Have been away for ages, but am off travelling soon so I should have plenty of inspiration for new r...
Have been away for ages, but am off travelling soon so I should have plenty of inspiration for new reviews! Triciax
Member since:30.07.2003
Reviews:67
Members who trust:84
I have had the great fortune to have visited Las Vegas, the ‘City of Sin’ itself, twice now. The first time was as part of a tour of America and I have to admit not being a gambler Vegas had never held any great appeal to me. So I just considered it another stop which I might or might not enjoy. Turns out I had the time of my life there and couldn’t wait to go back. So I was thrilled when a group of us decided to visit our friends out there, and not just at any time but to celebrate New Year 2004!
Getting There
Unfortunately you usually can't fly directly to Las Vegas from London. You often have to change at either Los Angeles, San Francisco or Phoenix. It therefore makes sense to include Vegas in a two centre holiday. Flights are surprisingly reasonable. We flew with the ever reliable British Airways to San Francisco for £300 return, booked over the internet with the greatest of ease. American Airlines or Virgin are others to check out before making a commitment. The flight itself is eleven hours on the way out and around ten on the way back and the time change – America’s west coast is eight hours behind – is substantial and can lead to bad jetlag!
Las Vegas Itself
Las Vegas is quite literally a city in the middle of the desert. Of a surprising size the city is situated in a flat plain hugged by mountains all around. The desert environment is incredibly harsh and the heat in the summer
is almost unbearable (to a pale little sun starved Brit) so the site is an unlikely one for a city to be founded. Originally used by Spanish traders en route to Los Angeles it was the discovery of minerals, in particular precious metals, in the late 19th century that lead to the development of Las Vegas. Nowadays Nevada is one of the few states in America where gambling is legal – evidenced by the strip of casinos welcoming you at the state line between California and Nevada. The self-styled City of Sin Vegas has become the ultimate holiday destination for those who love excess and being allowed to do whatever they what (a rare commodity in the states) for a couple of days.
A tourist to Las Vegas will inevitably spend most of their time on the famous ‘strip’. This is the very long very wide Las Vegas Blvd lined on both sides by casinos – from the exotic to the posh to the old fashioned. Starting at the southern end are Palms, the Rio and Mandalay Bay (immortalized in Robbie William’s ‘Me and my monkey’). These casinos are ‘Vegas posh’, beautiful inside and not themed. From Mandalay Bay you can take the little monorail over to the Luxor – a must see for any visitor. Luxor is an Egyptian themed casino inside an enormous pyramid and fronted by a Sphinx. Next door is the Excalibur an enormous medieval castle (I use the term castle loosely – think Disney style castle) which looks rather dated now compared to its more recently built neighbours. Moving a little further down is another must see the New York New York. This casino is beautifully built and is quite literally a tiny New York complete with a fantastic rollercoaster that whirls you around the skyscrapers. Opposite is the MGM with its enormous golden lion proudly surveying the strip. The MGM isn’t themed by it is well worth going inside to take a look. Walking further down the strip there are now shops and restaurants until you reach the next batch of casinos. Here you will find the famous Caesar’s Palace, the Queen of all the casinos the Bellagio (of Ocean’s Eleven fame), Aladdin and Paris. Slightly further is the Mirage, Venice and my favourite Treasure Island. Marking the end of the more modern part of the strip is the Stratosphere Tower. It is definitely worth paying the small fee to go up the tower because the view is stunning but for those of fragile dispositions beware because the whole tower shakes unnervingly. A taxi ride is now required to reach the other end of the strip where the older casinos such as the Golden Nugget are located. The casinos themselves are basic in comparison to their newer cousins. This is the Vegas of the old movies and is still worth visiting. The light show is a particular draw – a roof has been constructed across the casinos covered with tiny lights across which pictures moved and dance like on a movie screen timed to the music.
So this is Vegas. It goes without saying that you can gamble everywhere. All the casinos have every game and slot machine known to man. But remember the house always wins especially when you’ve had one to many to drink!
