When you think of Las Vegas a multitude of stereo-types and preconceived ideas probably spring to mind.

Bright Lights! Big City!

A glittering array of casinos and hotels, ranging from super-chic newcomers such as the Mandarin Oriental, to themed resorts that bring New York, Paris and one of Italy’s most romantic cities (Venice) to the strip.

Who would have thought that one day you’d be able to take a gondola ride in the desert?

The range of options it seems are endless, from Uber-cool luxury suites, packed with state of the art technology and opulence on tap, to cheap motels off the strip advertising ‘Clean Rooms’ - we’re guessing if they have to tell you the rooms are clean, they probably aren’t!

Not so long ago the biggest draw in town was the flashing lights of the casinos, the adrenalin rush of putting everything on black or red, and an array of world-class headline shows.

So you might be surprised to learn that the current crowd puller comes in the form of the many Business Conferences and Conventions held in the city.

A brand-new supersized arena has recently opened and a huge convention centre is scheduled to make its debut where the former Riviera Resort used to be, which will further boost the number of delegates discovering a more respectable side of ‘Sin City’.

If it’s your first time in town, you will almost certainly want to immerse yourself in all that Las Vegas has to offer, lose a few bucks on the craps table, or on the spin of a roulette wheel.

You should definitely check out the fountains in front of the Bellagio, or go see a show - whether its music, magic, comedy, or something a tad more risqué, Vegas will have it in spades.

Blinding LED billboards are literally everywhere – a dazzling display of clever advertising.

If the roulette wheel isn’t for you, Vegas now has its very own observation wheel ‘High Roller at The LINQ’.

Measuring 520 feet in diameter, the High Roller eclipses both the London Eye and the Singapore Flyer. The wheel takes 30 minutes to complete one full revolution and features 28 glass-enclosed cabins, some come complete with a cocktail bar where it’s always happy hour!

…If New York is the city that never sleeps, then Las Vegas is New York on steroids and addicted to Redbull.

But what can the city offer to the frequent visitor, or to business travellers hoping to broaden their horizons, rather than emptying their wallets?

(There’s a reason the locals affectionately refer to the city of Las Vegas as the ‘City of Lost Wages’ … the house always wins in the end!)

We decided we wanted to head away from the bright lights and into the great outdoors.

The Grand Canyon is the number one outdoor attraction visitors to Vegas include on their itinerary. As we had already visited the West and South Rim of the Canyon on a previous trip, we decided that Death Valley warranted a visit - if for no other reason than to see if it lived up to its sinister name, and to be able to say we had stood in one of the hottest places on earth!

During the summer months the desert is a scorching inferno and temperatures can reach 130 degrees in the shade. That’s if you can find any shade!

Yet discovered properly the scenery and landscapes here are amongst the most breath-taking in the world.

If you want to REALLY experience the very best of the National Parks it’s essential you use the right tour company.

A good one will get you there and back safely, but a GREAT one will take you on a journey of discovery, bringing the entire region to life.

They will enable you to explore areas off the beaten track, whilst offering insights into the regions history, culture and folklore.

A seemingly endless array of would-be tour guides offer trips to the various National Parks within driving distance of Las Vegas, so how do you choose the best one?

We decided to let Bindlestiff Tours take care of our itinerary and what an absolutely incredible job they did.

Our tour guide was punctual and incredibly polite, the vehicle was spotless and its effective air-conditioning offered a refreshing cool reprieve from the relentless heat.

A heatwave warning had been in place for several days and by 7am temperatures had already reached well over 100 degrees!

During the drive out of Vegas our guide Khriss proved himself to be an absolute encyclopaedia of knowledge.

Starting with the indigenous tribes that settled in the area, he took us on a journey covering hundreds of years of history, including various land wars and invasions, right up to modern day disputes over land rights.

Just when we thought history was his forte he began to delve into the geology of the desert and its mountain ranges, explaining in fascinating detail how tectonic movement and earth crust displacement had created, then completely reshaped, everything we could see around us.

He recanted wonderful stories of wagon trains passing through the desert during the days of the Californian gold rush, and took us through the ghost-towns left behind when the mines were depleted.

