Join unforgettable moments in Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas - the jewel of Nevada's Mojave desert. Las Vegas immediately conjures up images of the Rat Pack, the Las Vegas strip and it's dazzling collection of casinos. Many attractions await visitors to this desert oasis.

Known for its gambling, glittering strip, and misguided spur-of-the-moment celebrity weddings, it's a major resort city which, despite only being established in 1905, has quite the reputation. It's an enduringly popular tourist destination, and the Las Vegas Strip alone has 15 of the world's 25 largest hotels, with a combined total of over 62,000 rooms. While there are approximately 108 licensed casinos in "Sin City", you can legally gamble in over 1,700 locations in town, from libraries and the airport departure lounge to supermarkets.

This picture shows the famous "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign as it is known for more than 50 years.

Perhaps the most internationally famous part of Las Vegas, the 4.2 miles long Las Vegas Boulevard is more than just the famous Strip area. It's the location of the iconic neon "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign, encountered by visitors driving into the city. The sign was built in 1959 and retains that kitschy, 1950s American retro feel, setting the tone for the rest of the trip. Travel down the Strip by weird, futuristic monorail: these yellow Japanese-style trains link all of the casinos and attractions in the downtown area. The world's largest gift shop is also located on the Strip: the Bonanza Gift Shop has over 3,700 m² of shopping space.

Tourists of Las Vegas can choose their favorite hotel and a handful of attractions at the long Las Vegas strip.

While staying in Vegas may be all about spending (or winning...perhaps) a fortune, there are a handful of free attractions available on the Strip. These include the magnificent fountains at the Bellagio Hotel with its Fine art museum exhibit, the scarily realistic volcano at The Mirage; and the Fall of Atlantis and Festival Fountain at Caesar's Palace. With so many choices, you are sure to find one that takes your fancy.

Many Vegas hotels offer beside casino and gambling something really special to their guests.

Don't forget to visit old Las Vegas and the famous Freemont Street, a five-block pedestrianized entertainment district. Fremont Street is located within Las Vegas city itself. It was the first paved street in the city and also had the city's first hotel and even its first telephone. Fremont Street is older than the Strip: it was the site of the city's first casinos and gambling dens. Throughout most of the 20th century, it was the most iconic street in Vegas, filled with a jungle of neon signs including the famous cowboy Vegas Vic. Nowadays, people like to visit Fremont Street for the Fremont Street Experience, which is a pedestrian shopping centre containing the Neon Museum and the venue for lots of shows and concerts, many of which are free.

To give an idea of just how dazzlingly bright the Fremont Street Experience really is, it contains over 2 million light bulbs, which are controlled by creepy unmanned computers in kiosks in the Mall. The Viva Vision screen is 1,500 feet long and 90 feet wide. The shows are about 6 minutes from start to finish and run every hour from sundown to midnight (one am in the summer). They are truly remarkable and feature excellent soundtracks from legends of rock such as Queen and the Rolling Stones.

It's not just the Viva Vision that will entertain you on Fremont Street, the area features a host of street performers who will sometimes amaze, sometimes shock, but always delight. Or why not just stop by one of the three performance stages and take in one of the many bands or DJs that form the nightly free entertainment. Fremont Street is truly a sensory overload: think zip wires, music, people in costumes, endless neon, street performers and giant TV screens stretching into the distance. As anyone who's ever been there will tell you, it's a pretty unforgettable experience. Crazy!

The history of Las Vegas, Nevada goes a long way back. There still exist rock art from peoples who inhabited the area from over ten thousand years ago. Then the Anasazi Indians made their home there 2000 years ago, and the ruins of their lost city is still to be found there. But the actual written history of Las Vegas only begins around 1830, when Antonio Armijo arrived there on a trading mission.

The city of Las Vegas was only established officially in 1905, though Nevada had been a part of the Union of States since 1864. As a railroad town, the city began to prosper and saw a lot of immigration.

The year 1931 was a cornerstone for Las Vegas as a city. This year saw the beginning of the construction of the Hoover Dam, as a result of which, thousands of workers came from all over the country and settled here. This boosted the economy and ensured work for a lot of people, even during the Depression. In the same year, residency requirements for divorces were reduced to six weeks and Las Vegas became the destination for people from all over the country who wanted a quick divorce without hassles. But perhaps, the most relevant and far-reaching change in the history of the city was that Nevada legalised gambling in 1931.

In 1946, the Flamingo Hotel was taken over by the notorious gangster, Bugsy Siegel, and gambling became a primary economic activity in the city. Many large casinos and gaming establishments opened after the second world war and Las Vegas became synonymous with gambling - a reputation that exists till date. A big step in civil rights movement was taken by the gaming industry by the establishment of Moulin Rouge, a racially integrated casino, in the 1950s.

Though Las Vegas' primary source of income has for long been gambling and tourism, its history is littered with other interesting gems. For instance, the first ever atomic bomb was tested in Nevada, very near Las Vegas. The citizens of the city were actually able to observe the mushroom clouds emanating after the detonation. The city was also the destination for the first commercial flight undertaken, from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, in 1928.

With a rich and vibrant history, the city has many monuments of importance from its military, entertainment and construction importance in the past. In Las Vegas, the past is inextricably linked to the present.

For something other than glamour, lights, and gambling, try visiting some exciting attractions by leaving Las Vegas Strip.

The Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park - It is unique in being the only American state park in a city which contains the first building ever built in that city, The park contains a wealth of information on the history of Las Vegas' settlement including both an original section of the fort and a recreation of the rest.

The Neon Museum - Founded in 1996, the Neon Museum is a depository for the beautiful signs from the early days of Las Vegas' illuminations. The Neon Museum has nearly 150 non-illuminated signs in its boneyard section which chronicle the changing style of signs from the 1930s to the present which visitors can experience during the interesting and informative hour long tour. The museum is also responsible for twelve restored signs situated throughout Downtown Las Vegas.

The Hoover Dam - Whilst you're taking in the bright lights of Las Vegas, you probably don't think of the huge electrical supply required to keep all of that neon shining. The Hoover Dam is a concrete colossus which is 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, located on the border between Nevada and Arizona, supplies around 25% of its generated electricity to Las Vegas. This tourist attraction (approximately 1 million visitors per year) tamed the mighty Colorado River and stopped the flooding which used to plague the area- it's a monument to man's triumph over nature and worth a few hours or an afternoon of your time. The dam is available for tours and boasts some beautiful views of the Colorado river and Lake Mead.

Day trip to The Grand Canyon - Whilst not in Las Vegas (or even in Nevada) for most non-Americans, a visit to Las Vegas is probably the only time they will be close enough to the Grand Canyon to visit it. It's an easy trip from Vegas city and a place to hike and just admire and be overcome by the magnificent scale of the canyon itself. 227 miles long and a mile deep, the canyon is a spectacular sight to behold. A variety of tour options are available from bus to plane to helicopter. An aerial view gives you the chance to truly appreciate the majestic scale of the canyon. The Grand Canyon is another overwhelming attraction you shouldn't miss!