March 2019
“I don’t care if know just where I will go cause all that I need is this crazy feeling. The rat-tat-tat in my heart”
After grueling six months of my MBA, I had to plan a trip to somewhere to refresh and detox my mind. So, I planned a five-day trip to Las Vegas as it would offer both the bustling city life and the scenic beauty around the city.
I went with three friends and stayed in Aria Resorts. Las Vegas not only turned out to be a resplendent experience but also a mind-boggling one. If you ever go to Vegas, do visit the following attractions: 
The best part of the Strip to me is undoubtedly the Eiffel Tower replica near the Paris Las Vegas. It is visible from most parts of the strip and gives an enchanting view. You would be amazed by the number of angles through which you can capture photos of the Eiffel Tower. You need to keep roaming around it to figure out the best angle to capture the marvelous architecture. It certainly looks much better at night with the lights on.
As you move further north on the Strip, you would see the luxurious Bellagio resorts. Bellagio has a giant fountain in front of the hotel, and it runs a fountain show every evening at an hourly interval. The fountain show was one of the best I have ever seen. With the lights and jazz music, it is a delightful experience.
Adjacent to Bellagio lies the Caesar’s palace. Another spectacle, Caesar’s Palace is located in a large area with multiple buildings, restaurants, and open space. You can see the hovering statue of Julius Caesar right on the road. A major attraction near the Palace is the Hell’s Kitchen where you can indulge in delicious meals from the World-famous chef – Gordon Ramsay. Caesar’s Palace also has a Colosseum, where most of Celine Dion’s shows are held.
On the opposite side of Caeser’s Palace, you can see the giant high roller that would remind you of London. It’s another great view from the Strip but if you want to enjoy more, you can hop on a 30-minute ride. Unlike other Ferris wheels, this High Roller has a cabin space to dine and offers a slow and soothing ride to enjoy the night city view of Vegas.
Moving further north is the Venetian resort. As you enter the resort, you would find yourself in Venice. It is an enclosed structure with a blue skyline and Venice styled canals. You can not only enjoy the boat ride but also experience famous Gelato icecreams and Oxygen massage. There are plenty shopping options at the Venetian.
As you move out of the Venetian, you would see the giant Treasure Island and the towering Trump International Hotel.
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First roam around in various casinos. Check the minimum bet on the tables. The high-end casinos like Aria and Bellagio would often have a minimum bet of $25. However, the price keeps changing depending on the rush. As you go in smaller casinos or in old Vegas, you can play with a minimum bet of $5. It’s worth trying your hands on Roulette, Texas Hold’Em, and Black Jack. Most casinos offer free drinks while you are on the table. It is a mindboggling experience to see hundreds and thousands of dollars being splashed on the table in a matter of seconds.
However, if you are not an experienced player, it’s not worth to take huge risk. It’s better to just test the waters and pull out after a while. At the end of the day, all games work on the law of probability. As soon as you enter, I realized that the business model of casinos won’t be feasible if majority of people ended up winning. If you don’t control your excitement, the casino tables will drag you to dungeons. Its just like a dessert. Look at it, cherish it, and taste a little. Don’t gobble up madly or you are bound to diabetic.
My favourite casinos were in the downtown Vegas. Golden Gates and Golden Nuggets are very popular. These are less costly and offer better drinks if you are not much into playing. 
Aria had a similar lit up X-mas tree and so did the Venetian. Some casinos are connected through trams, which are again free of cost. So, you can even hop onto one of them to save time and give your legs some rest.
The 3-storey Hershey and M&M stores are another delight to your eyes and tongue. There are numerous options to buy assorted chocolates. At M&M, there are many spots to capture photos and so does Hershey. You can also catch a glimpse of a free 3-D movie at M&M, although it wasn’t something splendid.
You would find lot of bands playing music and myriad of street performers. I could catch characters from Star Wars and Avengers. There are magicians, painters, dancers, acrobats, palm readers, and what not! The night time especially after 10 is the best time to roam. You would realize this very soon in Vegas that the city never sleeps. It doesn’t feel empty even at 3 or 4 in the night. Although I didn’t visit, but Mob Museum and Circus Circus are some of the other great options to go. Downtown is far cheaper than the Strip and has wide variety of options to indulge in. It also has some eclectic restaurant options to delight your taste buds.