He brought to life stories of fortunes made and lost, and created a wonderful connection between humanity and the barren landscape of the desert.

He told us all about the wildlife that exists in the desolate mountains and sun-baked flats.

We knew there would be lizards and small rodents, but had forgotten about rattlesnakes and coyotes, not to mention the elusive mountain lion.

We hadn’t even reached Death Valley and already this was shaping up to be an incredible tour.

Death Valley offers a range of stop off points including Dante’s View, the Devils Golf Course, Badwater Basin and the Artist’s Palette.

Our guide ensured we visited all of them and continued with his commentary on how the mineral rich region had once been the cash cow of the mining companies.

Relatively recent legislation shut down the mines and now effectively preserves the whole area under its National Park status.

Our guide possessed an almost endless array of knowledge, and it was obvious that he had a real passion for sharing it with visitors to the region.

Temperatures were now soaring and the indicator inside our Bindlestiff vehicle showed outside temperatures had reached a scorching 145 degrees

The arid air of the desert had become so hot that it literally evaporated every bead of sweat as quickly as it formed, which made it surprisingly comfortable to walk about.

We took advantage of the many photo opportunities that were available and were fooled by our environment into believing it wasn’t as hot as the thermometer claimed.

Our guide explained this almost instant evaporation process is the number one cause of heat stroke and fatalities in the area.

Sweating is the body’s natural defence against heat and without the ability to cool itself, in just a short space of time visitors can become dizzy, disorientated and eventually succumb to the heat.

Death Valley lies below sea level and is the lowest point in the Northern Hemisphere, flanked by mountain ranges the air sits in the valley barely moving, this means the ground temperature gets hotter and hotter during the day. It doesn’t cool overnight as the hot dense air is held in place by the mountains, acting like a blanket insulator.

When the sun rises the following morning the heating process on the ground continues, hence why during the summer months this becomes one of the hottest places on earth.

Khriss explained to us once dehydration and fatigue sets in, our natural reaction is to sit, or lie down to preserve energy. Given what we now know happens to the ground temperature, it explains why very few people who lie down to rest ever get back up!

The Death Valley Salt Flats have a beauty all of their own and in the absence of air movement or wind, there is a silence here so quiet you can almost hear your own heartbeat.

From a distance the glistening white salt could be mistaken for a covering of snow. When the sunlight hits at the right angle, it appears like a shallow lake on the valley floor.

The Bindlestiff tour bus was abundantly stocked with chilled bottled water which was complimentary and on hand throughout the entire trip.

A wonderful picnic lunch was included and enjoyed by all at the appropriately named Furnace Creek Ranch. (During the summer the desert literally feels like a huge open furnace.)

The highest temperature in history was recorded at Furnace Creek on 10th July 1913, when air temperature reached 56.7 degrees Celsius, or 134 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ground temperatures can reach even higher than this!

Throughout the tour even the smallest detail had been taken care of and lunch time was no exception, we were taken to a quiet shaded area of the ranch to enjoy our picnic and given free time to explore and take pictures.

The tour continued into the afternoon and by the time we headed back to Las Vegas we were all left with a sense of having experienced the very best of Death Valley National Park.

Despite the name, thanks to our excellent guide we all came out of Death Valley very much alive and ready to head back to the razzamatazz of Las Vegas and the comfort of our air-conditioned hotels.

Having been in the travel industry for over twenty years I have been fortunate enough to visit many places. Over the years I have taken more than a hundred tours, thanks to Bindlestiff and our guide Khriss this was without doubt one of the most fascinating and enjoyable tours I have taken, so if you happen to be in the Las Vegas area and find yourself wanting to explore any of the nearby National Parks I would definitely recommend Bindlestiff Tours. They offer small group and private tours, and will be happy to discuss any bespoke itineraries you might want to create.

Details of their latest itineraries, day trips, departure days, prices and how to book can be found here

If you are travelling to Las Vegas for business or pleasure please contact your Traveleads consultant.

We will be delighted to take care of your flight and accommodation arrangements, and can include all the little extras such as airport parking, fast-track security passes, lounge access, transfers, excursions and tours all in one simple booking!

Happy Travelling!