Jamala Wildlife Lodge

Lodge

We loved our stay at Jamala… we took our kids ages 10 and 12 and stayed in a giraffe treehouse. The experience from the time we arrived until we left was amazing. The staff were attentive and always providing excellent service. Food was wonderful, kids loved it and were looked after with an aquarium tour during dinner… our accomodation was stunning, almost forgot we were in Canberra and the artefacts in the rooms were gorgeous. We would definitely come again and stay in a different room when the kids are older. Thank you again!

An amaizing weekend away. Listening to lions and Cheetahs at night. Fabulous staff and gourmet meals. Pure luxury. Go on treat yourself 🦓🦍🦏🐅🐏🦙🦉🐍🐸🐟🐡🐉🐻🦆

Jamala lodge is incredibly the best place to come and enjoy up close with the animals also good food and lovely staff 😊 well done Jamala 🦓🦌🐅🦒

We booked in for the giraffe treehouse room for my dad’s 70th. From the get go, the staff we interacted with were all so friendly and helpful. Once we checked in, the bags were taken off us and would be in our room once we got to it. We had some time to relax with afternoon tea and coffee before we were off on a magical tour with a wonderful keeper name Jake! He took us in to some special areas and we had some super cool encounters as a part of the tour. It was very informative and was just such a cool experience. We arrived to our room — absolutely stunning — and not long after, we got to feed Skye — one of the giraffes in our backyard — from our balcony. So incredibly cool! Our front yard was full of deer and alpaca and they were very friendly and cute to watch. After some relaxation time, we caught the bus up to the cave to have dinner. Before dinner, we were greeted by Rebecca, our food manager for the night. We had some nice wine and champagne and got to see two white lions up close have their dinner! Sitting with other groups was really cool, we got to meet a few other people and the food was absolutely spectacular. Dessert was special as they’d put a cute little ‘happy birthday’ chocolate plaque on dad’s plate! Then we were back to the room where I enjoyed a luxurious bath before settling in to the super comfy bed. Breakfast the next morning was amazing.

Unbelievable experience — amazing facilities, beautiful staff, passionate zookeepers — 7 star service. This experience may be expensive but it is worth EVERY penny — save your money and make the effort. The money goes back to the animals who are so well loved.

Keepers very happy to share info about the animals. Nicely laid out, great service. Definitely recommend.

I highly recommend an overnight stay at Jamala, as it was an amazing experience that exceeded our expectations! The friendly staff and delicious meals were awesome. The highlight was our themed bungalow room with Ravi the tiger being most cooperative.

Fabulous experience. Great food. Tranquil setting. Very relaxing.

An amazing place and experience. The staff, the setting and the animals were incredible. Service was first rate and the food was delicious. I would love to go again. Highly recommend doing this experience.

What an incredible experience at this truly amazing Zoo. My daughter and I came to Zamala for my Birthday it was one of the most beautiful weekends I have had, the staff were so very helpful and polite and can I say the food was absolutely a First Class dining experience! 🤩 The accommodation was fabulous so cosy and relaxing and last but not least the Animals were incredible and my special experience with Solo out of this word. I would definitely Reccomended Zamala Zoo definitely a place to visit 😘

Eating with the Lions. Eating the wonderful food. Friendly and informative staff. Feeling like being part of the wounderous Zoo Family. Having a long lasting memory that I will cherish for ever. Thank you Jamala wildlife lodge a 👍❤

Absolutely first class dinning experience. Food was amazing, service was outstanding, and the overall atmosphere was fantastic. Highly recommended!

An amazing experience with 5 star service.
Highly recommend, can’t wait to go back.

A very special experience — not cheap but worth it! The animals are so well kept & loved, the keepers all so dedicated & the place itself quite magnificent. F&B 5 star & so wonderful to see endangered species being kept alive in luxurious surroundings for them & the human guests!

Excellent accommodation… and the house guests are awesome.

Absolutely amazing experience, both in the lodge and at the zoo. The staff are absolutely amazing nothing is any trouble and they are very friendly. Highly recommend Jamala Lodge and also a trip to the zoo when you visit Canberra.

The entire experience was amazing!
The staff, the accomodation the food and the whole zoo were exceptional.
Highly recommend!

A wonderful experience from the lovely & efficient staff, to the very impressive zoo and the well appointed bungalow. Top class and highly recommended. Jess the tour guide did an awesome job.

