First, a note on asking for room upgrades. Ask if they have any complimentary upgrades. That means you are asking for a free upgrade. Otherwise they will probably just tell you the cost to upgrade, which may be a deal, but isn’t free.

More Transportation Information:

For a good overview of all the transportation options, take a look at the Las Vegas Solo’s page on Vegas transportation. It is concise and covers all the options.

Airport to hotel Shuttle vans and buses operated by off-airport companies are a popular and convenient transportation option and an alternative to taking a taxi or renting a car. Shuttles are located on the west side of baggage claim, outside exits 7-13 at McCarran International Airport. All the shuttles are similar and they each charge about $6.50 per person. You can buy round-trip tickets when you take the shuttle from the airport, but it isn’t really any cheaper (maybe .50 for each) and you have to go back on that shuttle. We just take one-way and have the hotel call us a shuttle (tell them at least the day before you need to leave). Here is some more information on getting from the airport to your hotel (http://www.lasvegas-how-to.com/las-vegas-airport-shuttle.php).

For many other free shuttles, see this how-to site (http://www.lasvegas-how-to.com/free-shuttle.php). Hotels in Las Vegas often provide free transportation. If you know what attractions are close to these casinos, you can use the free shuttles to your advantage.

There is also a trolley (http://www.lasvegas-how-to.com/trolley.php). Purchase your ticket from the driver. Pay $2.50 for a one-way ticket, $12 for a 3-day pass and $20 for a 4-day pass. There is no all-day pass but for $4.25 you can get a pass that’s good from 8.30am to 5pm. For another $4.25 you can get another pass that’s good from 5pm to midnight. Get one of each if you expect to be traveling around during each time slot. The trolley runs every 30 minutes. Check the signs or ask the driver to find out at what hotels the trolley will stop. You can also print out the map of the strip trolley routes for your convenience. I have heard however that the trolley is getting less reliable and may not be as good an option.

I can’t find the information on it, but I believe there is an express bus too that stops at fewer stops and is good for going from one end of the strip to the other.

Here is some more information on the monorail (http://www.lasvegas-how-to.com/monorail.php). It also has a lot of information about each stop, where it is, what is near it, etc. There are seven stations that connect hotels and casinos on the vegas strip. Click here for the Las Vegas Monorail map with all the stops. Download Las Vegas Monorail Map And I haven’t seen them, but according to Trip Advisor: Coupons for fare promotions will be found in the small coupon booklets available on the racks on the Monorail platforms, and there are frequently costumed persons standing at casino entrances passing out flyers which include the coupons; the coupons can also be found in some of the magazines you will find in your hotel room or at the hotel bell desk. However, per the Las Vegas Solo blog: UPDATE: The Monorail has filed for bankruptcy.  It is still operating for now, but I wouldn’t make any solid plans that involve it.

Free monorails:

There is also a free monorail-type shuttle between Mandalay Bay-Luxor-Excalibar; and another free monorail runs between Monte Carlo and Bellagio, as well as one between Mirage and Treasure Island.

Dining and Drinking Deals and Info:

Of course, the cheapest way to drink is to gamble and wait for the waitress to come around since the drinks are free if you are gambling (at any casino). They come quicker or slower depending on which casino, how much you are betting and the tips you give them. A typical tip is $1 a drink (or if we get 2 drinks at the same time we still just give a $1 but we are probably cheapskates). It would take more than that to motivate the waitress to come more often. Sometimes people give them more the first time and say something like “there’s more where that came from (or at the end) if you keep them coming”.

Beer – CityCenter Todd English P.U.B. – Tuesday 9-midnight – 5¢ On Tuesdays from 9 pm till midnight, you can get 5¢ beers. Yes, you read that right. No, that’s not a typo. Beers for a plug nickel. And they’re not at some dive bar. Rather, these eight-ounce cups of Pabst Blue Ribbon are served up in the new Todd English P.U.B. in the Crystals mall at CityCenter! Bring a quarter and drink all night.

O’Sheas Casino’s 24-Hour Happy Hour stretches 60 minutes of happy into a full day of food and drink happiness. Stop in at the Dublin Up or any casino bar 2,3,4,5 special:
$3 car bombs
$4 Guinness & harps
99 cent frozen bailey shots
99 cent miller lite & coors light draft
$3 Heineken July 1st thru December 31st
$3 dos equis July 1st thru December 31st

BallysVegas Great specials continue at The Tequila Bar! $1 tacos & margaritas, $2 tequila shots and beers. Available from noon until 6 am daily. Take time to eat the after midnight special at Bill’s- Great meal for $5

Casino Royale On the Strip between Harrah’s and the Venetian has $1 froz margarita $1 michelob

Riviera ~(Cheap Eat)Hound Doggies in Penny Town Slots. $1 menu (shrimp cocktail, beer, pizza, margaritas, popcorn, icecream, etc.)

Dollars Days at the Sahara includes four offers: $1 beers (available at all casino bars 24/7), $1 hot dogs, $1 shots (in a free souvenir glass), and of course $1 Blackjack.

The Las Vegas Solo blog has some posts: 10 Vegas Breakfasts for under $10 and 10 Money-Saving Meal Strategies. As a matter of fact, this whole blog is excellent and so is the comprehensive list of other Las Vegas websites it has in its sidebar.

If you’re on @foursquare, check in at Imperial Palace for a 2-for-1 valid at Burger Palace. 4:45 PM Aug 17th via HootSuite

You might want to go to Cabo Wabo Cantina in Planet Hollywood for a drink in a souvenir 100oz guitar glass that plays Sammy Hagar songs. I don’t know how much it costs, but I’m sure it is plenty!Drinks average $7. On Monday’s they have $1 draft beer from 9-11pm. There is live music on the weekend. They serve tex-mex food and a lot of tequila drinks.

$7.77: Gambler’s Special: Steak, three grilled shrimp, a choice of potato or broccoli and a salad. At Mr. Lucky’s 24/7 in the Hard Rock Hotel. It’s not on the menu — you’ll have to ask your server — and is available around the clock

99-cents: Shrimp cocktail special available daily at the Player’s Deli in the Tropicana.

