Whether you want to live a little or live large, Las Vegas is the place to do so! With milestone birthdays in the family this year, we decided to make a splash in Vegas, and on the long weekend in November, we made a beeline to Sin City. It is called so, apparently for all the pleasures it has to offer, and the decadence of it all hits you the moment you land at the airport. We had been there 10 years ago, but boy, what a change the city has gone through in the intervening years! With larger and newer casinos on the Strip, Las Vegas has something to offer every one of its visitors - excitement, escape, and everything all at once, before you can pause for a breather! This was OUR time, so to speak, so we decided to stay at one of the ritziest resorts on the Strip, take in some shows, and do the tourist thing, all in all, but as sinlessly as possible, mind you!
Inside The Venetian, with its natural-looking fake skies
The Las Vegas Strip
The slot machines at the airport terminals give you a fair indication of what Vegas is all about, and if you're not wary of your gambling urges, you might find your wallet getting thinner as soon as you land in this gambling destination. After a lame experiment or two at the slot machines, just to get into the spirit of it all, we made our way out of the airport to take the shuttle to Mandalay Bay Resorts where we were going to stay. On our drive, we found the city as electrifying as its neon signs, and the huge lobby of the resort was awash in over-the-top Christmas decorations, each one of them so unique, artistic, and compellingly appealing to the eye. Our Strip view room on the thirtieth floor was a delight to stay in, and it took us no time to realize that the resort was a self-contained world in itself, with its fascinating shops, luxurious spas, artificial beach and wave pool, decadent eateries with world-class chefs, and entertainment galore, not to mention the gambling opportunities for gaming aficionados.
Airport slot machines
At the Shark Reef Aquarium, Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas
We are not the gambling or drinking kind of tourists, but just walking along the Strip and taking in all that each casino had to offer was an entertainment in itself - the musical fountains and the splendid conservatory at the Bellagio, the gondola ride complete with our serenading gondolier at the Venetian, the musical extravaganza of The Lion King and the underwater magnificence of the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay, the rocking blend of music, dance and acrobatics of Cirque du Soleil's Viva Elvis at the Aria, the luxuriant rain forest cafe and regal lion habitat at MGM, the delectable buffets offered by all the resorts, the incredible splendour of the Luxor and Caesar's Palace, the medieval charm of the Excalibur, the mind blowing shopping experience everywhere - all these and more made our stay in Vegas a memorable one. Construction along the Strip is still continuing to boom, and who knows, maybe ten years later when we revisit Vegas, we may have to redefine ritz and glitz!
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