About Us:
The Outback Experience is your one-stop solution for an incredible holiday that offers you luxurious accommodation, a unique farm experience, birding and adventures in bird photography, unparalleled opportunities in learning about photography through our camps and workshops, exhilarating nature-based activities and a guaranteed good time.
The Outback Experience was co-founded and set-up in 2016 by the Ross family, an Anglo-Indian family from Bangalore who grew up loving nature and wildlife.
The Rosses own two farms on the fringes of the Bannerghatta National Park, that were initially just family getaways on weekends. However, they decided to share these two treasures, their knowledge and hospitality par-excellence with the outside like-minded world and thus have opened up their doors to you!
The Outback Experience is also one of India’s leading kids’ camps and photography training companies and our camps and workshops offer exciting learning opportunities for any budding photography or nature enthusiast. Lead by award winning wildlife photographer, Phillip Ross, you or your kids are sure to take back a wealth of knowledge with regards to photography and wildlife and take home tons of good photographs all while having a super fun holiday.
Team Outback
Meet ‘The Outback’ family – A team that works together to make your dreams come true.
Phillip Ross
Director, Photography Mentor and Co-founder
“Learning photography should be easy and tremendous fun.”
Phillip Ross is without doubt the ‘little master’ of wildlife photography. Boasting an impressive portfolio, Phillip exudes the same precocity as the big cats he is famously known to get along with. When out in the wild, Lady Luck is his faithful friend, and back in the civilized world, captivating stories of his experiences are a staple source of fascination for those who enjoy the pleasure of his vivacious acquaintance.
Phillip’s love-affair with nature began with his frequent visits to the family farm in the outskirts of Bangalore. Soon, he was introduced to the national parks and tiger reserves of southern India and the treasures that lay within. In 2006, he procured a camera to document his experiences, thereby kicking off his journey in right earnest.
Phillip’s illustrious body of work showcases a wide and vivid spectrum of nature’s wonders from many remote corners of India and elsewhere, and serves as a collection of powerful images that espouse conservation of our invaluable natural wealth. His work has won him many laurels, including the gold & bronze medal in the prestigious FIAP Photography World Cup in 2014, a special mention in the 2013 Sanctuary Asia wildlife photography awards, finalists at the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012 – 2014 and a special Wildlife Conservation Award in 2009 from the Karnataka Forest Department for his report on saving the Bannerghatta National Park.
He has been chosen as a Canon EOS Maestro and is a brand influencer with Canon.
An avid angler and naturalist, Phillip uses his passion for wildlife and his skills as a transfixing raconteur to spread the joy of nature to adults and children alike.
Samantha Ross
Program Director (Kids, Teens & Families), Marketing Head and Co-founder
“The best adventures begin with thoughtful planning, genuine passion, and a sense of wonder.”
Samantha’s love for wildlife began in the tree-lined neighbourhood of old Whitefield, Bangalore, where she spent her childhood exploring the outdoors and learning about the birds, insects, reptiles, and animals that shared her world. Countless nature walks with her father sparked a lifelong passion for wildlife, conservation, and the natural world.
Since 2011, Samantha has been an integral part of The Outback Experience, helping design and deliver wildlife expeditions, photography camps, educational workshops, and family adventures. As Program Director and Marketing Head, she oversees marketing, participant engagement, camp coordination, and logistics, ensuring every experience runs smoothly from start to finish.
A wildlife photographer and a new mother, Samantha is especially passionate about helping children connect with nature through hands-on experiences that inspire curiosity, creativity, and confidence.
Known affectionately as the team’s “Dog Whisperer,” she has a natural affinity with animals and rarely meets a dog that doesn’t instantly become her friend.
When she’s not planning adventures, you’ll often find her on stage. An accomplished vocalist, Samantha performs regularly at concerts and events.. so if you meet her on a trip, feel free to ask for a song! (You just need to hope she agrees to do so :P)
Darryl Ross
Managing Director and Co-founder
“Every one should have the opportunity to experience a little bit of heaven.”
Having grown up in the city of Bangalore but afforded the fantastic opportunity to visit the wild side of nature at his father’s farm in Bannerghatta every weekend, Darryl’s love for nature and wildlife was firmly embedded in his very being.
His father’s farm was unfortunately sold in 1976 and ever since, it was Darryl’s dream to buy his own farm. Fortunately, after many, many years of hard work, his dream came true and in 1996, he purchased a parcel of land on the fringes of the very forests he had grown up to love.
The farm was initially a getaway for family and friends, but Darryl wanted to share this enriching experience with everyone. The Outback was opened to the public in 2014 with the aim to spread the message of the importance of nature and wildlife and the urgency of conservation to city dwellers so that future generations could also have their share of this ‘little piece of heaven’.
Caroline Ross
Director, Executive Head Chef and Co-founder
“What is life without good food?”
Co-Founder of the Outback, Caroline’s love for nature, wildlife and cooking is well known among her family and friends. This self-taught food maven, well known in her circles for her brilliant continental and Indian cooking, is the executive head chef at The Outback.
Caroline grew up in a family that loved to cook, and boy were they good at it! She learnt her families secret Anglo-Indian recipes and adds to them her special ingredients of love and hard work. She is sure to put a smile on your face, even in your grumpiest mood, once you savour her mouth-watering creations.
As a mother of three, she is also great with kids and with her infectious smile and warm approach, the children who visit us absolutely love her company.