Las Vegas

Situated in the middle of the vast Mojave Desert, America's Playground was created entirely to entertain and has been described as the world's largest theme park. This psychedelic city of sin welcomes around 40 million visitors each year to its lavish hotels and casinos. Visitors today are amazed that only 80 years ago this thriving metropolis was a backwater whose only guests were railway passengers on the long journey between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.

This changed in March 1931 when the State of Nevada legalised gambling; one month later the city issued six licenses. Then in 1946, Mafia don Ben 'Bugsy' Siegel opened the sensationally lavish Flamingo Hilton on Highway 91. Las Vegas Boulevard was born and the city would never be the same.

Soon stars like Elvis, Liberace, and Sinatra were making the pilgrimage to what was fast becoming America's premier entertainment centre. In the early days the Mafia dominated the gambling industry but in the 1960s their influence waned and soon all the large hotels and casinos were controlled by big business.

Walking down 'The Strip' is a truly an experiance where visitors can see the skylines of New York and Paris, discover the canals of Venice and the Pyramids of Egypt, and see many spectacular, extravagant shows. Despite these excesses, the room rates and restaurant bills are said to be some of the lowest in the Western world - all subsidised by gamblers intent on a free holiday.

Although the principal draw card is still gambling, Las Vegas is now marketed as a family destination with no shortage of theme parks, shopping malls, and golf courses. However, the vast majority of visitors come to gamble or party and the incredible displays are mostly designed to lure passers-by into the casinos. Be careful, once there, it's hard to leave.