Ningaloo and Exmouth Accommodation
Places to stay in Exmouth range from park camping to 5-star comfort. Keep an eye out for the new Sunrise Beach Resort and self-contained accommodation in Exmouth Marina Village, currently under construction.
In the meantime, here are Kat’s recommendations for:
Camping and Backpacking
First up a big favourite with backpackers, the Pot Shot Resort.
This centrally located resort has excellent dorms, single and twin rooms for backpackers, so do check it out whether you’re just passing through or staying for a longer adventure.
It has all the facilities you could want, including a kitchen, dining and TV area, free linen, outdoor BBQ area, swimming pool, launderette, half-price snorkel gear hire and the essential Internet access - and a late night party atmosphere over the weekend, with the Bamboo Bar (affectionately known as the ‘Bimbo Bar’ by locals) rockin’ on until late on a Friday night.
For campers, caravanners and backpackers, just 15 minutes stroll to the beach or into town, and across the road from the mini golf centre, is a beautifully presented place called the Exmouth Cape Holiday Park.
I lived at this park for a couple of months and found the customer service and facilities exceptional. It’s a good option for families too. For a start, you feel secure here, with a boom gate at the entrance preventing a constant flow of outside traffic. The large modern outdoor kitchen has plenty of BBQs, and there’s a children’s playground and beach volleyball courts.
It has some lovely brand new chalets, a brand new backpackers - Blue Reef Backpackers Village - and some older, cheaper chalets as well as powered/unpowered tent sites.
The Ningaloo Caravan & Holiday Resort is another good choice for those of you who want to be based in town.
There’s a restaurant on the premises, the chalets are very neat and tidy, and there are powered/unpowered tent sites available with on-site ablution blocks.
The resort is also home to Winston Backpackers, which has a shared common room and BBQ area.
Moving a little further out of town, the Ningaloo Lighthouse Caravan Park is out on the peninsula en route to the Cape Range National Park, and across the road from great fishing and swimming beaches.
You’ll need your own vehicle to get there, but the remoteness makes this an excellent park for adventurers as you’re within easy reach of the reef and gorges.
The accommodation is older, but the trade-off is the great location. The staff are friendly, there’s a small shop and café on-site, ablution blocks, powered/unpowered tent sites and tidy chalets.
About 10 minutes from the National Park and close to the Tantabiddi Boat ramp, Yardie Homestead is perfect for families and adventurers who put location top of their list. They don’t have a website, but you can call them on (08) 9949 1389.
Again, the accommodation is older, but the trade-off is the location. The chalets are converted shearers’ quarters, and there are some lovely grassed powered/unpowered tent sites.
The staff are friendly and there is a small restaurant located on the premises for your Sunday roast!
You can also camp in Cape Range National Park for a minimal price of around $5 a night. The Park is open 24 hours a day and costs around $10 for a full day pass. Pay the CALM ranger posted at the gate from 8am till 3.30pm every day, or at the sites themselves.
Mid-range Hotels and Motels
For mid-range pricing, I usually suggest one of three: Ningaloo Lodge, Best Western Sea Breeze Resort or – yet again – the Pot Shot Resort.
Ningaloo Lodge is centrally located – only five minutes walk to town, the mini golf centre and surrounding restaurants.
The rooms are motel style – twin or double – all with ensuite, air-con, bar fridge, TV and tea/coffee making facilities, and there’s a communal kitchen and swimming pool on site. Not bad for $99 per room per night.
Also great value for money is the Best Western Sea Breeze Resort starting at $140 per night if you book seven nights or more.
It’s private with a feeling of remoteness, although only five kilometres from town, and has a lovely swimming pool / BBQ area. I would recommend it for both couples and families, or even corporates.
All rooms have free WLAN high-speed Internet access, free late-release in-house movie channels, ensuite, queen and single bed. Deluxe rooms include a fold-out bed, and family rooms also have a double bunk.
The rooms are spacious and air-conditioned, with fridge, tea/coffee-making and those essential extras like hair-dryers and ironing boards.
Finally, our old favourite – the Pot Shot Resort, right in the heart of town and ranging in accommodation styles from backpacker’s dorms to luxurious apartments.
In the mid-range are budget motel rooms, resort studios and two-bedroom apartments – all air-conditioned.
Motel rooms ($89 per night) come as twins or doubles and have ensuite, bar fridge, tea/coffee facilities and TV, whereas studios ($139) have both queen and single beds.
For just $10 a night extra, you can get a two-bed apartment with fully equipped kitchen, living/dining area and private BBQ – worth the upgrade.
Prices are taken from the websites, but I advise you to check their sites for any changes before making a decision.
Luxury Accommodation
For the increasing number of adventure travellers wanting luxury accommodation, there are a few excellent options now, in particular the new Novotel, and two of our old favourites are still going strong – the Pot Shot’s Osprey Apartments and Ningaloo Reef Retreat.
The Novotel Ningaloo Resort is Exmouth’s newest edition, bringing luxury, elegance and style to our small town! Here’s an article from news.com.au: Reef resorts to luxury.
It’s situated right on Sunrise Beach, part of the new marina development, so ask for an apartment with ocean views. The restaurant and bar is superbly designed, and the quality of service and meals is a credit to the resort.
Couples and families can all enjoy the comfort of this 4-star resort.
The popular Pot Shot Resort houses Exmouth’s main bar, where both locals and visitors congregate. There’s also a relaxed restaurant and a swimming pool.
As well as budget and mid-range accommodation, the Pot Shot’s luxurious self-contained Osprey Apartments are just across the road from the main resort. Some have spas, the prices are reasonable for the quality of accommodation, and again they’re suitable for both couples and families.
Finally, the Ningaloo Reef Retreat, on the west side of the North West Cape, is the ULTIMATE in remote yet comfortable camping. This is for true adventurers who are into deluxe ecotourism.
The retreat is located within the beautiful Cape Range National Park right on one of the most delightful beaches in the world, so you’re guaranteed an ocean view! Accommodation is in luxury tents complete with wooden floors, fully furnished, solar showers and decks overlooking the ocean.
Guests can just slip on some snorkelling gear and swim a few metres from the secluded beach in front of the Retreat to see beautiful corals and tropical fish.
A little further from shore you have a good chance of finding one of the turtles that live and breed in the sheltered waters. Guides are on hand to show you where the turtles rest among the coral gardens.
Further out again, the Blue Lagoon is a natural aquarium buzzing with marine life – the best snorkelling on the Ningaloo Reef and an easy paddle from the retreat on a double kayak.
Stargazing is another good reason to stay here. The Milky Way stretches from horizon to horizon, and if you opt to swag it outdoors or relax in a hammock in front of your tent, you’ll probably fall asleep counting shooting stars.
You can also hike easily from here into the Mandu Mandu Gorge for stunning views over the reef.
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