My Visual Travel Experience: Las Vegas

I visited Las Vegas for 3 days in 2005, and then for 4 days along with my wife soon after our wedding in 2011. Las Vegas evokes very different reactions in people. Some love it, some hate it. There are very few moderate reactions. I found myself loving the time I spent there. Admittedly, it may not have the history, culture, heritage and architectural landmarks that a lot of world cities have, and it may be very artificial and perhaps even tacky, but if one goes with the mindset that it is largely an entertainment city known for its casinos, its shows and its grand hotels, then one can't help but be impressed with what all the city has to offer in these spaces.

Las Vegas lies in the Western USA state of Nevada, and has a population of close to 600,000 (2012 figure). Known for its swanky hotels, casinos, entertainment shows, strip clubs, bars and glitzy nightlife, Las Vegas is rightly called the entertainment capital of the world, with over 35 million visitors annually! Vegas is also known for its wedding chapels famous for marrying off drunk couples who wouldn’t necessary marry if they were sober! After a day or two in the town, one easily begins to understand the logic behind the saying “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!”

The Las Vegas Boulevard, also knows as The Strip, runs north to south and most of the city’s famous hotels lie along it. A large number of the hotels are theme based. So we have Caesar’s Palace representing Ancient Rome, New York New York replicating New York, Paris Las Vegas representing Paris, Luxor Las Vegas showcasing Ancient Egypt, and The Venetian giving a strong flavour of Venice. Besides the theme based hotels, there are also luxurious hotels like The Wynn and Bellagio, which rank among the most opulent hotels in the world. Vegas’s shows are legendary. They cover a cross section of performances, ranging from musicals like Phantom Of The Opera, to erotic shows like Burlesque, to Cirque De Soleil shows like Viva Elvis with breathtaking acrobatics. Superstars of yesteryear like Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley spent significant portions of their careers performing in Vegas.

Caesars Palace has Ancient Rome as its theme, and is very true to its theme in terms of its architecture and sculptures. It has replicas of the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, and famous Italian statues like the Rape of the Sabine Women and Michelangelo's David. The hotel was established in 1966, and has almost 4,000 rooms. Many international music stars have performed at the hotel, including Frank Sinatra, Rod Stewart, Celine Dion, Cher, Bette Midler, Elton John, Diana Ross, Janet Jackson, Ricky Martin and Mariah Carey.

Entrance and statue of the Rape of the Sabine Women,
Caesars Palace

Trevi Fountain,
Caesars Palace

Winged Victor of Samothrace,
Caesars Palace

Venus de Canova,
Caesars Palace

Michelangelo's David,
Caesars Palace

Colosseum,
Caesars Palace

The Venetian provides a great Venetian experience. Not only are there replicas of Venice’s landmarks like the Rialto Bridge and the St Mark’s Campidoglio, but there is also the Grand Canal running through the shopping arcade, with visitors being able to enjoy Venetian gondola rides! The Guggenheim Hermitage Museum has a wing inside the hotel. The hotel opened in 1999, and has over 4,000 rooms.

St Mark's Campidoglio, The Venetian

Rialto Bridge, The Venetian

The Grand Canal, The Venetian

St Marks Square, The Venetian

Venetian Masks, The Venetian

New York New York has the Big Apple as its theme. The exterior of the hotel has replicas of New York landmarks like the Empire States Building, the Chrysler Building, the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Grand Central Station and the Immigration Museum on Ellis Island. One of the highlights is the grand roller coaster that runs through the hotel. The hotel opened in 1997 and has over 2,000 rooms.

New York New York

Paris Las Vegas has the city of Paris as its theme. The hotel has the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Opera Garnier. The Eiffel Tower stands over 500 feet tall and is roughly half the height of the original in Paris. A lift takes visitors to the summit, from where one gets spectacular views of The Strip. The hotel was established in 1999 and has almost 3,000 rooms.

Eiffel Tower, Paris Las Vegas

Arc de Triomphe, Paris Las Vegas

Opera Garnier, Paris Las Vegas

Bellagio is famous for its musical fountain shows in the artificial lake at the front. The hotel’s arcade also houses a range of designer stores. The hotel also has an art gallery with impressive works. The lobby has a stunning display of hand blown glass flowers. The hotel was inspired by the Lake Como town of Bellagio in Italy. The hotel was conceived by Steve Wynn, it opened in 1998 and has almost 4,000 rooms.

Bellagio

Glass flowers at the lobby, Bellagio

Shopping Arcade, Bellagio

Wynn Las Vegas is one of Vegas’ most opulent hotels, and built by Las Vegas billionaire Steve Wynn. The hotel opened in 2005 and has over 2,700 rooms.