I would recommend visiting Saffron if you want to taste some Indian food. 
Also, on the way to Grand Canyon is the Hoover Dam, which is another majestic marvel worth capturing.
Vegas was one of my best trips ever. If you haven’t visited yet, start planning. But do remember – “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”
--- Jay Jani
Jay Jani is a Masters student in the Mays Business School
After grueling six months of my MBA, I had to plan a trip to somewhere to refresh and detox my mind. So, I planned a five-day trip to Las Vegas as it would offer both the bustling city life and the scenic beauty around the city.
I went with three friends and stayed in Aria Resorts. Las Vegas not only turned out to be a resplendent experience but also a mind-boggling one. If you ever go to Vegas, do visit the following attractions:
- The Strip: A 4.2-mile road in the heart of modern Vegas, the strip houses almost all major casinos. If you want to enjoy the life of Vegas at minimal cost, then Strip is the place to visit. There are multiple photo capturing opportunities for the shutterbugs. Before going to Vegas, I had no idea that it would offer so many wonderful sightseeing options.
The best part of the Strip to me is undoubtedly the Eiffel Tower replica near the Paris Las Vegas. It is visible from most parts of the strip and gives an enchanting view. You would be amazed by the number of angles through which you can capture photos of the Eiffel Tower. You need to keep roaming around it to figure out the best angle to capture the marvelous architecture. It certainly looks much better at night with the lights on.
As you move further north on the Strip, you would see the luxurious Bellagio resorts. Bellagio has a giant fountain in front of the hotel, and it runs a fountain show every evening at an hourly interval. The fountain show was one of the best I have ever seen. With the lights and jazz music, it is a delightful experience.
Adjacent to Bellagio lies the Caesar’s palace. Another spectacle, Caesar’s Palace is located in a large area with multiple buildings, restaurants, and open space. You can see the hovering statue of Julius Caesar right on the road. A major attraction near the Palace is the Hell’s Kitchen where you can indulge in delicious meals from the World-famous chef – Gordon Ramsay. Caesar’s Palace also has a Colosseum, where most of Celine Dion’s shows are held.
On the opposite side of Caeser’s Palace, you can see the giant high roller that would remind you of London. It’s another great view from the Strip but if you want to enjoy more, you can hop on a 30-minute ride. Unlike other Ferris wheels, this High Roller has a cabin space to dine and offers a slow and soothing ride to enjoy the night city view of Vegas.
Moving further north is the Venetian resort. As you enter the resort, you would find yourself in Venice. It is an enclosed structure with a blue skyline and Venice styled canals. You can not only enjoy the boat ride but also experience famous Gelato icecreams and Oxygen massage. There are plenty shopping options at the Venetian.
As you move out of the Venetian, you would see the giant Treasure Island and the towering Trump International Hotel.
- Casinos: Going to Vegas and not playing in Casinos is like visiting Egypt and not seeing the Pyramids. Las Vegas is splurged with Casinos. From airports to gas stations, you would find the glittering slot machines and colorful poker tables everywhere. Even if you are not much into gambling like me, I would highly recommend visiting some of the casinos.
First roam around in various casinos. Check the minimum bet on the tables. The high-end casinos like Aria and Bellagio would often have a minimum bet of $25. However, the price keeps changing depending on the rush. As you go in smaller casinos or in old Vegas, you can play with a minimum bet of $5. It’s worth trying your hands on Roulette, Texas Hold’Em, and Black Jack. Most casinos offer free drinks while you are on the table. It is a mindboggling experience to see hundreds and thousands of dollars being splashed on the table in a matter of seconds.
