Western Australia: Perth to Ningaloo

This afternoon, your adventure through Western Australia begins when you land at Perth International Airport—the gateway to the most isolated city in the world. If you’re traveling from North America, the SmartFlyer Air Team is likely to recommend flying Singapore Airlines with a routing that allows you to opt for a proper stopover in Singapore or simply use its world-class airport as a layover. Once you touch down in Perth, expect a swift pass through immigration before your driver awaits to transfer you to COMO The Treasury.

Check into your suite at COMO and refresh ahead of late afternoon touring. Your arrival day is all about exploring the streets and public spaces that make Perth such a dynamic city. If you prefer hitting the beach to a walking tour, there are nineteen beaches in the metropolitan area to choose from, ensuring you can soak up the sun while in the city, boasting more hours of sunshine than any other capital in Australia.

For dinner, we recommend Petition Kitchen back at the COMO. Not only does its location on property make for an easy first night, but this is one of the city’s hottest restaurants. Head Chef Jessica Roe’s passion for locally-sourced produce shines through every course. Tuck in early to get ready for the trip of a lifetime to weave you from city streets to ancient wilderness before exploring one of the world’s most extraordinary marine ecosystems in Ninagloo Reef.

Today offers an introduction to one of Western Australia’s greatest luxuries: space. Rather than making the three-hour drive south, board a helicopter and watch the city skyline give way to rugged coastline, forests, and vineyards as you journey toward Margaret River. The aerial perspective alone provides a remarkable sense of scale, revealing just how dramatically the landscape changes across this vast state.

Your destination is Vasse Felix, the founding wine estate of Margaret River and one of Australia’s most celebrated producers of cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay. Here, the pace slows considerably. Spend the afternoon enjoying private tastings, vineyard views, and a leisurely lunch that highlights the region’s exceptional produce. While Margaret River remains less familiar to many international travelers than Napa or Bordeaux, that relative obscurity is part of its appeal. Return to Perth this evening with a deeper appreciation for one of the world’s most compelling wine regions.

This morning, you’ll have an early departure as you make your way to the Kimberely. From Perth, you’ll fly to Kununurra on Airnorth. This three-hour flight will bring you into the heart of Western Australia’s East Kimberley region. Stretching across a landscape larger than California yet home to fewer than 40,000 people, the Kimberley is one of the last truly remote frontiers on Earth. From the moment you leave the airport, the scenery begins to shift. Red earth replaces city streets, escarpments rise on the horizon, and the sense of remoteness becomes part of the experience.

The road transfer from the airport to your next stay is about an hour and a half, but fear not, because getting there is half the fun. On your drive in the property’s 4×4, soak up the expansiveness of this terrain, including deep gorges, majestic mountains, thermal springs, and cascading waterfalls. Your home for the next three nights is El Questro Homestead, an intimate retreat perched above Chamberlain Gorge within a 700,000-acre wilderness reserve.

After settling in, spend the afternoon exploring Zebedee Springs, where thermal pools hidden among lush tropical vegetation create an unexpected oasis amid the outback. As evening approaches, gather for sunset drinks overlooking the vast landscape before returning to the Homestead for dinner. The Kimberley has a way of making even the most well-traveled visitors pause in awe, confronted by the sheer scale of both the landscape and the deep history etched into it.

Life at El Questro follows an altogether different rhythm. Days begin with the sounds of birdsong drifting through the gorge and unfold according to the landscape rather than the clock. This morning after yoga, set out on a guided hike through Emma Gorge, one of the Kimberley’s most iconic natural attractions. The trail winds through dramatic rock formations before opening onto a swimming hole fed by a waterfall, offering a welcome reward after the hike.

Once you’ve had lunch back at the lodge, late afternoon is best spent on the water. A cruise through Chamberlain Gorge reveals towering escarpments, freshwater crocodiles, native birdlife, and ancient geological formations that tell the story of a landscape billions of years in the making. Back at the Homestead, evenings are intentionally unhurried. Share stories over dinner served at communal tables, enjoy exceptional local wines, and watch the colors of the Kimberley shift as darkness settles over the gorge.

Today delivers one of Western Australia’s most unforgettable experiences. After breakfast, board a scenic flight over the Kimberley en route to Purnululu National Park, home to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Bungle Bungle Range. From above, the landscape appears almost otherworldly. Vast expanses of ochre-colored earth give way to distinctive striped sandstone domes that have become one of Australia’s most recognizable natural landmarks. While the Bungle Bungle Range has been known to its Traditional Custodians for tens of thousands of years, it remained largely unknown outside the Kimberley until aerial footage introduced the extraordinary landscape to the wider world in 1983.

