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Home to 13 of the world's 15 largest hotels, Las Vegas evokes the image of 24 hour-a-day entertainment and sensory stimulation with tightrope walkers, acrobats, fireworks and non-stop gambling. The best known casinos are grouped at one busy intersection on Las Vegas Boulevard (The Strip) called the "Crossroads of the World", where Cleopatra meets New York, Rio, Monte Carlo and King Arthur. However, Las Vegas is not all just glitter and glitz.
There is also a breathtakingly beautiful landscape to be explored, just beyond the city limits, where you can spend the day water-skiing, boating, fishing or just relaxing around the 550-mile shoreline of Lake Mead (known locally as "The Jewel of the Desert"). The hidden canyons and stunning rock formations in Valley of Fire State Park, a favourite location for Star Trek producers, is another fascinating Las Vegas option that is well worth seeing.
Las Vegas Attractions
Caesar's Palace
3750 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
Tel: +1 702 731 7110
More a resort than a hotel complex, this theme hotel and casino is immensely popular and is considered to be the epitome of luxury. Based on a Roman theme, visitors can shop in the extensive shopping center, gamble in one of three casinos and watch international sports events that take place throughout the year.
The Mirage
3400 Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
A casino famous for its imitation volcano, within an artificial lagoon, that erupts at half-hourly intervals. It also boasts a 60 foot (20 metres) aquarium filled with more than 1,000 fish.
Luxor
3799 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119
Tel: +1 702 262 4000 Fax: +1 702 262 4404
This casino and hotel is housed inside a massive 30-story tall pyramid. Decorated with obelisks and ancient Egyptian figures, the Luxor has recently undergone a $300 million renovation to bring it into the 21st century.
Fremont Street Experience
Fremont Street from Main to 4th, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101
Tel: +1 702 678 5600
Ten casinos surround this exciting 70 million dollar neon experience. The 'Fremont Street Experience' is an extraordinary extravaganza of light and sound, located in a pedestrian precinct. This unique award-winning venue is filled with entertainment.
Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort
Corner of Washington Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard, Cashman Field, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101
Tel: +1 702 486 3511
In 1885 a group of Mormon missionaries built an adobe fort along Las Vegas Creek in downtown Las Vegas. Today the park includes a remnant of the fort which serves as a visitors centre with interpretive displays. Open: All year
Liberace Museum
1775 East Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119
Tel: +1 702 798 5595
The Museum features "Mr. Showmanship's" dazzling jewelry, rare antiques, unsurpassed wardrobe, unique and historical pianos and his custom car collection.