A special shout-out to Ellis Island Restaurant. It is a long walk but worth it. It has “$7 Steak Dinner, Includes Your Beer, Enough Said”, $1.95: Two scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy and bacon or sausage at Ellis Island. Available from 11 p.m. – 6 a.m. $3.45: New York steak and eggs, available 11 p.m. to 11 a.m. at Ellis Island.

“If you want to eat at the classic dinner hour, be prepared to wait. The place is open 24 hours, so if you don’t mind eating off dinner hour, you should be fine. The service is a little slow just becuase it is sooo busy! The servers all have amazing attitudes though, which totally makes up for it! They work hard for their money. Everything on the menu looks amazing. If you’re looking for an amazing steak, just ask the server for the “steak special.” It’s not on the menu! You get sourdough rolls, a nice 12 oz, cooked exactly how you want, choice of potato, and green beans. You get soup or salad to start, as well as a free beer. They brew a whole bunch of varieties, I think maybe around 6-8. If you’re not into beer, they also make their own root beer, which is very very yummy!

HUGE portions, AMAZING servers, CHEAP prices, 24 hrs. When you’re done, play some cheap slots, or hit up the bar right beside for some karaoke.

It’s behind Bally’s, just off the strip. Head east on Flamingo (the street that runs between Bally’s and Bill’s) and at the first lights, turn right. There is free parking, and a hotel and 7-11 right beside.”

The Best Las Vegas Deals site (http://www.best-las-vegas-deals.com/las-vegas-dinner-deals/) has a great list of some of the best deals and cheap eats. Also, 2 awesome specials (http://www.best-las-vegas-deals.com/las-vegas-food-deals-two-awesome-specials/) on cheap, gourmet appetizers at Palm (in the Caesar’s Forum Shops) and pizza and beer at Binions (downtown). And 3 can’t miss specials (http://www.best-las-vegas-deals.com/las-vegas-dining-deals-summer2010/) at Ellis Island (a long walk from Bally’s, but walkable and the best bargain for food), South Point, which is past the far south end of the strip and requires a shuttle or bus (or taxi) and dinner and a show at Fitzgeralds (downtown).

Places to buy beer, water, carry-out and sundries:

There is a Panda Express in a food court between Harrah’s and Casino Royale. This is where we pick up food to bring back to our hotel.

The Subway at O’Shea’s is the cheapest on the strip, they have $5.00 footlong, unlike the one in Monte Carlo.

The ABC Stores — there are several of these stores, one at the Fashion Show Mall, one in Desert Passage (at Planet Hollywood), two in the Riveria, and also one on Fremont downtown (just a few doors up from the Golden Nugget) — do sell booze, wine and beer, along with a lot of snacks and Hawaiian tourist stuff.  The prices are reasonable for convenience stores.

There is a liquor/convenience store called the Stage Door next to Bill’s Gaming Hall, on Flamingo, just east of the Strip. This is right across the street from Bally’s. Although this is not ON the Strip, it is only a short block off Strip.

TIP!!! Skip the soft drinks and the bottled water at restaurants. With soda costing as much as $4 a glass, and bottled water (think Evian or Voss) even more, your drinks can cost as much as half your meal. Even if the waiter is trying to talk you into bottled water, just order ice water.

CVS

Walgreens

Free Things to do and see:

There are many websites with lists of free things to see on the Strip. Insider LV (http://www.insidervlv.com/freeevents.html) has a list of the 25 best free things to do. Vegas 4 Locals (http://vegas4locals.com/free.html) has a large list. This Bing search (http://www.bing.com/search?q=free+entertainment+in+las+vegas&form=QBRE&qs=AS&sk=AS1&pq=free+entertain&sp=2&sc=8-14) will show you all sorts of free things to do.

Planet Hollywood was not open the last time we were there so here are the new items from Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino Attractions

Test America Preview Studio – Try a new product, give your opinion and receive money or coupons for your opinion. The studio is in suite H-82 in the Dessert Passage Mall.

The fountain at the heart of Miracle Mile Shops features lighted water effects, color changing fog, bursts of light and dramatic, original soundtracks broadcast via a state-of-the-art surround sound system. Show Times: Sunday – Saturday. Hourly from 12pm-11pm

A multi-sensory laser show complete with dramatic lighting effects, fog and a boisterous soundtrack. Show Times: Monday – Thursday: Hourly from 11:45am – 11:45pm
Friday – Sunday: Every 1/2 hour from 11:15am – 11:45pm

Excitement pours down at Miracle Mile Shops during the rainstorm outside of Merchants Harbor Coffee House. You simply can’t miss this miracle in the desert featuring thunder, lightning, fog and pouring rain. Show Times: Monday – Thursday: Top of each hour
Friday – Sunday: Each half hour.

Here are a few interesting things to do that cost money:

Red Rock Scooter Tours: http://www.scootcitytours.com/ $125/pp but #1 LV attraction on TripAdvisor and a lot of fun. 8am and 1pm tours, morning is coolest. 3 wheeled scooters 702.699.5700 info@scootcitytours.com 4 hrs total. They pick you up.

Something I always wanted to do was the Vegas Indoor Skydiving (http://www.vegasindoorskydiving.com/). Here’s a review: “I took my wife and 2 daughters, ages 13 and 11 to Vegas Indoor skydiving $75 per person, and we had a ball. We got a $20 off voucher out of one of the papers, Make sure you grab a brochure with a coupon prior to going though. Address: 200 Convention Center Dr Ste. A Las Vegas, NV 89109 (Formerly “Flyaway Indoor Skydiving”) Tel: 702 731 4768”

Free Wifi:

Here is a list from Las Vegas Advisor. It doesn’t just have the strip though so also has places you would have to drive to. (http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/showtable.cfm?id=18)

From the Las Vegas Message Board: (from 2006 so may not be completely up to date)

Las Vegas Strip (and vicinity)
Aladdin hotel – Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf – miracle mile shopping area (now Planet Hollywood and Desert Passage?) The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf has a nice connection in the Desert Passage mall. Looks like DSL, 1.5MB download and 400KB upload doing a speed test. Good strong signal sitting at the tables outside the store.
Fashion Show Mall – Saks Fifth Avenue – 3200 Las Vegas Blvd.
Fashion Show Mall – Apple Store – 3200 S Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas Convention Center Monorail Station – Nextel Central Station – behind their retail store – 3300 Paradise Rd (it is possible that every monorail station has free wifi now)
Las Vegas Hilton – Fortuna Coffee/Wine Bar – 3000 Paradise Road

There is a little cafe inside Wynn called Sugar & Ice that has free WIFI. It’s at the far end of the Esplanade Shops towards the strip. They have a little patio so you can sit outside weather permitting and enjoy the water fall.
Venetian – Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf – The Bridge – 3377 Las Vegas Blvd South
Venetian – Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf – Carnevale – 3377 Las Vegas Blvd South

Near Strip
The Palms – Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf – 4321 W. Flamingo Road
RIO Hotel & Casino – Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf -3700 West Flamingo Rd.

Downtown
Fitzgerald Casino – Krispy Kreme – 301 Freemont St., 89101
Main Street Station Hotel, Lobby & Players Gold room – 300 N Main St
The Plaza Hotel Casino – the hot spot is on the 3rd floor, in the seating area outside the Comedy Zone Showroom – 1 Main Street

Airport
McCarran Airport – Las Vegas (21 total access points)
McCarran Airport – Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf – Las Vegas

Originally Posted by SnertAlert

Apple Store – Fashion Show Mall
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf – Aladdin
Fortuna Coffee/Wine Bar – Las Vegas Hilton
Krispy Kreme – Excalibur Casino
Sugar & Ice-Wynn Esplanade Shops
Terrace Pointe Cafe – Wynn
Kahunaville Island Restaurant – Treasure Island
Betty’s Diner – Imperial Place
The UPS Store – Flamingo Hotel?
McDonald’s – near MGM and Casino Royale
ESPN Zone – NYNY
Denny’s – near Casino Royale
Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf – The Venetian

Also:

Betty’s Diner – Imperial Place and McDonald’s

3535 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
Location Type: Restaurant

3755 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
Location Type: Restaurant

Websites:

Here is a list of some good Las Vegas websites for info and discounts:

DineLV (https://www.dinelv.com/) has great online coupons for sale. We got our Matsuri tix there.

Access Vegas (http://www.accessvegas.com/) lots of info on upcoming shows and headliners, hotels, dining, events and more.

Goldstar (http://www.goldstar.com/home) is another great site for discount tickets. I would have bought our Human Nature tickets here, but decided to wait and check Tix4Tonight booths when we get there. If they don’t have them, I may book through Goldstar then. I just don’t want to commit to a particular day and time yet.

Half Price Shows http://www.halfpriceshows.com Another good site for discount tickets.

The Las Vegas How-To Guide (http://www.lasvegas-how-to.com) How to do all sorts of things, like how to get around, how to book shows, how to get freebies, etc.

Las Vegas Solo (http://www.vegassolo.com/) This blog is excellent and so is the very comprehensive list of other Las Vegas websites in its sidebar. It is written for the solo traveler, but is excellent for anyone.

Las Vegas Leisure Guide (http://www.lasvegas-nv.com/las-vegas-coupons.htm) is good for find free discount coupons. The home page has lots of additional information.

Las Vegas Casinos (http://www.pcap.com/lvmaps.htm) has good maps of the different casinos and shopping centers. The homepage has more info on hotels, pictures, etc.

Trip Advisor (http://www.tripadvisor.com) is a must visit website for any travel. You can look up hotels, shows, restaurants and read real people’s reviews, compare prices on different websites and much more. If I go nowhere else, I visit trip advisor. They have excellent, descriptive reviews that will really let you make an educated decision on what will work best for you.

Las Vegas Weekly (http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/) is a good site for news and events. It seems a little more geared to locals and especially to a young crowd and/or people more interested in nightlife/nightclubs. I did not find a ton of helpful info here but I can see that someone else might. You do have to sort through the non-strip Las Vegas news and information that locals are interested in.

I have a list on twitter called LV (http://twitter.com/melrob/lv) or (http://twitter.com/#/list/melrob/lv) that you can follow that has several of the hotels on the strip in it and a few other places. It is not the definitive list, but is a good place to start.

The Las Vegas Message Board (http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/index.php) has great questions and answers.

Cheapo Vegas (http://www.cheapovegas.com/vegas_map.php?map=strip) has my favorite map of the strip (although several of the other sites also have maps). Cheapo Vegas also has great lists like swankiest, cheapest, etc. and comparison charts.

Las Vegas on 25 cents a Day (http://www.bigempire.com/vegas/) has all sorts of interesting bargains, freebies, tips, etc.

Best Las Vegas Deals (http://www.best-las-vegas-deals.com/) is not the most concise website, or my favorite, but has some good info especially on food and dining specials.

I have repeatedly read that the 2010 American Casino Guide is well worth buying. It has many, many coupons in it (http://www.cheapovegas.com/acg_coupons.php). If I’d found out about it sooner, I would have gone to the bookstore and checked it out, for sure.

And of course, check out the direct websites for any hotels, shows, restaurants, etc you are thinking about. They may have specials or discounts.

And the social media sites: Foursquare (http://foursquare.com/), Twitter (http://twitter.com) and Facebook (http://facebook.com)

Well, that is about all I’ve got for now. I hope this helps you make your Las Vegas trip fun and budget-friendly. Stay tuned for my write-up on the Strip when we get back.

Until then, take care,

~Susan Mellott

Airfare:

By checking Travelocity, Airfarewatchdog and other airfare sites, I ended up getting very good priced tickets: $254 air from Dayton (+taxes, $601 for 2). We will take carryons only = no charge. We live in Fort Wayne, but I always check at least South Bend and Dayton (and Indianapolis) for prices as they are all within easy driving distance.

Parking at Airport:

I also check park fly and stay (http://www.park-stay-fly.com/) for places to park and/or stay and park. In the winter, if we are not flying out of Fort Wayne, a lot of times we’ll go the night before so we don’t have to worry about the weather and getting there late. It can be a very reasonable alternative if you pick an inexpensive hotel and use their park and stay privileges (you stay 1 night and can park for free for usually 7 to 14 nights). This trip we will just park in the economy parking lot at the Dayton airport (http://www.flydayton.com/index.php?page=parking-rates) 0-1 Hour – $2.00 Each Addl. – $2.00 Daily Max. – $6.00 Weekly Max. – $36.00. If it were in the winter, we would at least park in a park and go type lot. Mainly because they are about the same price as the airport and will scrape the ice from your car and warm it up before you get to it.

Transportation:

I would never take a taxi from the airport to a hotel on the strip. Taxi drivers in Las Vegas are notorious for taking advantage of people who are new to Las Vegas and driving them the long way around to their hotel. It is super easy to get the shuttle that goes to all the hotels from the airport (just look around or ask). It is reasonably priced, easy and you don’t have to worry about getting ripped-off.

2010 Las Vegas Deuce Fares

Fares on the Deuce bus. This is the bus that goes up and down the strip and to downtown casinos (and elsewhere). You must have exact change ready as the driver cannot make change. This site (http://www.lasvegas-how-to.com/cat.php) has all the info on the Deuce and if you scroll down, there is a map with each bus stop on the strip.

Cash – Single Ride Fare: $3.00
24-Hr. All-Access Pass: $7.00

3-Day Full Fare All Access Pass: $15.00 (new)

5-Day Full Fare All Access Pass: $20.00 (new)

The Las Vegas monorail goes from the south end of the strip to the north end (http://www.lvmonorail.com/). The online rates are Single Ride Ticket $5.00 One-Day Pass $12.00 Three-Day Pass $28.00. The website has an interactive map with stops marked. One thing to note is that it is a LONG way back to the monorail stops. As an example, there is a stop at the rear of Bally’s. But it is a long, long walk to get there, much longer than you would expect. And if you are going to say, MGM Grand, you get off at far back of the property and walk and walk to get to the front. I think it is much easier to ride the Deuce bus. It stops right in front of almost every hotel.

Player’s cards:

Always join the player’s club cards. I have several including the Total Rewards card which has an offer for free nights at Harrah’s, Bally’s, Imperial Palace, Rio, Caesars Palace. I got my entire stay for free, 8/29-9/3 Sun-Fri 5 nights. And I am not AT ALL a big spender. I had zero points on my card and I only play penny slots. But I signed up for the card and email. I joined online and checked online for specials/offers.

You just go to the casinos desk for their rewards program and you can get a card and almost always you will get something for free or some sort of offer as well. Like, at the Riviera you can get $20 of slot play for $40 (you can also get this coupon online).

Hotel:

As I said, we are staying at Bally’s for 5 nights, free. You can’t beat that! We normally stay at Imperial Palace because it is one of the best values on the strip. The rooms are fine, the location is great and they have great deals on their rooms. But since we had a choice, we picked Bally’s. We’ve never stayed here and it is a good, maybe even better location since it is right at the crosswalk and is considered to be nicer than Imperial Palace. We could also have stayed at Caesar’s Palace, which is supposed to the the nicest of the three, but it is too big and set back and isn’t in as good a location as far as we are concerned. Harrah’s is similar to Imperial Palace and Rio is not on the strip so you have to take a cab or their shuttle.

It is always worth looking at the websites of the hotels you are interested in (and signing in with your player’s card if you have one) and seeing what specials they are running. That can definitely decide where you might want to stay. My only advice is to avoid the north strip hotels like Circus, Circus, Riviera, Stratosphere, etc. You can get the same prices at the more central hotels and it is easy to walk around from them. The north hotels require riding the bus (The Deuce) or the trolley or the monorail unless you have major stamina (see prices and info above). We’ve walked it all before, but usually end up taking the bus or monorail back.

Also, Always ask for a free funbook at check-in. You will be amazed at the discounts you will find in these books … 2for1 buffets, free drinks, discount show tickets, etc. And if you want an upgrade to a nicer room, a suite, a room with a view, etc., just ask at check-in. You may not get it, but you very well may, if you ask and are polite and treat the check-in person well.

Getting off-strip free Shuttle Service:

Bally’s: You can visit our sister properties, Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino or Harrah’s Las Vegas on the Strip by using our free shuttle. Pick up location Bally’s Las Vegas – North entrance (facing Flamingo Road) across from box office Schedule Pick-up done daily from 10am – 1am.  Bus departs approximately every 30 minutes. The Palm is right across the street from the Rio. Be very careful crossing the street.

Harrah’s

• ~ Shuttle to Rio (in garage off valet entr. Near hotel lobby area) every 15 minutes 10am to 1am (thurs-sun-till 4am)
• ~ Shuttle to Sam’s Town (same location)  9:30.. 11.. 12:30.. 2.. 3:30.. 5..6:30.. 8..9:30

Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook:

I also looked at Strip twitters and found that checking in at foursquare at different hotels will give all sorts of offers like: If you’re on @foursquare, check in at Imperial Palace for a 2-for-1 valid at Burger Palace.

This blog post from Pulse of Vegas Blog called Today’s Vegas Hookup: It pays to Foursquare is all about Vegas and Foursquare, what it is and why you would want to use it in Vegas. The ones they list are all for the Harrah’s brand hotels (since the blog is part of harrahs.com), but in the comments someone included 2 for 1 drinks at liquidity – Luxor, $20 off $100 at Tender steakhouse – Luxor, Free Martini for every 3rd check in – Blue Martini.

Also, Hash House a go go at Imperial Palace (where we want to go) has a free offer each day posted on twitter. Here are the last couple posted:

Grab a FREE Blueberry Limeade today by Tweeting “I’m eating (lunch or dinner) @HashHouseLV”

Grab a FREE HH Mango/Peach Belini today by Tweeting “I’m eating (lunch or dinner) @HashHouseLV”

Grab a FREE Hash House Mimosa today by Tweeting “I’m eating (lunch or dinner) @HashHouseLV”

Grab a FREE Pabst Blue Ribbon today by Tweeting “I’m eating (lunch or dinner) @HashHouseLV”

The hotels also tweet various specials such as: BallysVegas Meaty discounts on great steak! Bally’s and Paris guests, save 20% at either hotel’s steakhouse when you show your room key thru 8/31.

The hotels, venues and restaurants also generally have facebook accounts too. I’m more of a twitter person than a facebook person and they would typically post on both. But there may also be other information on facebook if that is what you are more comfortable with.

Other ways to get discounts and freebies:

We bought a $10 coupon for $3.00 (no additional fees) to Hash House a go go on DinveLV.com. (you just have to buy at least $20 worth of food). We could have gotten a bigger coupon but since the portions are giagantic at Hash House, we will buy one entree and split it so we wouldn’t be spending much more than $20. I did consider getting 2 of these though!

We also bought tickets to Matsuri, a japanese, acrobatic show at Imperial Palace from DineLV.com. The tickets sell for Price: $49.99 and $59.99 for VIP seating on the Imperial Palace website. You can get them cheaper at goldstar.com which is a good site for Vegas discounts. They are $32.05 – $37.55* (* Additional fees of $6-$7 apply). These are for specific dates/times. But at DineLV.com they had a tremendous special. It was $24 for 2 tickets and no fees! And they are good for any date/time. You just present the coupon (via email) to the box office. This was a show we planned to see so this is great.

Matsuri
Japan’s famed “Muscle Musical” returns to the Las Vegas Strip, as Matsuri has arrived at Imperial Palace! Earning critical acclaim at the Riviera in 2006 and Sahara in 2007, Matsuri is a unique show that transcends language. No words are necessary, as highly skilled, athletic performers let their muscles do the talking. Costumes by world-famous designer Junko Koshino add to the visual spectacle of this showcase for traditional Japanese culture – with an original twist!

Human Nature

We also want to see Human Nature at Imperial Palace. This is an Australian singing group that just gets rave reviews everywhere (like tripadvisor). tickets are Price: $49.95 – $59.95 (plus taxes and fees) from Imperial Palace site. Goldstar.com has tickets for $29.55 – $34.55 (plus $6-$7 fees). So it is not a huge amount cheaper and you have to decide on the day/time in advance. We’ll still probably get these, but have to decide when we want to go (and look to see if maybe I can find cheaper tickets). We could get them from tix4Tonight but may not because we really want to see them and they are popular.

“Smokey Robinson Presents Australia’s Human Nature – The Ultimate Celebration of Motown” showcases the distinctive, dynamic harmonies of members Toby Allen, Phil Burton, Andrew Tierney and Michael Tierney. This quartet is known for outstanding concert and stage performances and has toured with Céline Dion and Michael Jackson. Shows are Saturday-Thursday, 7:30pm.

I am thinking about ordering tickets for them from Half Price Shows http://www.halfpriceshows.com/HumanNatureShow.html. According to the site, the tickets are Regular Price $59.52 & $70.52 and HalfPriceTickets has them for 50% Off $34.26 $39.76 (plus $3 fee). And the star means a few shows listed have a $2.75 – $5.50 box office fee which is charged to everyone, whether you buy a full price or half price ticket. Actually, when I look at ticket prices on the Imperial Palace website it says Price: $49.95 – $59.95 (plus taxes and fees). I can’t find anywhere what the taxes and fees are though. I might call and ask at the Imperial Palace Box Office by calling 1-888-777-7664. UPDATE: I called and they are $62 and $73 (that includes about a $3 box office fee that would be applicable for halfpricetickets too). So the discount tickets (VIP) are $43 total from Halfpricetickets plus about $3 Box Office fee or $46 vs $73. So this is a very good deal and I need to order some tickets from them!

This site (and all others I talk about) has been researched to make sure people have used it and were satisfied (on independent websites). Most, if not all of them were also on Tripadvisor.com.

Also, these (and others) can frequently be gotten at the tix4Dinner / tix4Tonight booths which have 20-50% off tickets for that night. Do not miss out on half-price show tickets.  There is a booth inside Bill’s Gambling hall and Casino. Inside is the Tix4tonight/Tix4Dinner booth w/1/2 price vouchers for like the Bally’s Steakhouse. Its on the corner across the street from Ballys. Vouchers for: Pampas Brazilian Grille/Planet Hollywood, Also starting 9:30am same day 20-50% show tickets:

The north end of the strip near the Peppermill (close to the Riviera) also has tx4tonite

• -One Company is in the Coke Bottle near the MGM Grand
• -Other Company (Tix4Tonight) has 4 locations:  in front of Fashion Show Mall, by the Riviera, by Outdoor Hawaiian Market (all on Strip), and inside the Four Queens Casino (Fremont Street), opening at 11 a.m., with shows available posted at 10:30 a.m.

We also might go see the Mac King Comedy Magic show which is supposed to be good and a good value. I’ll see if Harrah’s has any discount tickets for this. I think it is possible to get the show for free with the price of a drink ($12 in the theater but $12 for a drink and show isn’t bad). From Harrah’s the tickets cost $24.95 plus tax & fees so $12 is ½ price (and cheap for a show). This is also an afternoon show which makes a nice break during the day (1pm and 3pm).

I’d like to see La Femme Crazy Horse Paris at MGM and/or Zumanity at NY NY and/or Jubilee at Bally’s. There is a summer promotion for Cirque du Soleil shows THE SUMMER OF CIRQUE (http://www.nynyhotelcasino.com/entertainment/entertainment_zumanity_promotions.aspx ) Buy a ticket to Zumanity for only $50! Use promo code: ZUMANITY but darn! They are dark for 2 weeks right when we are there. The last show is 8/24 and the next is 9/10. That is a serious misfortune! Normally the tickets are very expensive. I’m not sure the exact cost but around $100 if not more. But obviously, this is out. Well, next time!

La Femme

La Femme (also know as Crazy Horse Paris) is at MGM Grand Wednesday – Monday, 8:00pm and 10:30pm; Dark on Tuesday. Tickets from MGM Grand/Ticketmaster are $50 and $60 (US $67.50 x 2, $7 fee each). Ticket prices are $50.50 & $60.50 Inclusive ALL SEATS (Includes LET & Handling Fee). Tickets can be purchased at any MGM Grand Ticket Outlet or MGM Concierge. Crazy Horse Will-Call Booth is Open: 3:30pm – 11:00pm, Wednesday through Monday, closed Tuesday.

I’m not really finding any discount tickets for them, although tix4Tonight may have them if we want to wait and chance it. I’m thinking Sept 1 (my birthday) at 8pm. Per tripadvisor rpt: The theater is indeed small but I would call it “intimate” and perfectly suited to this kind of show. I would agree that you might want to try to sit a little further from the stage. This way you can see the entire stage and all that goes on. We sat up at the “bar stool” area and it was perfect. And I advise sitting a bit farther away from the stage at a four top. —- Just call Tix4Tonite to get the half-price seats.

The show is art. Each number is choreographed and lit in a way unique to La Femme. This isn’t a peep show, nor a jiggle show. During some of the numbers, you are taken to a place in your mind where you almost forget that nearly nude females are the centerpiece. This is not a bachelor party “whoop and holler” event.

The show is also erotic. The first number “God Save Our Bareskins” puts a new twist on the changing of the guard. Numbers like “See Thru, Peek-A-Boo” and “Vestal’s Desire” highlight the sexuality just by the titles (not to mention the shimmering female figures onstage). The La Femme theatre was designed to re-create the Crazy Horse located on Avenue George V in Paris. The stage, design, fabric, colors and tabletops duplicate the original and this intimate theatre seats only patrons.

Jubilee at Bally’s is good traditional “lots of feathered headresses and fancy, skimpy costumes” showgirls. It is expensive though and I can’t find discounts. I’ll ask at Bally’s when we check in. Per Tripadvisor review “First of all – buy fantastic seat loacation tickets from Ballys box ofice with a 2 for 1 voucher you’ll find in some of the Vegas information bookles you pick up for free, we got 5th row in the middle the day before the show, saved $47 each. “

Peep Show with Holly Madison is also playing at Planet Hollywood. Tickets are $65.00 (plus taxes and fees) thru ticketmaster. I have heard great things about this show and I hope tix4tonight has reduced price tickets when we get there.

Other than Matsuri (for which I have already purchased tickets), we will check out the half price tickets booths to see what they have and decide which ones to go to based on that and/or if we want to book through a discount company online when we get there.

For the “rest of the story” see my next post – Las Vegas Strip Tips Part 2: Dining, Drinking, Free Wifi, Websites and more.

Cheers!

~Susan Mellott

Next we drove to the Border town of Chiang Saen.  It was about a 1.5 hour drive from Chiang Rai. It is on the border of Thailand and Laos.  You can see on the map the Golden Triangle, which is the place where Thailand, Myanmar (Burma) and Laos meet. We walked to the river and there was a pier where you could catch a longtail boat and go down (up?) the Mekong river. From the dock you could see a giant gold buddha on the Thailand side that looked like it was sitting on a giant fancy boat. It sort of looked like an amusement park to me, but we didn’t get a close up look at it. I can’t find a lot of information about it, but it appears that it is part of a temple at Ban Sop Ruak and is one of the several attractions built around the Golden Triangle (which isn’t much to see here, just basically a sandbar). We did not really look around Chiang Saen and the area, we just took the boat ride from there.

Down a bit fom Chiang Saen, on the Laos side is a fancy, new casino with a big golden dome.  For the life of me, I can’t find the name of it. But this is a picture of it. The Chinese built this (and other casinos in the area) and are capitalizing on the poorness of the region to allow them to build. “The Chinese have a lot of money to invest and the governments of Laos and Burma have few resources or defences to control the intentions of China’s growth into the region“. The sign says “Welcome to the Golden Triangle Economic Zone”. There is also a large casino/resort down a bit that is in Myanmar (or technically in “no mans land” since Myanmar doesn’t allow gambling) called the Golden Triangle Paradise Resort. Reading about it on a travel site called ThingsAsian “I came to discover that the Golden Triangle Paradise Resort is one of 34 casinos that ring Thailand’s borders. Together they bring in an estimated US $2 billion per year, as Thais cross into Burma, Laos, and Cambodia to indulge in games of chance outlawed in their homeland.” Thailand also does not allow gambling so there are a lot of Thai and other daytrippers to the casinos.

We stopped for a brief shopping trip on Don Sao island in Laos. You aren’t allowed outside of the shopping market without a visa but you can technically say you were in Laos. And can put some of your money into Laos instead of Thailand. Laos is a considerably poorer and less modernized country than Thailand.  Here is a tip from the website above: “(Hint: Get the post master on the island to stamp your passport with the Laos postmark, to prove you’ve been there).”

The main reason everyone was looking forward to this stop was the chance to try and to buy Snake Whiskey (along with scorpion, lizard and other disgusting things). They had big glass containers of a murky liquid with decaying giant snakes, lizards, etc. in them that you could try a dipper of, and many of our group did. Not me, no way! It grosses me out to think about it.

And there were many bottles of the whiskey for sale (as souvenirs primarily, I hope) with various things in them (the snake being the main item). I did buy a nice tunic top of white crinkle cotton. That is my main purchases I made this trip – various tunic tops of crinkle cotton (which I find washes very nicely).  On the other side of the river, where we started, was a lot of shops also that I really wanted to shop at (and had seen some things I wanted to get). But unfortunately, when we got back we just had time for a potty stop and then we left. Can you believe we left somewhere unshopped?! Not typical for a tour company but something that set this tour apart, in a good way. We were not inundated with shopping, shopping, shopping.

From here we went to our hotel for the next 2 days, the Phowadol Resort and Spa. Here is the TripAdvisor page on the Phowadol which is very detailed and has reviews, pictures and more.The Phowadol Resort was very nice and very picturesque. It had separate pavilions with open air lobbies where the rooms were located.  The reception desk was in a separate pavilion (see picture). And there were private bungalows around some of the small lakes that you could also rent.  It had a very open, tropical feel with lots of lush vegetation, winding paths, little lakes/lagoons and a very nice pool that I actually got in and spent some time in.  I am typically an “indoor Susie” so this was an unusual occurrence (and I may have gotten a touch of heat stroke, unknowingly). But the weather was just ideal, warm but nice breeze and not too hot like it was further south.  The rooms had lots of wood and a private patio with a large palm.  An oddity of the room was a beautiful painted mural on the wall next to the bed that slid open to reveal the bathroom. The question, of course, is “why???”  Other than being great for a puppet show, it is just plain freaky-deeky. But I guess you did have a nice view outside through the patio doors from the toilet… Other bath news: the bathtub (an important fixture for me) was wide and deep. It was a little shorter than usual perhaps, but plenty long enough for me and the deepness and wideness were excellent.  Unfortunately, even with the panels to the bathroom open, you couldn’t see the TV from the bathtub. That would be the only real advantage to having the panels that open, in my opinion.

