Las Vegas

Everyone told me how spectacular Las Vegas would be, with its mega resorts, huge entertainment venues and bustling casinos, but there was something no one warned me about

Mega resorts towered over me as I walked along the iconic Las Vegas Strip, the echo of country music seeping from a four-storey bar, colourful signs flashing in every direction and the Bellagio fountains taking centre stage every 15 minutes.

Inside the sprawling resorts, I was met with the vibrant, blinking slot machines, elaborate interior themes and celebrity restaurants, along with impressive nearby venues that make up ‘Entertainment Capital of the World’. This was everything I expected from the city of Nevada, and so much more.

With its bustling, energetic and chaotic atmosphere, it felt as though I had stepped into a parallel universe. After all, I was at the heart of America’s playground. Yet, amid all of the expected madness, there was something that completely took me by surprise during my first time in ‘Sin City’.

OPINION

Amy Jones

OPINION

Amy Jones

Las Vegas is situated in the Mojave Desert, the smallest and driest desert in North America. Beyond the glitz of the Strip, you can see the rugged mountains and sprawling golden desert that make up this striking landscape. But what I didn’t factor in was how dry the air would feel.

Of course, I knew deserts were dry, offering hot days and cold evenings, but it was nothing like I had experienced before, especially while walking around such a built-up city. It left me constantly thirsty, made my knuckles crack, and my lips were as dry as the Mojave Desert itself!

I needed to constantly carry a bottle of water around with me to quench my thirst at any given moment, moisturise my knuckles multiple times a day, and apply lip balm as if my life depended on it. I panicked when I accidentally left my lip balm in my hotel room one day, and saw my knuckles become redder and redder as the days went on.

It bewildered me how much it affected my skin and thirst. I could feel the dry air around me, even though it was only around 20C during the day, and I can only recall the air feeling fresh once during my five-day trip. Yet, it only added to the experience and reminded me that I really was in the heart of a desert.

While I was taken aback by the climate change, it appears that other travellers are familiar with the Las Vegas air. One shared on TripAdvisor: “I have a real problem with dry skin in Vegas and always take crack cream. Seems to help.”

Another advised: “HYDRATE – you cannot drink enough water. This is your best defence. (If you are enjoying those wonderful free cocktails while gambling, ask for a bottle of water with each drink.)

I had another encounter with the desert during a guided hiking tour through the Valley of Fire with Love Hikes, just a few hours’ drive away. Here, I was instantly amazed by the dramatic orange rock formations and miles of golden floor as I wandered through towering valleys.

Notably, the majestic desert in the state park has been used as a movie filming set, including for Transformers, Star Trek: Generations, The Professionals and Viva Las Vegas, which starred Elvis Presley. While it’s a far cry from the casinos, you can still find some glamour in the rugged terrain.

Yet, there was something else that surprised me during my trip, and that was how much smaller Las Vegas felt than I had expected, even while wandering around the iconic Strip. I thought it would feel like a gigantic city, but the span of the Strip, despite its enormous towering resorts and gigantic landmarks, was more compact than I had imagined.

There was so much to see and explore, but with its Strip measuring approximately 4.2 miles, you could easily walk its length, something I really didn’t think about until I saw it for myself. Although it would take around two hours to walk the extent of it, it felt like nothing compared to the streets of New York or London.

The population of Las Vegas was 641,903 at the 2020 census, but is thought to have increased since then. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas metropolitan area has an estimated 2.4 million residents across an estimated 7,891 square miles. This is in contrast to New York, which has an estimated population of 8,478,072, as of July 2024, spanning across a whopping 300.46 square miles.

However, while I think the Strip was more compact than I had expected, the city stretches far beyond the glitz with neighbourhoods scattered across the desert right to the edge of the mountain backdrop.

