Our wild, wild West
When AT LAST it’s time to leave your HOME in the rear-view mirror, make your FIRST TRAVEL trip a special one. How does 15 canvas SAFARI TENTS hidden in NATURE and ringside seats to a UNESCO-ranked coral reef sound?
as it combs the Indian Ocean for these gentle giants, in tandem with spotter-planes overhead. The harmless creatures have a soft spot for Ningaloo; an estimated 300 to 500 whale sharks cluster there each year. Coasting just beneath the surface, the whale sharks hoover up plankton with their vacuum-like mouths. They generally arrive in March and stay until August, making way for the 40,000-strong humpback migration along Western Australia’s coastline.
Onboard, snorkel gear, wetsuits and lifejackets are provided, along with enormous enthusiasm for the experience ahead. Be prepared for rapid water entry and expect to be so dumbfounded when you eyeball a whale shark that you’ll forget to swim alongside it. Paddle madly to catch up and then enjoy its fluid movements as you freestyle beside it.
Returning to Sal Salis – hopefully having also ticked off a manta ray sighting – you’ll wash the salt away with a three-minute eco shower. Each tent is allocated 20 litres of water per person, per day, to minimise the camp’s environmental footprint. Use the organic shampoo and native herb soap supplied to support the retreat’s eco ethos. Later, fall into air-dried, organic cotton sheets and sleep soundly knowing five per cent of turnover goes towards the WA government’s conservation work in the Cape Range National Park.
DAY THREE
Today is all about the luxury of doing little. With wi-fi and phone reception deliciously absent, grab a book from the lodge library and swing in your tent’s hammock as the breeze tickles your toes. As the day warms, take a slow float over the healthy reef ’s delights: more than 500 species of colourful fish dart between 250 coral species, while turtles and rays roam the shallows. Sal Salis has snorkelling gear on hand, and guides happily offer lessons and advice. It’s remarkable to wade only metres into the ocean before reaching the fringing reef – no boat is required.
After a long, lazy lunch of the resident chef ’s seasonal fare, top up your glass from the self-serve bar and pull out a board game. That and a bit more hammock time – or maybe a guided hike, or kayak jaunt - will get you through to sunset drinks and then, another convivial, multi-course dinner.
As you float to bed, look up: the night sky’s billions of stars are astonishingly radiant. Unobstructed by ambient light, the Milky Way beams with a clarity unseen in most parts of the world, leading the region to be declared a designated Dark Sky area. In April 2023, Sal Salis is in the path of a total solar eclipse, providing yet another reason to plan a trip.
DAY FOUR
As you wake to honey-hued scrub warmed by the rising sun, you’ll (only half) jokingly suggest selling the house so you can stay permanently. Pad down to the beach for a reviving morning swim, chased with your final open-air breakfast on the lodge deck.
Leaving this dreamy destination will be heart-wrenching (we know firsthand), but with guest numbers strictly limited and the environment so carefully protected, you’ll find solace in the knowledge that it will be here for years to come.
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