Wynn Las Vegas

Horse Sculpture, Wynn Las Vegas

With over 6,800 rooms rooms, MGM Grand Las Vegas is one of the world’s largest hotels. Outside the hotel lies a 40 ton bronze sculpture of the MGM Lion, the entertainment company’s logo. At the lobby, there’s a glass enclosure through which one can see lions. One can also get oneself photographed petting a lion’s cub!

Bronze Lion, MGM Grand Las Vegas

Lion Statue, MGM Grand Las Vegas

Luxor Las Vegas has Ancient Egypt as its theme, and one gets to see the Giant Sphinx outside, as well as obelisks and replicas of sculptures of funerary animals. The hotel has popular exhibitions from time to time. Some of the famous ones include one that features a replica of King Tutenkhamun’s Tomb and one that has surviving items from The Titanic, which went down after hitting an iceberg in the Atlantic in 1912, killing over 1500 people. Luxor Las Vegas opened in 1993 and has over 4,400 rooms.

Sphinx, Luxor Las Vegas

Obelisk, Luxor Las Vegas

Mandalay Bay is the southernmost hotel on The Strip. The hotel has an impressive Shark Reef, that has sharks, crocodiles and a host of sea creatures. There are numerous oriental sculptures, giving the place a feel of a sunken oriental temple. The hotel opened in 1999 and has over 3,200 rooms. It has had shows like The Lion King and Michael Jackson: One. In 2017, a shooter fired indiscriminately from a room on the hotel's 32nd floor and killed 58 people and injured 546 others.

Mandalay Bay

Sculpture, Mandalay Bay

Shark at the Shark Reef, Mandalay Bay

Lion Fish at the Shark Reef, Mandalay Bay

Golden Crocodile at Shark Reef, Mandalay Bay

At The Mirage, a Polynesian theme hotel, one can get to see live dolphins. Every evening, there is free simulated live volcano display that takes place in the artificial lake in front of the hotel. The Mirage has been the venue of the popular Beatles Cirque De Soleil show. The hotel opened in 1989 and has over 3,000 rooms

The Mirage

Dolphin Statues, The Mirage

Circus Circus Las Vegas resembles a large circus tent. There are regular circus performances in the hotel, and there are also carousels, other rides and games of the type one finds at fairs. The hotel was set up in 1968 and has over 3,700 rooms. 

Circus Circus Las Vegas

Painting at lobby, Circus Circus Las Vegas

Flamingo Las Vegas is another one of The Strip’s favourite hotels. It has a wildlife habitat that has flamingoes (no prizes for guessing that!) as well as water birds and fish. The hotel originally opened in 1946 and has over 3,600 rooms.

Flamingo Habitat, Flamingo Las Vegas

Stratosphere Las Vegas has a 1,149 foot tower that offers spectacular views of the town and the desert landscape beyond. It is at the northernmost point of The Strip. At the summit, there is a café, and one can also indulge in thrilling adventure sports like bungee jumping. One has to be quite a dare devil for that! The hotel opened in 1996 and has over 2,400 rooms.

Stratosphere Las Vegas

Right beside The Venetian is Madame Tussauds Las Vegas, with wax works of politicians, Hollywood movie stars, pop stars and sports personalities. It opened in 1999, and was the first Madame Tussauds in the US.

Sammy Davis Jr, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin,
Madame Tussauds Las Vegas

Elvis Presley, 
Madame Tussauds Las Vegas

Michael Jackson as a child, 
Madame Tussauds Las Vegas

Michael Jackson in his youth, 
Madame Tussauds Las Vegas

Michael Jackson towards the end, 
Madame Tussauds Las Vegas

Andre Agassi,
Madame Tussauds Las Vegas

Fremont Street Experience is the second entertainment district in Vegas after The Strip. Fremont Street has shops, hotels, casinos and restaurants. The street is under a long roof that is illuminated by neon lights in the evenings. The street also has Aladin’s Lamp, which used to be a part of the Aladin Hotel from the 1960's.

Fremont Street Experience

Golden Goose, Fremont Street Experience

Fremont Casino and 4 Queens, Fremont Street Experience

Aladin's Lamp, Fremont Street Experience

So Las Vegas is a unique experience. Come in expecting nothing more than entertainment, shows, casinos, glitz, glamour, fancy hotels and fine dining, and you won't be disappointed. The only other place in the world that is a bit like Vegas is Macau, but Vegas is still Vegas and "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!"