The Very Best Purnululu National Park Accommodation

Spread a swag out under the stars at a remote bush camp, or get close to nature but without compromising on soft pillowy beds, hot showers and multi-course dinners.

World Heritage-listed Purnululu National Park sings with raw beauty and the rich culture of the Traditional Owners, who together have Kija, Jaru and Malgnin language identities.

When it comes to accommodation, there are options for every style of traveller. Treat yourself at a luxury stay, where the tucker is laid on, the staff are friendly and they will organise helicopter and 4WD tours, or get back to absolute basics and push in the tent pegs. If you’re looking for accommodation in or near Purnululu, here’s our guide on where to stay.

two people walking toward The Bungle Bungle Range, Purnululu National Park — See enormous striped rock formations at The Bungle Bungle Range when visiting Purnululu National Park. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

1. Purnululu National Park Camping

Wake up in the heart of Purnululu National Park at one of the two no-frills campgrounds. Both are about a 15-minute drive from the Purnululu Visitor Centre, which is 53 kilometres off the Great Northern Highway via a rugged track.

Walardi campsite is probably the pick of the two. This 37-site campground is 12 kilometres from the visitor centre, while the larger Kurrajong is seven kilometres from the centre and can cater for 100 vehicles. The list of facilities at both campgrounds is short: pit toilets and untreated bore water.

2. Bungle Bungle Savannah Lodge

Purnululu’s Bungle Bungle Savannah Lodge offers luxury accommodation surrounded by wild nature. Sitting pretty, about 11 kilometres from the visitor centre, the lodge offers a comfortable place to unwind with a pool (the only one in the park) and a top-notch restaurant.

an aerial view of Bungle Bungle Savannah Lodge — Stay in a modern cabin surrounded by nature.

Retire to one of the 25 modern cabins with queen or twin beds, timber floors, louvre windows and ensuite bathrooms. Wake up to the sounds of birds chirping and the smell of a hearty breakfast being prepared. Dinner is served under the stars and followed by drinks around the fire pit. Get in quick if you’re a family as there is just one cabin that can sleep up to four guests.

a campfire at Bungle Bungle Savannah Lodge — Cosy up by the fire at Bungle Bungle Savannah Lodge.

3. APT Bungle Bungle Wilderness Lodge

Nestle amongst the bushland in the heart of Purnululu National Park, APT’s Bungle Bungle Wilderness Lodge offers easy access to the famous beehive striped domes of the 350-million-year-old Bungle Bungle Range.

a safari tent at Bungle Bungle Wilderness Lodge — Wake up to the sound of birds chirping at Bungle Bungle Wilderness Lodge. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Tents are furnished with comfy twin beds, bathrooms with hot showers and decks with two director chairs. Nearby, the restaurant serves up a scrumptious buffet breakfast and multi-course dinners featuring Indigenous herbs and a drinks menu boasting local Matso’s beers and Western Australian wines. The lodge also ticks plenty of eco-friendly boxes: solar is adopted where possible, eco-friendly cleaning products are used throughout, all recyclable items are returned to Broome for processing and water is recycled by utilising ABCO systems.

4. Violet Valley Campground

Fourteen gorgeous campsites sit on the banks of the Bow River, just 36 kilometres from the entrance to Purnululu National Park and 13 kilometres from the Great Northern Highway.

the Violet Valley Campground at dusk — Go off-grid at Violet Valley Campground.

On the traditional lands of the Gija people, the Camping with Custodians site was opened by the Baulu-Wah (Violet Valley) community in 2019. Facilities include hot showers, flushing toilets, a fire pit, barbeque and laundry.

wallabies at sunrise in Violet Valley Campground — If you’re lucky, wallabies will greet you at sunrise.

