Safari Lodge brings an all-inclusive luxury safari stay to South Australia

South Australia’s Monarto precinct has expanded its luxury offering with the arrival of Safari Lodge, a 20-tent retreat designed to pair immersive wildlife encounters with an all-inclusive lodge experience

Set within the Mallee Plains of Monarto’s Wild Africa precinct, Safari Lodge has now welcomed its first guests, adding a new high-end tier to the broader Monarto Safari Resort development. The opening positions the experience as a rare Australian take on the safari lodge model – one that combines open-range animal encounters, resort-style facilities and a conservation-led partnership in a South Australian setting.

Journey Beyond, which operates the property, describes Safari Lodge as an intimate, all-inclusive stay centred on immersion in nature. Guests are given General Admission access to Monarto Safari Park, alongside an exclusive safari experience in a custom-built open-sided 4WD LandCruiser through 550 hectares of the Wild Africa precinct.

Each of the lodge’s 20 luxury safari tents has been positioned to look out over the wildlife landscape, with private outdoor decks, lounge areas, king or twin bedding, ensuite bathrooms and dressing rooms. Two accessible tents are also available.

Design 

Rather than recreating an African lodge literally, Safari Lodge’s restrained design appears to draw on safari vernacular – with the surrounding plains and waterhole the visual focus – while anchoring the experience in South Australia. The lodge has been crafted from locally sourced Wallaroo granite, dry-pressed brick and custom timber joinery, with interiors featuring commissioned works by South Australian and Victorian artists.

The stay

Beyond the tents, the central lodge brings together the more familiar rhythms of a luxury resort stay. Rates include meals and beverages, with breakfasts and multi-course dinners showcasing South Australian produce in the property’s exclusive restaurant.

There is also an onsite pool, private plunge pools, gym, pickleball court and outdoor lounge spaces for evening drinks and stargazing. Guests can also add treatments at Marula Day Spa, located at nearby Monarto Safari Resort, which uses Jurlique products.

In a statement, Journey Beyond CEO Chris Tallent said the lodge was intended to deliver “exceptional experiences that create unparalleled connections and offer a genuine sense of place”, while Gerry Ryan AO, owner of the development, described it as an attempt to create an all-inclusive safari lodge experience unlike anything else in Australia.

Conservation

The opening also prioritises conservation. Zoos South Australia says a portion of each stay will contribute funding to local and global conservation programs, including work with critically endangered native species, linking guest stays to the wildlife and conservation outcomes that underpin the Monarto experience.