Monarto Safari Park, located approximately an hour from Adelaide, South Australia, is expanding its visitor offerings with the opening of a new luxury tented lodge on April 2.
The Safari Lodge at Monarto Safari Resort introduces a glamping experience within the park’s Wild Africa precinct, featuring 20 luxury tents overlooking open plains and a watering hole inhabited by zebra, giraffe, Barbary sheep, nyala, ostrich, eland, and oryx.
Guests will have the option to participate in exclusive safari drives in custom-built open-air vehicles across the 550-hectare habitat.
The lodge represents a continued evolution of Monarto Safari Park, which has grown into the largest open-range safari outside Africa. The park now spans more than 1,500 hectares and houses over 500 animals across more than 50 species.
The adjacent Monarto Safari Resort, which opened in May 2025, added a 78-room hotel, spa, restaurant, and wildlife-viewing experiences to the Murraylands region. Since opening, the resort has welcomed thousands of visitors and received recognition as the best new tourism business at the 2025 South Australian Tourism Awards.
Each tent at the Safari Lodge includes a lounge area, king or twin beds, and a private deck overlooking the plains, according to an article by The Age. Stays also cover meals, drinks, and guided safari experiences. The park itself is designed to offer large, interconnected habitats for the animals, accessible via bus tours, private safaris, and over 12 kilometers of walking trails.
Monarto Safari Park also maintains a focus on conservation, supporting breeding and recovery programs for endangered species, including Tasmanian devils, scimitar-horned oryx, and southern white rhinoceros.
The park has recently expanded its Asian elephant conservation efforts by relocating several elephants from zoos in Australia and New Zealand to a new habitat on site.
The new lodge will also host events such as “Sip, Savour, Safari” during the Tasting Australia festival, combining guided safaris with regional food and wine experiences. Both the lodge and resort are owned by Gerry Ryan, founder of Jayco, and operated by Journey Beyond, while the wider park is managed by Zoos South Australia.
A portion of every booking is donated to ongoing conservation programs at the safari park, providing a tourism experience that supports wildlife preservation without requiring international travel.
For outdoor hospitality business owners, Monarto’s expansion illustrates the growing market for experiential wildlife accommodations, integrating luxury lodging with conservation initiatives to attract domestic travelers.