Sal Salis – Exmouth, Western Australia
We drove through Exmouth and turned the corner to head down towards Sal Salis and saw Vlamingh Head Lighthouse. It stood atop a big point overlooking the most stunning blue water with views as far as the eye could see south. For me it was the point that I knew we were in for something special. Somewhere down the coast hidden in the sand dunes was a luxury tent village I have been waiting to come back to for years.
On the way down the coast into Cape Range National Park and at first missed the signs into Sal Salis but that didn’t surprise the staff at all. They want it to be hidden and to have minimal impact on the environment. In saying that, it isn’t minimal at all in terms of having everything that we could need. The whole place is set up and pulled down each year but you would never know it to look at it and it’s very eco friendly without compromising on luxury.
My initial thoughts and feelings were that it’s very relaxed, and that it felt friendly and naturally beautiful. The staff offered us lunch the minute we arrived and then soon realised that they hadn’t actually introduced themselves yet. It made me realise that they work on looking after people first. We then of course introduced ourselves and they gave us the rundown on Sal Salis and how it works.
It’s cliche to say that it’s a picture perfect location but it really is. I’ll let the video and images do most of the talking so take a look below at some of what we found during our stay at Sal Salis in Exmouth Western Australia.
The Beach
We stayed in tent 2 right down the end and straight out the front was one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve put my toes in. There was just enough of a little sand dune in front thought to give us privacy and also keep the breeze soft. Can you see the starfish in the below photo?
The Accommodation
The tents themselves don’t feel like tent at all when you are in them. Queen bed, hot water, a lot of space and very comfortable. There’s a hammock out the front too. It’s all sustainable to each tent has their own solar panels and power source so you have to turn on the hot water and turn it off again but it only takes minutes to heat up. They have long drop toilets but I found these even better than normal toilets.USB ports for charging but any DC outlet charging is done at the common area. And that view!
The Experiences
On a big black board in the common area they outline the next days activities. It’s done like this because they want to do the best things they can dependent on the weather, tides and other local factors. We had the chance to kayak up Yardie Creek and do a Rock Wallaby spotting tour so naturally we put our names down for both.
The Yardie Creek kayak trip was one of the highlights for us. It was relaxed but there was so much activity up in the gorge. Cockatoos and birds of prey flying around the cliffs and rock wallabies hiding in the rocks from the big birds circling above. The big red cliffs were breathtaking.
Cape Range National Park Rock Wallaby spotting
We took a little trip into Cape Range National Park and it was stunning. The range looks like it’s had millions of years of the elements battering it from both sides, it makes landscape look spectacular. In the gorge we saw birds and a lot of rock wallabies. In this section they tag them too keep an eye on the population. On the way out a massive kangaroo eyeballed me…….
And then of course there’s all the things you can do at the beach at Sal Salis. They have Kayaks, stand up paddle boards, snorkeling, fishing and just chilling. Ningaloo Reef is on the doorstep so there is an abundance of marine life. We didn’t really have enough time to do a lot of snorkeling but we fit in some paddle boarding.
The Food and people
There is a main area where you can get pretty much anything you need and where everyone meets for adventures and to relax and eat. We didn’t stay all that long but the food was delicious. There are tapas at sunset, big (and small) breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Dinners are served at the main table and all the guests are together and get to know the staff. The open bar was also another highlight at dinner time. A nice range of quality Australian wine and beer as well as an international selection.
We had a great time at Sal Salis but it was way too short lived, so in all honesty I think we didn’t really get to enjoy it to it’s full extent. I can imagine it would be perfect if you were there for 3 or 4 nights, at least and then that way you could really relax and enjoy everything it has to offer the way it is meant to be done. It doesn’t help that we missed out on the Whale Shark swim so that was a hard thing to come to grips with since it was one of the reasons we went to WA. We would have liked to have done the snorkeling, relaxed more and enjoyed more of the experiences. I guess we’ll have to come back some day to really know it’s full powers but for now the surface experience was amazing.
We will be coming back to travel and film more of Western Australia and visit the areas north in the Kimberly as well as see more of the outback. If you have any questions or feedback about Sal Salis we’d love to hear it in the comments. And of course if you need any video and content production we’d love to hear from you. Happy travels!