To book your trip, you can check out the Visit Las Vegas website or find direct flights with Virgin Atlantic.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

During a trip abroad, I let the hands of a futuristic robot melt my worries away as it pivoted and descended on my pressure points during a massage like never before

I was guided through the spa and shown to my treatment room, ready to melt my worries away with an afternoon massage. Yet, as I entered the room, I wasn’t greeted by a cheery therapist but by a robot with its two extendable metallic arms ready to pummel.

Like most people, I’ve always enjoyed a massage – that feeling of your body melting away as a talented therapist works through the tense knots and aching joints. It’s always a treat, and not something I have often experienced, so when I had the opportunity to get a shoulder and back massage during my trip to Las Vegas this month, I jumped at the chance.

But this would be very different from anything I had experienced before. I was about to try out the AI robotic massage at Qua Spa in Caesars Palace, the first to be available on the iconic Las Vegas Strip.

OPINION

Amy Jones

READ MORE: Spanish town has Europe’s cheapest package holiday for 2026 summer getaways

I checked in for my Aescape Robotic Massage Experience at Qua Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace, and was asked for my clothing size. I was then taken to my treatment room, where a pair of athletic leggings and a short-sleeved top were perfectly hung on the back of the door.

For an AI massage at Qua Spa, guests are required to change into the provided, tight-fitting clothing so the robot’s metallic arms can glide smoothly across the body. It also avoids the embarrassment of feeling vulnerable in front of an android, which I was thankful for.

It was fascinating to see the metallic arms move around my body on the screen. Nevertheless, I watched warily as my mechanical therapist targeted each pressure point, unsure whether to fully trust the apparatus.

But after a while, as I settled into my surroundings with my new acquaintance, I began to relax. The base of the robot’s arms was warm, and every one of its movements felt smooth and effective, providing relief on my back and shoulders.

At times, the arms would hold their position for a few seconds, putting more pressure on that area. I thought it was a malfunction at first, but after a couple of times, I came to understand the process. Plus, knowing I could relieve the pressure at any given moment put me at ease.

My worries melted away, and I began to get used to this cutting-edge massage robot. Undoubtedly, it differed from a conventional massage, but it provided an effective release during my 15-minute session.

It also avoided the awkward question of, ‘Is this pressure ok for you?’, and allowed me to be in full control of my treatment with a swipe of a button. It’s an experience that will remain etched in my memory, but one I’d recommend trying out for a touch of relaxation!

The Aescape Robotic Massage Experience is available for $44 (£31) for 15 minutes or $88 (£63) for 30 minutes, at Qua Spa in Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. For more information, you can visit their website.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

The theme of this unique motel will give many people anxiety, and its location next to a graveyard popular with ghost hunters doesn’t help. But if you love the kitsch and scary, it could be a night to remember

Everyone has something they’re afraid of. It could be spiders, or flying, or, of course anatidaephobia (the fear that a duck is watching).

Whatever it might be, some people find that confronting a phobia head-on helps them manage the anxiety around it.

If you dislike being around clowns, then you aren’t alone. A study by psychologists found that among a group of 987 adults, 53.5%, had some degree of fear of clowns. In extreme cases, this can lead to coulrophobia, with even the mere mention of clowns causing anxiety and panic attacks.

It’s safe to say that most of the world’s population, coulrophobic or not, would rather give The Clown Motel a miss. However, for a small number of clown fans, horror movie lovers, and people who enjoy exploring haunted and just plain weird places, it’s the dream location.

READ MORE: Ibiza resort where Katie Price loves to party with day club and rooftop barREAD MORE: Tiny, filthy rich country without an airport is ‘least visited’ in Europe

There’s certainly no missing the place when you drive down the desert road of Tonopah, Nevada. You’ll either spot the huge Clown Motel sign, complete with a grinning cartoon, or the motel building covered in multicoloured polka dots. The exterior is covered in cartoons of clowns, from cheery, kid-friendly to downright creepy, resembling the character from IT that triggered many a clown phobia.

