3 Camel Rides in Broome Western Australia – Which is best?

Three operators offer camel rides in Broome, so which one should you choose? I researched the tour operators thoroughly before deciding which camel ride to book. This article compares the three camel rides to help you decide.

In Australia’s North West region, Broome is known for its Cable Beach (22 kilometers of white sand and crystal-clear turquoise waters).  Here camel ride companies offer tourists the opportunity to experience the area’s beauty from a different perspective. It is one of the most popular things to do in Broome.

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Camel Information & Facts

There are two types of camels; Arabian Camel (Dromedary) and Bactrian Camel. The Dromedary camels have one hump and are the ones found in Broome. They live to about 25 years old in the wild, but Domestic camels can live up to 40 years old.

These animals can grow to 7 feet at the hump and weigh 1600 pounds. Their hump stores fat which can be broken down into energy when food is scarce. They hardly sweat, so they don’t require much water. The domestic ones will drink around 25 litres daily, but a thirsty camel can drink 115 litres in 13 minutes.

Unlike most animals, when walking, the camel moves both feet on one side of its body, then both feet on the other. 

History of Camels in Australia

Camels were introduced from India and Afghanistan into Australia in the 19th Century to help with transport and workloads. Muslim cameleers were brought in to service the South Australian outback and soon began their own businesses importing and running camel trains. It is estimated that around 15,000 camels were imported into Australia at that time. The handlers were known as Afghans or Ghans, from which the train, The Ghan, gets its name.

After the arrival of motorised transport, camels weren’t required and so were released into the wild. Here they thrived, and today Australia has the world’s largest population of feral camels. This has become a problem for outback communities where they destroy fences and pipes and drink the waterholes dry. The government funded a culling program that killed around 160,000 camels from 2009 to 2013.

So you could say that these camel ride companies are saving the camels from death. I’m not a supporter of animal tourism when the animals suffer. However, these are well looked after; they are fed and watered, there is a weight limit for passengers, and they only work two to three times a day.

Camel Rides in Broome Western Australia

Three companies operate camel rides in Broome; Broome Camel Safaris, Red Sun Camels, and Sundowner Camel Tours.

Broome Camel Safaris

Broome Camel Safaris appear to be the most popular company that offers camel rides along Cable Beach, going on the number of reviews on Tripadvisor. They are also highly rated, with five stars out of nearly 1,000 reviews! That’s impressive.

Alison Bird profoundly cares for her camels, has trained them, and brought up orphan calves from the wild. Alison and her husband, Allen, now have over 30 camels which are all loved. They have a strict 90kg per person weight limit policy, with a combined weight of two passengers not exceeding 170 kg. Children are between five and fifteen but must not weigh more than 60 kg; otherwise will be charged as adults. Children up to four years old can sit on an adult’s lap.

You can tell their camels by the blue blankets. They offer morning, afternoon, and sunset camel rides on Cable Beach, and every lady receives a pair of freshwater pearl earrings.

The most popular holiday activity is the one hour sunset camel ride, where you get to give your camel a carrot at the end.

Viator is currently offering a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. They also have the Lowest Price Guarantee. See prices here.

The 30-minute pre-sunset tour is great value if you prefer a shorter ride. It also allows you to take photos of the camel train at sunset.

Red Sun Camels

Red Sun Camels began in 1991 but were purchased by John and Janet Geappen in 2000, who now have over 40 camels. The couple opened the Camel Store in Broome in 2007, where you can purchase camel-related products.

Red Sun Camels have red blankets and offer a sunset tour, a pre-sunset sampler tour, and a morning tour. They have a strict 100 kg maximum per person and two people ride each camel. If you have a child on your lap (0 to 4 years), you jointly cannot exceed the 100 kg limit. As with Broome Camel Safaris, the combined weight of two passengers cannot exceed 170 kg. Child rates apply for 5 to 15-year-olds.