5. Doon Doon Campground

Owned by the nearby Woolah community, the campground was remodelled in 2019 under the Camping with Custodians initiative, which allows travellers to camp on Aboriginal land, while the Aboriginal-run tourism business generates income for isolated communities, helping locals to stay and work on country.

an aerial view of Doon Doon Campground — Doon Doon Campground is an Aboriginal-run tourism business. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Conveniently located just off the Great Northern Highway, the campground neighbours Doon Doon Roadhouse, where you can buy fuel, brekky, great burgers, basic grocery items and coffee. Campsites are shady grass sites that are a mix of powered and unpowered. Take it up a notch and stay in one of the four basic but clean cabins with air-con. Everyone has access to the new toilets and hot showers, an undercover camp kitchen with electric hot plates and cooktops and laundry.

the camping grounds of Doon Doon Campground — The grounds are easily accessible by road. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

From thundering waterfalls to ancient Indigenous art, Kimberley’s raw beauty will take your breath away.

Wild, pristine, and shaped by nature, the Kimberley Coast is one of Australia’s most spectacular landscapes. A remote and rugged frontier that remains a bucket list destination for many travellers. Its most breathtaking attractions – including Montgomery Reef, King George Falls and Horizontal Falls – are accessible only by sea or air, making a guided expedition cruise aboard Silversea’s luxury expedition ship, Silver Cloud, the ideal way to explore it.

From its intricate intertidal zones to ancient rock art, extreme tides and rare wildlife found nowhere else in Australia – or the world – this journey offers an unparalleled exploration of one of Earth’s last true wildernesses.

Why Silversea?

Silversea offers a 10-day expedition departing Broome, or an extended 16-day expedition voyage from Indonesia, including landings on the hidden gems of Palopo Sulawesi and Komodo. Accompanied by expert guides and specialists in marine biology, history and geology, guests gain a deeper understanding of the Kimberley’s dramatic landscapes, rich cultural heritage and extraordinary biodiversity.

Silversea offers one of the experiential travel industry’s leading crew-to-guest ratios. Along with all-suite accommodation (80 per cent with private verandah), 24-hour butler service, a swimming pool and four dining options. Silver Cloud also has an experienced crew of multilingual expedition guides and specialists in marine biology, history and geology to enhance your Kimberley Experience.

silversea cruise ship pool deck — Take a dip in the pool deck.

1. Koolama Bay

Before visitors see King George Falls, they hear them – a growing rumble in the distance, steady and foreboding as the Zodiac glides through the gorge, the sound echoing off sheer rock formations. At 80 meters tall, the twin cascades carve through the red cliffs, churning the waters below in a spectacular finale – but Koolama Bay holds secrets beyond its striking scenery.

Named after a ship that beached here following an aerial attack by Japanese bombers in World War II, the bay may seem desolate, yet it teems with life. With Silversea’s expert guides on their 10-day Kimberley itinerary, guests gain a sharper eye for its hidden wonders – rock wallabies darting across the cliffs, crocodiles lurking among dense green mangroves, and high above, the silhouette of a bird of prey circling the sky.

King George Falls at koolama bay excursion on Silversea Kimberley Cruise — Take a shore excursion to see King George Falls.

2. Freshwater Cove / Wijingarra Butt Butt

Connect with Country on a wet landing at Freshwater Cove, also known as Wijingarra Butt Butt. Considered one of the most special experiences on both the 16-day and 10-day Kimberley cruises, Silversea guests are welcomed by the traditional Indigenous custodians of the land, painted with traditional ochre, and invited to take part in a smoking ceremony.

Located on the mainland near Montgomery Reef, Wijingarra Butt Butt holds deep cultural significance to the local Indigenous community. Here, rock formations along the shore represent spiritual ancestors, and guests are guided to a nearby rock overhang filled with ancient art, where traditional owners share the stories and meaning behind these sacred paintings.

welcome to country on freshwater cove during silversea kimberley cruise — Take part in a smoking ceremony. (Image: Tim Faircloth)

3. Vansittart Bay (Jar Island)

Modern history, ancient culture and mystery converge in Vansittart Bay, which is also known as Jar Island. Here, the first thing to catch the eye is the dented, silver fuselage of a World War II-era C-53 plane – a striking relic of the past. Yet, the true cultural treasures lie just a short hike away where two distinct styles of Indigenous rock art – Gwion Gwion and Wandjina – can be found.

