Lonely Planet - Las Vegas

book cover If you're exploring Las Vegas, be sure to visit these highlights, brought to you courtesy of our friends at Lonely Planet Publications

1. Getting a sensory overload on the world's flashiest boulevard

If it's your first time visiting Vegas and you're driving, make sure you do a few things. First, arrive after dark. Next, pull over and admire everything from afar before you hit the high-speed city limits. Finally, exit off the interstate and cruise the length of Las Vegas Blvd (aka the Strip). Your eyes will pop out of your head, guaranteed.

Flashing neon welcomes those weary from their interminably long trip across the desert (or equally taxing flight across the continent or an ocean) and gives 'em glorious sensory overload. From the beacon shooting toward the stars out of the Darth-Vader dark pyramid of the Luxor to the Big Apple cityscape of New York-New York, the thousands of feather-like pink bulbs adorning the venerable Flamingo, the spritzing musical fountains of Bellagio, the Mirage's exploding volcano and the gigantic Stratosphere Tower, all of the Strip is a spectacle.

Not that you have to drive it, of course. You can hoof it, though it'll mightily tire out your tootsies. Or cycle it, skateboard it, bodysurf it, roar down it on a Harley hog or even (as we saw one funny stuntman doing) rise above it all on a pair of rickety stilts. Watching - or joining the ranks of - the crazy folks is all part of the fun right here on the infamous Las Vegas Strip.

2. Eating your fill (or more) at a casino hotel

If things haven't gone your way in the poker room, or when you've thrown the dice the wrong way at the craps table, or after every pull of the slot-machine lever comes up short, you can still feel like you're winning the jackpot simply by feasting at one of Vegas' dozens of buffets.

Veterans of 'groaning boards' proffer some sage words of advice.

First, starve yourself for as long as possible before saddling up at a buffet, and don't count on eating any meals afterward. Breakfast or lunch - or better yet weekend bunch - is better value than dinner, unless special entrees such as steak or seafood are added. And the predictable principle usually applies: the more expensive the casino hotel, the better the fare. Think Wynn, Bellagio etc.

Once you wait out the queue, the time-tested strategy is to steal teensy servings of absolutely everything before deciding what you really want to eat. Why get stuck with soggy sushi when a smiling chef is making fresh omelettes and crepes just a few food stations over? And always save room for multiple mini desserts, from floating islands of caramel meringue to house-made gelato.

Oh, and leave behind a tip for the servers who bussed all those gluttonous piles of scrap-ridden plates off your table. Without them, you'd have drowned in those foodstuffs.

3. Putting your fortune in the hands of fate

Las Vegas wouldn't exist if people didn't come seeking their fortunes in the green felt jungle. From 19th-century silver miners and bordello prostitutes, to the New York mafia and billionaire Howard Hughes, to online gambling geeks who hang in until the final table at the World Series of Poker, a lucky few have made a mint here.

Advertising billboards around town are plastered with the smiling faces of Marge and David 'who just won $25,000 on our hot, hot slots!', which may seduce you into trying your hand at gaming.

Maybe someone hands you the dice at the craps table, and you can't resist giving 'em a to-die-for roll. Or you plug a quarter into the video poker machine and you're dealt a royal flush. Once you've caught the fever after a gigantic pay-off , there may be almost no going back.

Statistically speaking, however, the casino (aka 'the house') pretty much always has an edge over the gambler. Not even blackjack is really a 'beatable' game.

So before you bet your precious nest egg on the random turn of Fate's roulette wheel, do your homework.

4. Losing yourself in fantastic water worlds

Las Vegas thrives on its pop culture of excess. Ever since casino impresario Steve Wynn launched the fabulous Polynesian-themed casino hotel the Mirage at the end of the no-limits 1980s, every mega resort has aimed to be the biggest and best.

