RAC Karri Valley Resort

Overview of RAC Karri Valley Resort

About 22km north along the Vasse Highway from Pemberton, the turn into RAC Karri Valley Resort appears right at the edge of Lake Beedelup, with the final stretch of road running through dense karri forest before the water opens up ahead — a clear sign you've left town behind. This 3.5-star property, part of the RAC Parks & Resorts group, sits at 11342 Vasse Highway, Manjimup, Western Australia, inside the Southern Forests region and ringed by the same karri woodland, so it's a genuinely secluded bushland-and-lake setting rather than anything town-centre. On Traveloka it is very well reviewed, with service and facilities and location both drawing good feedback. Southern Forests is known more broadly for its tall karri and jarrah country, and Lake Beedelup itself is small and calm rather than expansive — a detail that shapes the resort's quiet, low-key feel compared with a coastal or CBD hotel.

The 62 units are spread across just 2 floors, mixing standalone lakeside rooms with self-contained chalets, each angled to look out over either the lake or the karri forest canopy. Keeping that low-rise, two-floor layout spread across the grounds rather than stacked into a tower suits the bushland setting well. For a Western Australia road trip that takes in the Southern Forests, it's worth starting by checking flights to Perth on Traveloka before covering the roughly 3.5-hour drive south to the resort. RAC Karri Valley Resort belongs to a small network of RAC Parks & Resorts properties across Western Australia, and the resort's own site describes its grounds as including a resort-style entertainment precinct alongside the lakeside accommodation.

Room Types at RAC Karri Valley Resort

The top of the ladder here is the Three-Bedroom Chalet – Family Lake View: two queen beds plus two sets of bunk beds for up to 8 guests, and the resort's own listing pitches it on the stretch of lake and karri forest it looks out over. Eight room and chalet tiers run down from there, ending at the ground-floor Lakeside Room, which pairs a queen with a single bed for up to 3 guests and a water outlook — the same ladder shown on the resort's own listing, so bedding and configuration can be cross-checked against either source before booking.

Lakeside Room

A ground-floor unit with one queen bed and one single bed, sleeping up to 3 guests, positioned with a water outlook and suited to small families or a couple travelling with one extra guest.

Lakeside Room Queen

Set on the upper level with a single queen bed for up to 2 guests, this one is described by the resort as offering unobstructed lake and forest views. It's the pick for couples after an uninterrupted outlook without a second bed taking up floor space.

2-Bedroom Chalet – Forest View

A self-contained chalet along the wooded perimeter of the property, with one queen bed and two single beds across two bedrooms sleeping up to 4 guests, plus a log fireplace inside.

2-Bedroom Accessible Chalet – Forest View

Same two-bedroom, 4-guest layout as the standard Forest View chalet, but built with full accessibility features and placed at the forest edge — travellers with mobility needs get the same log fireplace and configuration without compromise.

2-Bedroom Chalet – Lake View

A two-bedroom chalet with one queen and two single beds for up to 4 guests, positioned to face the water with a log fire inside.

3-Bedroom Chalet – Forest View

Set in an elevated karri-tree position that keeps it shaded through the surrounding canopy, this larger chalet sleeps up to 7 guests across two queen beds, one single bed and bunk beds.

3-Bedroom Chalet – Lake View

The same 7-guest, three-bedroom configuration, but positioned to take in sweeping forest and water views instead.

3-Bedroom Chalet – Family Lake View

The top tier for larger family groups: two queen beds and two sets of bunk beds sleeping up to 8 guests, described by the resort as taking in stunning views across the lake and the surrounding karri forest.

Facilities and Amenities

An on-site animal farm and a lazy river are the two amenities here that most resorts this size wouldn't have room for, and the resort's own site pairs them with walking trails, lake equipment rentals, archery and mountain biking as further leisure options beyond Traveloka's listed game room, volleyball, tennis court, mini golf, canoeing and fishing. Business travellers and small groups get WiFi, a banquet hall, meeting rooms and general business facilities alongside a restaurant. Picnic areas and barbecue facilities, a lobby newspaper service, luggage storage, and concierge assistance round out Traveloka's list, along with safety deposit boxes, wheelchair-accessible facilities, and smoke-free areas. The resort's own site also references a camp kitchen, ablution blocks, a recreation room and laundry facilities as part of the wider grounds, alongside the entertainment precinct noted above. Guests should check the current facility list on either site for what applies to their specific room or chalet category — the safety deposit boxes and wheelchair-accessible facilities on Traveloka's listing in particular are worth confirming directly, since accessibility features can vary between the standard chalets and the dedicated Two-Bedroom Accessible Forest View Chalet.

Check-in runs from 2:00pm to 6:00pm and check-out is before 10:00am; the front desk is staffed from 8:00am to 6:00pm daily, so guests expecting to arrive later are asked to contact the property in advance. Pets are not permitted, a government ID is required at check-in, and the resort accepts credit/debit cards and mobile payments but not cash.

Location and Getting There

Perth is roughly a 3.5-hour drive north via the Vasse Highway, according to the resort's own site, which puts RAC Karri Valley Resort squarely on Lake Beedelup within the Southern Forests region, about 22km from Pemberton. That distance also puts it within easy reach of other Southern Forests towns, including Manjimup, which functions as the practical service town for the wider area — guests needing fuel, groceries or a pharmacy before settling in are best making that stop on the way through rather than after arrival. Travellers combining the trip with other parts of WA's south-west can also look at activities around Western Australia on Traveloka, from forest walks to wine touring further toward Margaret River. As part of the RAC Parks & Resorts network, Karri Valley Resort sits alongside a handful of other RAC-operated properties spread across regional Western Australia, though this Southern Forests location is the one closest to Pemberton and Manjimup. For those flying in from interstate, a flight into Perth booked through Traveloka is typically the starting point before the drive down.

Dining at RAC Karri Valley Resort

Seven days a week, breakfast, lunch and dinner run through the resort's on-site Lakeside Restaurant, according to the property's own site, with a menu built around locally sourced produce and regional wines from the Southern Forests area; Traveloka's listing also notes breakfast is available on-site. Given how remote the lake-and-forest setting is, the Lakeside Restaurant works as the main dining option for guests rather than something to be supplemented by nearby township dining. Anyone wanting to compare menus or dietary options ahead of arrival is best served checking directly with the resort, since a property this far out can have more limited notice for special requests than a town-centre hotel would. And for a full day exploring the surrounding forest, it's worth confirming Lakeside Restaurant service times in advance rather than assuming all-day availability, given how far the property sits from any alternative.

Why Stay at RAC Karri Valley Resort

What sets RAC Karri Valley Resort apart in the Southern Forests region is simple: it's one of the few properties actually sitting on Lake Beedelup, tucked inside karri forest rather than looking at it from a distance. That bush-and-lake position has helped it build a solid track record of very positive Traveloka reviews, particularly among families drawn to its range of chalets, which scale all the way up to an 8-guest, three-bedroom option. Mixing standalone lakeside rooms with fully self-contained chalets means the property can suit both a couple wanting a simple overnight stop and a larger extended family after their own kitchen and living space for a longer stay. Lake activities like canoeing and fishing, forest trails, and an on-site animal farm all make it a practical base for a multi-night stay rather than a single overnight stop; the drive down from Perth is long enough that most guests are better served spreading it across at least two nights than treating the resort as a quick stopover. Being part of the RAC Parks & Resorts group also means the property follows a consistent, network-wide booking and cancellation approach rather than the more variable policies sometimes seen at smaller independent lodges in the same area.

Tips for Booking RAC Karri Valley Resort on Traveloka

• Watch the front desk hours: staff are only on duty from 8:00am to 6:00pm, so anyone landing after that needs to call ahead and arrange a late arrival rather than assume someone will be there to check them in.
• Budget the drive properly: the trip down from Perth runs about 3.5 hours on the Vasse Highway, and building in time for fuel and rest stops helps guests land inside the 2:00pm–6:00pm check-in window instead of racing the front desk's closing time.
• Bring a card, not cash: the resort takes credit/debit cards and mobile payments only, so cash won't work for incidentals or on-site charges.
• Match group size to chalet tier carefully: the spread runs from the compact Lakeside Room up to the 8-guest Three-Bedroom Family Lake View chalet, so it's worth checking exact bed counts against the current Traveloka listing rather than assuming a smaller room will stretch to fit a larger group.
• Check the cancellation terms at booking time: the resort's own site mentions a free-cancellation window ahead of arrival for standard bookings, but exact terms shift by rate type and season, so it pays to confirm before paying.
• Allow extra time on the final stretch: the last part of the Vasse Highway runs through karri forest and along the lake rather than through town, so low light or wet weather can slow that approach more than a typical suburban drive.

Travellers can also browse other Southern Forests accommodation on Traveloka to compare against nearby Pemberton and Manjimup options.

Other Popular Hotels Near Pemberton

Because RAC Karri Valley Resort is set apart from the town centre, some travellers prefer to compare it against closer-in Manjimup options before deciding whether the lakeside setting or the shorter drive to town amenities matters more for their trip. The Pemberton and Manjimup area around RAC Karri Valley Resort has a small but varied set of accommodation options on Traveloka, from motels to self-contained cottages. Here are some other options worth comparing.

Gallery Hotel Manjimup

• Hotel details: A 3-star, 32-room hotel on Rose Street in Manjimup, closer to town amenities than the lakeside resort setting.
• Review score: Very well reviewed by guests on Traveloka.
• Amenities: Free WiFi, complimentary continental breakfast, free parking, luggage storage.

Karri Forest Motel

• Hotel details: A 3.5-star, 26-room motel on Widdeson Street in Manjimup with an on-site restaurant.
• Review score: Generally positive guest reviews on Traveloka.
• Amenities: Outdoor pool, fitness centre, Silver Birch Restaurant, barbecue and picnic areas.

Pemberton Lake View Chalets

• Hotel details: A small, 4-room cabin-style property on Browns Road, Manjimup, with lake views and a farm-based restaurant.
• Review score: Guests rate it highly on Traveloka.
• Amenities: In-room kitchens and fireplaces, garden and terrace with lake views, barbecue facilities.

Clover Cottage Country Retreat

• Hotel details: A 4-star, 4-room retreat on Wheatley Coast Road near Upper Warren, Manjimup.
• Review score: Excellent feedback from Traveloka guests.
• Amenities: Private kitchens, jetted bathtubs, garden and barbecue facilities, wedding services.

Forest Lodge Resort Pemberton

• Hotel details: A 3-star resort on Vasse Highway in Manjimup, close to RAC Karri Valley Resort along the same road.
• Amenities: Standard check-in/check-out and general resort facilities, per Traveloka's listing.

None of the five properties above sit directly on Lake Beedelup the way RAC Karri Valley Resort does, so travellers choosing between them are generally trading the lakeside chalet setting for a more central Manjimup location, a smaller boutique property, or a different price and amenity mix — worth weighing against how much time will actually be spent at the accommodation versus out exploring the forest. For flights and further trip planning across the rest of Western Australia, Traveloka's homepage is a good starting point.