Las Vegas

Las Vegas was more or less created purely to indulge vices. A century later and it’s still going strong, providing Americans and international visitors alike a shiny, shimmering over-the-top, adult’s playground.

It is everything the movies make it out to be and more. Is it shopping that you want? You’ll need to buy an extra suitcase, and probably and extra wardrobe. Live music? Depending on when you visit there’ll be at least 3 big-name DJs and one aging popstar in town doing a residency at one of the hotels. Stage shows? Cirque de Sole, popular musical productions, famous magicians. It’s all here.

Make sure you watch the Bellagio Fountains dance one evening, check out Caesar’s Palace and in particular the Garden of the Gods pool area, and go and see the ‘World’s Biggest Chandelier’ in the Cosmopolitan. And one day you should drag yourself out of bed to get to the Hoover Dam. Very impressive.

If the overwhelming (and dare we say tacky) nature of the Strip is getting too much for you, head downtown. Downtown Las Vegas is going through a revival. It’s cooler, hipper, and less flashy than The Strip. It’s all microbreweries, food trucks, and hipsters with funky facial hair. It’s a great contrast to the Las Vegas you usually see, and it’s great to see the other side of the city, where real Las Vegans dwell.