... From the outside, I'll be honest, Uluru looks like a complete dump. Situated halfway down Lothian road, it is in one of Edinburgh's less pleasant areas; a frequent spot of clubbers, drunks, strip bars and dodgy clubs. Having said that, it's not all bad. In the right light, Lothian road ... Read review
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Advantages: Nice pub, cheap, friendly bar staff Disadvantages: Not much space, always quite busy
...the outside, I'll be honest, Uluru looks like a complete dump. Situated halfway down Lothian road, it is in one of Edinburgh's less pleasant areas; a frequent spot of clubbers, drunks, strip bars and dodgy clubs. Having said that, it's not all bad. In the right light, Lothian road is a lovely place, with a few classy shops, a Sainsburys and the glittery new Odeon. Catch it in the wrong light, or turn down the wrong side street and the chances are, ... ...many places on Lothian road, Uluru is actually a lovely wee pub inside. Australian themed and on three levels; the bar staff are friendly and witty and even the trademark local drunks are up for a laugh. Being plonked right next to the Napier University halls and also near Edinburgh Uni's main campus, it is frequented by students and also the local populace. However, in my experience, the people that go here seem to be the nice down-to-earth, fun ... more
When I saw that this place was listed and noone had reviewed it yet, I'm afraid I couldn't resist. From the outside, I'll be honest, Uluru looks like a complete dump. Situated halfway down Lothian road, it is in one of Edinburgh's less pleasant areas; a frequent spot of clubbers, drunks, strip bars and dodgy clubs. Having said that, it's not all bad. In the right light, Lothian road is a lovely place, with a few classy shops, a Sainsburys and the glittery new Odeon. Catch it in the wrong light, or turn down the wrong side street and the chances are, you'll wish you hadn't!
Despite the surroundings of negotiable virtue, like many places on Lothian road, Uluru is actually a lovely wee pub inside. Australian themed and on three levels; the bar staff are friendly and witty and even the trademark local drunks are up for a laugh. Being plonked right next to the Napier University halls and also near Edinburgh Uni's main campus, it is frequented by students and also the local populace. However, in my experience, the people that go here seem to be the nice down-to-earth, fun loving types; rather than the slightly sickening posh types who frequent the New Town wine bars (apologies for that little prejudical and dreadful generalisation, but you know the type I mean!)
They have a reasonable selection of drinks; a few lagers, bitter, ciders, alcopops, the bog standard spirits. No real ales last time I checked though. Prices are reasonable; about £2.20 a pint which is fairly standard for city centre. There's a big screen tv, which usually has MTV-type programmes; Jackass and the like on it. Which makes for interesting viewing or just fills the lulls in conversation on a night out. I think they also show football here when it's on. There is a poker machine, if you're into that kind of thing. I know nothing about these though, so I couldn't tell you whether it's a heap of nuts and bolts or the reigning king of all poker machines.
The beauty of it being on Lothian road is that it's right in the heart of club-land. There's a few clubs in the surrounding area; Cavendish (no longer called that after it's latest loss of license fiasco), Subway (don't even be tempted) and The Citrus Club (actually really, quite good!) to name a few. If you want to venture further afield, there's the usual selection of George Street and surrounding area clubs, which are generally a bit better than the Lothian road ones. It's also a stones throw away from the Cowgate and the Grassmarket; so the world is your oyster really.
The main issue I have with this pub is that, due to its relatively compact size and layout (despite having three levels), it is always incredibly hot and stuffy and smoky. The three levels are arranged, almost like a topographical jigsaw puzzle; where each level is really only like half a floor and there's next to no space on any particular level. There's only a few tables, but some rather comfy couches downstairs (if you get there early enough!!)
The reason that I couldn't resist writing this review was, one evening, about a year ago; I met a friend of mine there for a quiet pint. The pub was quite quiet and nearly empty, apart from a few barflys; as it was just after 6pm on a week night and still too early for the students to be out in force. We were sitting enjoying our respective drinks (pint of bitter and vodka and orange, if I remember correctly) on the top level at a two seater table in the corner; when suddenly, about 20 feet to my right, a large chunk of the ceiling caved in and water started coming pouring through the roof at an alarming rate. Thankfully, noone was hurt (noone was even anywhere near it!!), but the thing that impressed me was the way in which the barstaff dealt with this so-called disaster. They didn't even look in the slightest shocked, just laughed and joked about it; calmly let us finish our drinks, then just emptied the pub to deal with it. It was closed for a wee while after this.
Uluru is back in business now and I've been back a few times since; proving that a good pub is a good pub, even if the ceiling does cave in!
Advantages: Unforgettable Experience Disadvantages: The Heat and Flies
Uluru, or Ayers Rock as it is more commonly known, is located in Australia's Northern Territory, 450km (280 miles) southwest of Alice Springs. It is the world's largest monolith standing and incredible 348 metres high, 4Km long, 2.4Km wide and 8Km around the base. The total surface area covers 485.6Ha.
Uluru was formed approximately 600 million years ago when much of central Australia was under the sea. At some point, the sea floor was thrust upwards to form mountain peaks. Made from compacted sand, gravel and boulders to form a sedimentary bed, the exposed part of the rock we see today, may only be the tip of a huge rock formation extending 100Km underground, from east to west.
Uluru was given its name by the indiginous Aboringinal people. It is a sacred site to them and the name is a place name used for the rock ...
Advantages: Mystical, amazing, heart of Australia Disadvantages: Can be a bit 'touristy', miles away from anywhere
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is located 465km Southwest of Alice Springs (about 4.5hr drive) along the Stuart Highway and Lasseter Highway. Because of the popularity of this area in the last 50 yeas or so, it has become a lot more limited to what you can actually do there. You used to be able to drive up and just camp next to Ayers Rock but nowadays visitors stay in Yularu or Ayers Rock resort which is about 14km away from Ayers Rock. There is also an entrance to the park which means nobody can stay within the park itself overnight. The opening hours of the park change but take into account the times of sunrise and sunset so you can always watch them in the park. A pass into the park costs just under $30 (12 pounds) for 3 days but this is the minimum you can pay for (i.e. if you only want to go for one day you still get this 3 day ...
Advantages: Clean, Comfortable beds, Beautiful location, Disadvantages: Rude porters, Sneaky extras added to the bill, Over-priced
I Stayed at the Sails in the Desert hotel, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in May 2007. We booked this hotel from an Internet cafe a few days before we were due to arrive. There are a few hotels on the complex, and Sails in the Desert was the most expensive option available to us at the time.
We drove to Uluru from the East Coast of Australia. This was a long drive that took a few days. If you're doing the same, I would advise to plan carefully. The check-in time for this hotel is 3pm. On the basis of the fact there is little to do on arrival, after an exhausting drive, I feel it would be better if they made the earliest check-in time a little earlier in the day.
The hotel has inadequate parking for the number of guests staying. If you leave the hotel for the day (as we did, to visit Uluru itself) expect a real struggle to park ...
