10 reasons to go to Vegas
It's nicknamed Sin City and calls itself The Entertainment Capital of the World. In 2012, it made 15 billion dollars and makes an estimated 40 million dollars every night. I visited for the first time in November 2013 and I'm returning November 2014. I had the time of my life so I wanted to share why this should be top of your list when you're planning your next holiday destination.
I tried to put these in ranking order, but just couldn't. It was too difficult to decide what got the top spot! So you can place these as you like. All photo's are my own and were taken by myself or my partner whilst we were there!
Food
If there's one reason I love to travel, it's got to be the food. I've been very fortunate that my family have taken me all across the world and there are two places I love more than anywhere to eat - Barcelona and Las Vegas. There's something about the huge variety of food that makes me love America - you can get your normal meal, plus cheese, plus fries, plus salad, plus anything else you fancy. It's never ending and my belly loves it. And Las Vegas, being the fourth American State I've been to, shot to the top of my list of favourite foods and restaurants.
Gambling
An obvious one has to be the gambling. I disliked gambling, my boyfriend loves it. So when he first suggested Vegas, I have to say my heart wilted a bit. I had images of me lingering behind him at roulette tables, sighing and texting. I'd be such a bore, I thought. But at around 6pm, pulling my suitcase behind me, reservations in hand, I entered my very first big Casino and my heart didn't wilt - it trembled with excitement. I almost burst. I never knew a room with no windows could shine so bright - colours, noises, people, drinks. Pure atmosphere. It was like a jack in a box that had sprung to life, releasing all the ambience you could want for the best party you'd ever been to. And a big chunk of that was the gambling. I remember tenderly sliding my first ten dollar into a machine, chosen just because I liked the pictures, and the buzz of winning and losing for hours on end. It was teasingly addictive. I knew then that gambling for me wasn't about winning, but the buzz I got from the entire experience. From poker tables to slot machines, I walked through rows and rows of ringing and whirring machines and wanted to try them all. Gambling is definitely in my top ten reasons to to Vegas. "Gambling makes absolute sense when you're winning". To me, it always makes sense in Vegas.
Hotels
There are two places I like to spend time in most - airports and hotels. There's something deliciously Hollywood about them. Like anything could happen. I thought I knew what to expect from hotels, until I went to Vegas. We stayed at the relatively new Cosmopolitan, smack bang in the centre of the strip. They're like their very own metropolitan, these hotels. Floors upon floors of shops, restaurants, a casino, hidden pizza places, board rooms, empty hallways that resonate The Shining. They were never ending mazes and every single one held something new. Jungles, dolphins, volcanoes, malls.
Weather
I hate going to cold places on holiday. It does not appeal to me at all. I was worried that, despite being in the desert, that November in Vegas would be chilly. But it wasn't. Clear blue skies, warm days but not extremely hot. Perfect for sight seeing and for long strolls down the big strip. You can rely on this weather in the out of peak months, which is good if you don't want to spend a lot on flights in the Summer months.
Sites
There are so many things to do in Vegas I couldn't even try to list them all. From taking a helicopter to the Grand Canyon, magic shows, musicals, concerts - there is an endless list. As it was our first time in Vegas, we wanted to do as much as we could, but we were so hooked on the every day life that we didn't see as many shows as we wanted. We did see Penn and Tellar, which I recommend highly if you're into magic! (der)
But you don't always need to fish in your pockets to see sites in Vegas. Everything is a site to see. All of the hotels hold something special for you to wonder at. But there is also M&M world, The Hard Rock Cafe, Bellagio Fountains, the Mirage Volcano - you are constantly seeing the best bits of Vegas just as you are strolling.
Night life
The night life in Vegas isn't something I've experienced first hand. We're not big clubbers, but there is still plenty to do. It is the City that never sleeps, after all. Some of the clubs are rated as the best clubs in the world with some of the biggest DJ's and artists playing there. The Marquee Day/Night club in the Cosmopolitan (yes, a club inside a hotel) has had the likes of David Guetta playing there. Bruno Mars currently has a residency at The Chelsea in the Cosmopolitan.
Even if you're wanting a quieter side of Vegas, the lights are still blaring when you step out of your hotel, whether you're wearing flats or heels. There really is something for everyone.
Iconic
Possibly the best reason of all, really. It's Vegas. It's iconic. It's the place that you have to try before you die. You see it in so many movies for a reason - it's etched in our mind as the party place for Americans, and it is. You can cross it off your list when you go. And then you'll go again, just because of the impact it makes. You just get a sheer buzz when you arrive and for the entire time you are there.
There is a constant "anything could happen" atmosphere that's almost like a drug. It's impossible not to be drawn into it all and you find yourself living in a movie that you never want to end. It is completely fantastic. There aren't enough adjectives to describe it. You just have to go there and feel it for yourself.
Down town Vegas
A few days left and my partner suggested Down Town Vegas. I hadn't heard much about it, and I was so buzzed by the shining lights of the strip that I wasn't too fussed. However my boyfriend, ever the researcher, called us a taxi and off we went. We walked through a quiet street with a hum in the background of chatter and music. It seemed like any other down town street. Then two people turned into ten, ten turned into twenty and suddenly I was in a crowd with a multicoloured sky above me, The Who blasting down the street, people drinking and dancing. The Casino's are what you'd imagine in a Robert De Niro film, They're smaller than on the strip, with people filtering in and out constantly, some of the older games but with a different kind of buzz. All you can eat buffets mixed in with fast food, it's real and raw and I loved it. Out on the street are live shows, entertainment from Flamingo girls to impressionists, deep fried hot dogs, nachos, candy floss, sweets. It was one big party and everyone was having an amazing time. Do not miss out on Down Town Vegas. It is definitely the place to go!
Shopping
Shops in Vegas range from H&M to Gucci. Whether you're a big spender, like my boyfriend, or looking for the next bargain, like me, there is always somewhere to go. The Forum Shops at Caesers was an unbelievable maze of shops and food.
Rewards
Everyone will always say to you that the odds are always stacked in favour of The House. And they're right. Of course they are. But you can be rewarded for spending your hard earned cash in these Casinos. Pretty much every Casino you enter on the strip will have someone selling rewards cards - in The Cosmopolitan's version is called Identity. You enter your cards into the machines as you gamble in the Casinos and it will record what you've spent and what you've won - because of the amount we gambled last year, we've been comped 3 nights for our next stay. Amazing.
So if you decide to go, make sure you do your research on the Rewards schemes available. You can even download a game called My Vegas which allows you to play with free coins to gain real rewards in Vegas. It's definitely worth a go - you can get anything from free meals to free hotel rooms.
Las Vegas really is one of the greatest places on earth. I can't even describe how excited I am to return and this year won't be the last time, either. The best advice I could give is to do your research. Know the places to go, when and how much it will cost you. My boyfriend researched for weeks and weeks beforehand and it paid off a lot - we would have avoided the rewards card otherwise and we definitely wouldn't have known what restaurants to try.
Sign up to forums that are available as well and take tips from other Vegas goers. You can never have too much information.
And lastly - prepare yourself to come home with no money. The more you prepare yourself for it, the easier it is. After all - you're not there to pinch pennies.
I hope you enjoyed this! Let me know if you've been to Vegas and how you found it, your favourite spots to go - or if you're planning on going there, do you have any questions?
Hope to hear from you!
Furf
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