Featured Wildlife Journeys

Saltwater Crocodile
Black-necked Stork (Jabiru)

Ultimate Luxury Safari Adventure

Available from: April 01 2024 - October 31 2024

From: $5,140 USD

Duration: 6 days/5 nights - Kakadu & Arnhem Land

Type: Private Charter.

Covering black soil floodplains, paper bark swamps, savannah woodlands, monsoonal rainforests, river mangroves and dramatic escarpments, this is the ultimate Top End private adventure for wildlife enthusiasts!

Highlights include a visit to Fogg Dam, the iconic Yellow Water Cruise and airboat rides across the Mary River Catchment.
The richness and diversity of wildlife is simply extraordinary with wallabies, wallaroos, quolls, dingos, bats, goannas, frogs, pythons, waterbirds, cathedral termite mounds and the legendary Saltwater Crocodile, a small sample of viewing opportunities across these diverse habitats.
You will be captivated by the cultural offerings found at the rock art galleries at Injalak and the sacred sites at Mt Borradaile, with the opportunity to learn about Australia’s fauna from the land’s traditional owners an unforgettable experience.

About Lords Kakadu & Arnhemland Safaris:

Lords Kakadu and Arnhemland Safaris has been connecting guests to the Top End’s remarkable natural beauty and indigenous culture for 30 years. Consummate bushman and owner, Sab Lord leads the team of advocates, active in protecting and preserving Kakadu & Arnhem Land, one of the most cherished ecosystems and untouched wilderness areas of Australia. The team’s passion for the region is infectious as is the connection with the land and the indigenous communities that call the area home. This relationship formed over many decades, allows access to a range of culturally significant sites. Combined with the vast unpopulated pristine landscapes, guests can not helped being moved and reinvigorated by this World Heritage Listed area.

_{Price per person travelling as four passengers, based on double occupancy, including touring, meals & accommodation. Black-out dates may apply. Pricing is subject to availability and all prices, itineraries and routings are subject to change without notice. Currency fluctuations may affect prices as quotes based on AUD. Prices are current at time of posting (1/11/2023) and may differ when you book your travel. Please contact us for our current pricing and itinerary details*}

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Itinerary

Tour day-by-day

Day 1: Fogg Dam Reserve & Kakadu National Park

Guests will venture towards the World Heritage Listed Kakadu National Park via the magnificent Fogg Dam Reserve. These wetlands fringed by rainforest are a birdwatchers paradise, with year round water coverage assuring its position as an important feeding and roosting site for over 200 different bird species, water pythons and freshwater turtles. Forest Kingfishers, egrets, ibis, herons, Whistling Kites, Brown Falcons, Green Pygmy Geese, cormorants and monitor lizards are common sightings.

“Fogg Dam is a location where we often see birds en masse, and it’s a very interesting setting because it’s a dam wall, with lush wetlands on one side and dry wetlands and grasslands on the other. Ducks and ibises abound in huge numbers in the wetlands, while Magpie Geese, spoonbills, brolgas and jabirus are easily spotted on the dry side. Some guests have never seen so many birds in one place and on such a scale. We’re talking thousands and thousands of birds at the one time.”

Dean Hoath - Guide

A short detour off the highway is the beautiful Leaning Tree Lagoon; this Billabong is often covered in water lilies making it a popular quick stop for photographers.  We will leave the main road to enter into Kakadu via the Old Darwin Road. Our last stop for today is a pristine waterfall, Maguk (Barramundi Gorge). A one Kilometre walk through monsoon rainforest leads to the base of a beautiful plunge pool: Maguk is a scenic and tranquil place to enjoy a refreshing swim in the series of small waterholes. The water is crystal clear.

Overnight Accommodation: Lords Private Tented Camp
Day 2: Kakadu National Park & Arnhem Land

Departing the Northern region of Kakadu National Park, guests will cross the East Alligator River and enter Arnhem Land. The scenic drive to the Gunbalanya Aboriginal community provides some of the best driving views in the Top End with floodplains, billabongs & the Arnhem Land escarpment.

We shall then head up into Mikinj Valley where you shall be able to see some amazing Rock art & some incredible views. This is a very special place not only for the local people but for the Lord Safaris. Then after lunch onto Gunbalanya guests will visit the Injalak Arts and Craft Centre to meet and watch traditional local artists in action.

“I have known the Nayingguls family since the 1960s, and this strong connection to the land and its rich history is something that we are all able to share with safari guests. The majority of people who come here want to see a couple of good waterfalls and experience the landscape. I know where to take them, and since the area is exclusive to us, it’s really only myself and the local Aboriginal people who know where to go. It’s our secret sanctuary."

Sab Lord - Guide & Founder

Across the sandstone escarpments, visitors may spot the Brolga, Black Necked Stork (Jabirus), honeyeaters, Sandstone Thrush, Black Wallaroo, Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeon, Wilkins' Rock Wallaby, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Pheasant Coucal and the Fire-tailed Skink. Davidson’s Arnhemland Safaris lodge is the next stop, situated in the northwest corner of Arnhem Land, adjacent to Kakadu National Park and the Coburg Peninsula.

Overnight Accommodation: Davidson’s Arnhemland Safaris Lodge
Day 3: Arnhem Land

Davidson’s Arnhemland Safaris at Mt Borradaile is a registered Aboriginal sacred site nestled against the majestic Arnhem Land escarpment. This is a landscape of rugged ranges fringed by idyllic billabongs, flood plains, paperbark swamps and monsoonal rainforests. Valleys, overhangs and caves have been occupied for over 50,000 years and offer magnificent galleries of rock art as well as occupation and burial sites.

