Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock) Tourist Traps

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It has to be seen and i don't regret going. In fact, i'll go back and see some of the things i missed out on.
BUT------------its a big tourist trap. Firstly, You're stuck with accomodation at the Voyages resort.In fairness they do offer different categories and rates . But, theres no justification for $180 -$200 per person per night for a motel room.(Desert Gardens)
And how can a dinner for two cost $300. They call it the sounds of silence...thats the sound you hear when everyone gets their bill.....shock, then silence.
You have to pick the tours and food plans that make sense for you and your wallet. And you have to just accept the fact that you're getting ripped.
If you get away from there with your shirt on.........you're doing good.

Unique Suggestions: The only way to make the accomodation price bearable is to run outside at night with a thin t-shirt on. Its cold, so figure if you had to sleep under a tree or bush ...or pay through the nose for a bed, what would you do.

And for the food, well some of it is ok, some of it is pretty horrid. Again to make it bearable, grab a stick , sharpen it then and go into the bush and try to find something to hunt. Pretty soon you'll be back and be paying and eating patty shaped sawdust smothered in sauces.Oh, hang on, there is no McDonalds there. Anyway, any food is good food if you're hungry so just accept it.

Fun Alternatives: There is none. So just sit back, relax, enjoy the experience.

Bring water, have a hat and/or fan already, bring sun lotion, and buy groceries from the store.

Everything is expensive! $7 (Au) for a bottle of water?
$20 (AU) something for a hat and fly net?

Come prepared or else you will drop a ton of cash!!

This fabulously priced resort is the embodiment of a tourist trap. It is frequented by tourists only so there is no doubt that they are trapped. Once there you have to eat in the company’s restaurants, sleep in their lodging and shop in their stores. Everything belongs to the same company and it is a white owned business despite the fact that they are trying to sell themselves as an aboriginal-inclusive enterprise. The cheapest double with bath is 220AUS$ and the dormitory 50AUS$ pp. The food is priced accordingly and the bottled water goes for 4$.

Fun Alternatives: The alternative is Curtin Springs, 85km from the resort and 100km from the Rock. A double goes for 60AUS$ and the steak main costs about 20AUS$. It has a pet emu and lots of exotic birds. It is worth the trip.

Uluru is one of the touristic hotspots of australia and it is far away from everywhere and the tourist industry over here knows that.
The lodges and hotels over here are very expensive.

Fun Alternatives: The only alternative is a roadstop about 200 k from ayers rock resort. I don't know their prices.
I guess the best thing to do is not stay too many nights there.

Since transportation options are limited around Uluru, one would think that the best way to get around is via the organized tours. So we booked two guided tours via Discovery Ecotours - one was the afternoon Kata Tjuta Encounter and the other was the Uluru Walk (at sunrise).

The guides were extremely friendly for both tours, but I expected more for the price. Kata Tjuta was something we could have done on our own had we just taken the Uluru Express shuttle, which is simply a shuttle bus that runs to all the points of interest from every hotel in Yulara. The guide didn't offer us any information at Kata Tjuta that we wouldn't have obtained from a brochure.

The Uluru Walk almost turned into a disaster. There were logistical problems where all the guests weren't picked up and some confusion involved with coordinating the two buses, to the point where we almost missed the sunrise at Uluru. Once at Uluru, things calmed down a little, but I still felt that the guided experience was overrated. There was nothing that we were told that we couldn't have read about from the brochures available at the Cultural Center. We were provided a snack, but that is also something we could have packed ourselves.

Bottom line is that the tours around Uluru are expensive - I don't want to pick on Discovery, but that is just the tour operator that we booked, and it was a little disappointing. You will be better off taking the Uluru Express shuttle everywhere (and you will save money).

Funny thing. Australia is facing runaway inflation right here in the Red Centre. Everything's bloated, everything's obscene. Price that is. The only thing that is not bloated and obscene, is unfortunately your wallet. So come prepared to bleed.

Unique Suggestions: Come prepared to bleed! It's a monopoly here!

I have never written tips about the same place but in two diferent categories before, while the resort is quite nice it IS a tourist trap, simply because there is no alternative.
Unless you are lucky or book very early you will have to pay an enormous amount of money to stay here, the food available is only average and the shops are expensive

Unique Suggestions: book early ! a bed in the 20 berth dorms at the Outback Pioneer Lodge costs A$32, a cabin on the campsite costs A$145
these prices are PER NIGHT ! and are the cheapest accomodation, they get booked up fast

Fun Alternatives: you can camp out at the campground, we did consider it, but the thought of creepy crawly things made us cough up over A$700 for our two night stay at the Lost Camel