Experience Las Vegas

We hear about it, we see it in the cinema and we know it can get its visitors into a lot of trouble, alcohol and the colour of money starring around every corner. But what else can one do in Las Vegas, other than lose (or win) a fortune?

From the original 1960's Ocean's Eleven and Viva Las Vegas with Elvis Presley to The Hangover, the most populous city in the state of Nevada has appeared in a multitude of movies.

Tour all the attractions in the world

In Las Vegas you can see the whole world without leaving it, as it is famous for its hotels that pay homage to the world's most famous attractions. Want a bit of Paris and the Eiffel Tower? Try the Paris Las Vegas Hotel. Venice? You'll find gondolas and St. Mark's Square at the Venetian. New York? In New York New York you'll find the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and Central Park, while Bellagio has Italy's Lake Como. This is the magic of Las Vegas.

Check out special museums

Even if you're not the kind of tourist who gets excited about museums, you'll find some in Las Vegas that are sure to excite you. The Atomic Testing Museum, for example, pulls back the curtain on Nevada's history as a test bed for nuclear weapons, and there's also the Mafia Museum, where you can find the details of the Mafia's involvement in the rise of the "sinful" city. If you want to take a visual tour of Vegas history, then the Neon Museum awaits on the north side of the Strip, and the Pinball Hall of Fame is where you go to admire - and play with - more than 150 pinball machines.

Marvel at the city's shows

In Las Vegas, entertainment is the main focus of all visitors and part of that is definitely watching a show, of the many that play in the city. With 8 Cirque du Soleil shows and dozens of other options, from musicals to fountain shows, you certainly won't be disappointed, nor will you see anything you've seen before. The most impressive attraction at the Bellagio is the dancing fountains, with more than 1,200 jets that... explode every half hour - and every 15 minutes from 8am to midnight. And after you've enjoyed the spectacle, get ready for an even bigger one, from Cirque du Soleil, which features more than 70 swimmers, clowns, divers and acrobats who perform a variety of spectacular shows in a tented pool containing 1.5 million gallons of water. If you only see one show while in Las Vegas, make sure it's this one.

Get married... Vegas style

The second reason Las Vegas is famous after the game is the weddings, and themed weddings at that. If you're on the... verge of marriage with your partner, there you can get married like Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow at the Little White Wedding Chapel or quite a bit more kitschy, Elvis-style, at the Viva Las Vegas Chapel. The choices, of course, don't stop there, as there are alternatives for romantic ceremonies, adventurous weddings and plenty of options for same-sex couples.

Take a break from the lights

If Las Vegas turns out to be too fake for your taste, you can head northwest of the city on Rancho Drive to see a different side of the city. Take the bus to the Las Vegas Springs Preserve habitat and theme park, where you'll see botanical gardens, nature trails and interesting museum exhibits. It will take a little time to get used to the natural color of green after the neon light party downtown, but you'll really enjoy it. And if you want to take it further, you can head to Mount Charleston, with its excellent hiking trails in the summer and skiing options in the winter, at the Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort.

Accessed at

Las Vegas Airport, IATA LAS, is located just 5 miles south of the city, in the Paradise area of Clark County. Passengers arriving at Las Vegas Airport have a choice for their commute to downtown and surrounding areas:

1. The RTC bus line that originates at Terminals 1 and 3 and runs to downtown.
2. More than 10 taxi companies provide transportation from the airport to the city centre and surrounding areas.There is a $2 charge for departures from the airport.The cost to the city centre is $25.
3. Shuttle buses take you to all the hotels in the city.

Nas Diroo writes books about Travel. His books have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. He is a New York Times and a USA Today Bestseller.