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Bamurru Plains is a disconnection from the everyday, located on the edge of the Mary River floodplains in Australia's Top End and surrounded by the Northern Territory's tropical savannah bushland. Accessible from Darwin or Kakadu, the destination is Australia’s answer to the Okavango delta, for a wilderness experience like no other. With ten safari bungalows, alongside the larger Kingfisher Suite and new Jabiru Retreat, each bush camp accommodation blends seamlessly with the surrounding scrub with a view looking out across the vast floodplains. Bamurru deliberately tries not to be a typical luxury hotel room in the bush. There is no internet or phone signal. Instead, it's a complete immersion in the surrounding landscape and its incredible wildlife. The floodplains and savannah woodland offer one of Australia’s richest wildlife experiences: tens of thousands of Magpie Geese mingle with Whistling Kites, egrets, herons and buffalo on the floodplain, while Blue-winged Kookaburras, parrots, cockatoos and Agile Wallabies inhabit the fringing woodlands. The team of passionate field guides offer a variety of activities including exhilarating airboat trips on the floodplains, cruises on the Sampan River to spot crocodiles, four-wheel drive safaris, scenic flights over the floodplains and coastline. We can also arrange tours to Kakadu and the rock art galleries of Arnhem Land. In the evening, sit back with a sundowner drink and canapés and enjoy the soft ‘Wild Bush Luxury’ touches that are the Bamurru trademark. There is an open bar, a small swimming pool at Bamurru's main lodge. The facilities and 300 km² of country are exclusively for the use of its guests, so you can be assured of a quiet, privileged outback experience. Bamurru Plains is a member of the Luxury Lodges of Australia.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Modern
Family
Languages Spoken
English
Location
Mary River Floodplai, Point Stuart, Northern Territory NT 0836 Australia
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We loved our experience at Bamurru Plains, it's a very special experience in a very special location. Without exception the staff were amazing and the tours incredible...the airboats, as most people have said, are the highlight but the afternoon safaris are also special. The guides are knowledgeable and really add to the experience. I liked the fact that we got to know a couple of them a little bit better when they hosted dinner.
Dinner, like all meals, was exceptional, Tiffany and her team created some magic in the kitchen which defied the remote location.
The accommodation is unique, very clean and l loved the 'tent' feel that connects you with the environment and wildlife and birdlife, it's very special! It was around 35 degrees each day we were there and it was hot in the room but fine if you are directly below the roof fans... the pool is also a good place to hang out in the afternoon. I can see why some people might struggle with the heat but l would (and will) be back.
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Date of stay: July 2024Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had a wonderful stay at Bamurru Plains. It was frustrating to read other reviews that complained about the heat and lack of AC in their room. Any little research would have informed you that it's very hot there. It also makes sense that AC rooms are slightly more expensive because they provide an additional amenity - just like any other hotel or camp.
We stayed in an air conditioned room which was perfect for sleeping and provided more than sufficient cooling. The room was smaller but comfortable. The bathroom is screened and large with a great shower. The week before we arrived, the dry season really started so the humidity was pretty low. This allowed us to spend more time outside during the day. I do recommend wearing bug spray at all times while outside, even during the day.
The air boat tours were really fun, pretty and interesting. We also enjoyed the drives. The guides were knowledgeable and we learned a lot about the bush.
The food was heavenly. Every meal was fantastic - the chef really set the bar. Of all the places we stayed in Australia, Bamurru had the best bar offerings in terms of cocktails and wine. They even have green ant gin which is a must-try. We enjoyed the communal dining aspects and getting to know the other guests during our stay.
We stayed for 3 nights which was enough to see everything. You can even get away with 2 nights if you arrive in the early afternoon of your first day.
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Date of stay: May 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bamarru Plains works on the African safari model. The meals were first rate, prepared by a French chef and with knowledgeable wine pairing. Snacks and drinks were always available, with a great selection of wines, beers, and spirits. The public areas overlooking the plain were exceedingly pleasant, complete with infinity pool. Similar to the African model, there were activities in the morning and late afternoon. The morning activities were on the water. Although were we warned that the airboats were not available due to low water levels, we did go on the airboats. The afternoon activity was a wildlife and scenic drive around the property (an active buffalo station), with plenty of birds and wallabies. Almost all of the guides were very informative. We did the optional day excursion to Kakadu -- it was very expensive but worth it. The staff was very helpful, especially in dealing with our lost luggage and changing our return flight. The one qualm was the quality of the accommodation. We had selected a cabin with AC, which was essential in early October. But there were no bedside tables, the area for clothing storage was minimal, and the light in the room after subset was wholly inadequate.
