Non UK Las Vegas, any tips or information greatly appreciated

wilt

wilt

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I'm heading to Las Vegas next month (never been in America before) . Anyone been and got tips or information to share?
Any do or don't?
Can I take photos in the casinos?
Would hotel safes big enough for camera gear?
Recommended gear to take?
Camera shops to visit in Vegas?
Anything recommended to buy out there?

I like to hear about your experiences.
 
Currently sitting in the Bellagio waiting to go to the show.
Yes you can take photos in the casinos
Safe in our room is quite large, but to be honest my photo gear is just sat in it's backpack in the room in a corner just fine.
In vegas I've needed nothing other than my standard walkabout lens (24-105 on a 5D mk3)
Camera shops - none I've found thats worthwhile, there's a couple but prices seem OK.
Things to buy...

Freemont street area in downtown is interesting, the old town, cheap tacky souvenirs but the container shopping area is interesting. Good second hand handbag shop selling top brands at approx 25-30% prices. Also there's a premium brands outlet area near there. Mostly the strip seems to be top prices for premium brands.

It's hot - 100 degrees mostly all the time so casual wear is fine mostly with a few smart clothes for if you wish to dine upmarket. Plenty of places to eat in the mile shopping.

oh and it's 8 hours behind uk
 
Thanks, all good to know. I've got a 24-120 so it'll be coming with me. I was hoping to pick up a Sony RX100 mk4 for a bargain, I was hoping there'd be a B&H, Best Buy or something similar.
 
wilt said:
I'm heading to Las Vegas next month . Anyone been and got tips or information to share?
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Get a seat near the escape shute! :D

Seriously, depends if you like gambling. I assume you do, if that's your one destination, so I can't much help you there, but if you're looking for a break from that I can recommend doing a Grand Canyon trip. We took a helicopter tour that flew us out over the Hoover Dam, stopping in the canyon for a quick snack, before flying back at sunset, to arrive back in LV for a nighttime circle over the strip. Excellent trip, and good for photos too ;)
The Bellagio also has a small art gallery - also good for a break from the endless cycle of pool>eat>gamble>eat>sleep>eat>pool etc.


You might be able to get B&H to deliver to your hotel?
 
bellagio currently has an art exhibition by Picasso - originals! $18 to get in

Google says there are 3 best buys - if you havent a car then you'll have to taxi, which might kill any savings? it's 2.5 miles east of Caesars palace

Grand canyon trip is around $300-$400 each. Weve just been through death valley for a couple of days so gave it a miss.
Research the shows - they are brilliantly entertaining. Went to see cirque du soleui at Bellagio last night, amazing water pool routines, gymnastics diving, a real show, sometimes it's water, sometimes its not.

off now for a gondala ride at the Venetian...
 
Fire extinguisher is already packed in the hand luggage :) I'm not a gambler (although I'll gamble a little while there) the wife's taking me for my 40th. I'd love to visit other places in America too but we're short on time (money too) as kids are staying with family at home. 4 or 5 nights I think she's booked.
Was the helicopter trip expensive? Did you book it while there? Or before?
I'll have a look in to B&H and see if that's possible.

Thanks
 
Prebooked the heli tour. Think it was $400p.p.
 
wilt said:
Thanks, all good to know. I've got a 24-120 so it'll be coming with me. I was hoping to pick up a Sony RX100 mk4 for a bargain, I was hoping there'd be a B&H, Best Buy or something similar.
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Don't forget you can always mail order from somewhere like BH Photo and get that Sony delivered to your hotel!
 
I saw Penn & Teller. It was OK - one trick wasn't that great, but the rest of the show was pretty good. The casino it was in was sleazy so we left straight afterwards.

Celine Dion held no appeal. :puke:
 
I saw a Cirque de Soleil show a few years ago at the MGM where I was staying. Can't remember what it was called - but I think it was a single word and had an Egyptian theme. It was rubbish I actually dozed off! Then again it got rave reviews so maybe it's just the concept that wasn't my thing. Went to see the Jersey Boys in another hotel and I loved it - probably long gone from there by now. You could easily kill a couple of days just exploring the various hotel lobbies - most of them are amazing. The outlet malls are well worth a visit for clothing too.
 
