Money, food and sex – whatever the sin, Vegas has it in excessive quantities. A lot of people hate it, or think it’s tacky but for me, I love the place! Sure – it is tacky as hell, and if I stayed longer than a week I’d probably be tipped over the edge into alcoholism or wind up in gamblers anonymous – but it’s somewhere you can go to completely let go of your stressful every day life and have nothing more on your mind than having a good time.
I think the best thing you can do when visiting Vegas is keep an open mind, relax and just go with the flow. Uptight is not a word Las Vegans know well – so let your hair down, enjoy the ride and make sure you’ve got your return Las Vegas flights already confirmed, just in case!
There’s something for everyone in the city of sin, but let’s face it – most people want to indulge in the aforementioned sins as much as possible, so as an ode to all things money, food and sex, here’s my best of Las Vegas list – proceed at your own caution!
Best Las Vegas Hotel
There are many plush hotels along the strip – The Bellagio, the new swanky boutique-like Cosmopolitan – but for me, I really can’t go past the Venetian. One of the newer hotels in Vegas, all of its rooms are suites, meaning huge beds, bathrooms you could live in and more flat screen TVs than one person could ever realistically watch in a city like Las Vegas. It’s also home to over 30 restaurants and bars, a shopping mall and a real life replica of St Marks Square in Venice – canals and singing gondola men included! We spent 5 days here recently and I just loved exploring the place so much I didn’t want to leave!
Best Shows in Las Vegas
Vegas is known for its elaborate shows, and on any one day there are hundreds going on all over the city, with the most concentrated number along the strip – Comedy, Music, Theatre, Burlesque – you could do a show every day for a year and still have more to see! Out of the huge list I would definitely recommend the Blue Man group – these guys are so popular all over the world, and if you’ve seen the show, it’s easy to see why! I also really loved Peepshow on my recent visit – a tongue in cheek Burlesque-y strip musical featuring Holly Madison of Playboy Mansion fame – if you love dancing and are not a afraid of seeing some flesh (both male and female!) then check it out!
Best Day Trip From Las Vegas
Most day trips from the city head towards the Grand Canyon or Hoover Dam, so I chose to get the best of both worlds on a dawn til dusk tour of the Dam, Route 66 and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon with a company called Grand Adventures. Grand Canyon tour companies are a dime a dozen in Vegas, but if you’re looking for a really fun day out with some great trivia and local information along the way, then I’d definitely recommend these guys. It is a long day, but as I don’t know when I’ll have another chance to return, I wanted to cram in as much as possible. And the best thing was we were back in time for dinner, drinks and plenty of poker!
Best Buffet in Las Vegas
Now we’re talking – food! Before I mention the actual buffet I feel this recommendation should come with a disclaimer – if you plan on going to Vegas and enjoying a buffet or two, then for the love of god bring some kind of elasticized pant/trouser/tent – trust me on this one! America is known for it’s Hulk sized portions, and this rings even more true in Vegas, but you’ve got to ‘get amongst it’ while you’re there – after all, you’re on holiday! Hands down the best buffet belongs to the Bellagio Hotel – ‘The Buffet’ as it’s very cryptically called. Whether it’s the seafood, steak or desserts that you crave, The Buffet will leave you extremely happy, if not with the sugar shakes come three hours later when you’re coming down from that cheesecake high. But it’s all worth it, so dig in!
Best Place To Gamble In Las Vegas
Most seasoned gamblers – which I most certainly am not – have a favorite gambling spot along the strip. For someone like me who likes to drink, watch and play in equal measures, the Cosmopolitan was a great casino to hang out in to satisfy every of of these needs. It was only recently built in 2010 and has a luxurious boutique hotel feel – with a huge ‘Chandelier’ bar spanning three floors, loads of blackjack, roulette and poker tables, as well as many more bars, restaurants and shops. Get dressed up in your Sunday best to visit and make sure you kiss your lucky Elvis dice – you never know, it could be your lucky day!
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam tour with Grand Adventures. All opinions, as always, are my own.
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We got married in Vegas at the Graceland chapel. If you are looking for the real Elvis wedding experience, we can thoroughly recommend the ‘dueling Elvis’ package. We had a great time and in every photo we are all laughing our a**ses off! Vegas is definitely worth the trip, but it gets a bit much if you’re there more than a week!