My friend Regillio emailed me, wildly enthusiastic, after he and his girlfriend visited Las Vegas. He found it a fantastic experience. Last year, I went to celebrate my dad's birthday. My dad, who lives in Suriname, thought it was one of his best birthdays ever.
City in the desert
Las Vegas, located in Nevada, is a city that literally sprung up from the ground in the middle of a desert. Until recently, it was the fastest-growing city in America, and despite the fact that this city is well-known for gambling, entertainment now generates most of its revenue. Throughout the year, there are fantastic, exclusive, and spectacular shows for those who don't necessarily want to spend their time at slot machines or roulette tables.
The Strip
But no matter how you look at it, you go to Las Vegas to spend money. The city is geared towards it, and you simply can't avoid it. Upon arrival at the airport, you're already "greeted" by a range of slot machines where you can start gambling immediately. Whether you have a dollar cent or $100 to spend, whether you're waiting for your limousine or your partner, there's hardly a moment when the slot machines aren't grabbing your attention with their flashing lights and jingling sounds.
Gambling
Still, even non-gamblers can have a good time. If you can look past the slot machines, roulette, and Black Jack tables, there's actually more to do. The new age replica architecture on the Strip, where all the major hotels are located, varies from ridiculously kitsch to interesting and fascinating. Although I've seen quite a few hotels in my life, the Bellagio hotel, where Ocean's 13 was partly filmed, impressed me. Coincidentally, I was walking around when Al Pacino and another colleague were there to film scenes for the movie. Of course, it was a big commotion and very entertaining, but I was more impressed by the tasteful hotel itself. The decor and color combinations, from the lobby to the theme of the botanical garden, everything exudes that it has been deeply thought out and, even better, perfectly executed.
L. Of course, we also met Surinamese people. Former basketball player Rodney still speaks good Dutch and has been living and working in Las Vegas for years. R. The chocolate fountain where chocolate is made live.
It's simply a pleasure to walk through the hotel. The incredibly expensive shops complete the hotel, as do the chic restaurants. Since I unfortunately didn't win the jackpot, I stuck to the Dutch adage of "look, look, don't buy." And although I'm not a chocolate fanatic, I found it fantastic to see the chocolate fountain in the chocolatier.
The Bellagio's water show is also an attraction for many passersby.
If architecture doesn't interest you, you can shop, choose from a range of restaurants for a nice meal, just walk around to see what attractions giant hotels like MGM and Donald Trump's Caesar Palace have to offer, or grab a drink on a terrace in the so-called Venetian Hotel. Besides Celine Dion, you can also see a spectacular show like Cirque du Soleil's O. You should book the latter immediately because it sells out months in advance.
In short, you won't be bored in Las Vegas. It's nice to have seen, but after three days, I longed to be back home. The screaming flashing lights and jingling slot machines that dominated everything eventually became a bit tiring, but I was more than grateful that my dad found it a wonderful vacation.