7 Reasons to Visit Southern Ocean Lodge on Australia's Kangaroo Island

Here are seven reasons that Southern Ocean Lodge, James and Hayley Baillie’s highly personal resort on Kangaroo Island, offers one of the best hotel experiences ever:

1. The long line of luxurious rooms lies in the landscape like an arm on a pillow, descending toward the sea, nestled and comfortable.

2. The breakfast includes local everything, from the purest sheep yogurt to the meatiest bacon to eggs with the most intensely yellow yolks.

3. The spa products are so natural that you can almost eat them, thanks to ingredients like lavender gathered from around the island.

4. What might be the longest open bar in the world is in the hotel’s airy Great Room. You can make drinks from the best spirits, day or night. Cocktail books show you how to be your own mixologist.

5. The land next door to the hotel is home to the island’s eponymous creatures. I spotted one, then two, then families, then dozens. The biggest surprise was the length of their arms (short) and feet (long).

6. The coastline view from the loo is as good as the one from the oversize wooden Japanese soaking tub.

7. The cellar has a deep collection of Australia’s best wines, many of which you can drink at this all-inclusive resort without surcharge.

Related:
World's Best Food Cities: Sydney
An Outback Odyssey at the Royal Mail Hotel
F&W Photo Tour Sydney