Adelaide/Kangaroo Island or AliceSprings/Uluru?
 

I have a two week window to meet my daughter in Australia in May. I have been researching airfares between Sydney to Alice Springs/Uluru and then Adelaide/Kangaroo Island thinking that we could see both regions. I am starting to calculate what this trip will cost and am thinking that perhaps we should do only one region.
Which one would you recommend if you have been to both? Thanks-

Completely different experiences, dutyfree.

Have a look at the info available here, on TA & their own websites - and choose based on YOUR interests.

May would be an excellent time to visit either of them.

I've been to each of those places--Uluru/Alice Springs and Adelaide/KI-- twice and they are both great destinations for different reasons. Where you go really depends on your interests. And, as Bokhara says, they should both be nice to visit in May.

Have done both Uluru/Kata Tjuta and KI. Have not gone to The Alice. Cannot recommend for you because you don't state your interests.

KI will not have: big flippin' red rocks, unique sunsets, Aussie desert, crap-ton of flies (although in May their density lessens), red sand, spinifex, aboriginal paintings, desert lizards.

Red Centre will not have: fairy penguins, sea lions, seals, fishing, 1.5 hour trip to Barossa for wine, kangaroos walking up to you in the park, wallabies hopping around the neighborhood at night (in American River).

I've lived in Adelaide my whole life and have also travelled to the red centre and I would recommend both destinations. I agree with all the comments above - they are completely different and it depends on what you are looking for - BigRuss nailed it! Weather wise, May would be perfect for central Australia, and for South Australia it is around the change-of-season time from autumn to winter, so is most likely to be cool but lovely. They have really different climate patterns, you'll have to do a bit more research about what you want to see and do!

I should've added earlier - the diversity of activities in South Australia is much greater than around Uluru - Kangaroo Island is absolutely magical, with incredible landscapes, vegetation, wildlife and culinary delights, and around Adelaide there are magnificent world famous wineries that are easily seen in a day. The Flinders Ranges are a bit further north which are also stunning but probably out of reach for a short trip - takes about 4 hours to drive there from Adelaide and you need to stay at least 3-4 nights so that you chill out and enjoy the place - it can't be rushed! I love South Australia, it's a great place to live :)

I haven't traveled the center, but did go to Adelaide/KI. One thing to be aware of, as noted above, is that Adelaide/KI will have more "variety" than the center - not sure whether that's good or bad in your view. But during our short stay there, we went bar hopping in Adelaide while walking the city (and got some amazing Indian food), went on a full-day wine tour around Barossa (got a driver, worth every penny), and spent a couple days on KI checking out the Remarkable Rocks (which were spectacular, much better than I anticipated), saw tons of wildlife (koalas, echidnas, penguins, sea lions, plus kangaroos). And all of this was in 4 days.

From everyone's comments, it seems as though Adelaide and Kangaroo Island definitely warrant more attention and time on this vacation. My daughter is a marine geologist so KI seems perfect to explore-we loved Tasmania last year with the wildlife and beauty.
Should we keep the rental car out of Adelaide to kangaroo Island using the ferry or just pick up another one once over there?

Check with the rental car company. Most will not let you take them on the ferry to KI.

Yes, you better check the terms and conditions for car hire because KI has quite a few dirt roads and rental companies won't let you go on them. It might be a good idea to try and hire something once you're there because (unfortunately) the ferry is quite expensive - check out prices for the ferry with/without vehicle. Also keep in mind there is the option of flying from Adelaide to KI instead of getting the ferry, it depends on your budget though. The ferry crossing can get quite rough, if you're prone to motion sickness take medication at least an hour before you get on. It takes just over an hour to drive from Adelaide to Cape Jervis where the ferry departs so pop a pill if necessary before you leave the city. Great to hear you may head to S.A.!!

Maybe fly to KI and then rent a car from Budget. Many , many years ago I worked in Car Rental in Adelaide. So many tourists hired cars in Adelaide and drove to KI, even though the insurance didn't cover them and wrote the cars off. Combination of gravel roads, different side of road to drive on and kangaroos. Having said that, your own transport gives so much flexibility on the island. I have been to KI many times, you will enjoy it. But it is remote and windy! Adelaide is my home town.

Even if you rent on KI, be aware of restrictions due to the sheer amount of wildlife. We rented from Hertz and had a good experience but were warned about the higher deductible for accidents occurring between dusk til dawn. I agree that having your own car is the way the go but we were very cautious about driving after dark.

We went to KI some years ago and did find a rental company that allowed us to take a car from Adelaide across the ferry. It was not one of the bigger companies but it worked out just fine for us. At the time, the roads were pretty rough -- I learned what "washboard" ruts really meant. It was actually smoother to drive faster, if that makes any sense. And we did arrive at night and were dodging kangaroos...it was great fun.