Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef

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.

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!

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.

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!!

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.

Nothing short of spectacular. Despite some unusually windy days, the time there was phenomenal. Of course the wildlife, the location, and its surrounds are all standouts. But the staff really deserve so much of the credit. They truly make the place what it is with their diligence, approachability, and unending attention to detail. Grateful to have spent our time with every Sal Salis staffer we met, as well as the other guests we shared time with. The meals (every one of them) was nothing short of delectable- what a feat. Bravo to Rafael and his (behind-the-scenes) support. The eco-conscious focus was a pleasure to witness and be a part of. We certainly hope to return someday.

This break was a little out of my comfort zone. We had a few windy days which meant a couple of restless nights. Very comfortable beds, amazing food if on the generous side. Staff are incredibly helpful, generous, friendly and welcoming. Full of knowledge and lots if opportunities to get up close to nature on land and in the sea.

We stayed for 4 nights earlier this month and what a delightful place to stay. Nestled into the sand dunes are 16 tents, simply furnished but clean and with a bathroom attached. There is no access to the internet which gives you the opportunity to truly relax and have time to talk to fellow guests. |The staff were superb, taking time to chat and meet all needs. The food was excellent and eating on long tables made dinner a real social affair. Canapé were served on the deck whilst watching the fabulous sunsets. |Each day, trips are available, from gorge walks to snorkelling, led by the Sal Salis staff. However, the true jewel in the crown is the surroundings which are stunning. The white sandy beaches are amazing and the reef is within a few metres of the shore, a snorkelers paradise. Just sitting on the beach we saw reef sharks and rays. A definite recommendation.