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Date of stay: October 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Having stayed at quite a few luxury lodges we were expecting this to be on par with most, albeit mindful of the remote location. The tents were ‘adequate’ clean and spacious enough. No Aircon in most of them and an extra $120 a night ! If you book an Aircon one. The food was too heavy for the tropical climate and the chef was not amenable to any change required to a meal ie; no sauce all over it please. Such a wasted opportunity to serve light healthy Salads and veggies instead all meat and few vegetables or salad. Breakfast was however excellent. Website says max 26 people we had 32 including 9 children ! Not really a child friendly environment especially when competing for the pool. The vehicles are antiquated and Life expired and quite frankly not even up to health and safety standards. We were really disappointed and I actually will be going to consumer affairs to talk about false advertising and getting some sort of refund on the exorbitant price they charge. No river boat cruises because all the boats were broken down. Too many people and lack of varied activities due to breakdowns. On the positive side we met some fantastic people and the guides and staff were excellent. It will be a miracle if they stay on in their antiquated accommodation.
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Look elsewhere it’s too expensive
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Wild Bush Luxury Team, Marketing at Bamurru Plains
Responded 19 July 2023
Thank you for sharing your experience, and we're very sorry to read that Bamurru Plains did not live up to your expectation. Our Wild Bush Luxury destinations are in remote pockets of Australia, commonly remote and far from the usual path for most travelers. We aim to immerse our guests in the exclusivity of each of our incredible locations and the diverse wildlife experiences that really are the heroes of each of these destinations. We understand Bamurru is not for everyone, as it's a rugged Northern Territory Top End beauty; our accommodation was purposefully designed as an exclusive bush camp on the fringe of the floodplains, and our beds to resemble a luxurious low to the floor style camp style bedding (with plush mattresses and linens for comfort). We hope to really immerse our guests with the surrounding landscape. We do only have three air-conditioned rooms (available on request upon booking) as we try to be leaders for sustainability. Our safari-style camp was built to support a minimal impact on the environment, with each accommodation elevated on poles above the floodplain, with overhead fans and mesh walls on three sides to maximise breeze flow. The majority of Bamurru Plains’ power is solar -generated, keeping our carbon footprint minimal. We have 240 solar panels providing around 75% of the lodge’s power, to minimise our carbon footprint and noise that could disrupt wildlife. Rather than offering a hotel setting like many other luxury hotels, we hope our guests really come away with a sensory experience after being out on the floodplains, on the overland safari experiences with our team, as we share our unique Australian bush environment in the Northern Territory. We're really sorry again to hear that Bamurru Plains did not live up to your expectation and will share this feedback with our wider team. The Bamurru Plains team - Wild Bush Luxury experiences
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This buffalo station is overpopulated by buffalo, and the available food supply has been devoured by all the animal. They look sick and hungry and I had to stay in my room for the last 24 hours of the trip as I could not stand stand to see the animal suffering. African Wildlife Safaris/ Natural Focus bill this very expensive 9 day holiday as a luxury tour, The second place we stayed, Bullo River Station was magnificent. The first place, Faraway Bay, was rustic (at best), remote, and made of corrugated iron. Certainly not luxurious. The staff were great, but not the facilities. For the price of this holiday, I was very disappointed. I let AWS know and they said they would amend their website to reduce expectations of future clients, but as yet they have not done so.
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Date of stay: August 2023
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Wild Bush Luxury Team, Marketing at Bamurru Plains
Responded 31 Aug 2023
Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We're sorry to hear Bamurru Plains was not to your liking. As you note, we are located on a working buffalo station. The animals do free roam the property so we can assure aren't suffering. Though the environment does look harsh as an outback destination in Australia's Top End. We are fortunate that our location on a floodplain provides a naturally rich food source for other wildlife species. We are conscious that we are not an experience for everyone, as we are not a traditional luxury hotel; our offering is for guests that are hoping for a rugged, off-grid Australian adventure. Thank you for visiting us - and we are sorry that our experience didn't meet the expectation.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Fabulous location right on the wetlands, we were here towards the end of the season and the wildlife was more concentrated on the water that was left. The airboats were amazing, but if this was not available (not enough water) there would be not many things to do. For the money paid there should be air conditioning in every tent, not just a few. It was 35C and did not cool down until about 1am and then I could sleep, just too hot without the choice of aircon. Didn't like the water buffalo and cattle poo everywhere and dirt paths so that feet needed washing constantly. Liked the plains and watching wildlife out there.
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Date of stay: September 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Late in the season its very hot and if they don't take the air boats out there is only the pool...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There is no doubt this offers a unique experience, in a gorgeous location with amazing scenery and wildlife, and a feeling of being completely remote. The trips to view wildlife on airboats and jeeps are wonderful, as are the guides who lead them. The tented accommodation is good, and offers a view of the surrounding scenery and wildlife from your bed. However, it is incredibly hot, and we found that the ceiling fan just wasn’t enough to stay cool, both at nights and in the quite long period between morning and afternoon trips. Be aware that there is no air con in the majority of the tents. Food is well prepared, but very meat heavy. Obviously it’s a very personal thing, but we would like to have had the choice of a lighter option, it was a particular shame there was no fish served at all while we were there, and only one non-meat meal one lunchtime. Finally, we were under the impression the property was very close to kakadu and we’d be going into the national park, but this wasn’t the case. You can go to kakadu for a day, but have to buy that in advance as an additional trip. Overall though, a very special experience, the night sky was something to behold, and watching a lightning storm across the horizon from our tent was one of the highlights.
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Date of stay: October 2022
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Ask for one with air conditioning
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Part of the Luxury Lodges of Australia group. You can get to this place either by a charter flight or drive. About 1 ½ hours on a good dirt road in the dry season. Tom Tom and Google Maps are no help. Need to follow their instructions. We drove as we went to Katherine, Kakadu and Jabiru so we had a car. There is no telephone reception and no Wifi or Email so you are on your own. The wildlife is amazing especially the huge numbers of Magpie Geese, not seen anywhere else. The activities that you partake in are very special. Knowledgeable staff and excellent meals. The accommodation is fantastic with floor to ceiling mesh through which you can see what is going on but the pesky bugs and mozzies have hard time getting in. All in all an excellent place to get away from it all.
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Date of stay: September 2021
Rooms
Location
Service
Room Tip:There are only 10 rooms all with excellent views of the plains.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Connecting with Nature & enjoying Life’s simplicity seem easier here. Relax & enjoy the airboat ride watching the Buffalo romp thru the wet lands & Water Lily’s or the crocs lifting their heads to make the NT experience complete. Stunning bird life.
The staff at the farm really enjoy the work & shows in the dedication to guest service. Spacious Clean Room & rustic ensuite was ample for a glamping style stay, no a/c but that was fine as weather was perfect in may so fan was enough. Food was homely & exceptional, The long table dinners & company very entertaining.
Pool area was a great hangout to read or chill.
Not a fan of flying, but the 30 min one prop flight in & out was very scenic & worth the extra cost. Travel lite & casual as not much required here. Book min 3-5 nites & organise the tours once at the farm, or like us you may not get the full value from the adventure.
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Date of stay: April 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Book your day trips once at the farm
Take the plane ride
Travel lite & casual
Diets & quirks...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
From beginning to end, this is the way to experience the outback in northern Australia. We flew to and from Darwin. The staff took us on outings on a river where we saw numerous birds and crocodiles. We also saw lizards, termite mounds, wallabies, and water buffalo. We flew from Bamurru to Kakadu National Park for a day to see aboriginal paintings on sandstone and some of the oldest known sandstone and granite escarpments on earth. The food served at Bamurru is outstanding! The chefs prepare creative, very high quality meals. They also accommodate dietary preferences (e.g, gluten free and vegetarian). Bamurru is a unique place. Our 3 night stay enabled us to see and experience the outback in an extraordinary way.
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi,
A hard question to answer as given the seasonal extremes of the Top End, the experience is very different at the end of the season (October) when compared to the start (March).
The wet season in the early part of the year starts the annual breeding cycle of most species and is when there is the most water in the country and the floodplains are looking at their best. April is when the young birds (Magpie Geese in particular) have hatched and the floodplains are full of noise, life and predators! May continues to be like this. Temperatures are lower and the humidity lessens the further away from April and arguably, June to August is the most pleasant time of year from a temperature perspective.
Croc spotting is probably best in August, during their mating season, when they are readily visible on the river banks.
If you are into your fishing, then the best time of year is March and April, with the freshwater run off from the country. September/October is also possible when water temperatures rise again. The latter part of the year sees less water in the country, with the floodplain having retreated to smaller tracts of water but with phenomenal congregations of birdlife and wildlife around them - this is a fabulous wildlife photography period. There will be more activities on foot and by vehicle at this time of year whereas earlier in the year, there is more water based activity.
We are closed from November to February, which are the least good times of year to be in the Top End.
A long winded answer to a short question (!) but I hope this helps.
Regards
Charlie Carlow
The Woodlands, Texas81 contributions40 helpful votes
They are really great customizing what families desire. The airboat ride included in package is 2-2.5 hours. We stayed 4 nights, spent one day in Kakadu, and got 2 airboat rides. If you get the package, it’s a great excursion after breakfast, back to lunch and swim, then another excursion in the afternoon, back for canapés and dinner.
There are more places to choose from in the Point Stuart area.
PRICE RANGE
AU$2,374 - AU$2,864 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
AustraliaNorthern TerritoryTop EndPoint Stuart
NUMBER OF ROOMS
12
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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