Karanambu Ranch

Traditional ranch in the wilderness, former home of naturalist Diane McTurk and her otter rehabilitation programme. Accommodation is in basic clay cottages.

Karanambu Ranch was the home of Diane McTurk, widely acclaimed for her work rehabilitating orphaned giant river otters to the wild. Karanambu has a long history of welcoming visiting naturalists and television crews, and both David Attenborough and Gerald Durrell are among the ranch’s previous guests.

Accommodation is in five basic clay cottages with twin beds and a shaded veranda; most have private bathrooms with refreshing cold-water showers. Meals are served communally around a large dining table in the living room of the main ranch house.

On occasions there are otters at the lodge, and visits can be made to nearby ponds to spot birds and admire the enormous Victoria Amazonica water lilies, which can be seen coming into flower on one of the several boat trips offered from the lodge. Other excursions involve opportunities to fish, watch caiman patrolling the lake at night, or explore the savannah on foot or by 4WD vehicle in search of wildlife.