Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef

Perfect location - pity about the flies and wind – Sal Salis 25-28 October 2022 Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef near Exmouth, WA, is a Journey Beyond product like the India Pacific, Ghan, Cruise Whitsundays, Rottnest Express, ReefSleep, Darwin Harbour Cruises, Melbourne Skydeck, Horizontal Falls, Outback Spirit, and Cruise Sydney (this list is not exhaustive). The US-based Hornblower Group now owns it. Sal Salis is a tent-based holiday experience in the dunes at Ningaloo Reef. It takes about 2 hours to fly from Perth to Exmouth and about 2.5 hours to drive to the resort. Now the ‘booking agreement’ specifically prohibits negative reviews and this is more intended to state the facts. 20 Tents, including one honeymoon, secluded one: The tents are large enough to have a king-sized bed (great), hanging space and draws. The tents have zippered fly screens from and rear that you need to shut – flies are a constant menace. They have heavier tent flaps and windows that you can close at night. Attached to each is an open-air bathroom (under a tarpaulin) that will test your modesty limits, although it is unlikely someone will be perving over the dunes at you. It can get cold in winter, and the south-westerly wind is always an issue. The front porch has two chairs, but as the sun goes east-to-west (sets over the Indian Ocean), these are largely unusable after lunch, but there is enough space to take them into the tent. Luggage: Don’t even think of bringing lots of luggage. Qantas Airlink (economy class only available) is very strict on baggage weights and cabin bag limits, as the flights are usually 99% full. We luckily had a Suit Pack that we could hang, two cabin bags and two backpacks. Leave heavier luggage in Perth (at a locker if necessary). It wanted to charge $100 each way for an extra cabin roller bag! What to wear: It is not posh, so no amount of brand sportswear will make you stand out - jeans/long-sleeve shirts and runners for dinner with the weather-proof jacket. During the day, t-shirts, rashies, togs (swimmers), thongs and a broad-brimmed foldable hat are fine. You don’t need dressy shoes - the dusty trails would kill them. Power/Light: Each tent has one internal 12V desk lamp and one 12V bathroom hanging lamp. It has 2 x 5V/2.1A/11W USB-A points on the bed head. These are sufficient to charge phones, tablets, earphones, and smartwatches but make sure you have a USB-A cable to whatever size your device needs. We took a 25000mAh Chargeasap Fash Pro Graphene power bank chargeasap.com/collections/graphene-power-banks to recharge our laptops. We used a 240V power board in the lodge to recharge the Power Bank. You need a decent torch to get to and from your tent to the lodge at night and for a bit of not-so-wild animal spotting. We took a ‘Coke-can’ sized 5000-lumen torch (Search Amazon.com.au for BLF SP36), which outperformed even the biggest 6-cell torches. Internet and Phone – there is none: Detox. But you can take a tablet and download some Netflix content and more if you want entertainment at night. Take a good, thick book. The Lodge: A simple structure – the main room is closed on two sides, with the others opening to a shade-cloth-covered deck and kitchen/reception. The flies and south-westerly winds were unrelenting during our stay (and we believe at most other times as well), but the lodge does provide adequate shelter to eat and meet. You make bookings at the lodge for tours and activities. The Wind: Every day, we had 30-50km/h winds and temperatures from 12 to 25°. Winds are around 12-14km/h, and max temperatures of 25° from April to August (the best time to go). But note that rainfall grows from 20 to 44mm in that period. The complex closes in November for about three months as temperatures start climbing to the late 40s. More at willyweather.com.au/climate/weather-stations/wa/gascoyne/learmonth-airport.html. Advice: take a waterproof, light rain jacket with a hood. Meals: Breakfast is a choice of cereals, fruit, yogurt and the more traditional bacon, eggs, mushrooms, hash browns, avocado on toast, pancakes etc. All are individually cooked and of excellent quality and taste. Lunch is a more limited offering – at least two mains and accompaniments—ditto for quality and taste. Dinner usually starts with canapes and drinks (the bar is 24x7 self-serve with premium wines, beers, spirits, soft drinks, tea, and coffee). There is usually a choice of entrée, mains, and sweets with matching wines. Double ditto to taste and quality. But my seafood allergy was not catered for. After advising the staff that no seafood does not mean bland, tasteless gnocchi or vegetarian – we eat protein too – from then the meals were individually made, substituting lamb, chicken, or beef for seafood. Staff: Good to great. They all have been there some time and know a lot about the resort and area. The ones that did talk about their background tend to head OS to cruise ships or northern hemisphere resorts during the closure and like to come back. Happy people who are willing to help. Beach: There are several covered cabanas on the beach, as well as kayaks and snorkeling gear from the lodge about 100m away. We tried a cabana for a few hours, but the howling wind made it difficult, and the associated water current was too strong to snorkel on the beach safely. Again this is month related, so check to see if this is important to you. Swimming with Whale sharks or Humpback whales: We were fortunate to go on Live Ningaloo #LiveNingaloo – a ten pax maximum tour on a converted deep-sea marlin fishing boat. The captain and staff were terrific and spend more time in the water than on land. While the whale-shark season was long over, they managed to locate (using a spotter plane) a 5m Whale shark and snorkel within metres of it. The day starts with an introductory snorkel with three staff in the water with you exploring the inner coral reef. That helps overcome any hesitation you may have – hint: use a wet suit (they are happy to supply one). The staff make lunch with fresh salad and wraps (no alcohol). There are more snorkeling opportunities. We saw sea turtles, manta rays, lots of fish and reef sharks (harmless). It was way too windy outside the reef (where the whale shark was) with 1-2m waves. By this time, only four of the 10 went in with the three staff for assistance. This was a vastly better experience than the commercial operators with jam-packed tour boats. Thoroughly recommended for bucket list. Summary: It is not glamping, as you may perceive it. The tents are strictly utilitarian, albeit with a great bed. It is not uber-luxurious, but it is great for what it is – an eco-tent resort by the reef. We went for three nights and enjoyed it, but the flies and wind were wearing. We met some interesting people, and the small group nature means you can socialise or not. I wish the operators, Journey Beyond, had been more honest about potential weather. We may have delayed until better conditions next year instead of being herded into the end of its 2022 season. We took the Indian Pacific railway from Perth to Sydney – review productreview.com.au/reviews/7ea9cd7d-3e9a-5293-8a0b-e0078b1ca3d9 which we feel reveals a lot more about Journey Beyond management priorities.