The Wandjina figures, deeply connected to Indigenous traditions, stand in stark contrast to the enigmatic Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) paintings, which date back more than 12,000 years. Significantly different in form and style, the two different styles create a striking juxtaposition, offering a rare glimpse into the region’s rich and complex past.

aerial view of Vansittart Bay, See it in you Silversea Kimberley Cruise. — Explore ancient Gwion Gwion rock art at Vansittart Bay. (Image: Janelle Lugge)

4. Horizontal Falls

Part illusion, part natural phenomenon, the Kimberley’s much-lauded Horizontal Falls aren’t a waterfall, but a tidal and geographic spectacle that visitors have to see to comprehend. Known as Garaanngaddim, the phenomenon occurs when seawater rushes through two narrow gaps- one just twenty metres wide, and the other seven metres in width, between the escarpments of Talbot Bay.

With each tidal shift, the force of the water creates whirlpools, furious currents and the illusion of a horizontal cascade as thousands of gallons of water are pushed and pulled in through the gap every six hours with relentless movement, making this one of the Kimberley ’s most mesmerising natural wonders.

Horizontal Falls are described as "One of the greatest wonders of the natural world". They are formed from a break in-between the McLarty Ranges reaching up to 25m in width. The natural phenomenon is created as seawater builds up faster on one side of the gaps than the other, creating a waterfall up to 5m high on a King tide. — Watch whirlpools and furious currents collide. (Image: Janelle Lugge)

5. Montgomery Reef

As the tide turns in Montgomery Reef, magic happens. With the Kimberley’s legendary tides varying up to ten metres, at low tide the submerged reef almost appears to rise from the depths: exposing up to four metres of the sandstone reef.

The impact is otherworldly: as the water drains, waterfalls cascade on either side of the channel, turtles left exposed scramble and dive, and fish leap in search of sanctuary in shallow pools. Meanwhile, the dinner bell rings for the migratory seabirds dugongs, reef sharks and dolphins that scavenge and feast in the area.

Using zodiacs, guests cruise through one of the world’s most significant inshore reef systems navigated by experienced guides, exploring the most intricate and fascinating parts of a 300-square-kilometre-wide biodiversity hotspot.

aerial view of boat going along Montgomery Reef — Witness seabirds, dolphins and reef sharks on the hunt.

6. Mitchell Falls by Helicopter

Experiencing the Kimberley by sea allows you to feel the power of the tides, but travelling by helicopter reveals the sandstone tapestry of the Kimberley, a landscape geologists believe is over 1.8 billion years old.

One of Silversea’s most popular optional excursions , guests who opt to fly into the interior from the onboard helipad soar up above the rust-coloured landscape of the Mitchell plateau, taking in one of Australia’s most scenic waterfalls: Mitchell Falls, a series of four emerald-coloured pools gently cascades into each other, before plunging down to the river below.

Seeing the landscape from above reveals a landscape weaved and shaped by the power of the freshwater wet season, juxtaposed to the constant lapping of the relentless and powerful tide on the coast.

aerial view of mitchell falls on silversea helicopter excursion — See emerald pools cascade into the river below. (Image: Tim Faircloth)

7. Indigenous Art Caves, Wandjina Art

The Kimberley Region of Western Australia is home to some of the most striking and significant

Indigenous rock art in Australia. Dotted throughout the landscape are caves, cliffs and rock overhangs depicting the striking, ethereal image of Wandjina, the rainmaker spirit and creation being central to many of the Dreamtime stories in this region.

Some of the paintings are regularly repainted by traditional custodians, while others are believed to be over 4,000 years old. Each artwork serves as both a cultural record and a living connection to the past, offering a rare opportunity to engage with the enduring traditions of the Kimberley’s Indigenous communities.

Freshwater Cover Rock Art the kimberleys — Walk among cultural records preserved in stone. (Image: Tim Faircloth)

See the best of this incredible part of the world on a Silversea Kimberley cruise. Book your 10- or extended 16-day expedition voyage at silversea.com

A Purnululu National Park accommodation list to put you at its heart