Beautiful place to stay. Very polite lovely staff. Rooms are fantastic. Would recommend it to everyone. An overall awesome experience.

We stayed in jungle bungalow 4 with Ravi. It was an amazing experience. Food was excellent. Staff very friendly and informative.

Amazing experience… beautiful rooms and wonderful staff…

What an amazing place to sit and enjoy. We have ticked off so many bucket list items and came closer to animals we never dreamed possible. A must for everyone.

Everything was out of this world amazing! From the food, to the friendly staff, to the experiences with the animals. We also loved hearing the lions roar at night — simply unforgettable!

Just fantastic. The staff are beyond helpful and very welcoming. The rooms are Uber comfortable and the experience of sitting just a glass pane away from a cheetah is extraordinary.

A magical place. Everything perfect to the last detail. The care and wellbeing of the animals, the lodge, the food, the service and the tours, just perfect! I would highly recommend as it is worth every cent. Thank you for making my birthday so special.

Our experience was amazing. We stayed in the lion room and it was worth every penny.
The staff were attentive and polite and informative. The rooms are simply amazing, certainly a place to go for a special celebration.

Absolutely love it, the animals are so well looked after and in great condition. Lovely to walk around exploring all the wildlife enclosures. The meals and venue is superb plus the selection of wines. This will not be my last visit.

Amazing experience! Such good staff and amazing food. So comfy and clean and interesting tours!

Absolutely would recommend this! We had the best time and were able to experience so many new things!

One of the best things we have ever done. The staff, the accommodation, the food, the knowledge the keepers have. There is not one thing you could complain about. Thank you everyone for making our weekend absolutely perfect.

Such a fabulous place to stay. Great accommodation, gorgeous food and wine. Lovely team of people that work there. Such a wonderful experience.

Amazing animal experience! Beautiful rooms, great staff and delicious food. Definitely one for the bucket list.

Excellent place, food was flawless, indulgent, staff impeccable, courteous, polite, friendly, accommodation was luxurious. Animals well looked after. Remember this isn't a government funded place. If you ever wish to treat someone with a once in a life time experience this place is what it's all about. Our 8 year old daughter loved the giraffe experience and thought Kelly (zoo-keeper) was just the best — not everyone deserves hugs. But our daughter thought Kelly did. Unfortunately there is no rating scale for Jamala it's like 25 out of 10… it's just too good. Food — compliments to Chef (superb), support staff (fantastic) that includes reception, garden staff, cleaners everyone. We loved every aspect. Don't wait, save your money, Id love to take my mum. BIG thumbs up to all @ Jamala.

It was such an amazing experience! To the admin staff, food and beverage staff and of course the zoo keepers, they made our stay so memorable. We will be back again on our first wedding anniversary.

Perfect! Everything was amazing, thanks to everyone on the lodge and zoo. Truly recommend.

A great place to get away for a day or two interacting with the animals up close. At the same time get spoilt staying in accommodation which is beautiful overlooking animals. Enjoy beautifully presented delicious meals. The staff are so knowledgeable and friendly.

Loved every minute of our stay. Amazing staff the bent over backwards with personal service and to ensure our stay was just PURRFect. The accommodation was beautiful, spectacular food, informative guided tours, heartwarming personal animal interactions, behind the scenes experiences that the general public accessing the zoo don’t experience and I could go on… and on. The most beautiful zoo I have been too. The needs of the animals are clearly met in every way. The entire experience exceeded my expectations and I keep looking through our photos and reflecting on every moment. The Jamala website doesn’t truly indicate the amazing details of the experience. Wish we could afford to do it all again with the kids. It was beyond amazing and utterly breathtaking. Thank you Jamala and special thanks to staff member Rebecca.

We loved seeing the animals. Loved the hyenas there majestic. Food was great.

Amazing experience but we were more impressed with how the animals were cared for.

We had a great time meeting the animals up close and personal. The whole experience was amazing from the tours, staff and all the beautiful animals that are well cared for. It is very well organised. The rooms and food are 5 star. Will definitely visit again.

Such an amazing experience, the food is delicious & plentiful. The tours are informative & fun. The rooms are stunning.

Had a amazing time, everything was amazing, Food staff. Accommodation! Animals. Loved it!

Best experience. 5 stars from the word go until the end. Food, staff, friendliness, animal view rooms, decor, communication — just the best. Loved it and thank you.

