N. Ameritrip – Chapter 6

If I was travelling alone, I guess I wouldn’t have gone to Vegas since I’m not into gambling. Vegas seems to be the best place for those who gamble (of course), who love buffets, and night life. With the exception of gambling, Vegas wouldn’t be much fun if you’re there by yourself. Just like… good food tastes better when shared. My last visit to Vegas was over 10 years ago. Vaguely, I remember the hotel was new and very spacious, and food was good. I remember Circus Circus, a Pirate ship and some shows. I remember the indoor “sky”. It’s been a long time.

Since Vegas is one of my travel buddy’s favourite destinations, we were there for almost a week. What to do in a week? Well… There were many sightseeing, shopping, eating and a bit of gambling. I think we have checked out every single casino on the Strip, from Mandalay Bay in the South to Wynn in the North. One day we also checked out the downtown Vegas… which was a bit of a surprise to me. The downtown was quite run-down – an old town… especially when compared to the elaborated Strip a mile south. The only tourist attraction there was the “Fremont Street Experience“.

Once we have decided the destinations, one of the challenging part was to choose a hotel that’s affordable, of good location and good condition. Shopped around on the Internet, we saw the promotion on Travelzoo for Monte Carlo, on the Strip (good location). The price ranged from $79 to $149 per night. Overall, the price worked out to be about just over $100/night. Not bad. Consider they also have a $25 meal credit and $20 gamble credit (per person – I thought it would be $10 per stay, but somehow they gave us $20/person :p). The hotel was pretty nice… Compared to the high-end Wynn/Venetian ones, I think this one is more like a place to stay since you won’t see a lot of tourists wandering around the lobby, checking out your hotel and shops.

The first night, by the time we arrived in Vegas, it was quite late at night. We were both hungry and tired. (Well… we were almost always hungry and tired on this trip -_-”) So, after checking in @ Monte Carlo, we quickly checked out the *cute* Excalibur nearby. I think children would love this place because of its cartoon theme. Also because of the arcade downstairs. I was very tired and started complaining…(always tried not to, but my legs just weren’t listening to me anymore.)

Oh, I also remember MGM from my experience 10+years ago. This time I went there again and I found… it’s probably not the prettiest one, but it’s very grand and classic – with all the gold and bronze. Vegas, the Sin City, is like a miniature of the world’s attraction/fantasy. You get to see the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramid, Caesar’s Palace… Everything is very elaborated, shiny, flashy, eye-catching. After a while, you might really feel like you’re the king/queen of the table, throwing the chips around. Yah, of course. If you have the money, you can do whatever you want here.

Paris in Vegas – Daytime.

There were many casinos and hotels on the strip. Bellagio was one of my favourites. The decor was very colorful, flowery, and happy! I loved that. There were an indoor garden and it was a sunny day. You can feel the warmth from the pictures.

Walking around and taking pictures… Large butterflies, ladybugs, water pots. Walking through the curved water streams, feeling like you were in wonderland. Vegas is definitely a wonderland for both adults and children.

There was also the Jean Philippe Chocolate Fountain! OMG, it was huge! Now I think about it… We should have gotten something from there @_@

The entrance… where you check-in. Isn’t that pretty?!

We also watched the “O” Cirque du Soleil show @ Bellagio. There were many shows to choose from, but based on the reviews, we’ve chosen this one. Booked the tickets like a month in advance. Cost us about $360 for 2 tickets. But I think it was worth-watching. Watch shows is definitely one of the things that everyone should do when you’re in the city. I’ve always wanted to watch this show… and finally I’ve watched it in Vegas. A lot of things are unexpected in life – like… I never thought I’d go on this trip. If I didn’t go onto the RedFlagDeal forum and didn’t know about the Air Canada promotion, I wouldn’t have chosen North America. Maybe I would have gone to Europe – that’s what I thought I’d do. And I never thought I’d have a travel buddy to go with me. Crazy ppl. Btw, we also had a lunch buffet at Bellagio – excellent value and very good food!

Vegas is heaven if you’re into shopping and if you have the dough (of course). There are several malls – like this Forum Shops @ Caesars Palace. I think this is the one I’ve been to like 10 years ago. Not 100% sure but I remember the setting, the style and the “sky”.

Flamingo is one of the older Casinos. Here’s one of its attractions.

M&M’s World Las Vegas Store! I love its cute keychains, earrings, T-shirts and accessories.

The Venetian is another one that I love. Of course… those in HK must know about this Casino. I heard another Venetian opened up in Macau, but I haven’t been there. Gotta check it out next time, and see which one I like better.

For one moment, I don’t even know where I was… Venice. Maybe?

Of course, New York is here! I guess they GOTTA have New York in there. Or else it wouldn’t be complete – New York-New York Las Vegas – Daytime (below).

Finally… Last but not least, another favourite of mine – Wynn. I think one day I’d live there. I know I will. On the left, it’s the Fashion Show Mall.

Other attractions:
– Treasure Island free show (outdoor) – but the time we went, they cancelled it!
– Las Vegas Premium Outlet – couldn’t help buying something. It’s within walking distance from downtown. So we took the Deuce from the Strip to Downtown, then walked to this mall. Going back to the Strip from this mall, you’d have to take 2 buses – One from the outlet mall to near the Stratosphere, the other one (Deuce) from Stratosphere to the Strip.
– Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat @ Mirage – entrance fee required. We skipped that part but I think kids would like it.
– Miracle Mile Shops @ Planet Hollywood
– Adult Superstore (3850 W Tropicana Ave) – take 201 bus, go West.

To eat/drink: (affordable and pretty good)
– Buffet @ Bellagio
– Ginseng II (3765 S. Las Vegas Blvd.) – we ate there twice. Open late and taste good.
– Todai (@ Planet Hollywood) – good price seafood buffet to satisfy seafood/Asian food cravings.
– Huge cup of drinks that you see everyone holding – approximately = 4 cups. Price range from $15-20.