In the know

Our favourite rooms: Longitude 131º’s tents are more luxury cabins draped in flowing white fabric than the canvas crash-pads the word suggests. Each is named after a celebrated Australian explorer or wilderness pioneer, and the walls are adorned with relevant memorabilia (cuttings, letters, sketches, etc). The tents are identical in terms of facilities but differ by location: 1 and 15 (aka ‘Sir Sidney Kidman and ‘Jane Webb’) are the most private as they’re set at either end of the resort, so very few people tend to wander past; 6, 7 and 8 (‘John Flynn’, ‘Ernest Giles’ and ‘William Christie Gosse’) have the most inspiring uninterrupted views of Uluru.
Packing tips: It can get chilly at night and in winter, so pack extra layers and warm headgear.
Also: Although there’s nothing to stop you climbing Uluru if you wish, it’s considered spiritually offensive to Aborigines and generally frowned upon by the hotel.

Red Centre hotels, Voyages Longitude 131°, need to know

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Smith card offer: A Voyages 'Sounds of the Elements' CD

Red Centre hotels, Voyages Longitude 131°, food and drink

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Longitude 131° by Voyages

Red Centre, Australia[view map]

Style: Safari-style desert camp
Setting: Ayers Rock wilderness

With the rugged wilderness of the Simpson desert stretching out to the horizon in every direction, Longitude 131º is the only place in the world where you can admire the inimitable postcard vista of Uluru without lifting your head from the pillow…

Need to know

Rooms: 15 luxury tents.
Rates: Low season, AU$2,020; high season, AU$2,100, including taxes, all meals, most alcoholic and soft drinks, national park entry and tours of the area.
Check-out: 10am. Check-in, 3pm.
Facilities: Boutique, guest lounge with library, flatscreen TV, DVD player and film selection, PC with web access, and telescopes for ogling Uluru. In rooms: Bose CD sound system with iPod dock, air-conditioning, soft-drink minibar.
Poolside: The curvy pool outside the Dune House is icy cold – although this can be off-putting in winter, in summer, it’s a deliciously surreal experience, floating on the cooling water in the searing desert heat.
Eco-friendly: Showers are heated by solar power (there are no bath tubs), and reverse heater-air conditioning units reduce energy wastage.
Also: Two-night minimum stay.

Food & drink

Hotel restaurant: The Dune House is Longitude’s reception, bar, lounge, library and restaurant. A daily changing Modern Australian menu is served at solid timber communal tables with distressed leather-backed chairs. Every other night, guests are whisked off to a secret location to dine alfresco at ‘Table 131’, with a three-course meal followed by a talk about the vast desert starscape and the opportunity to gaze through strategically sited telescopes.
Dress code: Cool and casual – just don’t wear white on account of the red desert dust.
Top table: Table 131 can be a spectacular experience, but, for an extra charge, you can also arrange to dine privately by the pool or atop a dune.
Last orders: Meal times are flexible, depending on the tours scheduled for the day.
Room service: Not available, although you may be able to dine in your room if you arrange it in advance.
Hotel bar: There’s a self-service bar at one end of the Dune House, where you’ll find a selection of wines, beers and spirits from which to help yourself. You can sink into one of the comfy couches and thumb through the intriguing Australian history books piled high on the upturned chests that serve as coffee tables.

Also worth knowing

Children: Over-12s are welcome, but extra beds are not available.

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A Voyages 'Sounds of the Elements' CD

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