And that rule applies to swimming pools, too. Nothing has proved too difficult to dream or achieve. Mandalay Bay imported thousands of pounds of Southern California sand to build its artificial beach, where board-riders surf on manufactured waves. The MGM Grand designed a 1000ft (300m) lazy river ride, where guests fl oat along by barely moving a muscle. At Caesars Palace's Garden of the Gods Oasis, goddesses proffer frozen grapes, and topless sunbathing (ooh, la la!) is allowed at the Venus pool.

It all started with the Flamingo, of course, the Strip's first movie star-worthy casino hotel. Out back you can still glimpse its 1940s-era waterfalls, lagoons and grottoes where pink flamingos strike a pose.

Nowadays, though, the bad boys and girls hang out at the Hard Rock, reclining inside grass-shack cabanas with personal misting systems and playing swim-up blackjack at the exotic Palapa pavilion.

Other sexy scenes are found at the Palms, where the pool has a pink-tinted floor, and in the 50-person party hot tub at TI (Treasure Island).

5. Searching out some retro Vegas cool

If you've already been dazzled by the Strip and gotten down-and dirty in ol' downtown, it's time to go straight to the source of those Rat Pack-era vibes. Though in a town that moves as fast as this one, priceless pieces of history get lost, bulldozed, imploded and discarded every day. So devote a little time to unraveling the past in the present.

You just have to know where to look. Start by driving by that famous 'Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas' sign south of the Strip. Snap a souvenir photo of yourself standing in the median strip, and zoom back up Las Vegas Blvd.

Then saunter into the Strip's original glam casino hotel, the Flamingo, the folly that Bugsy built. Check out the yesteryear photos of movie stars and mobsters by the valet parking stand.

Nearby at Bally's, catch a cheesy Jubilee! topless show after taking a behind-the-scenes tour led by a real showgirl or chorus boy. Find out: how do they manage to keep all those rhinestones so strategically placed? Detour east of the Strip to the Liberace Museum to gawk at the outlandish costumes once worn by this legendary Vegas entertainer. As you keep gallivanting around town, look out for Elvis impersonators or play blackjack with a 'dealertainer' dressed like the King at the Imperial Palace.

With the perpetual demolition and construction along the Strip, not much more of old Vegas remains. But the closer you get to downtown, the more relics you'll see. Take Las Vegas Blvd, which beelines past old-fashioned strip clubs and wedding chapels galore. Or follow Main St past Rainbow Feather Co, where showgirls' boas are made of exotic feathers and dyed by hand, and the Gamblers General Store, which stocks decks of playing cards retired from famous-name casinos.

Downtown's Fremont St is the heart of yesteryear's Glitter Gulch.

Look up for the classic neon signs, Vegas Vic and Vegas Vicky, still standing tall. The Golden Gate casino hotel has been encouraging vice here since 1906. Down side alleys off Fremont St, take a sneak peek at other vintage neon signs, all courtesy of the Neon Museum, based inside the Neonpolis.

Bravely finish off your tour of old-school Vegas at the El Cortez casino hotel, which has barely changed a lick since the 1940s. Or get romantic back on the Strip at the Peppermill casino's flickering Fireside Lounge, which has been inspiring couples to make whoopee for decades.

6. Joining the low rollers in the land that taste forgot

Some critics lament that everything in Las Vegas is in outrageously bad taste, and, of course, that's almost 100 per cent true. But that's actually something to celebrate. It's as much fun to dive into the city's unbelievably campy depths as it is to aim for its snobbish heights of luxury.

You could spend all day watching the gob-stopping free casino spectaculars and inhaling the (almost free) food and drinks. Did you know they'll serve you free booze even if you're just playing the 'Penny Alley' slot machines? It's true.

If you're rarin' to go for a low-roller's ride through Las Vegas, there's no better place to start than downtown's Fremont St. Grab a 99¢ electric-blue-colored margarita in a souvenir 3ft-high plastic glass, buy a tacky T-shirt from a 'Sin City' souvenir shop and stagger around dive casinos while the Fremont Street Experience's cheesy laser-light show flashes overhead. Fight for a seat next to the blue-haired grannies inside the Plaza bingo room or quaff cocktails inside the casino's glass-domed Center Stage bar, where you can pretend to rise above the hoi polloi.

