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Did you know that a once-in-a-lifetime animal accommodation experience awaits within Canberra’s National Zoo & Aquarium? From dining with lions to sleeping next to tigers, here’s what to expect from a stay at Jamala Wildlife Lodge – a taste of Africa, right here in Australia.
On arrival
Begin your journey with a welcoming high tea in the African-inspired uShaka lodge. Enjoy decadent sweet and savoury snacks while you learn about the zoo and its ongoing conservation efforts, as you get a taste what’s to come during your stay. Take a seat by the mesmerising shark tank, or sip your cappuccino beside the large glass viewing area that houses the zoo’s newest member, Amara, a one-month-old baby black-and-white colobus monkey, together with her family. Take this time to select your menu for the evening’s dinner and read over your custom itinerary for your stay – don’t forget to check the time and place of your animal encounter.
Explore the zoo
Before check-in is the perfect time to explore the zoo at your leisure and meet its residents. Head out through your exclusive Jamala guest access point into the aquarium, where you’ll meet Oscar, the giant blue humphead Māori wrasse, before acquainting yourself with more than 75 different species housed at the zoo. Raining? You’re in luck, as the animals are livelier in the wet and you may even catch some of them playing in the puddles. As a Jamala guest, you’ll have access to complimentary ponchos and umbrellas, and as an added bonus, you’ll have the zoo practically to yourself. The enclosures are beautifully landscaped and thoughtfully designed to enrich the animals’ experience, which all feeds into the zoo’s conservation efforts.
Check into a room with a very unusual view
After walking around the zoo, it’s time to head back to the lodge to be shown to your room. Whether you’re sleeping next to tigers or cheetahs in a Jungle Bungalow, or a serene underwater oasis in one of the uShaka lodge rooms, the accommodation at Jamala is designed to transport you on a safari adventure.
Heading here with the family? The Giraffe Treehouses offer a great interactive experience for all ages. The friendly giraffes are awaiting your arrival, and, with the help of a friendly zookeeper, you can feed them directly from your balcony.
Or maybe lions, cheetahs, bears or tigers are more your thing. The Jungle Bungalows situate you right alongside these animals (safely behind glass, of course). In the centre of your room is a large viewing space, where the animals often like to sit in your company.
Back at the uShaka Lodge, you can choose to stay in the Reef Room (which overlooks not only the five-metre-deep aquarium, but the hyenas, too), the Shark Grand Suite, a Meerkat Room or the Lemur Room, all with their own unique layout to bring you closer to their feature animals.
For a twist on the experience, check out the Wild Encounter Room. Swap proximity to animal enclosures for an incredible ‘meet-the-cheetahs’ encounter, available only for this room type. Under the watchful eye of the dedicated keepers, you will enter the cheetahs’ enclosure and may even be able to give them a friendly pat and listen to them purr.
Get up-close-and-personal with incredible animal encounters
Make the most of the zoo’s immersive experiences by booking one (or more) of its exclusive animal encounters. Venture into the cheetah’s enclosure for a meet-and-greet with the three boisterous brothers, hand-feed the family of meerkats, or pick from a variety of other up-close-and-personal meetings, including sun bears, giraffes and tigers.
Happily, the welfare and wellbeing of the animals is always the top priority. They are never restrained nor encouraged or coerced to do anything they don’t feel like doing, so you can enjoy your experience in the knowledge the animals are safe and content.
Dine African style in a Rainforest Cave
Following an afternoon of zoo discovery, you’ll be more than ready to venture down to the uShaka Lodge Rainforest Cave for some refreshments. Get to know your dinner companions for the evening as you meet the hyena brothers, and the zoo’s two rare white lions, Jake and Mishka, as they make their way up to the viewing den and snack on a large bone each. With these magnificent big cats by your side (behind glass of course), enjoy a multi-course, gourmet African-inspired meal with fellow guests. When the Rainforest Cave is at maximum capacity, some guests will have the opportunity to dine upstairs alongside circling sharks.
You’ll be accompanied back to your room by staff, for a final glimpse of your animal neighbours before you drift off to sleep to the calming nocturnal sounds of the zoo’s residents.
The next day
Didn’t get enough of the zoo on Day 1? After filling up on your freshly prepared breakfast in the Rainforest Cave, head back to your room and get ready for your exclusive zoo walking tour with an expert guide. Learn about the animals’ stories and encounter some of its rarest, largest and most dangerous inhabitants.
Meet some of the resident reptiles, and if you’re feeling brave, you can touch or maybe even hold Ted, the rough-scaled python.
The good in your stay
Since opening in 2014, the zoo has been committed to animal conservation worldwide. The funds from each lodge stay continue to support the zoo’s vision to ‘inspire and assist in the conservation of the natural world through innovative and exciting educational experiences’. It contributes generously to breeding programs designed to save endangered animals from extinction as well as educational initiatives, while the dedicated keepers are proud to have rehabilitated a number of animals recovered from circuses and poachers.
