Southern Ocean Lodge

This 5-star resort and restaurant is located 50 minutes from Kingscote Airport on Kangaroo Island, SA. I stayed there with my wife for our latest wedding anniversary. To start, breakfast, lunch and dinner are served every day throughout your stay. The quality of food was most excellent. Too many different meals to be specific. However, do expect local produce in the form of beef tenderloin, duck, chicken, lamb and pork. The menu changes day-to-day. You are able to choose the set menu or order a la carte. Drinks are complimentary. Any one would be very impressed by the size of the lodge's wine cellar and the drinks bar located in their giant 'living area'. You can grab a drink and view the ocean from very comfortable chairs. The accommodation is in a very picturesque environment with kangaroos and a large number of species of birds passing by your window. The suite that we stayed in was marvellous. Again great views from large windows. Nice sitting area, large comfortable bed, giant bathroom with large shower and bath, small kitchen area with an all inclusive bar, snacks and drinks. There are plenty of fun day trips to consider whilst there, e.g Kelly's Caves, a seal watch trip, a coastal safari, etc. It is an expensive stay, but worth it with the food, drinks, views, accommodation and tranquil atmosphere. Definitely 5 out of 5 stars.

This was our fourth trip to SOL and the first since being rebuilt since the fires burnt it down, and it was bought by Private Equity. The rooms are half the size. Everything else in terms of the building are the same. The staff and tour guides were excellent. The most disappointing part of this incredibly expensive getaway is the food offering. Previous it was second to none, outstanding. It is obvious there has been cost cutting in the quality and variety of offering of food. Would not go back.

We came to Southern Ocean Lodge as a part of our first anniversary trip in April of 2025. We had just spent a few days at the Bailie Lodge at Longitude 131, and were very impressed; Southern Ocean Lodge met those expectations handily. The location, of course, is its greatest asset, tucked into the middle of the coastline in a vast wildlife preserve with breathtaking views in quite literally every room. The space itself is also beautiful and inviting, from the main front room with its lounge and open self-service bar, to the dining room and its attached patio, to the bedrooms themselves. The whole vibe is something like a place Bond might stay if he came to Australia. The rooms are extremely comfortable and secluded despite the small size of the hotel, with fireplaces, luxurious bathrooms, and a sea patio; we were even able to sleep with the patio door open (screen closed, of course) to hear the sound of the sea and get the sea air. The big benefit of Bailies Lodges is that (virtually) everything was included in the room rate, except for certain special excursions. The food was excellent across the board, as was the extensive cellar and bar. Much of it was locally sourced, not just from Australia generally but from Kangaroo Island, including local honey and seafood. We opted to make our own drinks a few times, which made for a fun change from a hotel bar experience. In terms of activities and excursions, the Bailies experience feels a little like a grown-up summer camp, in a good way. Upon arrival, you are presented with a schedule of group activities included in the rate, usually two per day, morning and afternoon. As mentioned, some special excursions, and all private excursions, come at an extra price. We did a few and most of them were worth the price, with one major caveat: all nighttime driving on Kangaroo Island carries a very high risk of animal strikes, because of the abundance of wildlife in its protected environment. On our way to the Bailies-organized group night hike, the driver warned us before setting off that it was usually a question of if, not when, they would hit an animal driving at night. The night hike we went on was lovely and we saw kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, and even an elusive echidna, but we were on the edge of our seat all the way back hoping not to kill any of the fascinating creatures we'd enjoyed seeing in their natural habitats. We were lucky enough to somehow not hit anything on our way home, but I'm not sure it would have been worth it if we had. This isn't a criticism of Southern Ocean Lodge, really, just a suggestion for excursion planning: there is plenty of wildlife to see during the daytime excursions to the forests and along the seashore (the seals! the sea lions!) without risking a collision, and ultimately our favorite way to spend the evenings was lounging in the great room with a drink and a view of the crashing waves.