You would so regret it if you missed this amazing opportunity. From go to wo the Jamala Wildlife Lodge experience was amazing. Staff — sensational. Food — out of this world. Accommodation — A+. Animal encounters with the rooms — life changing. We will be back to try out the other rooms. Thankyou the Tindle family for sharing this with the world.

Entering the most amazing building with amazing artefacts and statues is just the start. The staff are all beautiful with your every wish their only concern. The food is amongst the best I’ve tasted. The restaurant itself a lovely ate to relax. We were here for one night for our honeymoon, but loved it so much when the lions roared the next morning, we decided to ask if their room was booked for that night. We felt blessed when told it was vacant and never hesitated. These creatures are amazing. They slept in our glassed area and from about 1230am on, they roared intermittently. We loved the night spent with these guys. If you can guarantee yourself a night with lions, it is a must.

I can't fault our stay at Jamala for our honeymoon and the beautiful staff that made every effort to see to our needs and make things easy and relaxing for us. Rooms were luxurious (and roommates — tigers — interesting, happy, well cared for and close by), tours/activities interactive and not something you can do just anywhere (won't say more for fear of spoiling the same lovely surprises we got getting so close to the animals), food amazing and the keepers/guides — we had Ty, Will and Stella — passionate and informative. We also went on the meet-a-cheetah-cub encounter and he (Solo) and Maddie and Kyle his keepers were so great to us, as was Ryan who took us through meeting and feeding our tiger friends. I think people complaining about the price — especially the close-minded idiots who haven't even stayed there — need to have a serious think about the experience they are actually getting, which the staff would be happy to detail for you, and what it costs to accommodate people so well (not to mention Jamala's purpose in helping fund the zoo and all its efforts! ). This is definitely a fantastic retreat and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

Thank you 'Jamala owner' Yes I have been twice now, originally thinking I was super lucky to have been able to go a second time, it was a great experience on both occassions — despite how I feel now! I can see I accidentally rated only three stars with no comment … I was in the middle of something and must've posted it by mistake as I also had some photos I wanted to show as well … Never mind! Many Thanks.

Very impressed by the food, service, accommodation and zoo. Animals are well looked after and this is really good to see.

An extraordinary opportunity to meet a cheetah. A luxurious experience with wonderful food and great service. The perfect wildlife retreat without leaving Australia.

I am writing this from the Hyatt after just spending an incredible night at Jamala. Where to start? Two months ago I was asked to speak at the Make a Wish ball about my wish that was granted when I was 16 after being diognosed with leukaemia. At the end of the night they started auctioning off a Jamala package. Out of nowhere, my beautiful partner started bidding and WON it. We had absolutely no idea just how much was included and we were gobbsmacked when we arrived. Every member of staff was incredible, the accomodation was beautiful and I was absolutely amazed by the extensive inclusions! I can’t say enough good things because every second of the experience was just amazing. This is not something we would have ever done otherwise because we jut thought we couldn’t justify it. What I didn’t realise was how much value for money you actually get and what an amazing experience it is. I just wanted to say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for donating this to Make A Wish. I got the opportunity of a life time and another child gets the chance to have their wish granted. Thank you. ❤️

From regular zoo member I always see staff cleaning and provide great service. I would definitely stay overnight at the zoo when my little kid turn to right age that the lodge offers educational program to their guests.

An axing experience, work is put in every time between visits. It is constantly expanding and providing a greater experience for customers.

Easily the best experience of my life and we were treated perfectly! The staff were amazing and could not fault them at all, I highly recommend visiting this beautiful place!

This place is absolutely amazing! Not only is the experience so unique, but all the staff were exceptional and the overall quality of accommodation, food and service was high. We were a little apprehensive at first on the communal dinner, thinking a romantic dinner for two would be preferred, but we really enjoyed meeting new people and everyone was friendly and engaging, it was a really fun evening. We stayed in the Giraffe Tree house and loved having a friendly giraffe right there off our balcony. The zoo tours were also insightful and great to get up so close to these fantastic creatures. It’s not a cheap getaway but well worth it.

Just got back, didn't want to leave! We loved the stunning rooms, the outstanding service and of course the once in a life-time animal encounters. Seriously, just go. If you love animals you'd be mad not to.

Awesome place. Friendly and dedicated staff. Fantastic food. 2 nights in Bungalow 1 with 3 lions as our roomies. Lots of great photos. Just a thick pane of glass between you and the animals.

