Think Las Vegas and you’ve probably filled your mind with thoughts of slots, casinos, and bad decisions. Well, that’s not all there is to one of America’s most iconic cities – though it’s certainly something worth visiting if you’re thinking about holidaying in Nevada. However, Vegas has a lot more to offer tourists of all tastes, and one such striking event is the monthly celebration of “First Friday”.

Now gathering a few years of experience behind its tender age, First Friday is a unique celebration that takes place on – you guessed it – the first Friday of every month. On this day, locals and tourists alike are invited to Las Vegas’ art district to take in the very latest of the city’s cutting edge arts offerings. If you want to party in Vegas without hitting the casinos, this is the event for you. The entire arts quarter, comprised of pedestrianised streets, turns into a giant block party where like minded individuals come together to discover, take part in and celebrate local arts.

First Friday commemorates all things artistic, so you can expect to see anything from ice sculptors and fire breathers to fortune tellers, tarot readers and plenty of live bands providing the soundtrack to the month’s most exciting day. Children are offered chalk with which they can turn the streets into their canvasses and you’ll see plenty of adults taking part in this fun activity as well. Art galleries are highlighted, new art and music is discovered and Vegas residents take the opportunity to open their minds regarding their day to day lives.

Everybody is encouraged to try something new, particularly activities that give back to this historical community. That may be going to see a fresh band you’ve never heard of or eating at a restaurant you normally wouldn’t dream of visiting, all with the aim of expanding your horizons and discovering more about what the world has to offer. The locals are friendly and everybody is willing to try something new.

The atmosphere at a First Friday is unlike how the city feels at any other time of the month. The air is electric and the chances are that it’ll be many, many hours before you’re willing to drag yourself away back to whichever of the Las Vegas hotels you’re staying at. So if you are considering a trip to Nevada at some point, it could be worth scheduling a trip to Vegas at the beginning of the month – you won’t forget the amazing new experiences you’ll be able to enjoy.

When it comes to gambling, the closest that most of us will get to doing just that is to buy a lottery ticket.

But when you decide to book a holiday in Las Vegas, you are putting yourself in one of the best cities in the world for gambling opportunities. And that means it pays to be aware of what you will find.

For some people the chance to gamble in such a well known and vibrant area can be too tempting to resist. Las Vegas is arguably the best known venue in the world for casinos, and with all the bright lights, twenty four hour excitement and much more besides, it is easy to come unstuck.

For starters there are several games you can play when you arrive at the casino of your choice to have a flutter. There are two basic types of games you can try; the first group are known collectively as ‘table games’, and include the likes of craps, blackjack and roulette. The second type is the slot games, more commonly referred to simply as ‘the slots’.

Some people find the slots more accessible to begin with, especially if they have never visited Las Vegas before. It can be a bit intimidating walking into a casino for the first time with money in your pocket, and not knowing what you are doing!

Slot machines are thus extremely popular, as it is just you and the machine. You don’t have to feel self conscious sitting around a table with a dealer and several other gamblers. And people have won huge amounts from those slot machines too, amounting to millions of dollars apiece.

So if you are planning on going to Vegas soon and you aren’t quite sure what to expect, here are some tips to help you make sure things go well. Firstly make sure you have a gambling budget set up if you are planning to try your luck. You might want to allow yourself a certain amount of cash for each day of your holiday; alternatively sightseeing in Las Vegas may be more important to you so you might want to save your cash for a single day of gambling.

Whichever route you decide to take, it’s a good idea not to dive straight in when you first arrive. Take your time and wander round the casinos to get a feel of what is happening and where. Once you feel more confident you can have a go yourself.

The great thing about Vegas is that many of the big Las Vegas hotels have casinos within the building. So you won’t even have to venture outside to have a go at winning one of those huge jackpots.

Gambling is big money when you are staying in Las Vegas. But don’t feel obliged to have a go at winning the jackpot – especially if you don’t have any real skills or knowledge in that area.

Luckily Las Vegas is set up to appeal to more than just the hardened gamblers. It also has plenty to offer the average tourist who wants to see what makes this particular town tick.

One of your first stops won’t involve any money changing hands at all. The Bellagio Hotel is known for the fountains which constantly attract visitors in front of the hotel itself. You can enjoy the performances every single day, and since they are free you can watch them as often as you wish.