However, if you are not an experienced player, it’s not worth to take huge risk. It’s better to just test the waters and pull out after a while. At the end of the day, all games work on the law of probability. As soon as you enter, I realized that the business model of casinos won’t be feasible if majority of people ended up winning. If you don’t control your excitement, the casino tables will drag you to dungeons. Its just like a dessert. Look at it, cherish it, and taste a little. Don’t gobble up madly or you are bound to diabetic.
My favourite casinos were in the downtown Vegas. Golden Gates and Golden Nuggets are very popular. These are less costly and offer better drinks if you are not much into playing.
- Resorts: The best part about Vegas is that you can enter and exit almost all casinos and resorts without any charge. Go and look around the resorts as most of them have some attractions during major tourist seasons. I could catch a splendid X-mas decoration at Bellagio.
Aria had a similar lit up X-mas tree and so did the Venetian. Some casinos are connected through trams, which are again free of cost. So, you can even hop onto one of them to save time and give your legs some rest.
- Merchandise Stores: The Strip has some amazing stores of Coke, Hershey and M&M. It is incredible to see number of Coke products being sold inside the Coke store. You can get a wonderful picture clicked inside the Coke store as they have multiple photography options. You can also buy a sample of all the Coke drinks sold across the globe. Adjacent to these stores is also the Hard Rock Café.
The 3-storey Hershey and M&M stores are another delight to your eyes and tongue. There are numerous options to buy assorted chocolates. At M&M, there are many spots to capture photos and so does Hershey. You can also catch a glimpse of a free 3-D movie at M&M, although it wasn’t something splendid.
- Downtown: Most people would recommend spending time at the Strip, but the downtown Vegas is equally great experience. It is far shorter than the Strip, so you can cover it easily within a day. The downtown Vegas is much more like a European experience. You can quickly gauge the old architecture, which is way different from what you would see on the Strip. The best part about Downtown Vegas is that there is music playing all across the street. There is a zipline ride if you want some adrenaline rush. The Freemont street is an enclosed part of the road that has lights on the top and moving graphic visuals along with shops splurged in neon lights. Thus, it is often known as the ‘Glitter Gulch’ of Vegas.
You would find lot of bands playing music and myriad of street performers. I could catch characters from Star Wars and Avengers. There are magicians, painters, dancers, acrobats, palm readers, and what not! The night time especially after 10 is the best time to roam. You would realize this very soon in Vegas that the city never sleeps. It doesn’t feel empty even at 3 or 4 in the night. Although I didn’t visit, but Mob Museum and Circus Circus are some of the other great options to go. Downtown is far cheaper than the Strip and has wide variety of options to indulge in. It also has some eclectic restaurant options to delight your taste buds.
I would recommend visiting Saffron if you want to taste some Indian food.
- Adventure: There are lot of adventure options. You can do sky jump from Stratosphere, go on a rollercoaster that is on the Strip and near New York-New York Hotel, go racing, ride on the High Roller, or go the Adventure Dome. There are plenty of adventure sports on the outskirts of city as well.
- Shows: Luckily, we got a coupon to a Carrot Top show and I loved the distinct comic experience and the heavy use of props. There are immense number of shows going on every night in Vegas and you would see huge promotion of different shows, theatres, and circus on the road. Zumanity, Cirque Du Soleil, Blue Man Group, David Copperfield, and Celine Dion shows are some of the popular ones. Most ticket prices start from $50.
- Grand Canyon: If you are staying for more than 2 days in Vegas, I will definitely recommend hitting the Grand Canyon. It’s one of the most splendid spectacles on the planet. As you reach the Canyon, it’s hard to believe that it was made naturally. The structures and marks on Canyon are so incredible that it feels as if it was carved by an artist. Be sure to take a good camera and start very early from Vegas. We started at 11 and repented reaching there late just before the sunset. Grand Canyon is more than a day’s trip. But, if you just want to capture the scenery, it’s worth driving for a day from Vegas.
Also, on the way to Grand Canyon is the Hoover Dam, which is another majestic marvel worth capturing.
Vegas was one of my best trips ever. If you haven’t visited yet, start planning. But do remember – “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”
--- Jay Jani
Jay Jani is a Masters student in the Mays Business School