For my birthday this year my husband and daughter paid for a night stay in the giraffe balcony room at Jamara Wildlife Lodge in Canberra ACT. When I saw the price on the confirmation letter that they gave me I thought that it was outrageously expensive… after arriving last Sunday and departing Monday I don’t think that it was expensive at all. From the friendly greeting on arrival to the good wishes on departure, everything was perfect. The staff were friendly and efficient, the room was well appointed with a balcony where we fed the giraffe on the first day and then woke up the next morning with his head outside our window to say good morning. The food was delicious and plentiful including afternoon high tea, pre dinner canapés and 3 course evening meal with Moet champagne and good red wine followed by coffee, a cheese plate and dessert wine and, if everyone was hungry enough, a full buffet breakfast was served in the morning. Two comprehensively interesting guided zoo tours were included in the package. Overall this was a pretty unique experience, we patted a dingo, stoked a rhinoceros and had deer and an alpaca roaming outside our room, and, perhaps the best part was the the animals were housed in clean, airy enclosures and all looked very happy to be there. I would thoroughly recommend this to anyone wanting a unique, all price included away stay.

We stayed at Jamala for our 40th Wedding Anniversary. We highly recommend this amazing experience to everyone. The entire staff were amazing, the room was everything we had hoped it would be! The meals are exceptional and scrumptious! Our special thanks to Alicia and Kelly, two passionate staff members who made sure our experience at the zoo would be firmly etched into lifelong memories. The experience of having pre-dinner drinks and dinner with Jake and Mischa (White lions) was simply stunning. Very highly recommended and well worth the cost.

From being firstly welcomed so professionally we fell in love with this place. The staff and guides from all over this amazing place were so helpful and great. The cleanliness of the whole park was incredible. We had a meet the cheetah encounter which was awesome and a meerkat encounter which was just gorgeous with them climbing up to feed of us on our laps. We stayed in the giraffe treehouse for the first night and was absolutely speechless when entering the room it was beautiful and to top it off Hummer in the background waiting for us on the veranda. We had plenty of time to relax and enjoy Hummers company before getting ready for dinner. Arriving at dinner couldn't have been any more 5 star plenty to eat and absolutely beautiful. We were lucky enough to stay a second night so after breakfast which was just beautiful we headed for a special tour with our great guides Jo and Arno to feed lions and sun bears and to meet some other animals. We checked into our next room which was the cheetah bungalow the room again was amazing and faultless and Jura the cheetah came to the window a few times but was in the yard for us to admire all afternoon. Meeting and patting a rhino and to have these experiences was awesome. Jamala Wildlife Lodge is a must to stay. 5 star for an amazing place with awesome staff, guides and keepers nothing was a hassle. Thankyou everyone your great.

This is the most magical place in the world! The night we spent (26th of January) was amazing. The staff, food and atmosphere were unbelievable. You can’t get anything like this anywhere else in Australia. Thank you to all the staff that made our time here so incredible.

We stayed as a family of 4 at the Jamala Wildlife Lodge — we got the Shark Suite which is in the uShaka Lodge. An expensive Christmas present for us all. The lodge is the owners former residence — they have since moved to the other side of the zoo in the newly expanded area. The Lodge is a bit like a set from an old James Bond movie with impressive African style furniture, giant shark tanks and lions on the terrace (seperated by a cage). The Shark Suite is very large — and it also includes a short experience with a shark (feeding and patting). The shark tank is literally behind a door in the main bedroom. The Shark Suite rooms are all huge. Early in the morning you can hear the lions roaring. Wifi is good and free but is only available in the Lodge itself (not in the zoo area). The lodge staff keep you busy however with tours of the zoo for the rest of the time. The zoo was recently expanded so if you haven't been for a while it is worth going back. Afternoon tea, pre-dinner drinks, dinner and breakfast are all included. Servings are generous and good quality — both food and wine. Afternoon tea is served at 1:30pm so make sure you check in at that time (and skip lunch). Pre-dinner drinks on the terrace also includes feeding of hyenas and the white lions (who may or not come up to the terrace). The kids menu was also received well by our kids.

Incredible experience as a guest of the sun bears. Food was fantastic, the service and organisation was impeccable. All other guests on the trip were incredibly friendly.

