It’s the rarest of places—a hidden safari camp in the white sand dunes of Western Australia’s Cape Range National Park. Sal Salis is twelve hundred kilometres north of Perth and a few salty feet from a magical two-hundred- metre-long reef, called Ningaloo. 

Beside the red limestone soils of the Cape Range lies the turquoise lagoons that are home to some of the world’s most incredible marine creatures. Listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, Ningaloo is said to be the largest fringing coral reef in the world, second only to the Great Barrier Reef, but less popular (read way fewer tourists). 

With a rich eco-system that boasts over 250 types of coral, 500 species of fish and 600 types of mollusc, the Ningaloo Coast it’s a snorkeller’s paradise. Warm waters, native song birds, and beachside coral gardens make swimming or kayaking before breakfast, the ultimate treat. 

Between April and July, offshore encounters with whale sharks can fill the day while a friendly swim with migrating humpbacks who pass by is possible between July and October. 

Peeking out at the reef

Accommodations are in sixteen tented structures with timber underfoot. Each is spacious and naturally comfortable with its own ensuite bathrooms (with a latest tech composting toilet). The design and location expose guests to the sights and sounds—a kangaroo grazing amongst the dunes, the song of a wild butcherbird or a humpback whale breaching just beyond the reef.

All power is solar generated and water usage is carefully managed. Food is delicious mix of bush food, native produce and chef’s Australian cuisine, served in the vista-friendly main camp building that’s found above the sand and coastal scrub.

Barefoot on the beach

While the local guides are experts, the glamping tents and beds are top-drawer-comfortable, time at Sal Salis isn’t rated 5-star in the traditional sense. Rather, time here is a once in a lifetime, Australian outback experience that’s “shoeless luxury” in the most magical of ways. 

And, as the website suggests, here in this natural paradise, there’s no need for television, Netflix or telephones. With a coral reef literally on your doorstep and magnificent views of the rich, orange sunsets over the Indian Ocean, we must confess, it’s really not too hard to leave the clutter of the everyday world far behind.  
salsalis.com.au

Photos: Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef