Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef

We loved our 5 day stay, the glamping was great, the bed super comfy, the position so close to the pristine beach and private. The food was exceptional from both Rafa & Tommy, the sous chef and all the staff of Jackson, Millie, Tom, Michelle, Rob, Jasmine, Rafa & Natalia went above and beyond for my birthday and our wedding anniversary. The tours were personal and special for our time. Such special memories of a truly beautifully unique place to experience. & the sunsets over the water were spectacular.

Beware, there is nothing luxurious about this resort despite the ridiculously steep price. In fact, it is barely serviceable. Where to begin? The tents were flimsy and sparsely furnished. The ensuite means you have a dry toilet that is separated from your bed by two zippered “walls”. The problem is, in addition to a dry toilet (yuck), that the zippers constantly jammed or broke so you were subject to the toilet and attendant flies. Zippers were also at the entry of the tent and surrounding the windows. While the owners cannot control the weather, the tents are not designed for wind and rain—both of which we experienced. In order to keep out the rain, the flaps have to be zippered. The tents then overheat because they have only 2 small fans at the bedside. If you don’t zip the flaps to improve air circulation, you are subject to listening to them flapping all night while your tent takes on water. This is not a choice that one should have to make at this price point.| Did I mention the flies? They were everywhere—to include all over our food. While the owners cannot eradicate the flies (or can they?), they can mitigate them with a screened porch for meals, which in addition to keeping the flies at bay would also thwart the corellas (small cockatoos) that swoop and poop on guests. |The food was good but would have been better if simpler—the chef is trying too hard (perhaps to justify the price of the place?). And I scratched my head when one of our companions asked for a hard-boiled egg and was told that it couldn’t be made, despite having poached eggs daily, hmmmmm. The wine was average—again, given Australia’s superb wines this was disappointing.|The activities are the reason to come to Ningaloo and we did enjoy snorkeling and hiking. The beach beyond the tents is pretty and has good snorkeling and kayaking—it would have been nice had a team member set up the chairs, offered towels, and provided life vests for kayakers. | On a positive note, several members of the staff were exceptional. Both Rob and Johnny who led our snorkel and hiking trips were professional, knowledgeable, and friendly! Catarina, one of the general staff members was also wonderful. She went out of her way to try and ameliorate some of the above. You can only do so much with so little.| Overall, if you are coming to Ningaloo to swim with the Whale Sharks—stay in an air bnb and go to the Whale Bone in Exmouth for great pizza and beer. Your experience will cost a fraction of Sal Salis and will be much more enjoyable.

Five Star?|Sure, if your idea of five-star luxury includes ordering the weather, adjusting the wind like a dial, and soaking in bubble baths inside an air-conditioned suite—then this remote stretch of Western Australia might not be your kind of paradise.|But Sal Salis, nestled on the Ningaloo Reef in Cape Range National Park, redefines what five-star truly means. It’s not about stars on a rating scale—it’s about the stars above your tent at night. It’s waking to a sea breeze and glimpsing the moon sharing the sky with Jupiter and Saturn. It’s drifting over coral gardens just steps from your hammock, watching humpback whales breach on the horizon.||Five-Star Staff.|The team at Sal Salis is what makes this place unforgettable. Young adventurers from around the world have found their rhythm here, united by a deep love for nature, marine life, and sustainable eco-tourism. They blend into the landscape like the resort itself—quiet, respectful, timeless.|Among them are marine biologists, underwater photographers, Geelong supporters, and storytellers of the sea and sky. Experts in marine life, astronomy, geology, wildflowers, cocktails, and cuisine—they don’t lecture, they share. Their knowledge invites curiosity, sparking conversations that linger long after the sun sets.||Our time at Sal Salis has far surpassed every expectation of a five-star holiday. From swimming alongside majestic Whale Sharks and Humpbacks, to hiking Cape Range at sunrise, sipping cocktails and enjoying canapés at sunset, and indulging in exquisite meals crafted from the day’s fresh catch — every moment has been unforgettable. I can’t wait to return to this extraordinary place.

