Las Vegas holidays

As a city that’s surrounded by land, Las Vegas doesn’t have any real beaches to call its own. The nearest is in Los Angeles, which is nearly a four-hour drive away. But, since it’s in the middle of the Mojave Desert, there’s plenty of sand to go around. A couple of the hotels have made good use of it, moulding it into their own manmade beaches, and accessorising them with the likes of wave pools, lazy rivers and towering palm trees.

The Mandalay Bay Hotel is where you’ll find as close to a beach as you can get in Las Vegas. Here, nearly 3,000 tons of sand brush up against a wave pool that’s big enough for surfing. There’s no race for the sunbeds, either. You can hire out your own private cabana or bungalow, fitted out with lounge chairs and love seats, an MP3 docking station, and a fridge stocked with drinks.

The manmade Voodoo Beach is tucked within the grounds of the Rio Hotel, and non-hotel guests are welcome to use it for a fee. It lays claim to a sandy beach zone and three wiggly-edged pools, each with a whirlpool bath on the side. You can set up camp for the day on one of the poolside loungers, or in your own personal cabana. Waterside massages are up for grabs, as well.

Fashion outlets are best for bargain buys in Las Vegas. There’s a few dotted around the city and it’s the place you’ll find top-brand buys with knocked down prices. Las Vegas Premium Outlets are a good place to start – there’s one at either end of the strip.

The Miracle Mile Shopping Centre is one of the city’s biggest shopping malls, and it’s got a prime postcode right on the strip. It’s home to more than 150 shops, along with a bunch of restaurants and live entertainment venues.

The Grand Canal Shoppes are home to a list of luxury labels. They’re inside the Venetian Resort and the whole place looks like a carbon copy of Venice. It’s even got a canal running right through it – you can hop on a gondola to rest your legs in between shopping sprees.

Taking an after-dinner wander along Las Vegas’ strip can be a great way to end a busy day. Be sure to pass by the Bellagio Fountains – in front of the Bellagio Hotel – which go off a couple of times an hour. Prepare to be impressed – the water can reach heights of more than 400 feet, while the display sprawls across an area more than 1,000 feet long.

As one of the entertainment capitals of the world, you won’t be short on options when it comes to nights out in Las Vegas. The choice is yours – you can decide between rolling the dice in a casino, hitting the dancefloor in a nightclub, or seeing the day out with a drink in a swanky rooftop bar.

This throwback dish is a popular pick in Sin City, and you’ll find it listed as a starter on menus in restaurants up and down the strip. Traditionally it’s made with layers of salad topped with shrimp and Marie Rose sauce.

This sugar-packed desert is a firm favourite for those with a sweet tooth. A thin pie crust is filled with sliced bananas and thick custard, with rich caramel sauce and chocolate shavings to top it off.

Cocktails are super easy to come by in Las Vegas, and most bar’s menus are packed with pages filled with a variety of different options. We reckon the cable car cocktail is well worth a look in when it comes to picking one out though – it mixes spiced rum and triple sec with cinnamon sugar, syrup and lemon juice.

Steakhouses are sprinkled all the way along Las Vegas’ strip and provide a great setting for celebrations. Try Wagyu beef if you’re feeling really fancy – this stuff hails from grass-fed Japanese cattle and scores highly when it comes to taste.

These tasty pasty tubes are perfect for eating on the go. They’re usually stuffed with sweet cream and bookended by sweet chocolate sprinkles.