- Monday 01 February 2010
Big, brash, bright and loud, Las Vegas is the undisputed gambling capital of the world. No matter what your feelings are about gambling and big cities, this neon-lit, desert monument to human ingenuity, unbounded imagination and limitless budgets simply has to be seen once in a lifetime. Even if its just for a night, and even if you dont gamble a cent. Although it is popular to fly to Las Vegas's international airport, driving in to the city on interstate 15 highlights what makes it unique. Its location in the vast Mojave Desert can only be grasped from afar. The Great Basin opens up in front of you with the distinctive Vegas skyline punching up through the floor. The impact is massive. Once the city has a grip on your senses is does everything in its power not to let go. A walk down the Strip, the main part of the Las Vegas Boulevard where most of the megaresort casino-hotels are found, will have you spinning. Megastars of rock, pop and entertainment flash across gigantic TV screens advertising there shows, while sphinexs, pyramids and giant golden lions stand alongside the Effiel Tower. It is immediately exhilarating, like going round the world in 80 minutes. And luckily even the best hotels, some of the biggest in the world, offer fantastic room rates. If you are only on a one or two day mission, try not to miss a visit to the New York-New York casino-hotel with its replicas of the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and its roof top roller coaster. The Egyptian-Themed Luxor at the north end of the Strip is a towering, black glass pyramid guarded by a gigantic white sphinx, while theVenetian boasts a fully working replica of the canals and bridges of Venice. Another mind-boggling casino-hotel is Caesars Palace, host to many a world heavyweight boxing championship. It also features the city's best shopping mall - a fabulousre-creation of Rome, with the Trevi Fountain, colonnades and richly decorated ceilings. The cloak of night enables the city in the desert to come into its own. Innumerable slot machines, roulette wheels and card and craps tables see feverish activity, and staggering amount of cash changes hands. On average every visitor leaves Las Vegas $350 lighter. You may win big occasionally, but the casinos are always on top - period. If gambling doesnt grab you there are a host of free attractions. Top of the list, and a definte must see, is the extradinary Freemont Street Experience in the revamped downtown north of the strip. This pedestrianised street is covered by a 422-metre-long arched canopy that houses more than 2million coloured lights. Other free casino-hotel shows worth catching are the exploding volcano at the Mirage and the Bellagio's water-fountain dance. You will either love or hate Las Vegas, but you will not be indifferent to it. And if by chance you fall in love in the city you can always end the trip with a drive-through, Elvis-themed wedding for less than $100. This might be the best gamble of all.
