How to Do Vegas Right

Truly there is nowhere in the world quite like Vegas, and it’s something that everyone should see once in their life. The sheer scale of the strip and the incredible structures therein make it an absolute sight to behold, and I remember that the first time I was there I felt as though I must be dreaming – walking around with my head turned up at the towering buildings like the episode of Tom and Jerry where Jerry gets lost in Manhattan. Where else in the world can you see the Empire State Building a huge black pyramid and the Eiffel Tower all in one place? It truly is huge and there’s so much to do here that it can be tough to know where to start. Here I’ll share some tips to help you make the most of your stay.

Don’t Commit Yourself

If you are the kind of person who is happy to turn up at a destination without a concrete plan and hotels and entertainment pre-booked, then you will be well suited to Vegas. The sheer number of opportunities on offer here mean that it’s a big shame to commit yourself too much to one set of plans and not be open to other ideas. In fact you don’t even necessarily have to book yourself a hotel: the hotels have all the slot machines in them and make a lot of money from footfall so they’ll always be happy to take you and will offer you incredible deals on the day. Photos online can’t really do places like Luxor Hotel or Excalibur justice, so you’re going to want to turn up and then choose which one you want to stay in. My friends and I shared money by sharing a double room between four of us as well, but it’s up to you if you want to do likewise.

See a Show

Likewise you should keep yourself open so that you can pick a show to see. Just being able to say you’ve seen a show in Vegas is probably worth the price of admission, but you will also get a particularly good quality of entertainment here. My recommendation would have to be to go and see something by Cirque de Soleil – everything they do is spectacular.

How to Gamble

Despite what you might think, the majority of the action in Vegas (and over 99% of the profit) goes down at the slot machines, and the tables are relatively unimportant in the grand scheme of things. Most of the action then can be found filling acres of hotel floors and this is easy for anyone to get stuck in with – just make sure you limit yourself to only spend a certain amount and go in expecting to lose that money. However it’s still worth having a go on the craps table or roulette just so you can say you’ve tried.

Other Things to Do

Of course there’s a lot more to do in Vegas so make sure you leave yourself a few days when you can just explore. One thing you of course must do while you’re here if you haven’t done it before is to visit the Grand Canyon which has to be one of the most spectacular sights on the Earth. Leave yourself a good few hours travelling time, and head for the Skywalk which is near and which will give you the unique opportunity to stand on a glass platform at such an incredible height. Of course this isn’t for the faint hearted…

If that’s not enough adrenaline for you then it’s also worth having a go on the rides on top of the Stratosphere – these are the highest rides in the world and it’s an incredible thrill spinning round in the air while looking down on all of Vegas.

Mike Johnson is an Australian based travel writer who extensively writes and shares his experiences in www.onemilebeach.com.au.