Las Vegas Things to Do Tips by Jefie

A touch of European elegance on the Strip Monte Carlo Review

The Monte Carlo Resort and Casino opened in 1995, promising to offer European elegance at budget prices. Named after the Monaco (France) region that is mostly famous for its casinos, the Monte Carlo is indeed a very photogenic hotel, but compared with most of its neighbors, it doesn't really have anything special to attract visitors. We walked around the main floor for a while, but were soon out again to take some pictures of the lovely statues that grace the casino's main entrance. It might be a really nice place to stay at, but if you're just visiting, you'll probably quickly move on to another more impressive hotel. Still worth stopping by, though!

Address: 3770 South Las Vegas Blvd

Directions: Center Strip

Phone: 702-730-7777

Website: http://www.montecarlo.com

Looking for some Medieval adventures? Excalibur Hotel - Casino Review

The Excalibur Hotel and Casino was modeled after a French Medieval castle and was named after the legendary sword of King Arthur. When it opened in 1990, it was the biggest hotel in the world, but it has now been supplanted by several hotels, including the Las Vegas MGM Grand.

The Excalibur seems to be very popular with families and to be honest, if I were traveling with children, I would much rather stay there than at the slightly outdated Circus Circus hotel. The Excalibur features a pretty big arcade in the basement where kids can waste some money while their parents do the same at the casino upstairs, and there are also some 4D rides featuring characters such as SpongeBog SquarePants. Another very popular family attraction is the "Tournament of Kings", a jousting dinner show (about $60 per person, free for kids under 3). I didn't go but my mother-in-law did and she very much enjoyed both the meal and the atmosphere - the menu features Cornish game hen as the main dish, and you are expected to eat it with your fingers just like people did in ye good olde days!

Address: 3850 South Las Vegas Blvd

Directions: At the southern end of the Strip, between the Luxor and the New York, New York.

Other Contact: info@excalibur.com

Phone: 702-597-7777

Website: http://www.excalibur.com

Free attractions at The Mirage: the volcano & more Mirage Review

The Mirage was the first hotel and casino built by famous Las Vegas developer Steve Wynn. Built in 1989 at an unprecedented cost of $630 million, The Mirage became an instant success and brought thousands of tourists to the Strip, which paved the way for all the big resorts that now surround it. It is well worth going in to explore the "rainforest atrium" that waits for you just as you step inside, and also to see the 20,000 gallon saltwater aquarium filled with exotic and colorful fish species that is located right behind the lobby's front desk.

From 1990 to 2003, The Mirage was of course famous for being the home of Siegfried & Roy's magic show, which ended when Roy was attacked by one of the white tigers that were prominently featured in the show. The Mirage is now home to Love, a very popular Cirque du Soleil show based on the music by the Beatles. The Mirage also offers another free outdoor attraction: every evening starting at 6:00 pm, its artificial volcano erupts and sprouts larva and fire; it sort of does with fire what the Bellagio fountains do with water. The volcano was renovated and improved in 2008 but unfortunately, we were there just two days before the grand reopening. We did however manage to catch a rehearsal and it was pretty impressive, so I can only imagine what it must be like to watch the full show with sound effects!

Address: 3400 South Las Vegas Blvd

Directions: Center Strip

Phone: 702-791-7111

Website: http://www.mirage.com

For a quick trip to Ancient Egypt Luxor Review

Although we didn't spend that much time hanging around the Luxor Hotel & Casino, it is still one of those not-to-be-missed attractions on the Strip. With its 350 foot high black pyramid and striking reproduction of the Great Sphinx of Giza, it is probably one of the city's most easily recognizable landmarks.

Although they've recently toned down the Egyptian theme inside the hotel, I was still impressed by all the details included in the design, from the larger-than-life reproductions of Pharaoh statues to the Egyptian symbols and scriptures carved on the walls. Another quirky feature of the Luxor is the spotlight that sits on top of the pyramid - it is believed to be the brightest spotlight in the world and not only can it be seen from any location on the Strip, some say you can even see it as far as Los Angeles!

Address: 3900 South Las Vegas Blvd

Directions: South end of the strip, between the Excalibur and Mandalay Bay hotels.

Phone: 702-262-4444

Website: http://www.luxor.com

Truly worth the detour! Mandalay Bay Review

The Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino is located near the very southern end of the Strip and for that reason, many people don't bother going all the way out there - they do miss out on a gorgeous hotel, though! If you don't feel like walking, it is always possible to hop on the free skytrain that connects the Mandalay Bay to the Luxor and Excalibur hotels.

One of the main attractions at the Mandalay Bay is the Shark Reef aquarium, but at $16.95 per person we decided to skip it. Instead we spent about an hour walking around the resort - the pool area has been voted the nicest one in Las Vegas and I can understand why: for a while, it feels like you've just discovered a tropical island just off the Strip! There is also some good shopping to be done at Mandalay Place - it's the only place where I was able to find a bookshop on the Strip (The Reading Room, it is rather small but it offers a good book selection). The other purchase I made was at Fat Tuesday, where I got a pretty good mango daiquiri that came in a souvenir mug (you can get refills and yes, drinking on the street is allowed in Las Vegas!). Another interesting feature at the Mandalay Bay is the Las Vegas House of Blues, where you can get a pretty good meal while listening to great live music. Truly worth the detour!

Address: 3950 South Las Vegas Blvd

Directions: At the southern end of the Strip

Phone: 702-632-7777

Website: http://www.mandalaybay.com

The Forum Shops at Caesars' Palace Shopping Review

Even if you're not big on shopping, it's still worth stopping by The Forum Shops at Caesars'. With stores like Dior, Escada, Gucci, Jimmy Choo and Louis Vuitton, this shopping center is believed to be the most successful mall in America in terms of the amount of money that is spent there every year. But what caught my attention wasn't really its high-end boutiques; it was mostly its amazing architecture that reproduces the atmosphere of ancient Greek and Roman temples. The FAO Schwarz toystore even features a 47-foot wooden Trojan horse!

Both inside and outside you can admire the shops' beautiful fountains and statues, and one of the mall's most popular attractions is its Fountain Show: every hour on the hour, between 10:00 am and 11:00 pm, the mall's fountains and statues come to life for a few minutes. To be honest, while kids might get a kick out of it, I didn't think it was all that impressive but hey, it's another free attraction in Las Vegas!

Address: 3570 South Las Vegas Blvd

Directions: Center Strip

Phone: 1-866-227-5938

Website: http://www.caesarspalace.com/casinos/caesars-palace/casino-misc/the-forum-shops-detail.html

Timeless luxury on the Strip Caesar's Palace Review

Just like the Flamingo Hotel & Casino, Caesars Palace helped transform the Strip into what it is today by becoming the first true "themed" hotel in Las Vegas, back in 1966. While there are not many hotels left on the Strip that date back to the 1960s, Caesars Palace has aged like good wine: throughout the years, it has been able to keep up its great reputation through a constant series of updates, renovations and additions, while staying true to its roots. One of its best known addition is of course the Colosseum theatre which was added in 2003 specifically to host Celine Dion's "A New Day...", a very successful show that ran during almost 5 years. As of 2008, Bette Midler, Cher and Elton John were sharing the stage of the Colosseum theatre.

I very much enjoyed walking around Caesars Palace, but what I liked the most was to roam around its beautiful grounds. Everywhere you look there are flowers, statues (which funnily enough look like classic Roman statues that have received breast inplants!), and of course the Palace's famous fountains. I also found a nice little spot on the terrace where you could stop by to get a drink - I got a glass of raspberry vodka lemonade and very much enjoyed sitting in the sun, with Rome behind me and the Eiffel Tower in front!

Address: 3570 South Las Vegas Blvd

Directions: Center Strip

Phone: 1-866-227-5938

Website: http://www.caesarspalace.com

Benvenuto in Italia! Venetian Hotel - Casino Review

The Venitian seems to be many people's favorite hotel and casino in Las Vegas, and I can understand why. A lot of effort (and money) was obviously put into the reproduction of all the major landmarks of the famous Italian city. The Venitian resort opened in 1999, and its outdoor attractions feature a replica of St. Mark's Campanile, a replica of the Rialto Bridge, and an artificial "Grand Canal" on which you can ride a gondola - but at $16 per person, we didn't think the 30 min ride was worth it. Instead, we decided to walk along the canal that goes through the hotel's large indoor shopping mall while listening to the singing gondoliers. When we reached the indoor Piazza, we were pleasantly surprised to catch an operetta featuring several fantastic singers.

The newest addition to the resort is the Palazzo Hotel & Casino, which actually is an extension of the Venitian. Both hotels are connected through the Grand Canal Shoppes, and together they total over 7,000 rooms, which makes it the largest resort in Las Vegas. The Venitian's Palazzo officially opened in 2008 and offers visitors a "European luxury experience". There is no denying that the Venitian is an incredibly photogenic hotel and it's worth stopping by during the day and then later at night to get the best shots possible. I can now only hope I get to see the real Venice one of these days!

Address: 3355 South Las Vegas Blvd.

Directions: Center Strip

Phone: 702-414-1000

Website: http://www.venetian.com

Loved the Flamingo's wildlife habitat! Flamingo Hilton Review

Dating back to 1946, the Flamingo is the oldest hotel and casino on the Strip. Back when Freemont Street was the place to go in Vegas, a man named Billy Wilkerson bought some land on Las Vegas Blvd with the idea of opening the city's biggest hotel and casino. He soon received support from none other than Meyer Lansky and his associate, Bugsy Siegel. The Flamingo didn't do too well when it first opened, and Bugsy actually lost his life over it. Things eventually picked up, and I guess it would be fair to say that the Las Vegas Strip would not be what it is today if it hadn't been for the Flamingo.

I was very curious to see this historic hotel (although not much remains of the original structure), but I have to say that the blazing pink neon lights almost made me want to change my mind! We still went in and after walking around for a while, we discovered the Flamingo's wildlife habitat :o) Of course, flamingos hold a prime spot in this tropical-like habitat, but Koi fish, waterfowl and turtles can also be seen. There is also a nice waterfall where I'm sure every tourist has had his or her picture taken - including me!

Address: 3555 South Las Vegas Blvd

Directions: Center Strip

Phone: 702-733-3111

Website: http://www.flamingolasvegas.com

For a fun and casual East Coast atmosphere New York Review

Only in Vegas can you walk from Venice to Paris to New York in just a few minutes! Because we stayed across the street, we spent a fair bit of time at the New York, New York hotel. It wasn't as crowded as the MGM Grand, and I thought there was a nice casual atmosphere, especially for the younger crowd. Of course, looking at the hotel from the outside is an attraction in itself as you can pick out many of the famous NYC landmarks in the condensed New York skyline: the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Brooklyn Bridge and of course the Statue of Liberty are all there, among others.

One of my favorite features inside was the hotel's foodcourt, designed to look a bit like Greenwhich Village, which happens to be my favorite area in NYC. There are many casual restaurants and bars, including my favorite place to hang out at night in Las Vegas: the Nine Fine Irishmen pub (see my nightlife tips section). Another big attraction at the New York, New York is the Manhattan Express roaller coaster but when I saw how high the first drop was (203 feet!), I thought I'd rather live to tell about it - riding the elevator up the Eiffel Tower had already given me all the thrill I needed!!

Address: 3790 South Las Vegas Blvd

Directions: At the beginning of the south end of the Strip

Phone: 1-800-689-1797

Website: http://www.nynyhotelcasino.com/