Australia’s Northern Territory is an adventure waiting to be taken – and there’s no reason you can’t explore it all in comfort and style. The animals and landscapes you’ll discover are about as wild as it gets, but there are also plenty of luxury retreats and glamping options available across the region.

Mary River/Kakadu

Wildman Wilderness Lodge, in the lush Mary River wetlands two hours east of Darwin, is on the edge of World Heritage Listed Kakadu National Park, making it the perfect base for exploring both regions. From the accommodation (which includes beautifully designed cabins and luxe safari tents) to the high-end restaurant, infinity pool and sunset drinks on the deck, it can be hard to tear yourself away from the lodge long enough to go on an adventure – but you’ll be glad you did.

Experienced guides offer a diverse range of excursions, such as a wildlife safari on board an exhilarating airboat, during which you can get up close with crocodiles and birds. You can also charter a helicopter or small plane, taking off from a small red-dirt runway right in front of the lodge, for a spectacular bird’s-eye view of the region. Other activities include photographic tours, barramundi fishing at Shady Camp Barrage, bush food talks and culture walks through the lush rainforest of Brian Creek.

At the end of a day’s adventuring, it’s time for your tastebuds to experience the region. The menu at the Wildman Wilderness Lodge restaurant serves only Australian produce, much of which is sourced locally, such as barramundi, local beef, crocodile and buffalo. And, of course, the dishes are matched with only Australian wine and beers.

Litchfield National Park

About a 90-minute drive from Darwin, in Litchfield National Park you’ll find a bucket list of adventures to tick off along with National Geographic star and wildlife wrangler Matt Wright’s luxury Top End Safari Camp.

Set among the region’s incredible termite mounds and lush floodplains, the camp has 10 luxury solar-powered tents, fully equipped with all the amenities you need. Wright’s resident five-metre saltwater crocodile, Tripod, heralds the adventures that lie ahead.

Meet other wild crocs on an airboat adventure and finish the day on a high, with a helicopter flight over the surrounding floodplains, spotting, buffalo and birdlife.

Tiwi Islands

A light aircraft flight north from Darwin will take you to another of Matt Wright’s outposts, the Tiwi Island Retreat, surrounded by an ecosystem that is virtually untouched. Turtles, crocodiles, stingrays, mud crabs, dolphins, sharks and an abundance of birdlife reside right on the doorstep.

It makes sense then, that fishing is a popular adventure here and there are plenty of ways to enjoy it. Creek fishing is a beach-buggy and catacraft outing, mud-crabbing is by boat, there’s a half-day heli-fishing adventure in the Northern Territory’s best barramundi spots and, for the committed fishing enthusiast, a full day’s deep-sea fishing on the retreat’s custom-built catamaran.

The Red Centre

In Australia’s Red Centre, about a five-hour drive from Alice Springs, is the luxury desert camp Longitude 131°. It’s located in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and is the perfect place to stay, soak up Australia’s spiritual heartland and explore the World Heritage Listed wilderness that surrounds the sacred location.

One of the most talked-about activities, and arguably one of the best day-hikes in the region, is Longitude 131°’s Valley of the Winds Walk – a challenging journey over rocky terrain, creeks and canyons to the spectacular natural amphitheatre that is the Valley of the Winds.

The Uluru Base Walk is a must. It circumnavigates the base of the great monolith, through acacia woodlands and grassed claypans. And no visit to the Red Centre is complete without exploring the vast rocky cliffs and palm forests of Kings Canyon, in Watarrka National Park, preferably by a private plane or helicopter from basecamp.

The saying goes that it’s not about the destination, it’s the journey, but here you get both. The stunning aerial views of the heart of Australia and Lake Amadeus en route make the destination all the more breathtaking.

To discover more about luxury adventures in the Northern Territory, visit northernterritory.com.