Accommodation
You can stay at any of the casinos for a very reasonable price. Obviously prices vary depending on the time of year but as a general guide rooms in the newer casinos (eg Mirage, New York New York, MGM etc) are priced between $60-$90 a night, the older casinos (Sahara) from around $35 a night and at the more expensive end the Bellagio for around $170 a night. All of these can be booked over the internet – www.vegas.com and www.lasvegas.com are good, otherwise just type in ‘Las Vegas Hotels’ for a wide range of sites.
Eating & Shopping
Although there are restaurants along the strip – for example the ever present Denny’s – the best are located within the casinos. Every casino has a variety of restaurants from the posh to the more basic- the Cheesecake Factory (Caesar’s Palace) and Rainforest Café (MGM) are good for all the family. Every casino also has a shopping mall – of particular note are designer stores in the Bellagio and the shops in Caesar’s Palace. Shopping is not a top priority in Vegas but for those die hard retail therapists there is also a huge mall just past Treasure Island.
Must do list
There is so much to see and do in Vegas but any visitor must try and fit in the following:
1) New York New York Rollercoaster: Fantastic rollercoaster that whirls around the outside of the casino. It is slightly pricey at $12 a ride but has got to be done! 2) Bellagio Water Show: Every hour or so the lake in front of the Bellagio attracts crowds for the famous water show. Hundreds of jets of water are timed to dance to the music and it is partically spectacular at night. 3) Treasure Island Show: Three times a day Treasure Island puts on a splendid free show for the crowds. The actual show changes once in a while but always involves pirates and is always highly entertaining. Arrive early to get a good view. 4) Venice Gondola Ride: As when visiting the real Venice a gondola ride is essential! 5) Stratosphere Rides: The Stratosphere tower is higher than the Eiffel Tower and for those thrill seekers out there you can be dangled off the top of it if you so wish! For those not so brave it’s still worth heading to the top to take in the view of the strip. 6) Shows: Vegas is famous for its many and varied shows. A cabaret such as ‘Splash!’ is fun for all the family with dancing, singing, comedians and dare-devil stunts. For the ladies I would highly recommend ‘Thunder from Down Under’. A fun (and not at all embarrassing) strip show featuring gorgeous Australian manhood it is well worth the $40 fee (based in the Excalibur). Myself and my friend had big smiles on our faces for two days! 7) Clubbing: Since sleep is very much frowned upon in Vegas clubbing is very important to those less enamoured by gambling. The best clubs are in the casinos – Studio 54 in MGM, Rain in Palms and Light in the Bellagio. The queues can be incredibly long at busy times so arrive early. Still it could be a lot worst because at least you are queuing inside and drinks are readily available. 8) If you have never been to the Grand Canyon helicopter trips can be arranged. They picked you up from the strip, fly you over to Arizona and over the breathtaking Canyon.
Phew! I’m tired just thinking about it all!
Traveller Warnings
1) You have to be 21 both to drink and gamble. Even to sit at the bar drinking coke if you are under 30 expect to show ID and don’t go out without it. 2) American police and bouncers are not as lenient as ours. Listen to what they say, obey immediately and don’t get in the drunken fights tolerated in our streets. 3) Perhaps this goes without saying when facing a 7 lane in each direction road but don’t J walk! 4) Don’t get married when your drunk and it seems like a good idea – Britney are you listening? 5) Don’t sleep!
I’ll leave the last word to Mr Elvis Presley: “Viva Las Vegas!”
Thank you for reading & I look forward to hearing your comments – for those who have been to Vegas I truly hope I’ve done it justice!
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Hotel - 3801 Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA, 3801 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada, NV 89109, United States of America - 2 Stars - 1878 Rooms
Great review. I love "The Vegas", brings back great memories just reading this.
SIMONSD25 08.07.2005 08:24
The best place in the world. excellent review
dunc28480 16.05.2005 16:55
Good review and you obviously share the same passion for Vegas as I do. I was for New Years in 2003 and it was simply fantastic and i'm back there again in June this year.
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Advantages: Totally out of this world experience, so much to see and do, great hotels and casinos Disadvantages: Sleazy in places, a few days isn't long enough to see it all
junkboxjules 10.07.2003 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Las Vegas
Jan 25th, 2004
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