On the North Strip, a few kitschy casino hotel hold-outs from the 1950s and '60s still survive. Circus Circus, which Hunter S Thompson thought was best experienced while high out of one's mind, wins the prize for the cheesiest casino theme. Pick up a 'fun book' full of discount coupons to redeem at laughably bad Slots-AFun next door. Across the street, grab a tiki drink at the neon-lit Fireside Lounge inside the Peppermill casino. Are you soused enough yet to keep enjoying this? Moving down the Strip, nothing could be tackier than the new Sirens of TI show, where curvaceous pirates are outfitted in Victoria's Secret-esque lingerie. Keep the fantasy mindset going inside the live action Madame Tussauds Las Vegas, where you can pretend to marry movie stars or match skills with a sports legend. Or you can snap a photo of yourself with a celebrity impersonator at the Imperial Palace, then sweet talk a toga-clad cocktail waitress at Caesars Palace or a showgirl at Bally's into posing for one, too. Ladies, your knight in shining armor awaits at Excalibur, surely one of the Strip's most ridiculous casino hotels.

Last but not least, don't forget to pay your respects to the maestro of flamboyant kitsch, Liberace, at the off -Strip museum where fanatical 'Red Hats' keep the candles of his outrageous shrine burning bright.

7. Taking a break at a desert oasis

Now more than ever, visiting Las Vegas is about much more than mere gambling. A stopover these days is about the headlong, hedonistic pursuit of pleasure in all of its myriad varieties, so it was inevitable that fantastic spas would blossom here.

Las Vegas (Spanish for 'the meadows') has been an oasis in the Mojave Desert for millennia. Although its springs don't directly feed any of the city's 21st-century spas, that hardly matters. You can still find rejuvenation in just about any casino-hotel spa. Competition among the mega resorts is fierce, with indulgence ante happily being upped by every new spa on the block ...er, the Strip.

Seeking Hawaiian hot stone, Indian ayurvedic or Thai massage? Classes in rock climbing, kickboxing and sunrise yoga? Cocktail-flavored body scrubs and floral facials? Or 'aromapothecary' showers, blissful hydrotherapy circuits and co-ed tropical waterfall hot tubs? Nothing is too exotic. If it can be imagined, it can be experienced here. Some spas are even open 24 hours. Others specialize in tempting 'detox' treatments for the morning after that midnight madness.

So what are you waiting for? Treat yourself. You just might feel reborn.

8. Hitting the nightclubs and dancing till you drop

Booze, bodacious bodies and booty are what many come to Vegas for, since a drunken crawl along the Strip is just what the witch doctor ordered. The beautiful thing about Sin City is that you don't have to wait until a civilized cocktail hour to start carousing. Champagne brunches can start the morning off with a bang, some bars stay open 24/7, nightclubs rev up even on weekdays, and after-hours parties keep going strong until oh, about noon.

The launching pad of choice for a wild Vegas night is a svelte 'ultra lounge' on the Strip, where cocktails are mixed tableside by models, eye-popping burlesque dancers shimmy or sky-high views are the specialty of the house.

But these are mere stepping stones to Vegas' premier nightclubs, pure fantasyland environments where sin is back in style.

DJs as gorgeous as deep house mixes, go-go girls covered by little more than flower petals, and plush VIP bottle-service booths are all indulgently over-the-top. Or catch a famous rock star's show at The Joint or House of Blues.

There's no sleep for the wicked, of course, not even after 4am. Some choose to escape into the arms of G-string babes at off-Strip strip clubs, while others head for hipster watering holes at the edges of downtown. Wherever you wind up, feasting on a steak before dawn is a late-night Vegas must.

9. Looking out past the glittering city from the Stratosphere Tower

After a sweaty day traipsing up and down the Strip, especially when the dog days of summer hit, there's no better heat relief than to whoosh up the Stratosphere Tower courtesy of the USA's fastest elevators. There, almost 1150ft (350m) above the ground, strong breezes make the air cooler, not to mention clearer. On a good day, it's a cinch to see for many miles across the entire valley encircled by peaked mountains.

