Close to the banks of Yellow Water Billabong and Jim Jim Creek, Cooinda Lodge’s new villa-style lodges are one of the most romantic, luxurious places to stay in remote Kakadu National Park in Australia’s Northern Territory.
As we speed down the highway from Darwin at a satisfying 130km/h, Christina and I think about what our Cooinda digs will be like.
Once upon a time, Cooinda Lodge was nothing more than a humble roadstop and campsite. Now, it has grown into a village.
There is a shop and tourist office here, a gas station, swimming pools, restaurants, a motel and more recently the impressive Yellow Water Villas, named after the beautiful billabong nature near the lodge.
Check out our video of our yellow water villa—Bamurru—here:
Cooinda Lodge is an indigenously owned but French hotel complex Accor Now manage it, giving the best of both worlds. both in touch with the country in which it is located, but operating as an international hotel.
Where to stay in Kakadu—Cooinda Lodge’s luxury Yellow Water Villas
From the moment we pull into our parking lot in front of us Yellow Water Villa—Bamurru, meaning “magpie” in the local Bininj Kunwok language, we realize that’s about as far as you can see.
Raised on a frame two meters high (Jim Jim Creek, not more than 150 meters away, can flood in the rainy season) Yellow Water Villa it’s closer to the “stately home” end of the accommodation scale than it is to being a tent.
At the top of the stairs is what is essentially a mud room with some seating.
Through the tall front door, we are presented with a luxuriously finished and fitted kitchenette, complete with brass taps on a metallic gray sink, a knife block and fridge. There’s even an electric hob and dishwasher on the gray stone-finish counter and hidden drawers full of utensils.
The kitchenette rests on the huge bed, which sits in the middle of the main room and is angled toward the deck.
Yes, there is a deck of cards.
The huge wooden balcony spans the entire width of the villa and overlooks the beautiful dense bushland of Kakadu.
On the balcony is a full five-burner gas barbecue, a dining table for four, and—most lavish of all—a deep full bath.
Back inside the Yellow Water Villa, we check out the other rooms. Plural.
On one side is the day room. This has another four-seater table and two daybeds big enough for us to relax or—if you’re traveling as a family—for two kids to sleep at night.
Although the day room is open to the rest of the villa now, we notice that you can close off this section with the zipped canvas wall at night. In fact, it is at this point that we realize the “scene” of our villa.
All exterior walls are canvas. You can even zip up entire sections if you want to let more light (or for whatever reason, more heat) into the villa.
Speaking of heat, the air conditioning here is excellent. It’s almost too cold, though a welcome respite from the boiling afternoon air. But in the evenings, leaving the doors open (though the screens closed) is great, especially in late September-early October.
In the far corner of the villa is another door. This easily leads to the most lavish bathroom a scene has ever had.
Clad entirely in sleek gray tiles and accented with brass fittings, this bathroom is full of details. Corners with hand towels, reed diffusers, local amenities and a shower that wouldn’t be out of place in a high-end hotel room in a capital city.
Such attention to detail
This Yellow Water Villa it’s like one of those paintings that reveal more details the more you look.
Shelves are adorned with books that represent where we are, with artwork from local artists and cute light fixtures that add warmth and familiarity.
There are mod cons we really don’t expect to see: Bluetooth speakers, cleverly designed reading lights, bedside USB ports, lovely crockery and cutlery, even a temperature-controlled kettle for tea selection in the little wooden tea chest on the counter.
And because these villas are just a stone’s throw from the rest of the resort’s facilities, everything is so private, but at the same time, you’re just a short walk away from everything.
What else is there at Cooinda Lodge?
In addition to these five luxury villas, Cooinda has a number of other accommodation options. From camping to motel style rooms to self contained ‘Outback Retreats’ which are like our villa’s little brother. They aren’t that big and don’t have their own bathroom — although that can be fixed later.
The network of paths that criss-cross the property eventually lead you to the main building, which houses Mimi’s bar and in-house restaurant. Here you can enjoy some exquisitely crafted menu items that work with local produce and bush ingredients.
Outside, you’ll find Barra Bar, which is more casual and offers generous pub classics. Also, here’s the Too Deadly Takeaway. Not only does this food truck do great fish and chips, but they also have things like crocodile on the menu, which is a must while in Kakadu.
There’s also an outdoor cinema here that shows family-friendly movies every night.
Other facilities here include three different pools—though the main lagoon pool with its rock waterfall and shade sail is the best of them all—and a shop. This convenience store also quadruples with gas station registration and accommodation and tour check-ins. When it’s busy here, expect a bit of a wait.
But the absolute must is the Guided tour with a cruise in Kitrino Nerowhich can be booked at reception.
This beautiful billabong set back at the Cooinda site is full of wildlife—especially saltwater crocodiles—and so many different birds. Try taking a sunset trip as the sky over the billabong is simply gorgeous as the sun goes down.
There’s also a boardwalk that goes along the water’s edge—just be sure to stay on the elevated path. There are yolks literally everywhere here!