Sundowner Camel Tours

Steve Madden (I believe to be the previous owner of Red Sun Camels) is now back in Broome and operating Sundowner Camel Tours. He has trained his camels from the wild and has also been breeding camels for many years. He always puts his animals’ welfare before anything else and has a strict weight limit policy of under 90 kg.

Sundowner Camel Tours has yellow blankets and offers two rides – sunset and pre-sunset.

Maximum Weight Limit of Camel Rides in Broome

There are maximum weight restrictions for camel rides in Broome to safeguard the health of these animals.

Sundowner Camels and Broome Camel Safari both have a 90kg weight limit, and Red Sun has a 100kg limit per adult. Child weight limits are 60 kg, and a couple cannot exceed 170 kg.

What Should I Wear for my Camel Ride?

Wear light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing – loose pants and a t-shirt are ideal. We left our sandals on the beach and rode barefoot.

Camel Rides in Broome Review

All three camel ride operators have mainly good reviews on Tripadvisor, and the prices are similar. We had a voucher to use, so we booked with Red Sun Camels, which we were happy with, but I’ve had excellent feedback on Broome Camel Safaris.

Pre Sunset Camel Ride Tour Review

We opted for the Broome pre-sunset ride as I thought a 30-minute ride would be long enough and wanted to be on this beautiful beach to take photos of the camel trains at sunset. It was also cheaper for our family of four, and you still have the same experience, although not at sunset.

Also, this end of Cable Beach gets very busy around sunset, and lots of 4wd vehicles park and drive along the beach. However, the camels do go further up the beach.

The camel ride operators are easy to find. Turn right at the rocks from the main access point on Cable Beach and look for your chosen tour operator’s colour. Make sure you leave plenty of time to get there, though, as they won’t wait and will leave without you.

Upon arrival, we were offered a complimentary drink of a beer, sparkling wine (thank you very much), or water. Once signed in, we relaxed on the beach while waiting for the rest of the group to arrive.

We spotted the camels approaching soon, and they were brought alongside a Ute, used as a loading platform to make it easier to get off and on the camels. I believe Red Camels are the only operator to offer this at this stage.

We then had to gather around to decide who goes on what camel and with whom. The guides try to keep families together.

Soon it was our time to climb the steps onto the platform and wait for the camel to come alongside. It was an easy swing of the leg over, and off we went.

It felt bumpy to start with, but we soon got used to the feeling and enjoyed a gentle ride along the white sands of Cable Beach. During the ride, the friendly guides told us the name of our camel and how she became part of their camel train.

The friendly camels were constantly coming alongside for a pat and a stroke. They are adorable animals with long eyelashes and don’t smell at all (or spit).

On the return part of the journey, the staff uses your camera to take photos of you on the camel, so you have a memory of it all free of charge. There were options to buy professional photos too.

Before we knew it, the ride was over, and we were back alongside the loading platform to dismount the camel.

We thoroughly enjoyed the experience and found the pre-sunset tour perfect. I didn’t find it uncomfortable, but I might have after an hour.

Add camel rides in Broome to your bucket list; it’s a true Broome iconic experience and great fun for the family.

Other Tours in Broome

How to get to Broome

Broome is over 2,200 km from Perth and will take 24 hours of driving to get you there by the most direct route. This Perth to Broome road trip itinerary provides different routes and ideas depending on the time you have.

The alternative is to fly. Our flight with Virgin Australia took two and a half hours from Perth.

There are car hire booths at Perth airport, but it’s best to pre-book your car rental.

To compare rental car company prices, Discover Cars is an award-winning car rental comparison website. They offer competitive pricing in over 10,000 locations worldwide and are have a high rate of customer satisfaction.

Drivenow is a good resource to compare campervan hire in Western Australia as it includes all the large companies like Britz, Maui, Jucy as well as smaller ones.

Compare Rental Cars Here.

Accommodation in Cable Beach

We stayed at Broome Beach Resort and found it to be great for families and good value.

Western Australia Travel Guide

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