The eagle's-eye city skyline view can make anyone feel as rich as a casino mogul, especially while knocking back stiff martinis at the Romance at Top of the World lounge. But that's not the only way to get high atop the Stratosphere Tower. The pointed pinnacle of the city's tallest building is designed with thrill rides, including the aptly named Insanity (pictured above), which swings riders out 60ft (18m) away from the edge of the tower into thin air, then spins its huge claw arms that elevate to a 70 degree angle. Or try the Big Shot, which really gets blood rushing by rocketing riders in outward-facing seats up and down a steel spire.

Whether you show up for sunset or star gazing, nothing tops this vista.

10. Getting hitched in Sin City

Heaven might not be your place, but 'Marriages Made in Las Vegas' definitely doesn't have the same ring to it. But there must be something magical about it; on average one couple ties the knot every five minutes in Sin City. Wedding services range from a 10-minute drive-thru at a downtown chapel to a big, all-out 'do' at a glam casino mega resort.

The wild, wacky reasons people cite for getting hitched here are countless, but low licensing fees and the absence of waiting-period and blood-test requirements are the most often mentioned. Also, the 50-50 odds of a marriage surviving 'till death do us part' start to look pretty damn good in comparison to the chances of hitting a royal flush at the poker table. By the way, you don't have to be sober to get married here either. That helps some folks a lot.

Choices for the perfect spot to say 'I do' are endless. Weddings are performed in gondolas at the Venetian, inside the Stratosphere's Chapel in the Clouds, or atop the Eiffel Tower at Paris-Las Vegas. You can hire an Elvis impersonator to serenade you with 'Blue Hawaii,' or dress up like Marilyn Monroe. Sci-fi geeks proclaim their undying love to the galaxy at Star Trek: The Experience. You can even get married on the floor of the Grand Canyon - or completely nekkid.

Of course, to be truthful, the more Vegas wedding chapels you see, the less you may be inclined to entrust them with the happiest day of your lives. Many are pretty tacky, full of plastic flowers, fake stained-glass windows and doll's-house pews. You may feel rushed, too, as these places crank out dozens of weddings every day. Expect to pay upwards of $200 for a basic service, including a chintzy limo ride to the chapel if you're lucky.

Be advised that New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day are crush times for Vegas wedding chapels, so plan ahead if you want to say your vows on either of these days. You can apply for the required marriage license online up to a year in advance. Even if you're not contemplating tying the knot yourself, it's still worth a peek inside a wedding chapel to see if anyone else is crazy enough to do it. Wish 'em luck!

11. Room service is only the beginning

It's true that Vegas is a city that's rushing with adrenaline 24/7. But sometimes the best thing to do is nothing at all - in the luxury surrounds of your own hotel room.

Sleeping in late is required for party animals who were out gambling, club hopping and making merry mayhem till dawn. You'll find Vegas hotel rooms have the most creative, collectible versions of 'Do Not Disturb' signs; the one in the MGM Grand's West Wing simply states 'Recharging.' There's very little that's not available in a minibar or on a room service menu somewhere in this city.

At the Hard Rock, you can order Love Jones lingerie and erotic play boxes (whoa, handcuffs!) delivered straight to your room. Champagne on ice is available at even low-rollers' hotels, but how many will also deliver a gourmet hot-fudge sundae at 3am like the Luxor? The plushest casino hotels in Vegas (think: Wynn, Venetian, Caesars Palace, Bellagio) have exclusive all-suites towers with VIP concierges and every imaginable amenity, making sure no one would ever want to leave.

For a hipper hotel getaway, the mod high-tech suites at THE hotel at Mandalay Bay have plasma TVs and deep soaking tubs - in the same room! Elsewhere, naughty bachelors/bachelorettes and their entourages won't be able to resist the Palms' playpen suites.