Bellagio Cirque du Soleiu was amazing 90 mins wizzed by, stunning show. There's three different cirque du soleiu shows in town, just walked past a beatles themed one.
Book the helicopter flight here. use the concierge in you hotel to check prices, They do a 6:30am flight or late afternoon, duration is 2.5-3hours, or you can go by bus for $88 (think pink fancy mini coach that can go off road apparently) but it's a 13hour trip. As we've driven 1400 miles in 8 days we didn't fancy more.

if you pop over to the shopping complexes like the mile, then there are free guide books with a great map of the strip showing where most stuff is, contact details, prices.
I found a Vegas Foto shop opposite ceasars palace, didn't look that great, you might be able to google.

forget the casino's, but check out the hotel free shows. Bellagio has the fountains every 30 mins, caesars forum (shops) end of the second floor has moving statues on the hour 11am-11pm etc. Shop prices seemed pretty good in there as well and they have a great cowboy hat and boot shop/

Flamingos has a flamingo area thats free, mirage has dolphins and tigers but it's not really worth it for the $20. Lots to see for free, lots of places to eat at all budgets. Walk with the missus in the evening and you don't get handfuls of adverts for girls services thrust at you (20 mins to your room!). Venitian is fun, $20 each for a 15 min gondola ride and they sing at you all the way.
cheers.
 
Byker28i said:
Walk with the missus in the evening and you don't get handfuls of adverts for girls services thrust at you (20 mins to your room!). Venitian is fun, $20 each for a 15 min gondola ride and they sing at you all the way.
cheers.
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Didn't seem to deter them in th slightest when I was there. Really pi**ed me off.
 
Sitting around the pool, pretty girls n short skirts and bikini tops bringing me cold beer whilst I browse TP. Could be worse :)
 
Check out the las Vegas go card pre paid for sight seeing the stratosphere is worth going up for night shots. Where are you staying
 
Wilt - I'm here until Saturday, so approx 48 more hours, so if you want anything specific let me know. We'll be out and about in the car tomorrow.
I'll try and pick you up a vegas free guide so you have something to look at before you go.
 
I go to Vegas every other year and have done so for the last 13 years.
Are you after advice on Vegas per se or are you going to photograph?
For the last few trips I've stayed at the Aria, good hotel with great tables and the rooms are 5 star. Don't take meals in the hotels though, there are hundreds of restaurants offering great food at good value. I recommend the harley Davidson Cafe at the heart of the strip...the ham steak and eggs are a breakfast treat.
Some buffoon above mentioned the Penn and Teller show. We did it in May this year. Seriously, don't bother. Up their own arse is an understatement, although the same casino has a cracking Indian. Dinner was 100 x better than the show.
The Grand Canyon is great if you want to waste a few days. However, a drive out to the Hoover Dam, about 45 min from the town center (see what I did there), is a great day out and can be photogenic in the right light.
 
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I love Vegas but I don't go there for the casinos. It's so full of energy yet drive out of town for five minutes and you're in the wilderness. You must hire a car/suv - quite cheap over there (everywhere outside the UK is cheap to hire cars). Consider driving to the GC - South Rim not the naff west rim - and stay overnight. Experience sunset and sunrise overlooking the GC. Otherwise explore the various ways of flying there. One value way is a mini bus down to Henderson then a fixed wing out to the South Rim - then a chopper over the canyon. Don't book these flights until you are there - you'll save 30/40%. Hoover Dam is OK. Red Rock canyon is nearby and we love driving through the Lake Mead National Park. Don't eat in the hotels and never eat in the same place twice. Great food in the Irish pub near New York and the Hofbräuhaus is a must :). I avoid the Statosphere, don't see the point, tired and run down and yet my sister always stays there. Aria resort area is a bit posh with some v expensive outlets yet the restaurants are good. I managed to get to the Atomic Testing Museum last time but didn't allow enough time. Consider what camera kit to take when venturing outside of Vegas - and don't bother with any camera when in Vegas. Just enjoy it.
 
All the hotels have buffet's, really good value, around $25 for all you can eat and drink. Walked through the excaliber tonight, looked interesting, but all have huge casinos. Strip was quiet tonight, went for a cruise in the car and had fun making noise.
 
as others have said there's the hover dam look for the lazy raft trip down the Colorado great for pictures. The canyon will be good but the glass viewing platform won't let you take pictures that's a them ding it and you pay. We took a bus down to Fremantle st where it all started, a bit tacky but worth a look
 
We took a day trip to the Grand Canyon which involved a flight a in Cessna type plane over the Hoover Dam, a short helicopter trip into the canyon and a boat ride up the Colorado river and a trip to the glass viewing gallery and guano point. Fantastic photo oppurtinities all round . Also consider hiring a car and getting out to Zion National Park.
 
Had lunch up the Paris tower today, great food, the best we've eaten anywhere in the US - very recommended..
 
Mini segways seem to be the new toy here - very good - about $300-400.
 
OK last tip from me - sat in the airport having arrived 3 hours before the flight. It's tiny, nothing here, you can look around duty free in 5 mins (it's all perfumes really). BA checkin bloke said everyone arrived about 1.5 hours before the flight here.

Also, don't have goober grape in your carry on luggage. They don't like anything with gels including sweets, the grape stripes, in fact the peanut butter jar was too big under the fluids rule.
 
I've a Sony RX100 mk3, with it hanging around my neck and using my smartphone as trigger do you think I'd get away with it? Do they ask you to stop taking photos or just throw you out?
 
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