The room also had this ultra-modern unit that controlled the TV, the air conditioning, the lights (every one individually) and any thing else you can think of. Of course, none of us could figure out how it worked… That seems to be a theme with the hotels, that there is always something no one can figure out.  It turns out there is a master switch on the unit that turns everything on.  We got that part, but I tried and tried to figure out how to turn on the lamp next to the bed on my side.  The lamp itself had no switch, the cord had no switch and none of the buttons on the control panel worked for it.  I went to a friend’s room and asked them how they got it to work.  As it turned out, the light bulb was burned out in our lamp.  I think there is a joke in here somewhere about how to keep an idiot busy…

Now is a good time to talk about the bed mattresses.  Ever since Bangkok, the bed mattresses have been getting harder and harder.  These were a thin batting on a wooden platform.  It was extremely firm, but surprisingly comfortable (once we got over the surprise of a mattress that is even significantly firmer than ours at home, which is just a bed quality futon on slats).

We all wanted to see the musical light show clock tower and to go to the Chiang Rai night market so Nok arranged the bus to take us and to stop at the clock tower just as it was doing its thing and then we walked to the night market.

This is a shrine we passed while walking to the night market.  It was beautiful and was all silver (actually tin) filigree.

Chiang Rai has a very nice night market with a food place with a stage and entertainment that was quite varied, from a duo on acoustic guitars singing ’70s easy listening music like “Summer Breeze” and early beatles, to a quite extravagant Ladyboy show in Chiang Rai (aka he/she, aka katooey, aka transvestite). Click on the link to see a video I took. He/she’s (as Nok says) are very common in Thailand and no one thinks anything about it. At many stores and markets, there was a ladyboy working and no one gave it a second thought.

We asked Nok what the feeling was about them and Nok said people liked them because they were so cute and girly. Actually, Bangkok/Thailand is one of the best, if not “the” best places to go for transgender surgery. They have the most up-to-date, experienced surgeons and tools.  But just because a boy acts/dresses like a girl does not mean he is working on being changed physically into a female. It seems to be a way of life that is complete the way it is.  The ladyboys in the show were so beautiful and feminine that several of the guys in our group absolutely refused to believe they were men and went up to take a close look and still didn’t believe until a few of the performers were a slight bit more male looking and they said it was possible.  Many a man has ended up being surprised that the “woman” they picked up, was really a man.  It is just a common thing.

They used to have the same setup (night market, food area and entertainment) in Chiang Mai. I went to it when I was in Chiang Mai in 2001. But Nok says it closed that down and just has the night market now.

This is a picture of the delicious fish dinner that Sean had at the night market.

Sean and I did a little shopping at the night market and then we took a tuk-tuk back to the hotel. We paid 120 baht to get back. It was nice to know that we were not traveling tomorrow! Tomorrow is a free day and we plan to just hang out and maybe take a swim and just generally be lazy. Maybe we’ll go back to the night market.

By the way, to see all my posts from my February 2010 Smartours Amazing Thailand trip, you can select the category “Thailand” from the category dropdown on the right.

And a quick note, I may not post again for several days as Sean and I will be at the happiest place on Earth – Disney World next week.

Until then,

~Susan Mellott

While in (or near) Lampang, we visited a mulberry paper making factory and a ceramics factory. I don’t remember about either of these (maybe it was too early).  I do somewhat remember seeing how they beat the mulberry pulp to make the paper. As you can guess, I thought it was somewhat interesting but not one of the highlights of the trip Actually, maybe we did this yesterday (I’m writing this after the fact). In any case, we did that sometime in there…

But the first thing I really remember for this day is the visit to Uncle Gao’s pineapple farm. Nok, our tour guide, showed us how they were a straw hat and carry the baskets to pick the pineapples. This is a picture of Nok, the Wonder Guide.  We met Uncle Gao (“uncle” because he is older) and he showed us how he cuts the pineapple up, whack, whack, whack!  We saw his house which I think you could safely call a shack, although really, it had pretty much all you would need.  There was electricity and a TV and a small refrigerator and a place to cook with burners. I didn’t see an oven.  He had graduation photos of his kids proudly displayed, along with a picture of the King (as found in most Thai houses). I think there was only an outdoors toilet but it was pretty nice since it was built with tourists in mind so it was probably the newest, most modern structure there. I didn’t see a shower but there was water so there was probably a shower or hose somewhere. Everything was decrepit and dusty/dirty. I heard some of the people say they didn’t believe Uncle Gao lived there, that it was just for show.  I couldn’t say. I believe he did, there were plenty of houses that looked like this along the way that people lived in.  But maybe not all the time, or any more.  I’ll bet at least that he used to live there. Anyway, it seemed livable to me.

Uncle Gao was a nice older man who lost his wife about 2 years ago. Nok said she was killed by being hit on the road I believe she said.  She said she saw Uncle Gao some time after that and he cried when she asked where his wife was.  It’s a sad story and he was all alone except for his dog (and her puppies).  He looked at Sean’s tattoos and showed Sean his tattoos. He had some on his chest that he said was to protect him from being shot. I forgot to ask why he would need protection from being shot. Maybe when he was younger he was in the army or something like that.  He told us about that using a gun shaped lighter and pantomiming it and we figured out what he meant and we all had a good time doing so.  Nok (the Wonder Guide) translated for us when we visited with people and that made it easy to talk to people we could not have on our own. Nok always introduced us and translated for all of us and facilitated conversation. That is not something you get very often, in my experience. Even if the guide spoke the language, they usually didn’t do much more than maybe tell us who the person was.  Nok seemed to personally know each person we met.

After we left Uncle Gao’s, we went to Phayao where there is a big reservoir/lake.  It was very beautiful with a large lake and hills in the background.  There was a pretty little stop with coffee, bathrooms and misc stuff with a pretty shrine and lily pond in front. There is another thing in Phayao that we didn’t see but sounds interesting. It is Wat Sikhom Kham. I could not find a lot of information about it, even searching the net, but what I read sounded intriguing: “Wat Sikhom Kham, on the shore of the lake, houses a revered 400-year-old Buddha image. But it is the startling statues of dinosaurs, devils and other images of hell – inspired by both Hollywood films and Buddhist legend – that attract many visitors.”

