, 80 species of reptiles and insects, inspire and teach you.

MANDU MANDU GORGE
Nestled two kilometres behind camp is Mandu Mandu Gorge, our most popular hike. With its fossil bearing, limestone formations and panoramic, colour spectrum of the gorge and Ningaloo Reef, you’ll realise you’ve discovered somewhere special.

Ancient clues of human habitation ignite your wonder. Who knows what you’ll stumble across… artefacts, middens and rock shelters amidst a landscape of Acacia trees, spinifex, kurrajong and rock fig.

History tells us Aboriginal groups occupied the Ningaloo Coast, with over 100 sites identified throughout the Cape Range. Human hair and modified shells have been discovered, believed to be 32,00 years old. Here lies an opportunity to immerse yourself in true Australia.

Walking through the gorge, you’ll likely spot the rare black-footed rock wallaby – who rest on the ledges along the gorge walls during daytime hours and come out to feed in the cool of night.

YARDIE CREEK GORGE
The black-footed rock wallaby is also known to be spotted amongst the honeyeaters and emus at Yardie Creek Gorge. Learn about the flora and fauna’s intuitive skills to adapt and survive in such as barren environment – a gentle reminder of nature’s collective intelligence.

The sheltered waters are a sanctuary for many marine animals like shovelnose rays and turtles. Your guides will leave no stone unturned or questions, unanswered. From its towering rock and limestone enclaves to the contrasting greenery and vibrant burnt orange rock faces, Cape Range brings you back down to earth.

It’s got that ‘I’m in a mini Grand Canyon’ feeling… with an eye-popping, perk: look-outs over one of the world’s best coral reefs.

STARGAZING
Days underwater, nights under stars. After swimming with whale sharks, humpback whales and all of Ningaloo Reef’s colourful creatures, you’re happy to reflect on this soul-filling experience. But the adventure doesn’t end when the sun goes down. At Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef, something really special happens at night.

YOU’RE BLANKETED BY THE MILKY WAY
Have you ever seen a truly dark sky? Dark, as in, not one civilised light, in the middle of the desert, dark. You’re in for a surprise… a bucket lister, you didn’t even know existed.

Enjoy dinner with uninterrupted views of the Milky Way. The soft glow of solar-lit lanterns guides your way back to camp, as you soulfully experience the natural illumination of the stars. Sheer beauty that, even after the longest day, will keep you awake and wide-eyed.

MOST PEOPLE HAVE NEVER SEEN A DARK SKY… UNTIL NOW
Dark sky tourism is a small but growing trend. The majority of city and suburban dwellers hardly see any stars, let alone the Milky Way in majestic hi-resolution. The effects of light pollution are so severe, UNESCO now wants to include the sky at night as part of our human heritage. It’s such a wonder to behold.

APRIL 2023, A SPECIAL DATE FOR SAL SALIS
In April 2023, Sal Salis is in the path of a total solar eclipse. Solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the earth and the sun, totally or partly obscuring the sun from our vision.

For a total solar eclipse to happen, the moon’s apparent diameter is larger than the sun’s and all direct sunlight is blocked, turning day into darkness. April 2023… you won’t want to miss it.

WHALE SHARK SWIM
“The most incredible thing I’ve ever done.” Jump off the back of the boat and straight into a bucket-list must-do. Gliding next to the world’s largest fish, the whale shark, feeling its majesty and surprising gentleness.

You’re fearless — intoxicated by life, and something so overwhelmingly beautiful. Breaking the surface, you can’t wait to share your experiences with fellow swimmers. You know you’ve just witnessed something indelibly rare.

WITNESS NATURE’S YEARLY RHYTHM
Each year, between mid-March and July, these slow-moving, filter-feeding whale sharks migrate past Ningaloo Reef. Up to 12 metres long, these giants have a hugely healthy appetite… for plankton and krill.

Taking swimming pool gulps, filtering their microscopic main course, whale sharks love warm tropical oceans, living up to 70 years, and Ningaloo Reef is one of the only places in the world where Whale sharks appear regularly in large numbers, with over 235 individuals recorded.

Scientific photography shows that some whale sharks have visited Ningaloo Reef for 17 years. It seems Sal Salis is a place both humans and whale sharks share a love for.

SWIM WITH ALL LIFE IN THE ECOSYSTEM
Your whale shark experience begins with a transfer to Tantabiddi Boat Ramp, approximately 25 minutes from Sal Salis, meeting your experienced skipper and crew.

Morning tea is served as you cruise out into the Indian Ocean, on your search for these gentle giants. With a spotter aircraft relaying sightings to your skipper too, it’s time to don wetsuits and snorkel gear.

There is usually time to snorkel the back of the reef, amongst turtles, dolphins, dugongs, rays, and sea birds. You’ll refuel during the day with a delicious lunch spread, celebrating the best of West Australian produce.

Whale shark swims are available from mid-March to July and book out months in advance. Pre-booking as early as possible is advised, as this is a very popular experience. Contact Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef to secure your spot.

Website: www.salsalis.com.au

Rooms: 9

Price: from 1.087 EUR per night

Source: www.salsalis.com.au