Bamurru Plains, near Kakadu, Northern Territory, Australia - Explore & Book

"Getting here is no easy feat. You fly into Darwin, then either jump in a chartered 5-seat Cessna to a remote airfield followed by a bumpy 20-minute Land Cruiser transfer through the bush; or you do it yourself and drive the 3 hours from Darwin along roads of dwindling quality - first sealed, then dirt, then into the middle of nowhere. But the remoteness of this eco-retreat - it sits on a 300 sq.km. farm called Swim Creek Station at the edge of Kakadu - is very much part of its appeal. It's a place to switch off, big time.Once at Bamurru, you'll be mighty glad you came. You’re greeted with fragrant face towels and a cooling drink, then go bouncing through the bush in the back of a 4WD on a wildlife-spotting safari. Come sunset, your guide slows down on a track that turns out to be the wall of the floodplain - during the wet season, this dry land transforms into a lake on which airboats dock. Here you can watch the wallabies and water buffalo graze in the golden afternoon light, and help yourself to icy beers. An hour later, as the sun goes down, you’re sipping smooth Australian wines and savouring delicate canapés on the deck of the lodge. Throughout your stay, these luxurious touches abound. It’s like the best of African safari lodges transported into the outback - with crocs instead of zebras and water buffalo replacing hippos. The attention to detail in the quirky bush-style bungalows and suites - very eco-minimalist and open-sided (just nets separate you from the wildlife) - brings a luxury of its own. Provided you come prepared for this, you won’t miss the minibar or spa bath one bit. Who needs a flatscreen TV or WiFi when you get a 180-degree view from your bed, with binos and guidebooks supplied? Highs Abundant birdlife and wildlife includes plenty of water buffalos, wallabies, huge crocs, wild boar, brumbies and dingoesPlenty to do besides classic safari drives: bird-watching, bushwalks, exhilarating air-boat rides, scenic helicopter flights - all with capable and fun guidesStunning landscapes - lush floodplains, monsoonal forests, savannah woodland, billabongs blanketed with waterlillies, and spooky freshwater mangrovesEnormous, imaginative bush shower rooms with corrugated iron walls and tree trunks for soap holders - and fragrant natural soaps too!Imaginative "bush tucker" cuisine using local ingredients, with an open bar boasting delicious Australian wines, including some rarities Lows Couples seeking romance might not like the communal diningThe Safari Bungalows are made for sleeping, with little else other than the bed: no comfy sofas or hammocks for chilling out, although there are sofas in the main lodgeWhile the infinity pool is welcome after a sticky day of wildlife spotting, it could be largerThe Cessna flight from Darwin is not cheapHumidity here can be fierce and only 3 of the Safari Bungalows have air-conditioning (at an extra cost)" - Lara Dunston