That sounds very interesting to me, like the roadside attractions that I love to visit when on a road trip. I remember my parents and us girls going on road trips with our Mobile Travel Guide and stopping at all the interesting attractions they listed.  One time I saw an entire minature Jerusalem made out of concrete and broken bottles and jewelry and all sorts of “found items”. It was the work of a mad man or a saint (or both). But it was so worth seeing. It is called the Ave Maria Grotto and its Facebook page has lots of pictures. We had the best road trips!

But back to Phayao.  In Phayao we got to taste the infamous Dancing Shrimp. Several members of our tour had asked about it and sure enough, in Phayao, there it was. Nok, as usual, took us right over and bought enough for all of us to try.  So what is Dancing Shrimp?  It is tiny live shrimp stirred quickly into a seasoned salad, put into a wrap and eaten, while the shrimp are jumping around and trying to jump out of the bowl, the wrap, your mouth and everywhere else.  Nok fed each person a taste so they didn’t actually have to hold it As you might have guessed from my previous posts, I did not try it.  But people said it was OK.  I think it was probably the novelty of it along with a decent tasting base that made it good. But it was the topic of discussion for many days and I was glad that people got to try it.

I also had some Thai red iced tea for the first time. People had said how great it was and they were right. It is a milky, sweet, tasty iced tea.  We also had peanut/sesame seed bars like peanut brittle and black sesame seed bars that we think were made with molasses. And some people bought some crunchy fried bamboo worms (that were called “Pringles” on the package).  I didn’t try any but people didn’t seem to think they were that good. Just mostly crunchy I guess.

Then we went to Mae Sai, Mae Sai is the northern-most city of Thailand. It is mainly a stepping stone for visits to Myanmar. You can walk under a big arch, across the bridge and you are in Myanmar (Burma). Other than that, it was mostly just a lot of little shopping stalls and food carts. It was good for a quick stop, potty break and a little shopping. It was at this point that I realized that we had not been inundated with shopping stops. Although we went to some specialized places to see how things were made (and visit their gift shop), I was not feeling shopping overload by any means. Actually, I was feeling a little shopping deprived and I crammed as much shopping as you can into a short (20-30 min?) stop.

Next stop was a delicious lunch at our hotel in Chiang Rai, the Phowadol resort.  I think I will stop this post here and resume with lunch in my next post.

Sawasdi Jao,

~Susan Mellott

Today we left Topland Hotel early-ish (7:30 or and headed to Sukothai. The Sukothai Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was the site of the first capital of Siam (Thailand) Sukhothai Kingdom in the 13th century. It had many stupas and buddha statues and beautiful ponds and landscape.  You have seen typical buddha statues, of which there were many.  But this was an interesting statue of buddha of a type I had not seen before.  It is the Walking Buddha (I can’t remember, was it for walking meditation?) and was very feminine in form.  This is the way the Thai Buddhas look. This is because the thought  was that the feminine figure was the most graceful and beautiful of all human shapes.  It did not mean that he was feminine or female, just that he was graceful and beautiful. If you follow the link above, you can see the list of desired attributes. Sukhothai artists tried to follow the defining marks of a Buddha set out in ancient Pali texts. All the statues in Sukothai were feminine in nature. You could rent bicycles and cycle around the grounds as they are very large, but it was pretty hot for cycling when we were there, although a lot of people were doing it.

We stopped for lunch at another buffet which I can’t remember, exactly. I think it outside in a garden as were several of the lunches that were buffets.  I did write down what we had to eat though!  We had bean sprout soup, morning glory veggie (green stalk type veg), chicken, glass noodles, rice, watermelon, pomelo (sp?) – a delicious fruit that is like a large, mild, sweet grapefruit (that I could not get enough of), beer and water for 680 baht for both of us (or about $20).  As usual, it would be very expensive to get the same quality food here in the US.

The next stop was a museum to view ancient ceramic kilns that were excavated and left in their original condition. It was fascinating to see and understand how they created kilns to cure their pottery.  They are known for their celadon (sp?) green ceramics.  The display of the kilns was very well done.

Then we visited the textile museum (and shop) and met the owner, a very nice and funny man. It was nice that in most of the places we went, we got to meet the owner/creator.  He was dressed in the clothing of Laos, a bordering country.  Most of the people who owned these places we visited did not speak English but with the great help of Nok, our excellent guide, we were able to talk to them very well.

And then we went to our hotel in Lampang, the Wienglakor hotel.  The hotels on the road are not as nice as the one in Bangkok.  This is probably because they are in small towns that are just stopovers on the way to somewhere like Chiang Rai or Chiang Mai.  The Wienglakor hotel had a very noisy air-conditioner and an interesting, unlabeled (in our room) slot that you put the key in order to turn the lights on.  That is actually fairly common, but we had not encountered it yet and it was unlabeled so it took us awhile (and asking another room) to figure out how to work it. It was funny because we started wandering down the hall looking for someone to ask and we found 2 of the guys on their knees peering at a little hole in the wall by the floor behind a baseboard that was pulled off. They had accidentally dropped their key into the slot that turns on the lights instead of inserting the attached plastic bit. They MacGyvered the key out of the wall with various pens, tweezers, pocket knives and other tools.

There were very cool horse drawn carriages in Lampang that you could rent cheaply to go around town and Lampang was a pretty little town. We wanted to go out and look around but yet again we were tired from a long day and laid down when we got to the hotel and didn’t wake up until about midnight (and then went back to bed). I wrote a post before this one about  the Wienglakor hotel and misc. My posts are out of order because I had a hard time finding internet so sometimes they were current and sometimes they were catch-up. When I am all finished, I will make a travel page for them and put them in the correct order.

Tomorrow is the Golden Triangle, Chiang Rai, a ride on a boat on the Mekong river, a stop just across the border of Laos and Myanmar (Burma) and various occupations and handicrafts.

Onward and upward,

~Susan Mellott