Arriving in the desert in dry 40-degree heat is always going to be a shock to the system. But landing in Vegas for a bachelorette party (as the Americans say) for my long lost best friend could only mean it was the beginning of a hectic few weeks of celebrations.
I found the bride to be splashing about Downtown in the Golden Nugget’s pool, casually sliding between sharks. An adventure I’ll share with you later on the trip.
Following the rules ‘what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas’ I’m only sharing a sneak peek of the bachelorette. Imagine 12 ladies in a suite, pouring spirits like they were going out of fashion, scoffing pizza and playing games was how the night begun.
Before leaving the hotel we acquired our first casualty and hopped/rolled in a wheelchair into our monster truck.
We sped on down through to the strip, in an excitable warm up of dancing and swinging in our monster truck.
We headed to the Luxor the pyramid shaped tower hotel that houses the strongest beam of light in the world that oozes out the top and can be spotted from over 275 miles away!
We showed up fashionably late to the Carrot Top comedy show, settled into our front row seats, and subsequently became part of the show taking shots with the hilarious redhead giggling away.
The next stop was to The Cosmopolitan, to dance the night away at Marquee, a gigantic club with impressive views and a rooftop terrace.
In the early hours we ditched the heels and trotted back to our hotel armed with fast food.
Eventually surfaced, and whisked our token blow up man with us and headed to Canes for some finger licking chicken, Texas toast and heaps of the special sauce.
After a six-hour nap, we worked up an appetite for our next wave of dining at Lindo Michacan a Mexican restaurant. I selected fish tacos, which were accompanied with a mountain of toppings; we enjoyed our feasts soaking in incredible views of the brightly lit city.
We finished our night at Fiesta for a bingo session; the type a granny certainly couldn’t hack with added features of drinks and slot machines.
The next day we firmly relocated ourselves back on the main strip at Planet Hollywood. I’ve had a few trips to the West Coast before, so didn’t feel too much of urgency to get going in the dying heat. As every step outside felt like walking into a hot hair dryer blowing in your face, we’d hibernate in the casinos, but the arctic AC conditions and blacked out windows left us feeling like we’d been living in a corrupted cave.
Eventually laid poolside at Planet Hollywood, listening to party tunes and sipping on cocktails, overlooking the Aria and iconic Eiffel Tower.
We escaped the heat with a trip to Panda Express one of my favourite food places, and indulged in orange chicken, fried rice and cream cheese wontons. I cracked open my fortune cookie – declaring I was about to win big, which sadly was not the case.
The Miracle Mile shopping centre in Planet Hollywood has a sky painted across the ceiling; every hour there is a thunder and lighting show resulting in a downpour of rain above the fountains. Raining inside – well anything can happen in Vegas after all.
We spruced ourselves up, popped open some champagne and admired Sin City in all its glory.
Before heading back out onto the strip for playtime, with free entry and drinks for being a female – Vegas know how to make the ladies fall head over heels.
Day 4 in the desert meant our bodies were not our best of friends, but I was keen to get some interior inspiration and we ventured down the strip to check out a few of my favourite hotels.
We walked to the beautiful Bellagio inspired by the Lake Como town.
As you enter the hotel you are greeted with an impressive chandelier designed by Dale Chihuly, formed with over 2,000 hand blown coloured glass flowers suspended from the lobby ceiling.
We stumbled across to uncover the hotel has a conservatory and botanical garden with themes that vary throughout the year.
The theme was booming with bright flowers that formed an under the sea experience, equipped with mermaids, treasure chests and an oyster that opened to unveil pearls.
We indulged in ice cream that looked far too good to refuse at Café Gelato.
Enjoyed our treats against the striking pool with perfectly trimmed symmetrical plantings.
The entire design was so elaborate it really provided an adventurous feel as we explored.
I really fell for the colour crazy interior that included fascinating intricate murals, patterned rugs and floral umbrellas hanging from the ceiling.
Then headed over to Caesars Palace, in search for Caesar.
One of the most striking lobbies that I’m sure appears familiar if you’ve watched The Hangover, if you haven’t I’ll presume you’ve been living in Vegas far too long.
We admired the murals displayed throughout the main lobby and the dramatic fountain that became the focal point of the glowing entrance.
The next hunger wave meant a trip to Pinks, an iconic hotdog spot that found fame with a huge celebrity following.
I feasted on the Planet Hollywood hotdog, which consisted of a huge Polish sausage, grilled onions, mushrooms, strips of bacon and smothered in cheese. The messiest meanest hotdog I’ve had to date but worth every spill.
As the sun started to set we found a cosy position by the Bellagio fountains a manmade lake spanning 8 acres of water.
The impressive water show is choreographed with music and light, just before the show started a mist of grey smoke rippled the lake.
The jets sprayed water that danced against the backdrop of the illuminated Linq and Paris Hotels.
As the last drops of water sprayed the crowed erupted with an applause bopping away to the beat of the music.
Las Vegas really is an adult version of Disneyland.