Upon landing, join an Aboriginal guide for an exploration of Cathedral Gorge and the surrounding landscape. Beyond the remarkable geology, what makes this experience so meaningful is the opportunity to learn about Country through the perspective of its Traditional Custodians. As you walk among the towering formations and hear stories passed down through generations, the landscape takes on an entirely new dimension. Return to El Questro Homestead this afternoon for one final evening in the Kimberley, where sunset drinks overlooking Chamberlain Gorge provide a fitting conclusion to your time in Australia’s last great frontier.

After three days immersed in the vast wilderness of the Kimberley, today offers a gentle return to city living. Fly from Kununurra back to Perth and settle once again into COMO The Treasury. Rather than simply serving as a transit stop, this evening provides an opportunity to revisit the city with fresh eyes after experiencing one of the world’s oldest landscapes.

Spend the afternoon at leisure, whether exploring Perth’s growing culinary scene, wandering through the historic State Buildings precinct, or enjoying a treatment at COMO Shambhala. The contrast between the Kimberley’s rugged isolation and Perth’s polished sophistication only reinforces the extraordinary diversity that defines Western Australia. Tonight, enjoy one final evening in the city before heading to the coast tomorrow.

This morning, fly north to Exmouth before continuing by road through Cape Range National Park to Sal Salis. Located where rust-red desert meets the turquoise waters of Ningaloo Reef, Sal Salis occupies one of the most spectacular settings in Australia. Hidden among the dunes and intentionally understated, the camp offers a rare sense of remoteness without sacrificing comfort.

Arriving at Sal Salis feels like discovering a place that exists beyond the pace of modern life. With only a small collection of safari-style wilderness tents and no distractions beyond the natural world, guests quickly settle into a slower rhythm. Spend the afternoon snorkeling directly from the beach or simply taking in the views across the Indian Ocean before gathering for sunset drinks overlooking the dunes.

Today is dedicated to one of the most extraordinary wildlife encounters on Earth. From mid-March through late July, Ningaloo Reef offers some of the Depending on the season, set out aboard a private vessel to search for Ningaloo Reef’s most famous residents: whale sharks. Despite growing up to forty feet in length, these gentle giants feed exclusively on plankton and are known for their calm, curious nature. Nowhere in the world offers a more reliable opportunity to encounter them than Ningaloo Reef.

Accompanied by expert guides, you’ll spend the day on the water tracking whale sharks before slipping into the ocean for the chance to swim alongside them. The experience is difficult to adequately describe until you’ve witnessed it firsthand. Floating in clear turquoise water as the world’s largest fish glides effortlessly beneath you is equal parts humbling and exhilarating. Between encounters, enjoy snorkeling over vibrant coral gardens, spotting sea turtles and rays, and taking in the spectacular scenery of the Ningaloo coastline. Return to Sal Salis this evening with stories that will undoubtedly become some of the most memorable from your time in Australia.

After yesterday’s adventure, today unfolds at a slower pace. Early risers may wish to join a guided hike through nearby Cape Range National Park, where rust-red canyons and sweeping coastal views provide a final perspective on this remarkable corner of Western Australia. Others may choose to linger over coffee as the morning light washes across the dunes and the Indian Ocean beyond.

The remainder of the day is best spent embracing the simplicity that makes Sal Salis so special. Step directly from the beach into the waters of Ningaloo Reef for one final snorkel, where coral gardens, tropical fish, sea turtles, and rays can often be found just offshore. Without the need for a boat or excursion schedule, the reef becomes part of your backyard. Whether swimming, reading beneath the shade of your tent, or simply watching the changing colors of the ocean, your final full day offers the luxury of time and space—an increasingly rare commodity in modern travel.

This morning, enjoy one final breakfast overlooking the dunes before transferring back to Exmouth Airport for your onward journey. Depending on your routing, you’ll connect through Perth before beginning the long journey home. As you leave Western Australia behind, it’s hard not to reflect on the remarkable diversity you’ve experienced over the past ten days—from Perth’s sophisticated urban energy to the ancient landscapes of the Kimberley and the marine wonderland of Ningaloo Reef.

What makes Western Australia so memorable isn’t simply the places themselves, but the sense of discovery they inspire. Even in an era when much of the world feels increasingly connected and familiar, this corner of Australia retains a rare feeling of remoteness and wonder. It’s the kind of destination that reminds us there are still places capable of surprising even the most well-traveled among us—and that is perhaps its greatest luxury of all.