5 Things That Surprised Me about Las Vegas

I expected lots of lights & gambling in Las Vegas but the city offered us so much more. Here are 5 things that surprised me about Las Vegas!

Thanks to movies and modern culture, I was pretty sure I knew what to expect when I visited Las Vegas. I expected bright lights, bustling casinos and a paradise for adults. Though it did offer me those things, there were still a few things that surprised me about Las Vegas!

I’m not even big on gambling but knew I’d enjoy my visit regardless. However some people might shy away from Vegas because of the belief that it only offers the above. Here are some things that I didn’t quite expect about Sin City…

There Were Lots of Alternative Things to Do

You know me. I love anything alternative, quirky or different. I was expected to be faced with lots of tourist attractions when I visited. But instead, I found myself really surprised at how much other stuff was on offer. Of course, Eldorado Canyon in the middle of the Nevada desert was the biggest surprise. To go from a busy city that never sleeps to a quiet and serene ‘ghost town’ of sorts in the middle of the desert was definitely a shock to the system. Particularly as we’d arrived in Vegas the night before to see the city in action, only to go to sleep and head straight back out into the calm again! Who knew you could head to Vegas and climb on board a quad bike or RZR to get your heart rate pumping through the desert – or explore an abandoned mine?

Of course, there’s also the very creepy Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum. And, some things we, unfortunately, didn’t have time for, Fremont Street/Old Downtown Vegas, Death Valley and Seven Magin Mountains. All definite proof that Vegas isn’t total partying and gambling (although that’s fun too).

The Casinos Are Like, Really Big

Okay, this may sound stupid but I knew the casinos would be big – just not that big. I knew The Venetian had some sort of water in the basement with gondolas (lol, great description there), but I didn’t realise it was an actual full on mini Venice. Each casino had shops, restaurants and themed areas – one even had a rollercoaster on its roof! Even if you don’t like to gamble, it’s still worth heading into a few casinos and looking around. We saw a strip show in one and The Chainsmokers in a club in another… It’s well worth exploring one of the bigger ones just to get an idea of how amazing they actually are.

Street Entertainers Aren’t Quite What You’d Expect

I was quite surprised at the street entertainers/go-go girls. We saw lots of go-go girls walking around dressed up to the nines with all their feathers and glittery outfits. But rather than promoting shows, they’d stop for a chat but charge you if you wanted any photos. On the other hand, we often saw men dressed like they were from strip shows, but they would grab us (or unsuspecting members of the public) in a flirty manner to demand us to buy a photo. One man picked me up and asked my friend to take a photo, then told us we had to pay! I didn’t ask to be picked up! We laughed it off, as this is the type of thing you get in some major cities anyway. But it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on if you visit.

The guys who targeted us stunk of alcohol so we don’t think they were actually from any official shows. I think they were just trying to make some extra money! We did make a joke out of it though as we spotted them the next day and tried to avoid them, but one saw us look and started shouting to us ‘HEY, LADY, COME BACK, I SEE YOU LOOKIN” in a really over the top accent, It was funny.

It’s Not That Expensive

Depending on what you want to do, it’s not that expensive. Briony and I definitely visited on a budget and got to do nearly everything we wanted to. Anything we missed it was because we didn’t have time for. We had an amazing time on a budget. Of course, if you’re going for a hen do or a really glitzy weekend away, prices may add up.

But by booking in advance things we wanted to do (our VIP night out was a bargain through Groupon and included a party bus and helicopter ride), we saved tons of money. One of our cheapest days was spent getting up early, getting a photo at the ‘Welcome to Vegas’ sign and simply walking one end of the strip to the other. You can have just as much fun simply by sightseeing; checking out the casinos, watching the fountain shows etc without spending a penny.

Oh, and girls get in free to pretty much all the clubs. Top tip: definitely make use of Instagram whilst you’re there and tag yourself at tourist attractions. I got lots of messages to be put on club entry lists and that’s how I got us queue jump and free entry to see The Chainsmokers live.

The buffets..oh the Buffets. They Are Definitely Worth It

You know how over here when you go to a buffet the best part is that you can eat as much as what you want for cheap but the food is only nice? In Vegas, the food is like, proper restaurant food. It’s so tasty and amazing. There was no food that was left out on the side for ages, trays were constantly being changed and updated and it took us probably fifteen minutes just to walk around the whole buffet. If you like your food like me, it’s definitely worth investing in (and putting a few hours aside for) a buffet.

Although please note, I don’t know if it was just me or the buffet we went to but we couldn’t find butter anywhere. The closest we got was some weird melted margarine. Haha. I’m not a massive foodie but I’m so glad we found the time to experience a Vegas buffet: you should too.

I may have expected lots of lights and gambling in Las Vegas but in fact the city offered us so much more; quirky things to do, delicious buffets and a visit that was actually somewhat affordable.

Have you ever found yourself surprised at a place you’ve visited to? Let me know!