Absolutely spectacular. If staying in the middle of such a remote, beautiful national park wasn't enough of a privilege, the service here is simply unbeatable. Professional, but incredibly friendly staff who know everyone by name from the first day- no request was too much for them. Despite the remote location, the meals served were of the highest standard- I'm not sure how they do it but the quality of the meals was what you would expect in a fine dining restaurant in Sydney. Had a beautiful stay- I can't thank the Sal Salis team enough!

Sal salis… what a beautiful place to stay, right on the blue waters of Ningaloo Reef. As a family of 3 we loved every moment of our 3 night stay here recently. The staff, accommodation, food, drinks, disconnect were all we dreamed of and more.||We loved our snorkelling out the front after a beautiful breakfast and again after a yummy lunch. ||The food options were delicious including the canapes and special made cocktails at sunset hour.||We slept the best we have in years in the comfiest bed.||Every staff member did everything they could to ensure a happy stay.||Already planning on returning ( hopefully for longer) in a few years.

This is NOT glamping!! For the prices charged, this resort needs significant improvement. While the bed in the tent was very comfortable and the sheets felt very high quality, much more is expected. Having “glamped” in Africa at much more remote locations, this is really unacceptable! Due to limited availability, we were forced to reserve the “honeymoon” tent which was basically larger than the other tents on the property. There is absolutely no privacy for the dry toilets. Our toilet was literally in the entryway to our tent. And the sink basins have no hot water, though the shower luckily does, but if the wind picks up, the water blows sideways. And guests are given one set of towels for their entire stay. All totally fine but not at these prices!! ||Also, on arrival several guests informed me that they had been up most of the night due to the wind causing the tents to flap around. I can sleep through almost anything but on our 3rd night, we were informed that there was going to be rain and wind due to a cyclone. The staff suggested that we make sure that anything we had hung out to dry was brought in. Really? Perhaps the staff should have personally battened down each tent! Due to the rain and the wind, I woke up in the middle of the night to find my husband outside the tent grabbing through pillows, the hammock and other loose camp related items that were flying around. This should not be a guest’s responsibility. The staff should handle this. Also, within the tent, there is no place to put suitcases. One of our friends tent flooded in the storm and all of their stuff was wet due to blowing rain and having to put their suitcases on the floor! Also, it was extremely cold when we were there which was good because I cannot imagine how the 2 tiny fans by the bed would be able to provide any coolness in the hotter times.||The food is fine but I think that they really could go for simpler offerings with less sauces. Keep it simple and elegant. The wine selection is also unacceptable at these prices. It’s pretty crappy and it wouldn’t take much to improve it.||On the positive side, the activities are very nice and the guides are excellent. Big shout out to Rob and Johnny who were terrific! They really made the whole visit!!

Superb from start to finish. Staff are exceptional, even though most only been there a short time: Jackson, Billie, Tash and Carolina excellent. Lunches are amazing; suppers it depends who you sit next too, but food a little over fussy. Canapes at 6pm were fabulous. Average wine pairing. Help yourself all day to any drinks-great selection. The tours; snorkeling, walking, kayaking, etc were good. I found the house reef strong currents. Tents were well equipped and so nice to be without the internet. No problem with lack of water or indeed recharging equipment in tents as USB ports. Lovely night skies as no ambient lights.

We loved our stay at Sal Salis in March, but a word of warning - the tents can get very hot if there isn't a breeze - so it may be better to go when the temperatures dip (a little) rather than right at the start of the season as we did. Having said that, the tents are stylishly laid out and the beds are extremely comfortable. There are small fans by each side of the bed...but I think ceiling fans would make all the difference. We had a wonderful stay. The staff are fantastic, attentive and enthusiastic and the breakfasts, lunches and dinners were all made using local products and were really well thought through and executed. The three course dinners are eaten communally which we enjoyed and everything kicks off at 6pm with drinks and canapés to watch the sunset. But the star of the resort is the location, the reef is just steps from the beach, the water is pristine and it's a paradise for snorkelers. There are trips every day which everyone should take advantage of, and free snorkelling equipment including rash shirts which you can pick up at the start of your stay. It's a wonderful place...I just wish they had ceiling fans! Although there is no wifi for guests, there is wifi available for flight check ins etc through the front desk and in case of an emergency at night.