But the theme isn’t just on the outside of the building. Step inside and you’ll see floor-to-ceiling shelves covered in colourful clown dolls with rictus grins and various kitsch clown paintings. If you haven’t run away screaming by this point, you can explore the lobby’s clown museum, which includes items sent to the owner from around the world. There’s also a gift shop, should you wish to recreate the décor in your own home. As one reviewer said: “This place is clean, but it’s still kooky and strange”.

The rooms have various themes, some fairly standard with a few clown additions, while others go all out to create a colourful, sometimes horrifying nighttime experience. There are rooms themed around movies such as Friday the 13th and Halloween, while others, such as the Fear Unlimited room, go all out with creepy clown murals and bedsheets with fake blood stains.

The motel is reportedly haunted, with many reviewers sharing their odd experiences. One said: “At night around 3am there were really loud scratching sounds and something that sounded like a little child crying.” Another claimed: “We did hear some weird noises at 4am, such as ticking, scratching sounds and muffled talking.”

However, perhaps an even spookier site lies right next to the hotel. The Old Tonopah Cemetery dates back to 1901 and was the final resting place for many interesting characters from the Old West. Local legends claim that the victims of a mine fire haunt the grounds, and some people say they’ve spotted the ghost of a young girl.

READ MORE: World’s most beautiful airport crowned but travellers say ‘it’s nothing special’READ MORE: UK’s best gastropub crowned and it has the ‘perfect Guinness’ – full list of 100 best

Tonopah is about a three-hour drive from Las Vegas and the ideal stop on a desert road trip. Visit the Tonopah Historic Mining Park where you can see some of the old silver mines and learn about the town’s fascinating history. It’s also home to the Central Nevada Museum, a must-see for those who are interested in day-to-day life in the Old West.

Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

MONDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

Animo Robinson d. University Prep Value, forfeit

Cleveland 76, Taft 60

Downtown Magnets 70, RFK Community 47

El Camino Real 66, Birmingham 52

Garfield 52, South East 34

Granada Hills 39, Chatsworth 37

Granada Hills Kennedy 74, Reseda 31

Harbor Teacher 53, Locke 29

Hawkins 100, Rise Kohyang 9

Horace Mann UCLA 56, Alliance Tajima 30

Huntington Park 63, South Gate 40

LA Hamilton 63, LACES 49

LA Jordan 73, Crenshaw 41

Legacy 51, Bell 44

Los Angeles 52, Angelou 46

Marquez 87, Elizabeth 28

North Hollywood 95, Arleta 52

Orthopaedic d. Annenberg, forfeit

Rancho Dominguez 54, Carson 51

Santee 73, Jefferson 67

Smidt Tech 47, Animo De La Hoya 46

Sotomayor 44, Maywood CES 29

Sun Valley Poly 88, Chavez 25

Torres 49, Maywood Academy 42

Valor Academy 61, Sun Valley Magnet 57

View Park 64, Foshay 63

Washington Prep 94, Dorsey 36

West Adams 66, Manual Arts 59

Westchester 51, LA University 49

SOUTHERN SECTION

Aliso Niguel 61, Beckman 60

Anaheim 50, Garden Grove Santiago 30

Arrowhead Christian 70, Linfield Christian 60

Bishop Diego 69, Del Sol 48

Blair 87, Monrovia 70

Brentwood 70, Crossroads 60

Burbank 64, Glendale 52

Burbank Providence 62, Buckley 57

Carter 78, Bloomington 56

Cathedral 72, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 48

Compton 85, Long Beach Jordan 72

Desert Christian Academy 65, San Jacinto Leadership 25

Eastside 51, Highland 44

Elsinore 64, Paloma Valley 43

Estancia 64, Orange 46

Fountain Valley 51, Huntington Beach 39

Glendale Adventist 45, Ojai Valley 42

Heritage 86, Santa Rosa Academy 49

Indian Springs 64, Arlington 30

Irvine 76, St. Margaret’s 60

Jurupa Valley 47, La Sierra 41

Knight 64, Quartz Hill 46

La Salle 52, Mary Star of the Sea 50

La Sierra Academy 53, Ana Hamilton 40

Loara 42, Century 29

Long Beach Cabrillo 72, Lynwood 50

Long Beach Poly 74, Long Beach Wilson 53

Los Alamitos 86, Marina 69

Mesrobian 61, SEED: LA 53

Millikan 102, Lakewood 39

Mission Viejo 70, El Toro 45

Newport Christian 59, Acaciawood Academy 45

Oxnard 57, Oxnard Pacifica 48

Palmdale 62, Antelope Valley 42

Pilgrim 63, Westmark 53

Ramona 73, Norte Vista 62

Rio Mesa 58, Buena 36

Riverside Notre Dame 80, Eisenhower 71

Rosemead 41, El Monte 21

Rubidoux 47, Patriot 35

Sage Hill 69, Irvine University 57

San Clemente 62, Dana Hills 34

San Marcos 67, Ventura 57

San Marino 62, South Pasadena 44

Santa Barbara 74, Dos Pueblos 59

Simi Valley 76, Grace 41

South El Monte 57, Gabrielino 49

St. Genevieve 71, Paraclete 59

Temple City 52, La Canada 45

Thousand Oaks Hillcrest Christian 86, Beacon Hill 52

Valley Torah 79, Palmdale Aerospace 68

Westminster La Quinta 65, Rancho Alamitos 55

Woodbridge 63, Laguna Beach 34

Xavier Prep 57, Twentynine Palms 50

INTERSECTIONAL

Castaic 55, Canoga Park 53

San Diego Cathedral 51, Campbell Hall 49

Gahr 52, Bernstein 40

Lakeview Charter 54, South Hills Academy 50

GIRLS

CITY SECTION

Angelou 44, Los Angeles 21

Bell 55, Legacy 13

Birmingham 80, El Camino Real 41

Cleveland 54, Taft 28

Crenshaw 58, LA Jordan 30

Garfield 58, South East 30

Granada Hills 66, Chatsworth 21

Granada Hills Kennedy 76, Reseda 9

Horace Mann UCLA 21, Alliance Tajima 19

Huntington Park 66, South Gate 28

LA Hamilton 74, LACES 23

Marquez 60, Elizabeth 15

Maywood Academy 50, Torres 24

Maywood CES 40, Sotomayor 25

Northridge Academy 59, SOCES 32

Orthopaedic d. Annenberg, forfeit

San Fernando 49, Hawkins 32

Smidt Tech 23, Animo De La Hoya 15

Sun Valley Magnet 54, Valor Academy 7

VAAS 34, Fulton 32

Vaughn 44, East Valley 14

Verdugo Hills 53, Monroe 16

West Adams 60, Manual Arts 13

SOUTHERN SECTION

Alemany 124, Flintridge Sacred Heart 3

Anaheim 62, Loara 47

Arrowhead Christian 56, Linfield Christian 49

Brentwood 67, Crossroads 39

Burbank 59, Glendale 50

Burbank Providence 71, Buckley 30

California Military Institute 48, St. Jeanne de Lestonnac 10

Calvary Baptist 59, Grove School 28

Castaic 80, Southwestern Academy 8

Century 38, Garden Grove Santiago 4

Channel Islands 53, Santa Clara 19

Corona Centennial 76, Los Osos 51

Desert Christian Academy 37, San Jacinto Leadership Academy 33

Downey 51, Warren 35

Gabrielino 52, South El Monte 25

Glendale Adventist 54, Ojai Valley 35

Grand Terrace 67, Colton 9

Jurupa Valley 53, La Sierra 32

La Canada 59, Temple City 31

Lakeview Charter 68, South Hills Academy 2

La Palma Kennedy 62, Segerstrom 53

Long Beach Jordan 53, Compton 24

Monrovia 55, Blair 32

Orange 51, Estancia 28

Pasadena Marshall 47, Mountain View 16