Another sight that should be on your list is the Eiffel Tower. Yes, there really is such a thing in Vegas! It isn’t quite as big as the real thing in France – it comes in at around half the height – but it still gives you a superb view from over 450 feet up in the air. Be sure to take your camera so you can capture some wonderful pictures of the Strip below.

If the weather isn’t too good during your visit, you can always head to the Adventuredome for the day. Just as the name suggests, this is packed with adventure for both children and adults – and you don’t have to worry about the odd shower since the whole place is under a gigantic dome.

You can enjoy a water ride, various roller coasters and even try your hand at bungee jumping if you have the nerve for it. Most visitors find this is a day long experience, so make sure you buy a ticket that allows you to go on everything as often as you like.

If you are on holiday with your family make sure you head for the Lied Discovery Children’s Museum while you are in town. This has dozens of permanent and temporary exhibits that really do make learning fun. It is definitely geared up to appeal to children, but most adults will find it a refreshing change and a lot of fun too.

Although there are plenty of venues to visit along the Strip itself, it’s worth looking around to see what else is available nearby. There are lots of Las Vegas hotels in the area that will make travelling to and from the attractions very easy indeed.

As you can see, Las Vegas offers much more than just gambling. And it can actually prove to be a great place to stay for a family holiday too. With so much to see and do, you won’t have a spare moment – except to wonder where you are heading next.

Las Vegas and all the glitz and the glamour is a fairly new thing, although its difficult to imagine it to be so if you are a casino enthralled in the joys of winning or the depressions of losing. Not so long ago the whole area was nothing but a landscape of sand and cactus plants – for as far as the eye could see stretching for mile upon mile. That was up until Howard Hughes changed it all.

Over the past 4 decades the city of Las Vegas has undergone a huge amount of change. First off came the mega hotels with their huge casinos and bright lights to dazzle everyone who walked in the doors and then the Summerlin master planned community. There has been constant change even since the 1960’s. Not only to meet heightened safety regulations but also to keep up to date with the patrons – the high rollers and the not so high rollers alike.

These days though there is room for discount hotels and cheap Vegas hotels. There has to be because most of us cannot afford to go to the casino and blow a large bank roll on a regular basis. How else to attract the masses to the area?

You may think the words discount and cheap are indeed – cheap, meaning not so good or low class. Don’t let this fool you. Cheap and discount really means that hotels are vying and competing for your business. In which case even high end 5 star hotels at least at some times of the year offer their potential patrons package deals and discounts. Even if these hotels are on the strip.

The key thing that keeps Vegas going is the casinos as not enough tourists go to fill all the hotel rooms day in day out year after year. So with this in mind what happens is that the hotels offer cheaper rooms and cheaper food to bring in the punters, making up any losses in the reduced hotel rates by what they then make in the casinos. Its a clever philosophy really.

So where are the cheap Vegas hotels to be found? Well if you want the real cheap places don’t go to the strip, obviously. Downtown is cheaper than the strip but well off strip is where the actions at. If you find some of the smaller motels off strip you can come up with some real bargain deals. Or why not think about a place like Sam’s Town which is around 10 miles from the strip. A long way off for a regular venture into town for sure but if you are only making a few visits to the big casinos then it will save you money for sure.

There are great discounts to be had and many cheap Las Vegas hotel around these days in particular, both on strip and definitely off strip. Spend a little time on research and you will come up with a great deal.

A stag weekend is an essential part of saying goodbye to the single life and getting ready for being a married man.

While tales of waking up in a strange place the next morning abound, not all stag weekends have to end somewhere unpleasant. As far as venues go, you can’t get much better than Las Vegas.

Vegas gives you countless opportunities to turn your stag weekend into the trip of a lifetime. The most obvious activity to get involved in is gambling, but if you decide to blow some cash on the strip, make sure you have some kind of budget or upper limit in mind before you go.

The additional benefit of staying in Las Vegas for a stag weekend is that the best casinos are part of a hotel. This ‘all in one’ benefit means that you can all stay in the same venue and not even leave the building to try out the slot machines and the gaming tables.

You don’t have to spend all your time sitting at the table playing cards or betting on the roll of the dice. There are plenty of clubs in the area of the Las Vegas Strip too, and these are popular places to head to when the night is young and you want to celebrate saying goodbye to your life as a singleton.

Before you start thinking that Las Vegas stag weekends are all about clubbing and gambling, think again. This is Vegas after all, and everything is done in style here. It’s easy enough to book a limo to give your stag party a tour of the area, relaxing in style as you go. If that isn’t enough, what about seeing Las Vegas from above? Helicopter flights are also possible, and they will generally also give you a good view of the famous desert areas in Clark County, where Las Vegas itself is situated.