My wife and I had the pleasurable experience of immersing ourselves for a night at this wonderful oasis. (Sunday 26th November). Whilst Mr Tindale showed great vision to create something so special, he also clearly had the added foresight to employ some of the most amazing staff I have ever come across… warm, friendly and helpful; all of them really knew their "stuff” well. Smart man! The accommodation was great (Bungalow 5, complete with tigers as company), food was delightful and the Zoo walks were just what the doctor ordered. A roaring success. What more could one ask for. Thank you Jamala team. All of you, give yourselves a BIG pat on the back. Was it expensive? No, it was very good value for money; it’s a once in a lifetime overnight experience, NOT overnight accommodation. It took me 2 days to adjust to being in the real world again; not easy.

Jamala is superb. The luxury rooms, lounge & dining room. Wonderful african art everywhere. Fantastic food & service from all the friendly staff. The close encounters with the animals will stay with you for life. I could not recommend any experience more highly.

Highly recommend staying here. Very well presented passionate staff who obviously care about what they do. The animal lodges are lovely, we stayed with a brown bear and had very special moments. The food was all included and spectacular. Nothing was too much for the staff. Can not wait to return.

Jamala has many rooms that guests can stay in that are adjacment to enclosures. Each of the enclosures have special wildlife such as sun bears, brown bears, giraffes, tigers. The zoo attached is great with so many experience opportunities, beautiful habitats and many vantage points to see the animals. Very helpful staff throughout the zoo.

Amazing place. Excellent staff. Facilities are excellent. Very comfortable and clean. We were lucky to get Bungalow 1 which is the lions. What a wonderful night we had. Meals were excellent too. Well worth staying.

Much closer experience with the animals compared to a normal zoo visit. Lovely room. Staff were great and the food fantastic. Highly recommend!

Fantastic experience all round. Well worth doing.

I visited the Zoo with my family and I do every year. I cannot believe how much bigger and better it is each tine. We enjoy it more than Taronga or any other Australian zoo, the bonus is they dont attempt extortion with food and animal experiences. $10 to feed a giraffe!

This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. From the moment you enter the Lodge you are in for the time of your life… how can you beat dining with white lions? The food is magnificent and the tours are incredibly interesting and informative.

I went to Jamala Wildlife Lodge for the Mother's Day Breakfast event. Beautiful venue and the food and drinks were superb! We then spent the rest of the day exploring the zoo. Amazing experience. We will definitely do this again for other events!

The overnight stay was so much more than your average getaway. We interacted with the animals whilst learning about their habitats, habits and preservation. The amenities were fantastic, and the staff went above and beyond to cater for all our needs. The food was amazing, especially having had two big cats keeping us company in the room next door. Highly recommended, and I'm sure I'll be back.

Amazing time with the lions, scared stiff once they woke us but this made it even more fun. Everyone was super friendly during our stay.

Havnt actually stayed here so can only comment on what I know from a visit inside with work. Inside looks great. Each room is attached to an animal experience, "living" with them. It's defo on the pricey side. But seems relatively worth it with the inclusions if you want a once in a lifetime experience. Included meals. Private entry to the park outside of hours. You eat in a dining room with the lions.

I give this a one for the cost alone. I was going to take my mum as a surprise as she has been to Africa and I had (past tense) no desire to go to Africa. No matter what dates I looked at it was just shy of $4000 FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS for four nights. I mean really. I can travel to africa and back for this. The fact that no pricing is available until you try and make a booking is also not best practice. At these prices I suggest people look elsewhere.

I knew that we were in for a amazing time but even that was surpassed. We could not have had a better experience! 5 star venue with wonderful, passionate and knowledgeable staff. Our room with "Hummer" the Giraffe ambling about outside our balcony was a so special. You know you have a great time when you drive away wishing you could stay forever and you are disappointed it is over. If you get a chance do it! Be proud that there is a facility like this in Australia that cares so much about rescuing our world's wide life from cruel, horrible, selfish people that would kill them for profit. Thank you to everyone at Jamala Wildlife Lodge.

This is an excellent experience loved almost everything with only one exception. We were told that we would receive an African inspired dinner this just wasn't delivered. Mind you the meal was fantastic. However, it was a meal I could have got at any good restaurant. I was very disappointed that it didn't deliver the same unique experience as the rest of the stay.

They way they speak to you is very disrespectful, and for the money they charge, staying some where else is the way to go.

Amazing zoo and if you have the opportunity to stay at the Jamala Wildlife Lodge, do it. A truly unique overnight experience where you can get up, close and personal with the animals in the zoo. Further, the five star hospitality from the staff and the five star accommodation make it all that and more.