Visiting Las Vegas

City that was born amidst the Nevada desert, an oasis of vice, the sin city as it is popularly known, Las Vegas, these days has become subtle and family oriented. One can expect to have a good time at the crowded casinos, gourmet food and spectacular attractions.

People flock to this flashing, buzzing corner of the desert to get married, gamble or have a good time with their family. Lavish hotels on the strip almost recreate Paris, New York, Egypt, Venice and England to attract the visitors.

There are several hotels along the strip in Las Vegas that offer discounted rates if you book or reserve in advance. Several hotels offer rooms at a cheaper rate during the weekdays. A room that costs $30 during weekdays or in off-season may cost over $70 during weekends or holidays.

Hotels on the strip are at the center of attraction and within walking distance to one another. However, their inexpensive rooms sell out quite fast. There are also many hotels around the Sahara Road and South Las Vegas Boulevard. If you wish to stay downtown, casino hotels in the Fremont street might be a good idea.

During weekdays and at a discounted price, one could find a room between $30-$60 at Tropicana, MGM Grand and the like. Each hotel charges a tax of 7% to 10% per day apart from the room rent, few also charge a daily resort rate.

Efforts to bring families to the sin city are evident everywhere. There are arcades, thrill rides and stunning architecture at every turn. Kids might also be interested to look around the M'n'M store, Cocoa Cola store and Harley-Davis bike café on the strip.

The strip in Las Vegas is the fantasy land of neon, crowded with people, casinos and restaurants. Several casino hotels also have stunning animal attractions. The Mandalay Bay houses aquatic beasts in the Shark Reef, including 15 shark species. The MGM Grand has its own lion habitat worth 9 million dollars. Two lions are kept in this habitat in a soundproof glass and visitors can see the lions up and close for free. It is definitely a sight not to be missed.

The lion habitat is one thing that a visitor would really enjoy to see and talk about. 37 lions are bred at a ranch 12 miles from the strip in Las Vegas. Two lions are brought from the ranch to the MGM Grand for 5 and a half hours in shifts. This means that you would see two different pairs of lions in a day. Is it not truly amazing?

Apart from the animal attractions, the Bellagio, world's largest 5-star hotel houses a floral conservatory that changes with the seasons. The hotel also offers a view of spectacular fountains, free to the public. Here, water is propelled several feet high into the air during a daily free water ballet shows every 10-15 minutes in the evening, set to Italian opera songs.

Further, there is the famous Madame Tussaud's wax museum, replicas of Eiffel Tower, London Bridge, Statue of Liberty and so on. However, the best way to visit all these attractions on the strip is by foot. If you are lucky to find a good deal at a hotel on the strip, all the attractions would be at a walking distance. Traffic is frustrating and busy. Hence the best way to enjoy the strip is on foot.

Thus, for the first timers to Las Vegas, there is more to the city than mere gambling.