Fancy A Flutter On Las Vegas?

Have you ever wondered if a trip to Las Vegas is for you?

Isn’t it just an Adult Disney full of Americans Behaving Badly in some sort of modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah?

Well, it can’t be denied that the place is dominated by gambling and drinking, with prostitution, drug taking and organised crime not far below the surface.

But that doesn’t mean it’s a place to be avoided – unless you are planning to take children. If so, think again. Not because of the activities listed above but because it’s simply not aimed at children. Apart from a splash in the hotel pool you’ll struggle to find things to occupy them.

But as an open minded adult it’s a load of fun and a paradise for ‘people watching‘. Pretty much anything goes and even the most bizarre behaviour can be explained by “It’s Vegas!”

It’s not cheap. Hotels on the strip start about $200 a night (although there is cheaper accommodation away from the strip) and run to thousands per night for a suite. (See Video of a suite in the Palazzo Hotel).

But the strip is the place to be with activity night and day and each hotel is bigger than the last, all with their own casinos and one – The Venetian – with its own gondolas on canals on its second floor. (Watch a video of the strip).

If you are going to gamble take plenty of money. Tables on the strip have a $10 minimum stake and can go to $100,000 minimum in the high roller areas.

It’s a little more affordable in downtown Las Vegas – home of the original mob-controlled strip.

Fremont Street has tables with a $5 minimum bet and some slot machines with smaller stakes.

It also has a zip wire which runs the entire length of the covered street, and a burger joint called Heart Attack Grill.

If you weigh more than 350lbs (25 stones) you eat for free. Once inside you don a hospital gown and browse the high cholesterol-laden menu ranging from Single to Octuple Bypass Burgers. (Watch video of Fremont Street).

But if you fancy a break from the strip, Las Vegas is also well situated to explore other well-known attractions.

The Hoover Dam (Watch video) and Grand Canyon (Watch video) are a good day trip in one direction and Death Valley is a day trip in the other direction.

So all in all, I’d say it’s definitely worth a punt. What could possibly go wrong?

Good Luck
The Barefoot Bohemian.