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I’ve stayed in hotels overlooking oceans, mountains, wineries and infinity pools, but this was the first time I’d pulled back the curtains to find a giraffe staring right back at me. Not a plush toy or a life-size sculpture, but an actual giraffe.
Standing just metres from my treetop balcony, the tallest land animal waited patiently for its afternoon snack – carrots, of course. It wasn’t fazed to meet me; it was simply another happy day in the life for my new, long-necked neighbour at Canberra’s Jamala Wildlife Lodge.
Tucked away inside the National Zoo and Aquarium, this safari-style retreat is without a doubt the capital’s most unique accommodation – an award it’s won eight times, in fact. Here, luxury bungalows and suites are quite literally dispersed within the animal enclosures, offering you the chance to sleep, dine and even bathe alongside some of the world's most dangerous and endangered animals. From cheetahs and lions to sun bears and giraffes, it’s an experience that typically requires surviving a long-haul flight to find.
Upon arrival, I was welcomed into uShaka Lodge – the property’s main reception and dining hub, which was originally the family home of owners Richard and Maureen Tindale. After acquiring the wildlife park in 1998, the couple transformed it into one of Australia’s most respected wildlife sanctuaries, where animal welfare always comes first. They opened Jamala Wildlife Lodge in 2014, and have since donated more than $1 million from their engaging tours, encounters and stays to animal conservation.
Jamala Wildlife Lodge offers 18 African-themed rooms, each with its own face-to-face wildlife experience. Attached to the main lodge are seven uShaka suites, ranging from family-size rooms overlooking the resident meerkats' enclosure to a reef room that peers directly into a five-metre-deep ocean aquarium. However, the most popular stays are the five Jungle Bungalows, where only a floor-to-ceiling glass window separates you from lions, tigers, cheetahs or sun bears. All suites are fitted out with bespoke African furniture and artworks, and there’s even a free-standing bathtub for watching the wildlife while you soak.
I stayed in one of the six Giraffe Treehouses, which overlook a private enclosure and boast views stretching toward Black Mountain and the Molonglo River. Pulling back the curtains to reveal the two resident giraffes, Skye and Khamisi, grazing right outside my room was a pinch-me moment. Better yet, moments later, I was given a bucket of carrots to feed them by hand – an experience that sparked a sense of childlike glee I hadn't felt in forever.
While the animals are naturally the headline act of any Jamala stay, the five-star luxury of the accommodation is a very close second. Paired with fine dining, private zoo tours and intimate animal encounters, it’s honestly one of the most immersive and incredible safari experiences you can find outside of Africa.
All food and beverages are included in your overnight stay, including a high-tea on arrival, which you can enjoy with front seats to a private aquarium; pre-dinner drinks on the terrace, where two hyenas and a white lion make guest appearances; a gourmet three-course seasonal dinner in the Rainforest Cave, which used to be a shark tank; and an à la carte hot breakfast paired with unlimited barista coffee. It’s both a privilege and a shame that this dining experience is exclusive to Jamala guests, because the food is nothing short of spectacular. Think premium tomahawk steaks with Café de Paris butter and red wine jus, Moroccan tagine with roti bread, and traditional African beef bobotie.
To make your stay even more special, guests score private access to the zoo and aquarium before the gates open to the public, alongside a behind-the-scenes tour. As part of its conservation efforts, the zoo runs vital breeding programs to save endangered species from extinction – funded in part by a handful of add-on animal encounters. You can feed Simbu the tree kangaroo, get remarkably close to Eco the rhino, make friends with a mob of meerkats and even feel the fur of three charming cheetah brothers. Absolutely wild!
Like many animal lovers, I often find myself questioning the ethics of zoos and organised wildlife encounters. While those questions don't disappear entirely, seeing how enriched these animals’ lives are thanks to the care provided by the team at the National Zoo, provides lots of reassurance. Every keeper I met was so genuinely passionate about the animals’ welfare, using each interaction as an opportunity to educate us on how they’re supporting vital conservation efforts.
As I prepared to check out, I found myself returning to the window for “one last look” at Skye and Khamisi a dozen times. Jamala Wildlife Lodge is definitely a bucket-list stay – one that many might spend years saving up for. Yet it offers far more than just a luxury escape; it reignites that sense of wonder and awe that so often gets lost in adulthood. You can find out more here.