Bamurru Plains

Style

Safari glamour

Setting

Croc-flocked floodplains

Situated in Australia’s Top End, in a wildlife-teeming area that’s home to the southern hemisphere’s highest concentration of saltwater crocodiles, Bamurru Plains is an upmarket safari lodge with real style. Based around a central timber-and-bamboo lodge, bungalows have an exhilarating back-to-nature vibe that fits perfectly with all the outdoor eating and beast-chasing excursions that goes on each day.

Facilities

Rooms

12 including stand-alone safari bungalows and suits.

Checkout

11am, but flexible upon request. Check-in, 2pm.

More Details

Rates include all meals and selected beverages from an open bar and daily guided activities. There's also a two night minimum stay.

Also

Don’t even think about going out to eat – the nearest place selling food is a garage-cum-burger shack around an hour-and-a-half away by car.

Hotel Closed

The hotel is closed from October to April each year.

Pool

At the Hotel

Outdoor pool, library, open bar. In rooms: king-size beds, organic cotton bedlinen, ensuite with high-pressure shower, deck, bathrobes, bespoke bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

We love West 4, the bungalow that’s furthest from the main lodge, for its secluded position and great views of the wetlands. Set on a timber platform, it’s lined with ‘outlook’, a mesh fabric that allows you to keep an eye on passing wildlife even though nobody on the outside can see in, and it comes with comfy beds with bush-style canvas bedspreads. Extra ‘swag’ beds can be provided for a third adult or kids sharing your room (a fun update on traditional bushmen’s bedding rolls). If you must have air-conditioning, then bungalows West 1 and 2 or East 1 are the ones to book.

Poolside

The inviting infinity pool sits behind the main pavilion. It is flanked by two covered areas, which come with plenty of cushion-strewn banquette seating and a big wicker basket filled with towels.

Packing Tips

A wide-brimmed hat and high-factor suncream are absolute essentials – it gets very hot out here. Also, bring a camera with a powerful zoom lens to get those professional-standard wildlife shots.

Also

There’s a two-night minimum stay at Bamurru. Pets are not allowed – unless, maybe, as crocodile bait.

Children

Bamurru welcomes kids aged 12 and over. One camping bed (or three in the Kingfisher Suite) can be added to Safari Bungalows on request, for children aged 12 to 17.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

It’s all very egalitarian around the shared tables at Bamurru.

Dress Code

Sun-smart safari threads: perhaps omitting any crocodile-skin accessories.

Hotel Restaurant

Dining at Bamurru is a relaxed and convivial communal affair, and guests bump elbows around three solid-timber tables in front of an open kitchen that dishes up robust country-style dishes such as wild barramundi with home-made tomato relish or warm emu salad with a pepper-and-strawberry dressing. Lunch is from 12.30pm; dinner after sundowner drinks and canapés at about 7pm.

Hotel Bar

Guests can help themselves to drinks at any time in the central timber-and-iron lodge, where couches abound, but the early starts tend to keep a lid on late-night revelry.

Last Orders

Lunch is served from around 12.30pm, while dinner starts about 7pm – after sundowner drinks and canapés.

Room Service

If you're staying in the Kingfisher Suite in-room dining can be arranged.

Planes

Darwin International Airport (www.darwinairport.com.au) is serviced daily by international and domestic flights. Qantas (www.qantas.com.au; 13 13 13), Virgin Australia (www.virginaustralia.com; 13 67 89) and Jetstar (www.jetstar.com; 131 538) are the most popular domestic carriers. From Darwin it’s a 40-minute flight via light aircraft to the Bamurru Plains airstrip. Flight transfers to Bamurru can also be arranged for guests flying into Cooinda Airport in Kakadu National Park.

Automobiles

All the usual car rental companies have desks at Darwin International Airport. Once you’ve got your wheels – ideally a 4WD, given the region’s unsealed roads – it’s a three-hour drive to Bamurru Plains, or two and a half hours from Jabiru (Kakadu National Park). However, take note: as the property is a working buffalo station, you’ll need to leave your vehicle at the entrance, where a staff member will collect you for the final 20-minute drive to camp.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Bamurru is set on the edge of the Mary River wetlands, east of Darwin and west of Kakadu National Park. Explore the arid plains on a guided bushwalk, or head out in an open-topped 4WD for some pre-sunset wildlife spotting. This is when the animals are most active and are moving off the open floodplains to spend the night in the safety of the savanna woodland. You’ll see hundreds of wallabies, water buffalo, birds, and there’s a good chance you’ll spot brumbies, wild boar and crocodiles. River boat rides afford more chances to view the snap-happy reptiles. Early morning drives to Van Diemen Gulf also showcase an impressive cast of Australian critters, too. For venturing further afield, highly recommended Lords Kakadu & Arnhemland Safaris (08 8948 2200; www.lords-safaris.com) offers specialised private safaris to difficult-to-access areas, at extra cost. If you want jaw-dropping sights with little exertion, head to the pool deck after dinner to gaze up at the stars – in dry season the mozzies tend to stay away. You can also hole up in the resort's treetop 'hide' and survey the bush in seclusion.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .