Cable Beach Camel Rides

The dromedaries arrived aboard cargo ships from Karachi and Peshawar, selected for their tolerance of heat and their ability to cross sand that mired horses. By the early twentieth century, Broome's camel population peaked near 400, but the animals disappeared from commercial use after roads reached the town in the 1930s. Tourism revived the tradition in the late 1980s, when Red Sun Camels introduced sunset rides as a leisure activity rather than freight transport.

Today, Cable Beach camel rides tours depart twice daily — early morning before the heat peaks and late afternoon as the sun drops toward the Indian Ocean. The route follows the high-tide line, where compacted sand provides stable footing for the single-file procession. Each camel carries two riders on a wooden saddle, and the train moves at walking pace to preserve the animals' gait and keep groups together. Guides brief riders on posture and hand signals before departure, and the ride itself lasts 30 to 60 minutes depending on the chosen tour length. The beach remains open to pedestrians and vehicles throughout operating hours, so riders share the shoreline with 4WD convoys and fishermen.

Cable Beach camel rides tickets are sold by multiple operators, but Red Sun Camels holds the longest tenure and the largest herd, with 35 camels stabled near the beach's southern access point. The company's sunset tour departs 90 minutes before twilight, timed to catch the sun's descent without riding in darkness. Morning tours leave at 8am, when the sand is cool and the tide low. Prices vary by season and advance booking, with peak demand between May and September when Broome's dry season brings stable weather and lower humidity. The beach itself charges no entrance fee, and visitors can watch camel trains from the shore without purchasing a ride. Photography is permitted throughout, and the silhouette of a camel train against the sunset has become Broome's most replicated postcard image.