My Las Vegas Top Ten

Where do you start with highlights in Las Vegas? Race for Atlantis is a must do at Ceasar’s Palace, Star Trek - The Experience is another not to miss. For sheer wonder, go to Freemont Street at night and see the spectacular light show. Go on a helicopter ride over the city at night.

Probably the easiest highlight to tackle is simply to wander down the Strip at night and look at all the hotels in their glory.

Quick Tips:

Drink plenty of water while walking about, it is very hot in Vegas and you dehydrate very quickly.

Try to visit as many hotels as possible, they are attractions in their own right.

Best Way To Get Around:

Walking is the best way of getting around, although if you need to go from one end of the Strip to the other, a taxi is probably a better idea. There are also moving walkways operating between many of the hotels, just hop on and let the path do the walking. Shuttle buses also operate up and down the Strip. If you plan to go further, then the car is the only viable option.

We stayed at the Aladdin for three nights at the start of or trip and right from the beginning it was not all we hoped for. First of all you have to get from the car park to reception which is a half-mile walk through the shopping mall Desert Passage. We took the option of a pedicab - recommended.

We arrived after a 10 hour flight, 2 hours at the airport/car rental for what we hoped would be a quick check in and a relaxing shower and nap. However, what we got was a 70 minute check in queue. The whole of the lobby was basically divided in to two areas, those in the never ending zig zag queue – normally attributed to Disney World and those waiting impatiently at the back with luggage (including my husband).

Even after the 70 minute wait when I eventually got to the check in clerk, not once did he refer to or apologise for the wait. He was very abrupt, as if I was an inconvenience and basically rushed through my check in and issued our room key cards. I had to ask him how we actually got to the room and where the lift was etc. Not a good start.

The room itself was large, as are most rooms in Vegas, was quite dull but had a good view of the mountains at the back of the hotel, being on the 36th floor.

Having been in and viewed a few rooms in different hotels on the strip, this one definitely lacked that Vegas flair. The only real theme going on was the door handles and the taps in the shapes of genie lamp handles. Everything else in the room was pretty dull and boring although functional. We had a king bed, large wardrobe & drawers, TV, table & chair. The bathroom was large with a vanity area, large oval bath and separate shower cubicle. The toilet was also separate. There were no tea/coffee making facilities in the room, although we did have an iron & board.

Whilst staying here, we found the staff to quite abrupt and unfriendly. The only person I came across who went out of his way to help was a concierge.

On the plus points the Spice Market Buffet was very good, although on the expensive side. We had our breakfasts here and a couple of dinners and they have a huge choice of food from all over the world.

If you want to visit Vegas and get the "Vegas glitz" then the Aladdin may not be your best option. Many of the other hotels go much more overboard with the room themes etc. If you want a simple, comfortable room, then this is fine.

Remember whichever hotel you stay in, you can still visit all the casinos, attractions, restaurants etc of all the other hotels.

The Spice Market Buffet is located in the Aladdin Hotel and opens for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As we were stating at the Aladdin we had our breakfasts and a couple of evening meals here. You enter the restaurant via the casino (no surprises there) and go down an escalator, and pay on entry. You are then escorted to a table and told to help yourself.

Breakfast: 8–10.30am. We had several breakfasts here and paid $12 each. Although this was more than some of the other places it was convenient and had excellent choices. You could basically wander from counter to counter choosing anything from the huge range of foods. They had bacon, sausages, hash browns, fried potatoes, pancakes, eggs made to order, muffins, cakes, fruit, the list goes on and on. You have to remember to ask you server for toast when you fist sit down as it seems to take a while for them to bring it to you. If you forget to ask straight away you may have finished your breakfast before you get it. Obviously the cost also includes fruit juices, tea, coffee etc. At weekends it is called Brunch and served between 8.30am – 2.30pm and costs approx $16.

Dinner: 4–9.30pm. The food for dinner ($20) is separated into areas of the world i.e. Asian, American, Mexican, Italian etc. There was a separate area for desserts. You can either choose to be boring and stick to one type of food or go mad and have some of each. It gives you a chance to be a big kid and have things you wouldn’t normally have a chance to combine. The choices of each type were huge. The Italian section had lots of different pizzas, pasta dishes, garlic bread etc. Other options included various meats carved off the bone, seafood such as crabs, salmon etc. There really is an endless list. I would imagine that even the fussiest of eaters, including kids would find something here to please. The desserts are amazing, my only complaint is that you will have eaten so much you wont be able to eat dessert.

Lunch is served between 11am–2.30pm and costs $14.

Overall I would say the choice and quality of the food was unbeatable, even for Vegas standards where buffets are king. My only gripe would be the service, which although adequate, was sometimes very slow. We were often left with no drinks and had to flag staff down to get refills. This is very poor by US standards but seemed to reflect the overall attitude of staff at the Aladdin.

This restaurant is located in the MGM hotel & casino. If you have ever visited a Rainforest Café before you will know the drill. Tables surrounded by trees, animated animals, fountains and giant aquariums. Every so often there is a thunderstorm which aggravates all the "animals" and they start shrieking and moving around. This can be quite amusing if someone near the elephant has no idea it is about to throw its trunk in the air!

The food is usually pretty good and you get plenty of it. I had the Planet Earth pasta which was very tasty and my husband had the chicken Caesar salad, which he too enjoyed. As I mentioned you do get large helpings – especially if you are British and used to British portions. We could not finish our meals and therefore could not sample the desserts, which sounded great.

Although more expensive than many "normal" restaurants, you are paying for the ambiance. The staff always seem friendly and helpful. This restaurant in Vegas is the only one of the chain which opens for breakfast.

The Desert Passage is a shopping mall which adjoins the Aladdin hotel. It forms a large circle of shops, restaurants with spurs off and is themed throughout as a North African market place. There are appox 150 shops, about 10 restaurants and even has a nightclub and theatre. It is approximately a mile long and pedicabs are available if you don’t feel like walking. (Men & women who have carriages on the back of their bikes ferry you around for the price of a tip.)

The ceiling is a sky mural, so you think you are outside (well, sort of), there are elephants coming out of the walls, ships "sailing" down the corridors and cobbled floors.

One section of the mall has an area called Merchants Harbor in which they recreate a thunderstorm – remember this is inside! The sound is quite realistic which thunder clapping getting louder & louder, until finally fading away. Streaks of lightening flash down from the sky and rain falls over an indoor river. This takes place every hour on the hour in the week and ever half hour at weekends.

This is a very nice shopping mall, one of the best in Vegas. There are many specialty shops such as the The Cheesecake Factory, Hawaiian shops, Surfing shops, health & beauty, photo, children’s, jewellery, memorabilia etc.

Well worth a visit, even if you are not actually staying at the Aladdin.

TIP: Take a walk round in the morning before it actually opens. You will hear all the sound effects of a market and people calling out across the balconies etc. It is a nice touch that you will miss during the day when it is busy and noisy.

We went to see the Hoover Dam on the second day of our holiday. We drove from Vegas and it was a very easy and straightforward drive. Parking was pretty easy as there was a large multi story car park just before the dam itself. We arrived early so there were plenty of spaces, but when we left the car park was near full, so it pays to get there early.

You can do one of two things. You can just wander around the site, into the gift shops, café, museum and across the actual dam for free, or you can go on the tour. We chose the tour, after all, we had come all the way from the UK and would probably never come baker here again.

There are several types of ticket, some including photo, some hard had souvenir, some both, all include the tour. You should know, that whichever ticket price you pay, you will get exactly the same tour.

The tour starts off in the theatre where you can see a narrated slide show on the history of the dam. This is very interesting and gives lots of facts and figures as well as some amusing information. You have to remember that this was built back in the 1930’s where they didn’t have all the fancy machinery we have now and took nearly five years to complete. Boulder City nearby was built solely to accommodate the 3-5 thousand workers and their families. People came from all over the USA to work on the dam as the work was guaranteed and paid very well as it was essentially very dangerous. Around 100 people died during it’s construction, although we were assured none were buried in the cement.

After the film show we were then greeted by a guide and led to a lift shaft and taken 500 feet down to the generators. You have to walk along underground tunnels, which worryingly almost constantly seep water. You then come to the huge generators, which actually generate the power, there are some on the Nevada side and more on the Arizona side. (The dam is built directly on the state line).

After the generators you are left to your own devices to visit the exhibits, which include pictures and narrations etc. You can then go to the Overlook from which you have great views of the dam, the Colorado River and Lake Mead.

Along the actual road way you can wander the length of the dam and cross the state line. There are still many things to see including the Winged Figures of the Republic, huge bronze statues and built as a symbol of man’s achievements. They are quite stunning. The café is a welcome retreat, get an ice cream and sit by the window overlooking the dam & Lake Mead.

We visited in July and the temperature was 116 degrees, so take a hat, sun cream etc. Definitely worth a visit if you are in the area.

When I booked our holiday, I realised that we would be in Vegas on our wedding anniversary so looked for a show we could go to see. We didn’t like the idea of animals being used in magic shows etc so that ruled out quite a few and we couldn’t really afford some of the bigger shows such as Celine Dion, so we decided on Penn & Teller at the Rio Hotel & Casino.

As I booked several months in advance we had really good seats on the second row at the end of the middle section. We arrived about an hour early as the doors opened and a bald man was playing the piano with a very hairy man on a double bass. On the stage were two boxes, one Perspex and the other wood, the pianist invited the audience to come up on stage to examine the boxes as they would be included in the show. Steady streams of people did just that – it was very funny watching people examining boxes and having their photos taken with a box!

Once Penn & Teller actually got on stage their first act involved the boxes – basically Teller was handcuffed, put inside the Perspex box, which was put inside the wooden box. They then told you how other magicians would do the act with screens round etc so no one knew how he got out, but they did it in the open. I will not give away how, other than to say it was very clever and hilarious.

Their whole act was fantastic, some tricks of the trade being given away, but still keeping the magic and mystery there. For one trick they picked people out of the audience – I got picked out along with two others. It was basically a card trick, but as usual with them it was a card trick with a difference. Again I won’t give anything away other than to say, I was on the stage for the whole time and had no idea how it was done.

They did the famous catch a bullet in your mouth trick, which again they included members of the audience who knew bullets and guns. In our case it was a policeman and a guy from the army. It was very clever and loud.

To sum up the show I would say that it was very clever, very entertaining and very funny. I would recommend it definitely.

Whilst in Vegas you have to visit Caesar's Palace Hotel. Apart from the usual attractions within the hotel, including Race for Atlantis, they have a great shopping arcade called The Forum Shops.

The shops are set in a Roman theme with Roman gods looking down on you whilst you shop, lots of fountains and statues, etc.

Some of the statues come to life at certain times to give entertaining shows and the room is made to look like sky, which changes from day to sunset to night as you walk along.

There are lots of different shops and restaurants to visit and all in all is one of the best shopping areas in Vegas.

This is an amazing place. It fluctuates from very tacky, very OTT, to totally amazing. Each hotel here is huge, most have a different theme, and each is amazing in its own way. You need to visit each of the hotels in Vegas--they're attractions in their own right.

It is incredibly hot here--110 degrees when we went in June--and it's quite an oppressive heat which makes you feel very tired, very quickly. We found we needed to keep popping into hotels just to get a blast of air conditioning. We also found that we needed to carry a drink around with us as we got extremely thirsty (water is best).

There are so many hotels and attractions here that it would be impossible to include them all, but I will give you a run down of my top ten, in no particular order.

a) Race for Atlantis--This 3D IMAX simulator ride is located in Caesar’s Palace. Be prepared to queue for this ride. The adventure starts when you're greeted by a toga-clad gentleman who explains that you have been chosen by Neptune to act as his champion in a chariot race. You are then given 3D goggles before moving onto the ride itself. You then sit in a chariot and experience a simulator ride that blows your mind. The 3D effects are brilliant and so is the IMAX effect--you feel as if you're really taking part of the race. The ride is quite jerky and fast but well worth it. It was great! It costs approx US$10 per adult.

b) Star Trek--The Experience--This is another simulator ride, this one based on the Star Trek films. This ride is located just off the strip, at the Las Vegas Hilton. Again, they make the most of the experience by allowing you to tour the History of the Future Museum first. Here you will see all the costumes, guns, phasers, etc., from the movies and get to tour the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. You are then told you need to evacuate the ship and get into a space shuttle. This is where you'll experience a simulator ride through space, eventually flying over Vegas and landing back at the hotel. When you get off the ride, there is a shop selling all manner of things and a restaurant–-Quarks–-which sells very strange sounding items that end up being very down-to-earth burgers etc. The cost is US$24 for all-day admission--you can ride the simulator as many times as you like by getting your hand stamped when you first go in.

c) Freemont Street Experience-–Literally, a downtown Vegas street located at the end of the strip. Above the street is a canopy of over two million light bulbs that are used nightly for different 6-minute light shows with fantastic lighting and brilliant sound. I cannot put into words how amazing this actually is--you'll have to go and see for yourself. The cost: FREE.

d) Eiffel Tower--A replica of the Eiffel Tower (50% size) at the Paris Hotel that rises 50 stories above ground. You go up in a lift and the views over the strip are amazing. This costs about $9 per adult and you can stay up there as long as you like. It's an excellent photo opportunity.

e) Secret Garden of Siegfried & Roy--This attraction at The Mirage Hotel, is actually a mini zoo. As you enter the hotel, go past a very large glass wall; behind it is a large water pool with white tigers playing in it. The garden entrance fee is about $10 and you'll get to see many different wild cats, such as lions and tigers, as well as elephants and so forth--all the animals that Siegfried & Roy used in their magic act. You'll also get to see the Dolphin Habitat; they don't train the dolphins, they just let them swim about and you can see them underwater.

f) Manhattan Express--This roller coaster is in the New York, New York Hotel at the top end of the strip. The coaster runs through the hotel and outside it. It's good to watch from outside too. Costs US$8 per person.

g) Big Shot--A ride at the top of the Stratosphere Hotel. The only trouble is that the hotel is 1,149-feet high--or 100 stories! You are strapped into a ride based round a very tall pole on top of the hotel and then shot 160 feet into the air in 2.5 seconds at 4 Gs, then back down again. Cost is US$14 to ride the Big Shot and High Roller (see below).

h) High Roller--This is a roller coaster on top of the Stratosphere Hotel. It's the world’s highest roller coaster and it's tilted at a 32-degree angle so you are literally hanging off the edge of the hotel. Cost is US$14 to ride the Big Shot and High Roller

i) Helicopter Rides--There are several companies offering helicopter rides over Vegas and the Grand Canyon. We chose the Vegas Night Ride, an after-dark ride that took us over the sights of Vegas. When you visit Vegas, you tend to stick to the 'Strip,' and don’t realize how vast the place actually is. From the helicopter you see the large sprawling town and realize that, yes, people actually live here. It's also amazing how flat the place is. It's definitely an enlightening experience. It can be quite expensive, but it's worth it.

j) Speed--The Ride--Another roller coaster, this time at the Sahara Hotel. It goes 224-feet high and contains loops, curves, and drops at a rate of 70 mph. Once you have completed the run, it goes in reverse and you go through the whole thing again--backwards! It's worth braving the lines you'll probably encounter and costs US$6 per adult.

There are many, many, other attractions in Vegas, such as: the Luxor Hotel which has the IMAX theatre and King Tut’s Tomb; the Mandalay Hotel; Shark Reef; Circus Circus; Adventuredome; Canyon Blaster; Rim Runner; Treasure Island; Pirate Battle; and The Venetian, which has Madame Tussaud's and gondola rides.

Every hotel also has huge casinos, but you only have to spend a few dollars as the slot machines start at 5-cents. You can eat whatever you want here, too--some places are expensive, others cheap, some in between--and there's food to suit everyone. Lots of shopping available too.

Las Vegas is an amazing place. I know I have gone on a bit, but with a place like this, it's hard not to. I will probably not visit Vegas again, but I am very glad I have experienced it first hand.