While staying at Vatu, visit some of the red centre's unique natural locations including Rainbow Valley, The Macdonnell Ranges, Kings Canyon and Uluru.
This is a landscape of immense beauty and ancient history. 

Rainbow Valley is set in the James Ranges. Huge sandstone cliffs rise up from the flat landscape to reveal bands of colour that are most prominent at sunrise and sunset. The brilliant colour is caused by iron leaching to the surface and the soft white sandstone dissolving at the base.

The east and west of the Macdonnell Ranges stretch out for hundreds of Kilometres from Alice Springs. The ranges can be viewed along the Namatjira Drive and the Larapinta Drive.

• To the East of Alice Springs, within an hours drive, sites important to the local Arrente people, many of which contain examples of Aboriginal rock art
  • Emily Gap, Jessie Gap, Trephina Gorge, N’Dhala Gorge.

• To the West of Alice Springs: The Larapinta Trail is a long distance walking trail that runs 223 kilometres through the West Macdonnell National Park. Main sites to visit include: Simpsons Gap, Standley Chasm, Ellery Creek Bighole, Serpentine Gorge, Ochre Pits, Ormiston Pound, Redbank Gorge, Glen Helen Gorge, Tnorala Gosse Bluff, Palm Valley, Mount Sonder and Mount Zeil.

         
Rainbow Valley                                                          Ormiston Gorge               Desert dune.