Pasadena Poly 77, Ramona Convent 27

Ramona 62, Norte Vista 15

Riverside Notre Dame 74, San Gorgonio 36

Rosary Academy 64, Portola 37

Rosemead 53, El Monte 16

Samueli Academy 50, Orange County Classical 13

Santa Ana Valley 36, Western 34

Savanna 56, Westminster La Quinta 18

SEED: LA 35, Mesrobian 20

Silver Valley 61, Barstow 35

South Pasadena 55, San Marino 35

St. Monica 65, New West Charter 28

Thousand Oaks Hillcrest Christian 55, Pilgrim 18

Twentynine Palms 59, Xavier Prep 44

Windward 63, Viewpoint 24

INTERSECTIONAL

Lakeview 68, South Hills Academy 2

San Pedro 48, Dominguez 39

St. Monica 65, New West Charter 28

As a first-time visitor to Las Vegas, there were expectations to the vibrant desert city with its towering mega resorts, yet there was something that completely took me by surprise

Las Vegas is a city like no other, with its iconic Strip boasting mega resorts, buzzing casinos, and incredible entertainment venues, offering 24/7 nightlife every day of the week. It never darkens, with its glimmering signs lighting up the roads, yet there was one element of ‘Sin City’ that surprised me, and it was far from what I was expecting.

I was lucky enough to visit Las Vegas for the first time this month – the ideal time to beat the January blues! I was staying for four nights and around five days, excited to experience and immerse myself in the ‘Entertainment Capital of the World’.

My first sight of the shimmering city came when I landed on Wednesday evening, capturing a glimpse of the towering buildings lining the Las Vegas Strip and the neighbourhoods scattered beyond in the desert. At first, I was bewildered by the close proximity of the Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) – we were landing adjacent to the Las Vegas Strip, and on my right, I had a spectacular view of The Sphere!

READ MORE: Weather turns on Champagne-sipping passengers as Antarctic cruise ship gets stuckREAD MORE: The ‘world’s best city’ takes just three hours to get to with £35 UK flights

In other locations, airports are typically situated farther from the main city, so the location of the LAS airport caught me a little off guard. I found myself in the heart of it all from the moment we touched down. But that was just the start.

As I travelled to my hotel and later walked along the world-famous Las Vegas Strip, I was surprised by how much smaller it felt than I had expected. Having never travelled to the Nevada city before, I thought it would feel like a gigantic city, where you get lost finding the nearest supermarket or need public transport to explore different areas.

Yet, what I found was that the span of the Strip, despite its enormous towering resorts and gigantic landmarks, was more compact than I had imagined. There was so much to see and explore, but with its Strip measuring approximately 4.2 miles, you could easily walk its length, something I really didn’t think about until I saw it for myself.

Although it would take around two hours to walk the extent of it, it felt like nothing compared to the streets of New York or London. The population of Las Vegas was 641,903 at the 2020 census, but is thought to have increased since then.

Meanwhile, the Las Vegas metropolitan area has an estimated 2.4 million residents across an estimated 7,891 square miles. This is in contrast to New York, which has an estimated population of 8,478,072, as of July 2024, spanning across a whopping 300.46 square miles.

While I think the Strip was more compact than I had expected, the city stretches far beyond the glitz with neighbourhoods scattered across the desert right to the edge of the mountain backdrop. Plus, there is undoubtedly a lengthy list of attractions to explore in Las Vegas and plenty to do, whether you’re looking to soak in history at the Mob Museum, ride the High Roller at The LINQ, take a Maverick Helicopter ride by night or listen to free music in its popular Fremont Street.

Elsewhere during my trip, I was impressed that I could walk freely through hotels and resorts, despite not being a resident there. Inside, I discovered vibrant, bustling casinos, restaurants, bars, and attractions that felt like I was on board a cruise ship.

Plus, many of the resorts are linked together, so you rarely need to leave as you wander through them, admiring their distinct features, atmospheres, and themes. This made it even easier to travel through the Strip, something that also took me by surprise.

For more information, you can check out the Visit Las Vegas website or book direct flights with Virgin Atlantic.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com