Why visit Las Vegas is like asking why see the Colosseum or the Great Wall of China? It's one of those bucket-list destinations that must be experienced at least once in a lifetime. This high-octane showgirl is a mecca for hedonists and high rollers, but even the straightest of travellers find themselves seduced by her intoxicating energy. Come for the shows, casinos and cocktails, and beneath the neon facade you'll find a Downtown community in the midst of a revival.
In Sin City all roads lead to the Strip – the bedazzling 6.5km boulevard of casinos, hotels, restaurants and attractions. Strolling the Strip is a beguiling way to soak up the city sights. Have a mandatory flutter at one of the casinos, see a show (there are eight resident Cirque du Soleil acts and a revolving catalogue of headline performers), and hit one of Vegas's famous pool parties (the Golden Nugget has a waterslide that passes through an aquarium). View relics of old-school Vegas at the Neon Museum ($25 entry for adults, neonmuseum.org), enjoy panoramic vistas from the 350-metre-high Stratosphere tower ($28 for adults, stratospherehotel.com), and see the evening sound and light show at the Fremont Street Experience – a sprawling five-block pedestrian mall .
No visitor goes hungry (or thirsty) in Las Vegas. The dining options are as vast as the neon tubing lining the glittering city streets; from takeaway chains and American diners to multicultural cuisine and top-shelf restaurants. Scarpetta at The Cosmopolitan is headed by New York chef Scott Conant and serves modern Italian dishes with views high over the Bellagio Fountains (mains from $50, cosmopolitanlasvegas.com). For a more relaxed bite, FIVE50 Pizza Bar at the Aria whips up a great range of inventive pizzas and share plates, with a selection of craft beers (pizzas from $20, aria.com).
A neon city in the desert, Las Vegas is bold, brash and in your face. Considered the brightest city on earth when viewed from space, Vegas is an architectural theme park of skyscrapers, billboards and follies. Where else in the world can you stroll from ancient Egypt to New York City and on to Paris and Polynesia in one afternoon? Off the Strip, urban renewal projects like the Downtown Container Park shopping, dining and entertainment precinct provide a glimpse of anti-gaudiness amid the glare .
It's not in Vegas or even Nevada for that matter, but no visit to Sin City is complete without a side trip to the nearby Grand Canyon. And with a helicopter flight you can enjoy a bird's-eye view of one of the world's most spectacular landmarks before landing inside the canyon's colossal walls for an unforgettable champagne breakfast. The scenic flight is ideal for visitors tight on time but with cash to spare (from $545, papillon.com).
The Delano is a high-end, all-suite boutique hotel located in Mandalay Bay at the southern end of the Strip (rooms from $290; delanolasvegas.com). The spacious rooms feature marble and granite bathrooms and floor-to-ceiling windows, with some overlooking the Luxor pyramid next door. A family-friendly option is the Aria Resort and Casino, which offers dinner and show packages at the on-site Cirque du Soleil show, Zarkana (rooms from $395; aria.com).
Prepare for late nights, sore feet and an even sorer head – Vegas isn't the kind of place you come to for a relaxing book-by-the-pool-then-bed kind of break. It's the sort of city you find yourself wandering at 3am, having lost all sense of time. The Strip is like Sydney Harbour on New Year's Eve. On steroids. You don't need to emulate the antics of The Hangover, but embrace the craziness, play a little and remember – what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
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