Las Vegas Travel Guide

A glittering jewel in the middle of a bone-dry desert, there really is nowhere else quite like Las Vegas. The home of neon, showgirls and drive-through weddings, this city’s appeal can be summed up in just one word: gambling.
Las Vegas was created entirely to entertain and has been described as the world’s largest theme park. This psychedelic city of sin is home to over a million people and welcomes 35 million more each year to its lavish hotels and casinos.
Visitors today are amazed that only 70 years ago this thriving metropolis was a backwater with less than a thousand inhabitants whose only guests were railway passengers stopping off to stretch their legs on the long journey between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.

Walking down ‘The Strip’ visitors will see the skylines of New York and Paris, discover the canals of Venice and the Pyramids of Egypt and, at Treasure Island, see a full on-sea battle between a Pirate ship and a British Galleon. Despite these excesses, room rates and restaurant bills are the lowest in the western world – all subsidised by gamblers intent on a free holiday.
Without gambling – banned almost everywhere else in the US – Las Vegas (at least in its current form) simply wouldn’t exist. All the razzle dazzle revues, magic shows, concerts, theme parks, water parks and museums are, at the end of the day, just so many window displays designed to keep you in town and spending your money.
Las Vegas’s lenient marriage laws have long been a major attraction for couples looking to get hitched in a hurry, and the city now plays host to over 100,000 weddings a year.
Large hotels, gaming tables and big production shows (laid on by the casinos as a way of preventing punters from straying too far from the gaming tables) have been drawing large crowds since the Rat Pack heyday of the 1950s.

Outside of gambling and shows, Vegas does offer a mixture of other attractions. Some popular ones include:
The free Fountain Show in front of the Bellagio shoots off every 30 minutes from 3 pm to 7 pm and then every 15 minutes until midnight.
The free Volcano Fountain in front of the Mirage errupts every 15 minutes after dark until midnight.
The free Sirens of TI in front of Treasure Island at 7, 8:30, 10, and 11:30 pm is a rather stupid show that they came up with to replace the Pirate Battle.
Also at the Venetian are the gondola rides . There are actually two different rides, both featuring serenading gondoliers.

The Eiffel Tower observation deck at the Paris offers a great view of the Strip and a unique way to see the Bellagio fountain shows after dark.
Even if you’re not an art lover you’ll enjoy the painted ceilings in the Venetian. The painted ceilings are actually in three areas; the main casino entrance, the hotel lobby, and the Galleria hall that connects the two.

Venice Travel Guide

The historical centre of Venice is made up of six districts (sestiere): Cannaregio, Dorsoduro, Castello, Santa Croce, San Polo and San Marco.
Divided in two by the Grand Canal, the districts of Cannaregio, Castello and San Marco occupy the northern part of the historical centre of Venice, while to the south of the Grand Canal we find the Santa Croce, San Polo and Dorsoduro districts. The Dorsoduro district also incorporates the Island of Guidecca Each of the six sestiere has its own unique character and specific attractions.
Venice itself was built upon a series of islands, sand-banks and land reclaimed from the lagoon. Any sign of those original islands has long since been lost as the city continued to grow and develop as a sea of stone swept over her origins.

But, not far from the historical centre of Venice , a string of Islands are waiting to be discovered by the intrepid traveller. Each one has its own particular attraction:
There are two main means of transportation in Venice, pedestrian and waterborne. Waterborne transport consists of water taxis and waterbuses, or “vaporetto”.

There is a British diplomatic presence in Venice, and should you need assistance while in Italy, consular staff are on hand there to help travellers if they have a problem in the country.
Italian is the official language. Dialects are spoken in different regions. German and Latin are spoken in the South Tyrol region, and French is spoken in all the border areas. German is spoken around the Austrian border. English, German and French are also spoken in tourism and business circles around Venice.
Locality:
Venice is located in North-East Italy, Venice is built on 117 small islands and has some 150 canals and 409 bridges (only three of which cross the Grand Canal).

Venice is home to a multitude of museums and art galleries with many that are open to the public. In addition to these permanent exhibitions, there are numerous special exhibitions taking place throughout Venice during the calendar year. Attractions include a visit to ”The Piazza San Marco’, including the Basilica and Museo Correr, a cruise down the Grand Canal to spot the important landmark palaces on the way, including the Palazzo Ducale (Doges Palace), as well as the Bridge of Sighs, are definitely worth visiting. The Accademia Gallery with its extensive collection of Venetian paintings and the Rialto Bridge with its surrounding markets are all musts for the Venice visitor.
Venice is famous for its glassware, both good and bad glass, and has a reputation for quality. Traditional festivals are celebrated in most towns and villages in commemoration of local historical or religious events.
The year kicks off with the Regata delle Befana, the first of the lagoon city’s 100-plus regattas, held on 6 January (Epiphany).

The major event of the Venetian calendar is February’s bewigged, bemasked and berobed Carnevale, the event that’s spawned a million pastel postcards of pierrots and columbines looking unduly pensive.
In May there’s the Festa della Sensa (Feast of the Ascension), when Venice celebrates the Sposalizio del Mar (Wedding with the Sea).
The Biennale arts fest is held every odd-numbered year in June in the pavilions of the Giardini Pubblici. July’s Festa del Redentore is another highlight, with a regatta and fireworks festival.
The Venice International Film Festival, Italy’s version of Cannes, is held annually in August at the Palazzo della Mostra del Cinema on the Lido.
The Regatta Storica in September is a historic gondola race along the Grand Canal that’s well worth catching. November’s Festa della Madonna della Salute procession crosses the Grand Canal via a bridge of boats.