Lonely Planet - Las Vegas

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.