Kakadu and Arnhem Land tours, Australia
| country: | Australia |
| location: | Northern Territory, Top End |
| departures: | This itinerary starts and finishes in the state capital of Darwin, making it ideal to add to any of our tailor-made itineraries to Australia utilising the extensive flight connection possibilities. |
| price: | From £585 per person (7 days) excluding flights. Price includes: accommodation in Darwin, 4 nights in the Kakadu National Park, 2 small group excursions with experienced local guides and permits to enter Aboriginal land |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Kakadu and Arnhem Land tours, Australia
This seven day itinerary in the Top End includes 3 nights in Darwin and 4 days of self-drive in the spectacular Kakadu National Park. The itinerary includes three small group tours in the national park, including a cruise on the Adelaide River where you will witness the impressive jumping crocodiles, a day-trip with Lords Safaris into the culturally significant Arnhem Land, and a Yellow Waters cruise which takes in a multitude of bird and animal life for which the Kakadu National Park is famous. Leisure time is also included on this itinerary to explore the park's stunning escarpments, gorges, billabongs and waterfalls.
Price includes:Pre and post accommodation in Darwin at the Holiday Inn Car hire for 5 days Jumping Crocodile Cruise Two nights at the Gagudju Crocodile Holiday Inn Yellow Water Cruise Royalties and permits to enter Aboriginal lands.
Price includes:
best time to go
Best time is the dry season from April to November. This allows for access to areas of Kakadu and Arnhem Land that are usually flooded in the wet. The weather is a lot nicer, far less humid and with hardly any rain. day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Wednesday - Arrive. Arrive in Darwin with an overnight at Holiday Inn. |
| Day 2: | Thursday - day at leisure, Darwin. Spend today at leisure in Darwin and perhaps take in the Mindil Night markets (which are held each Thursday and Sunday evenings at sunset). |
| Day 3: | Friday - Drive to Fogg Dam, an important feeding and roosting site for a wide variety of waterbirds. Then on to the famous Adelaide River to witness the fabulous jumping crocodiles and other wildlife. Continue east to the town of Jabiru where you will spend the next couple of nights. Spend your afternoon at leisure exploring your surroundings. |
| Day 4: | Saturday - Arnhem land. Arnhem land was handed over to the Aboriginal people over 50 years ago by the Australian government. Today it is home to mostly Aboriginal people, and Lord's Kakadu and Arnhem Land Safaris are one of only a handful of companies to be granted access to this area by the traditional owners and the only operator with access to the heart of the beautiful Minkinj Valley. After departing Jabiru the first stop after crossing the East Alligator River into Arnhem land is Red Lilly Billabong. Then it's off to the Aboriginal settlement of Gunbalanya (Oenpelli) to have a sneak preview of the Aboriginal artists working at the award winning Injalak Arts & Craft Centre. A local Aboriginal guide joins you for a walk up the magical Injalak Hill (Long Time Dreaming in the local dialect). Injalak Hill has excellent examples of rock art which illustrate the daily spiritual lives of Aboriginal people over thousands of years and the view across the floodplains and around the escarpment are stunning. This afternoon enjoy exclusive access into the heart of Minkinj Valley. First enjoy a fresh picnic lunch and billy tea in the shade by a billabong while taking in your surroundings. You will see wild brumby horses, birds too numerous to mention and perhaps a saltwater crocodile before enjoying an easy hike to the top of Long Tom Dreaming. At the end of the day you will return to Jabiru. |
| Day 5: | Sunday - Cooinda. Spend today at leisure and slowly meander towards the small settlement of Cooinda, taking in the beautiful lookouts, Aboriginal art sites and wetlands walks along the way. Check into your accommodation for two nights. |
| Day 6: | Monday - Cooinda Yellow Water. This morning you will enjoy a cruise on the Cooinda Yellow Water, one of the undisputed highlights of the Kakadu National Park. The large landlocked billabong Yellow Water gained its name from the algal bloom found floating on its surface and has become renowned for the abundant wildlife and birdlife that flock to these floodplains. In fact, a staggering one third of Australia's entire birdlife is found in Kakadu and a cruise on the Cooinda Yellow Water is particularly rewarding at sunrise and sunset as saltwater crocodiles lurk in the muddy banks amongst the rushes, the waterlilies open and the birds crowd to the water's edge to feed. Expert guides will take you through Paperbark forests and swampland and will point out the rare and beautiful wildlife as they steer the canopied boat along the water. At ten kilometres square the majestic Yellow Water peak during the tropical summer (between December and March) and spread as far as Jim Jim Creek and the South Alligator River. Spend the afternoon at leisure, perhaps taking in the interesting Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre, which is close to your accommodation. |
| Day 7: | Tuesday - Darwin. Spend your day making your way back to Darwin where you will check back into your accommodation for one final night. |
tailor made holidays
This trip can be tailor made to create a unique holiday for your individual requirements by travel experts with intimate knowledge of the destination. It is a more individual trip that will suit those who enjoy immersing themselves in new cultures and environments, with the flexibility to plan a trip at your own pace. Quality and value are the hallmark of these trips, with most services being provided on a private basis.how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment:
The diversity and sheer volume of birdlife in this area can be witnessed throughout the itinerary and will appeal to ecologists, birdlovers and wildlife documentors alike. Indeed nowhere in Australia is the bird life more exotic nor is the variety more extreme than in the Northern Territory. Your guides will be able to locate and identify many different species and provide an informative commentary throughout. Community: One of the group tours travels to the culturally sensitive Arnhem Land and is operated by the legendary Lords Kakadu and Arnhem Land Safaris. Sab Lord, the owner, was born and raised in Kakadu and has a great respect for the land and its people and wildlife. He personally trains many of his guides and their respect for the area really rubs off on guests. The local Aboriginal people in turn have a great relationship with Sab Lord which gives his touring company exlusive access to some fascinating areas of Arnhem Land and some wonderful Aboriginal art and isolated communities which are inaccessible to other operators. The guides which run this tour are experts in biodiversity, cultural heritage and rock art promoting a responsible, educative focus whilst ensuring a minimal effect on the environment. This in turn helps communicate and interpret the natural values and cultural heritage of the areas visited, while encouraging protection, preservation and conservation of all resources in order to have sustainable visitation for future generations. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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