Another key part of many Las Vegas stag dos is the opportunity to take part in some great sporting activities. You can take full advantage of being close to the desert by trying your hand at controlling a dune buggy. This is great fun and you can try racing your friends across the sand – maybe even beating your best man in the process! Go karting is another similar experience you might want to consider, but it doesn’t beat the buggies.

Among the many Las Vegas hotels in the area, you will find ones that fit with any budget you might have in mind. So if you are ready to wave goodbye to life as a single person, why not do it in style and pick Las Vegas as the place to celebrate in?

The contrasts that greet you when you visit Las Vegas are just the very beginning of the surprises and memories that you will take away from this glitzy showbiz town. Built right in the heart of the Nevada Desert, Las Vegas is still relatively new as far as US states go, having only been around for about a century, though it has since expanded faster than any other city in the country.

Earning the nickname ‘Sin City’ after its famously liberal attitude towards various forms of adult entertainment, Las Vegas has always been a draw to the world’s rich, famous and successful – offering the perfect playground for a fun-loving getaway and 24-hour parties. Ironically, it’s a little known fact that the city also has more churches than any other U.S. city. However, it’s the love of one particular vice that it has since become synonymous with: gambling.

Vast illuminations, neon-signs and sky-scanning spotlights make Las Vegas the brightest city in the world, particularly thanks to The Strip – a 3.8 mile stretch of elaborate and striking restaurants, casinos and hotels, making it the must-see attraction in the city. Of all the epic casinos vying for your dollars, perhaps the most visually stunning is The Bellagio, whose choreographed ‘dancing fountains’ of water can be enjoyed for free every half hour each day. In fact, most of the city’s most famous attractions can be enjoyed for free or cheap, like the Bellagio’s Gallery of Fine Art or the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower Replica further along the strip. For $5 you can ride the Deuce Bus, which goes back and forth up and down The Strip – perfect for hoping on and off.

A few more ‘Strip’ essentials to look out for when you’re downtown are The Volcanic Eruption at The Mirage Hotel, which takes place every 15 minutes from 6pm. Or make like an Egyptian at The Luxor’s famed glass pyramid, before taking to the recreated waterways and canals at The Venetian. Finally, have your timbers fully shivered at the Treasure Island Hotel & Casino’s ‘Treasure Island Battleship Show’. Many Las Vegas hotels feature free attractions like this, so it’s worth grabbing a local guide for some top tips.

As much fun as The Strip is, it is always worth your time to head off and see some of Las Vegas’ other delights too, as there’s more to the city that just glamour and make-believe. For thrill-seekers, follow the Las Vegas Boulevard north until you reach Stratosphere, the tallest building in the city, where the views are exceptional. If this isn’t white-knuckle enough though, on the skyscraper’s roof are three different rollercoaster rides!

When considering Las Vegas, many people will usually conjure images of gambling, late-night shows, and a party scene that never ceases – Las Vegas is, after all, referred to as “The City That Never Sleeps”. However, there’s no reason to rule Las Vegas out as a family holiday destination. With countless family-friendly activities – not to mention many that are specifically dedicated to entertaining the kids – families with kids of all ages can enjoy a trip to Las Vegas.

If your family are the adventurous type, head over to Adventuredome at Circus Circus – America’s largest indoor theme park. Featuring an array of thrilling rides, a miniature golf course, laser tag, an arcade, clown shows, and game booths, the kids are sure to get a kick out of this popular Las Vegas attraction. The Las Vegas Mini Grand Prix is another great adventure option, offering the little ones everything from mini race car driving to a miniature roller coaster.

However, if your family loves the outdoors, you’re sure to love the natural splendours surrounding Las Vegas. Floyd Lamb Park, for instance, is an oasis amid the desert, featuring scenic paths along vast greenery, ponds, and picnic areas. The park even boasts volleyball and horseshoe facilities, as well as fossil remains for the kids to marvel at. Lake Mead – the largest man-made lake in the Western Hemisphere – is another option, offering year-round activities such as boating, swimming and hiking. Finally, for true outdoor enthusiasts, the Grand Canyon National Park is accessible to anyone visiting Las Vegas. Measuring 277 miles long and 1 mile deep at its deepest point, the Grand Canyon is guaranteed to amaze the entire family.

