The Cooinda Lodge Kakadu is a property located in the Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territories. Lodgings range from simple cottages with shared facilities to self-contained villas for the full-on outback glamping experience. As you may have already guessed, that’s the option I’m going with. I’ve never been camping in my life, and I’ve no intention to start now.
Location
The Cooinda Lodge is 300 kilometres away from Darwin Airport. By car it’s a journey of three hours and fifteen minutes. The road condition is generally good and the journey gives you a sense of the sheer size of the country. The closest town, of sorts, is Jabiru, where there’s a public library, a post office, a supermarket and… a hotel built to look like a crocodile from the outside.
Check-In & Staff
We arrive at the Cooinda Lodge just before three in the afternoon. Reception is in a small squat building that also houses a mini market with souvenirs, toiletries, and a limited selection of non-perishable foods. The staff at the Cooinda Lodge are very friendly. I think what strikes me the most, though, is that I don’t think a single one of the staff I meet during my stay here is Australian. They’re Argentinian, Dutch, French, Spanish, and Italian and all rather young. What they may be lacking in experience and proper training they more than make up for with their friendliness and eagerness to help.
In any case, we’re given a map of the property with an explanation of how to access our villa and where to park the car. We’re also told that it’s best to make a reservation for dinner if we’re planning to eat at the à la carte restaurant.
Yellow Water Villa
I’ve booked one of five Yellow Water Villas on the Cooinda Lodge property – more precisely, the number three. And I must say, I pleasantly surprised by my lodgings for the next few days. The villa is large and spacious and, most importantly in this heat, features a properly functioning air conditioning system.
As I enter the villa, I have a small table with two chairs on my left, together with two small bunks. On my right is a well-equipped kitchenette with a dishwasher, fridge, kettle, and Nespresso machine. And a block with some seriously big knives. For a brief moment I’m stupefied by the lack of anything that might be useful to cook on, like a stove. But then it dawns on me that this is Australia after all, the land of the barbecue.
The bed is a large king and very comfortable. The mattress is a bit on the soft side, but still firm enough to keep my back from jamming up again. The bed faces towards the floor to ceiling glass windows and the veranda which runs along the full width of the villa.
The bathroom is rather nice and modern. It features a walk-in shower that scores highly on the Knight of Malta shower scale, with absolutely no spillage at all. The only thing that’s freaking me out just a little bit is that there’s a fairly large spider hanging outside the window of the shower. I think it actually has claws! But I digress. The cosmetics in the bathroom are Kakadu branded and have a nice, sweet smell of the green plum.
Yellow Water Villa Amenities
The amenities in the Yellow Water Villas are nice. I already mentioned the kitchenette, which incidentally also has a toaster. There are two cartons of milk in the fridge, as well as a bottle of still water, a bottle of white wine and a plate with three profiteroles and fresh fruit as a welcome gift. In addition, to acknowledge my Accor Diamond status, there’s insect spray, sun blocker, local tea and green plum jam.
Dining at the Cooinda Lodge Kakadu
There are two dining options at the Cooinda Lodge if you’re not self-catering. There’s the Barra Bistro & Bar which serves snacks al fresco from 17h00 to 20h30. This place has a very relaxed atmosphere. And then there’s Mimi’s Restaurant which is the fine dining indoor restaurant at the lodge. This is also where breakfast is served. Like the Bistro, it’s very relaxed, but in the evenings it’s necessary to make a reservation.
The Kakadu National Park
The Kakadu National Park is a beautiful piece of land. Just for a bit of context, the area is about half the size of Switzerland, or 62 times the size of Malta. Apart from the omnipresent kakadu birds that give it its name, the national park is best known for its large population of crocodiles, and there are signs everywhere warning visitors not to step too close to the water’s edge. It’s still lovely, though, and the smell of the earth is just so nice!
My personal piece of advice to anyone planning a visit: make the extra effort to wake up early one morning during your stay and take the dawn cruise on the South Alligator River that leaves the hotel at 06h25 (no, there are no alligators in Australia, despite the river’s name. Only crocs). It’s definitely worth it! The sounds and smells are simply unbelievable. My favourite, I think, are these funny little black birds that make a sound exactly like one of those old SITA telex printers. And they do it a lot!
Conclusion – The Cooinda Lodge Kakadu
Despite the unusually high concentration of deadly animals in the Northern Territories, I greatly enjoy my stay at the Cooinda Lodge. It’s fascinating to observe the rich flora and fauna that is so unlike anything I’m familiar with from Europe. In the mornings, the sounds surrounding my villa create a fabulous spectacle that delights me to be an audience to so, so much!
Internet connectivity is a bit unstable at the Cooinda Lodge. I only have 4G reception on my mobile and the wifi network is very slow. While some might consider that a disadvantage, for me it’s the precise reason why I came here – tranquility, peace and quiet. If that’s what you’re after, Cooinda will not disappoint.