Trip Report: Bangkok > LAX > LAS > P.HO > MGM > 4 Seasons. WHEW!

Hello, and welcome to my first trip report! Well, I guess it's a pre-trip report, I don't leave until Dec 26, but I'm so excited, I had to write something now!



This is a Six day/ Five night marathon trip thanks to a screw up with the travel agency! I love Vegas, but I’ve never been for more than 3 nights before, and, truth be told, after 4 days I’ve usually had enough, so this will be an experience for sure!

Originally, this was slated to be a 4 night trip with one of my friends. I’m on a 5 month trip around the world and Vegas is my big splash back into the USA before returning to work (and bad accents) in the freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezing Midwest. Yes, I’ve been hanging out on sunny beaches with cheap fruity drinks and beautiful people for a few months now. It’s a hard life.

Anyway, now my friend can’t make it, so it’s a solo trip. I’ve been traveling solo for a while now, so I’m completely cool with this. In fact, I prefer it. I think we all know the cardinal rule of Vegas: be careful who you go to Vegas with. Don’t need any anonymous tips made to gamblers’ anonymous, pals hitting 13s against a 6, or annoying people begging to go to bed at 4 am when I’m in the middle of a hot shoe, now do I?



The Plan:


Flights: This is going to be H E L L. I leave Bangkok at 7pm on Sunday the 26. I arrive in LAX at 7:20. 20 minute supersonic flight! I wish….
After LAX, I’ve booked a SW flight to Vegas that lands around 10. I avoided booking the cheap SW ticket because I figured that I might arrive a little early or late and might have to change my flight, which SW apparently lets you do for free as long as you don’t book the “wanna get away” fare. I hate overpaying for airline tickets.

If I sleep on the plane, I’ll be up and raring to go since it’ll be morning Thai time. If I don’t sleep on the plane, I’ll commit suicide in some ironic location like underneath the legs of that gigantic lingerie mannequin in the Flamingo. Of course, this is only ironic because I’m gay. No, I’m not one of those people who needs to scream to the world that he’s gay, and if you met me it might take you a while to figure it out. I thought I’d disclose it now so you wouldn’t think that I was a posterboy for the national strawberry pickers union because of the amount of strawberry daiquiris I plan on drinking this trip! You’ll also notice a dearth of references to boobs, lap dances, “talent,” and sex workers (the new PC term for prostitutes).

Hotels:

I’ll be at Planet Hollywood the first night, MGM the next three, (all comped) and ending my trip in style at the 4 Seasons. If you’ve ever stayed in guesthouses in the Nepali Himalayas or in Cambodia, you’ll understand just how deserved this night at the 4 Seasons is. I have literally slept in the same room as a wild tarantula:





Gamblin’:
5 Nights. $5,000 bankroll. This is the most I’ve ever taken to Vegas, and hopefully it won’t all be gone at the end, but, like all smart gamblers, I’m only taking as much as I’ve convinced myself I can afford to lose. Does it say something that I have a line item in my personal budget for “gambling?”
I play a lot of blackjack ($15-25/hand – not usually enough to get rated) and slots. Definitely not a high roller and I don’t aspire to be one. Take note, at one point during this trip, I will split 10s against a 6. I will win. Other than one night out at a club on the last night of my trip (where I’ll only go once I’ve consumed enough free drinks to not be annoyed by a 20 dollar cover change or Beyonce singing that remix of I Will Survive), I’ll be gambling pretty much the whole time. What can I say, it runs in the family.

I’m super psyched to check out the Cosmopolitan. I’d also like to get to M Resort, but my strawberry daiquiris and I are not renting a car and their shuttle apparently is reserved for hotel guests only. I’m not a business man, but this just seems pretty damned stupid to me. I’m trying to picture the board meeting where some guy in an ill-fitting suit said “Let’s open a resort 10miles from the busiest tourist area in the country and not offer any transportation here other than 40 dollar cab rides!”

