Lonely Planet Las Vegas Encounter [Paperback]

Sara Benson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2007

What Will Your Las Vegas Encounter Be?
...contemplating your cards while swigging free martinis at a high-stakes poker table (p.32)
...keeping up with the go-go dancers at 5am (p.130)
...stuffing your face with roasted duck, caviar and champagne at a buffet (p.93)
...looking for 'old Vegas' amid 99 cent shrimp cocktails and deep-fried Oreos (p.108)
...trying on Manolo Blahniks, buying a Cartier watch and test-driving a Ferrari (p.82)
...catching the show then snooping around in the showgirls' dressing room (p.136)

Discover Twice the City in Half the Time...
...full-color, pull-out map for easy navigation
...our fabulous author recommends the very best food, shows, shops, clubs, kitsch, and more
...hand-picked highlights, itineraries and web resources help you make the most of a short trip
...locals share the love: meet an Elvis impersonator, high-limit dealer, the chef of Rosemary's and a Star Trek alien.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a complete city guide boiled down to its essences, a sort of text-messaged guidebook with photos and quotes from locals geared to a savvy weekend visitor." --Chicago Tribune, August 5, 2007

From the Publisher

Who We Are
At Lonely Planet, we see our job as inspiring and enabling travellers to connect with the world for their own benefit and for the benefit of the world at large.

What We Do
* We offer travellers the world's richest travel advice, informed by the collective wisdom of over 350 Lonely Planet authors living in 37 countries and fluent in 70 languages.
* We are relentless in finding the special, the unique and the different for travellers wherever they are.
* When we update our guidebooks, we check every listing, in person, every time.
* We always offer the trusted filter for those who are curious, open minded and independent.
* We challenge our growing community of travellers; leading debate and discussion about travel and the world.
* We tell it like it is without fear or favor in service of the travellers; not clouded by any other motive.

What We Believe
We believe that travel leads to a deeper cultural understanding and compassion and therefore a better world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 1 edition (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1741045614
• ISBN-13: 978-1741045611
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 4.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,932,370 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

After graduating from college in Chicago, Sara jumped on a plane to the West Coast with just one suitcase and $100 in her pocket. She landed in San Francisco, and today makes her home on the central California coast. She also spent three years living in Japan, after which she followed her wanderlust backpacking around Asia for almost a year before returning to the USA, where she has worked as a teacher, a journalist and a national park ranger. She is an all-seasons outdoor enthusiast.

The author of 50 travel and non-fiction books, Sara's writing has featured in national and international newspapers and magazines, including online content for the Los Angeles Times, National Geographic Traveler and Jetsetter. Sara has written for travel guidebook publishers including Lonely Planet, Frommer's, Compass American Guides (Fodor's), Wilderness Press and Countryman Press.

Her top-three favorite countries (so far, that is) are Nepal, Morocco and Cambodia, but Iceland, Namibia and Vietnam are next on her must-see life list. Back in the USA, her favorite places to hang out include California, Hawaii, Las Vegas and just about any national park. And her most memorable travel experience? Falling off a camel at the edge of the Sahara Desert.

To hear more about Sara's travel adventures, visit her blog at http://indietraveler.blogspot.com or her website at www.indietraveler.net. You can also follow her on Twitter (@indie_traveler) or with her digital iPhone & iPad travel app, Viva Las Vegas, Baby! (www.sutromedia.com/apps/viva_vegas).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another high-quality, small-format title from Lonely Planet, July 31, 2007

By 

Jessica Lux (Rosamond, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet Las Vegas Encounter (Paperback)

Lonely Planet's new series of Encounter guides allow the read to "discover twice the city in half the time." I've always celebrated Lonely Planet guides for their compact size and sturdy construction, and the Encounter guides are even smaller, with glossy and thin (but durable) pages. The information is focused and direct. Currency, tipping, and basic services are listed on the inside cover and in a closing chapter, instead of at the front of the book. The guide gets rights down to business in the opening pages with outlines of top agendas in Vegas--cruising the Strip, buffet dining, getting married, gambling, visiting vintage Vegas or cheap Vegas (which is getting harder these days), and so forth. The outlines have parenthetical page number references to the gaming, dining, and amusements entries that make up the majority of the guide.

The book reviews 14 Strip casinos and one in the downtown area (Binion's, which is now owned by a Strip franchise) and a plethora of museums, unique shops, and dining options. The guide has brief entries on all the hot night clubs and shows as well as a short chapter on excursions into the surrounding area. The author elects to focus more on a subjective assessment of the vibe of various attractions and let the reader do their own Internet research on room prices and other rapidly-changing details.

The small format book has a large pull-out map as well as several pages of localized maps. The monorail map is the essential Strip guide, with excellent 3-D representations of all the Strip casinos, color-coded by closest rail stop.

2.0 out of 5 stars Lonely Planet Las Vegas, May 16, 2010

By 

Bruno Flipper "Bruno in Oklahoma" (Oklahoma U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lonely Planet Las Vegas Encounter (Paperback)

I really was expecting so much more from this book. I visit Vegas several times a year and there isn't a book that can keep up with new openings and closings, different bands, clubs, and stores. The maps and hotel names were out of date when I received this book. This just isn't a location you can read about unless you are checking current events on the web.

2.0 out of 5 stars Not an in-depth guide, November 19, 2009

By 

Carlo Caroli "Americanshores" (Kirksville, Missouri. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lonely Planet Las Vegas Encounter (Paperback)

Did not like this guide very much. I wanted something more detailed, but I guess, this was not the right book for me.