For a bit of history and culture in Las Vegas, head to the Las Vegas Natural History Museum – featuring exhibits on Nevada’s native plants and animals – followed by the Nevada State Museum – depicting Nevada’s history from the Ice Age to modern times. Other fun museums like Madame Tussauds, the Lied Discovery Children’s Museum, and M&M World are also sure to have your kids thrilled during your Las Vegas holiday.

Finally, if your kids are animal lovers, don’t miss attractions like the Aquarium at Silverton, the Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage, the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay, or the Zoological-Botanical Park. The kids will also likely enjoy seeing the Lion Habitat at MGM Grand, or the famed white tigers at The Mirage.

With so many fun-filled activities for the entire family to enjoy, Las Vegas is the ideal family holiday destination. You can even find many Las Vegas hotels that are more child and family friendly – so there’s no reason to leave the kids behind on your next trip to Las Vegas.

Do you fancy a go on the slot machines or perhaps the gaming tables? This is one of the hottest reasons why so many people head to Las Vegas for a holiday and provided you don’t go overboard it can be exciting to try and win it big.

There are plenty more reasons to visit, not least the fact that there are lots of cheap hotels to choose from. Whatever your budget might be you will find just the right hotel for your needs, whether it is on the Strip or elsewhere in the city.

Las Vegas also offers themed hotels, which might be the reason that convinces you to go. Have you ever thought about staying in a gangster, Camelot or Cupid room for example? Try the Las Vegas hotel for those, and check out all the other hotels in town to find all kinds of other rooms that have different themes.

Of course one of the biggest reasons for paying a visit is to see the strip. Expect plenty of advertising and one big reason for staying in town after dark – the lights. The strip is famous for its lights and the area really comes to life at night. Don’t miss Vegas’ Eiffel Tower, which is lit up and looks amazing when the sun goes down.

Another sight worth seeing during the evening is the Fountains of Bellagio. These are free to watch and while the shows start before dark on some evenings it is worth waiting until after dark to get the most out of the lights, music and effects that are laid on for visitors.

A lot of people visit Las Vegas for the entertainment. Big music stars, famous magicians and a lot more besides can be enjoyed here. Be sure to book in advance if you can, rather than leaving it until the last minute.

There are other examples of nightlife here as well – not least the nightclubs that are on every corner and every stretch of the Strip you come across. You could try a couple every night and still not visit them all!

Not everyone likes nightclubs though, and if you would prefer to spend the evening sampling some great food, you can do that just as easily. And in fact the food is one very good reason for visiting Las Vegas in the first place. Whatever you love to eat you’ll find it here.

Finally there are the exhibits. There is the Shark Reef Aquarium at the Mandalay Bay resort, and countless exhibits at the King’s Ransom Museum in the Imperial Palace. You’ll be bound to find plenty more as well.

Flights to Las Vegas from London are widely available and because of the length of the flight most come with onboard entertainment, although not quite the same as you’ll experience when you touchdown.

If you want an action packed experience, one where you’re living the high life and where you can have fun every minute, then consider visiting Las Vegas. Here you can indulge in gambling in many casinos, enjoy the entertaining night life, splash out on some tasteful shopping and wine and dine in some fantastic restaurants. In Las Vegas you’ll have fun, as that’s what it’s all about.

Las Vegas is of course famous for its casinos and its all you can eat buffets, and some casinos even offer buffets. Las Vegas is host to a number of pricey restaurants; however there are also a few budget places available for those who get too carried away on the slot machines. The budget places are more reasonably priced than low priced. No matter what you budget is for eating, you’re sure to find an affordable place to eat. Buffets are excellent for those who wish to eat to their hearts content, the food is of an excellent quality, and there is a good variety of different foods including cuisines from around the world, ensuring there’s something for everyone.

You can have a better and a more fun filled experience in Las Vegas, with the amount of money you have to hand. So it’s important to get the best deal in everything from the flights to the hotel that you’ll be staying in. The more money you save on getting and staying there, the more money you’ll have to make your holiday a memorable one. Before you book anything, be sure to check online for reviews and the best deals available. Compare everything, including your flights, hotels, car rentals, travel insurance, transfers, travel money and even airport parking. Saving even the smallest amounts on each will add up to give you extra to spend while your there.

A Las Vegas trip can’t be fully experienced in a day, so book a room in one of the hotels in Las Vegas. Save some money on Las Vegas hotels when you compare Las Vegas hotels online.

Image taken on 2007-04-12 11:58:38 by Palazzo Las Vegas.