Davidson's Arnhemland Safari Lodge

My wife and I had only 2 nights here, but saw a vast amount of the spectacular rock art in the surrounding area. Our guide, Cameron, was excellent and made sure that I saw examples of the rare X-ray art. We had an interesting boat trip on the local waterway where we saw birds, water buffalo, and vast numbers of saltwater crocodiles, along with great views of Mt. Borradaile. The drinks and food were excellent and the comraderie among the guests was lively. We highly recommend this experience.

We were a family of 4 from the UK and spent two night at Davidsons on a three week holiday in Australia. Quite simply it was the highlight of the trip - we all loved it and the sunsets on the river were amazing. I’d highly recommend this place to anyone interested in amazing landscapes, sunset views and some amazing rock art. ||The secret sauce though was Don, our guide. He made it so special for us and we really enjoyed just spending time with him and hearing his stories from a life spent in the Outback and working with Aboriginal people. He was a fountain of knowledge and experience. ||Thanks also to the team who looked after us in the camp. A once in a lifetime stay.

An excellent experience throughout. |Accommodation was very comfortable and peaceful.|Everyday we went on a morning and an afternoon/evening tour/adventure: this was catered to our interests. We saw so much amazing rock art, went Barra fishing, out on the billabong a number of times to see all the birds, crocs and wildlife, and enjoyed numerous lovely sunsets. We also had a refreshing swim in the waterhole.|Our guide, Don, was an absolute delight- knowledgeable, lovely and great for a yarn. He’d be an excellent dinner party guest.|The food was also delicious: we were impressed by the quality and variety, particularly given the isolation. |A great place for anyone interested in seeing a bit more of Arnhem Land without the crowds. Would also be a great trip for adventurous kids!

If you are passionate about indigenous rock art and culture, then you must go to Mt Borradaile. There is a lot of rock art to see and numerous places where the guides will take you to see it. Unfortunately, my stay was weather-affected so I wasn't taken to the art that I wanted to see. A stay booked late in the tourism season would have been better.||Aside from that, there's little else to see and do during a stay here. There's no wifi or phone reception, so it does offer a good opportunity to digitally detox if you are happy to relax with a book outside of tour times.||Facility-wise, I spent a lot of time in the pool to cool down, as I was affected by the humidity and there is no air-conditioning for guests on site. The rooms are basic - twin beds for solo travellers, one table and chair, and flyscreen mesh for walls/windows. The bathroom does provide privacy to change clothing.|Food-wise, during my stay, the two-course lunches were incredible; and the dinners were good as well.

I spent three nights at Davidson’s Arnhemland, flying in from Jabiru.||The resort consists of 20 permanent cabins with a capacity of 40 people. The cabins are raised off the ground, are solidly constructed of metal and are very well appointed with bathrooms, hot water, fans and electricity. The key features are that fly screens replace windows and there are no curtains so one is with nature. The clever positioning of the cabins means one has excellent privacy. There is a lovely newly constructed resort pool and shaded social area.||The set menu meals were good with lunch and dinner being better than breakfast, the former being a bit basic. Everything is flown in which restricts the choice but there were too many packets and cartons at breakfast for my taste. Dietary requirements are respected.||My experience of the guests was about 75% Outback Spirit tours with an almost exclusively retired / pensioner demographic, a typical age of 65-70 and varying degrees of mobility. The remainder were fully independent travellers. The two are separate but large groups impact the atmosphere significantly in the social areas. ||Our guide, Zoe, was brilliant. One could not wish for a kinder, more entertaining and informative person to show us everything that the Arnhemland has to offer. She was the highlight of my stay. Thank you!||Importantly the resort is leased by the non-resident daughters of the founder (Max Davidson) from the Traditional Owners (TOs) represented by Charlie Mangulda with all the legal and implied covenants. This is absolutely central to the ethos of the resort and defines everything “in Country”. The focus is very much on indigenous rock art which attracts academics and enthusiasts from far and wide. In my experience this created a subtle left-leaning atmosphere, overly respectful of the TOs and very supportive of the anti-colonial notion. That said, I did not see any indigenous people during my stay - neither staff nor guests! Do bear in mind therefore that if Aboriginal rock art is not your thing the alternative activity options are a bit limited.

Basic tin hut accommodation, made "deluxe" by the provision of a chest of drawers and a thermos of hot water to make tea or instant coffee. No aircon or internet connectivity. Group activities and group dining, with little or no individual or bespoke activities proactively offered. Not the experience we expected, especially at this price point. We got a flight out early the next morning. On a positive note, the guides were knowledgeable and affable, as were all the staff we encountered.

A wonderful piece of paradise. If you are wanting a break from phones, TV, internet and the world and want to be immersed in nature, then this is the perfect escape. Staff are extremely friendly, good tucker and very knowledgeable tour guides. Thanks to all for a fabulous few days 👍

An excellent experience throughout. Accommodation was very comfortable and peaceful. Everyday we went on a morning and an afternoon/evening tour/adventure: this was catered to our interests. We saw so much amazing rock art, went Barra fishing, out on the billabong a number of times to see all the birds, crocs and wildlife, and enjoyed numerous lovely sunsets. We also had a refreshing swim in the waterhole. Our guide, Don, was an absolute delight- knowledgeable, lovely and great for a yarn. He’d be an excellent dinner party guest. The food was also delicious: we were impressed by the quality and variety, particularly given the isolation. Di helped us organise flights from Jabiru so we could go straight to Kakadu afterwards. This was a superb way to see the region from the air - the Gunbalaya Air pilot pointed out lots of local highlights and showed us some photos of what the landscape looks like in the wet. A great place for anyone interested in seeing a bit more of Arnhem Land without the crowds. Would also be a great trip for adventurous kids!