Whilst visiting Davidson's, guests will enjoy Aboriginal Art, billabong cruises and wetlands exploration to spot numerous species including Agile, Wilkins' Rock and Nabarlek Wallabies, Ghost Bats, flying foxes, Freshwater and Saltwater Crocodiles, Dingos, Leichhardt Grasshoppers, Jabirus, Brolgas, egrets, kingfishers, Blue Winged Kookaburras, Red Tailed Black Cockatoos, Red Winged Parrots, Black Tailed Tree Creepers, White-faced and White-bellied Cuckoos and various Honeyeaters.

Overnight Accommodation: Davidson’s Arnhemland Safaris Lodge
Day 4: Bamurru Plains

Upon departing from Davidson's, guests will venture to Bamurru Plains located on the magnificent Mary River floodplains. This safari-style camp boasts comfortable free-standing rooms that are spacious and expose guests to the sounds of the floodplains, a dining area with commanding views across the vast wetlands, a 10 metre wet edge pool and a library.

The focus of the stay at Bamurru is the surrounding savannah woodland teeming with an amazing assortment of wildlife, reptiles and birds. This picturesque property covers various habitats including black soil flood plains, paperbark swamps, savannah woodlands, river mangroves and coastal beaches supporting an extraordinary diversity of birdlife.

“We see White-bellied Sea Eagles, jabirus, jacanas, five species of ducks, three species of ibises, four species of egrets... just to name some of the birds we might come across. I chat to guests about the birds, and also talk about the impact various introduced feral species – such as cats and foxes – have on both the birds and the environment. I want to educate people for as long as I am able to. We only have one environment and if we don’t care of it, what are our kids going to have?”

Sab Lord - Guide & Founder

Overnight Accommodation: Bamurru Plains
Day 5: Bamurru Plains

Spending the day at Bamarru, guests will have a choice of a variety of activities, from airboat rides to a four wheel drive safaris. A morning airboat ride across the floodplains of the Mary River catchments is an exhilarating way to see the the abundant wildlife such as Agile Wallabies, Saltwater Crocodiles, Jabirus, Brolgas, Magpie Geese, Great Billed Herons, Azure Kingfishers, Blue Winged Kookaburras, Red Tailed Black Cockatoos, Red Winged Parrots, lorikeets, honeyeaters, cuckoos, monitor lizards, Australian Bustard, curlews, falcons, Wedge-tailed eagles and Whistling Kites.

Overnight Accommodation: Bamurru Plains
Day 6: Bamurru Plains to Darwin

Before returning to Darwin, guests will have the opportunity for a leisurely breakfast whilst listening to he morning chorus of tens of thousands of Magpie Geese, after whom the camp is named. The Mary River catchments is home to some 236 species of bird, many of which are found at Bamurru Plains.
Tour details

Private Group Size: Maximum 6 guests.
Pick-up and Drop Off Point: Darwin
Pick-up and Drop-off Time: Approximately 8:00am, returns at approximately 5:00pm.

How you'll be making a positive impact

We have aligned our sustainability vision with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Citizen Science with Lords Kakadu & Arnhemland Safaris
Lords Kakadu & Arnhemland Safaris contributes observations of flora & fauna via iNaturalist, the world’s leading global social biodiversity network. This platform allows our team to create research-quality citizen science data that enables a more detailed picture of our national biodiversity, and assists bodies such as the CSIRO, ecologists and other decision makers to deliver better outcomes for the environment and our species.
Our guides record observations with iNaturalist Australia by using the iNaturalist app on mobile phones or desktop computers. An observation records an encounter with an individual organism at a particular time and location in the Top End. We require photos to be attached to observations for them to become research grade and added to the Atlas of Living Australia.

This is where you can greatly assist us in capturing images out in the field! Although we make broader observations that we think are valuable to the local scientific community, we have identified the following species to track when we are exploring the Top End by vehicle or on foot.

Key species we're looking out for include:
- Frilled-neck Lizard
- King Brown Snake
- Dingo
- Feral Cat
- Freshwater Crocodile
- Mertens' Water Monitor
- Wilkins Rock Wallaby
- Antilopine Wallaroo
- Great-billed Heron
Supporting the Communities of Arnhem Land
Lords Kakadu & Arnhemland Safaris has spent decades working closely with local Aboriginal clans and share a mutual respect with the local indigenous people and their relationship with the land. Owner, Sab Lord, was raised on a station that is now part of World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park, with his father employing Aboriginal families who taught him their indigenous language and involved him in traditional ceremonies.

Sab's ongoing relationships and understanding of their culture has earned him the rare permission to share culturally significant sites and stories.

On itineraries featuring Arnhem Land, guests visit Injalak Hill, to experience the traditional culture of the Kunwinjku people hosted by an Aboriginal guide employed by the organisation. This area is documented as having some of the best rock art examples in Australia. Upon arrival at Gunbalanya, guests visit the Injalak Arts and Crafts Centre to see artists producing their works, whether that be fabric, weaving or painting. Injalak Arts is a nonprofit Aboriginal-owned social enterprise whose members are the artists and community. Injalak artists produce traditional art inspired by ancient Dreamtime stories. Nearby rock art galleries demonstrate an unbroken link between the present generation of Kunwinjku people and their ancestors.

Solar-powered Bush Camp
Lords Kakadu & Arnhemland Safaris operate a permanent Kakadu Bush Camp, almost entirely energy neutral, with solar panels powering lighting, fridges and fans. Australian Wildlife Journeys is in the process of setting science-based targets, implementing mechanisms to enable the calculation of carbon emissions across all organisation types and decreasing emissions through technological advancements in hybrid and hydrogen technologies.