If anyone knows where the Monopoly slot machines are at, any monopoly slot machine at all, let me know!

I’m also looking to hit up a really good buffet. I’m hopeful that the reviews of the Cosmo buffet are good. So far I’ve had buffets at Rio, Flamingo, and the Mirage. None of them compared to the amazing buffet at the MGM Grand in Detroit. Seriously! So I think its between Wynn, Bellagio, and Cosmo. I’m thinking about the Buffet of Buffets from Harrah’s..err Caesar’s… since I think my platinum card lets me linehop at some places, but I’m staying at the wrong end of the strip for Harrahs properties and the thought of eating 3 or 4 buffets in a 24 hour period seems…vomitous.

I think that’s it for now. I’ll keep updating once I arrive in Vegas . Hope you enjoy!

 

Good luck to you, thats going to be a nightmare flight so 5 days in vegas will actually help since you can sleep the first day!

You didn't want to hit that huge casino in Singapore? The one with the pool on the roof spread across several building towers?

 

Good luck on your travels and gambling!

I'm looking forward to reading more of your adventures, as I found your introduction to be very well written, informative, and quite amusing. Keep it up, and thanks for sharing!

Sent from my SmartQ V5 using Tapatalk

 

Very funny start to your TR.....I also like strawberry daiquiris , looking forward to your next installment of your trip report.

 

Thanks for your replies; I'm glad to hear from some other strawberry daiquiri lovers!

I actually considered going to Macau instead of Vegas, but gambling in Asia just isn't very fun. I went to a casino in Nepal and in Cambodia, bringing like 100 bucks just to pass the time to both. The dealers were always way too serious and sort of annoyed to have to be dealing blackjack. No one would be playing the game, and they'd have to open a table for me.

I know this is a stereotype, but older Asian men (that's who gambles here) are just too serious about their gambling. I feel like they're all plugging away at work rather than enjoying themselves. Plus, everyone plays Baccarat. I understand why some (misguided IMHO) people say slots are boring, but I don't understand who baccarat doesn't put people to sleep.

Because of this stuff, I thought it was a better idea to save my bankroll for Vegas.

 

Hi

It sounds like you have a fun trip planned! I read on someone else's recent trip report that the M Shuttle is free so you might want to call the resort to verify when you get to town to double check but I think I saw it advertised as free somewhere else.

Kathy

 

Very amusing pre-trip report. Ya got some style going for you.
Looking forward to when the real fun starts!

 

Great start, I can't wait for the trip report! This is going to be a good one! Have fun and safe travels! I love the Bellagio buffet, I have yet to try Wynn but I heard it's pretty snazzy too!

Kristin

 

Thanks; I think I'll call and see what they say. The official policy according to their website is "hotel guests only" but I wonder if they'd let me on if there was room on the shuttle.

 

I don't want to hijack your thread, but... what airline are you flying? I know that Thai Air still has a LAX to BKK flight, and I'm debating on taking that when I go back to BKK in 2011. I flew Continental last time, and had to take 3 planes. The more time I can shave off of that flight, the better!

Feel free to send me a PM if you'd like.

 

Hey. Two layovers sounds HORRIBLE. I'm flying Thai air direct from BKK to LAX. I think the one way ticket cost about $700-750 with a student discount on the fare through the travel agency.

 

eek! FIVE days!!!

I've decided to go on a hugeish shopping spree at the Vegas Premium Outlets to get all the after-Christmas sales! Just wanted to put out there that if you sign up for free for the "VIP" club at the Premium Outlets they give you a bunch of really good coupons online in addition to a coupon for a free VIP coupon book when you arrive at the center. A lot of 20-25% off coupons for stores that people actually shop at. Woo!

 

M resort shuttle

M resort to fashion show mall does not require you to be a hotel guest. I took the shuttle 2 weeks ago. Would only be an issue if it was competely full which it never is.