Las Vegas. The lure of this lush, desert oasis is hard to resist, and when you get here, what could be more perfect than a shimmering vision of luxury rising up out of the burning desert sands? The Mirage is an oasis in more than just a literal sense – it has lush foliage, sparkling lagoons, and exotic wildlife, but it also has fine dining, A-list entertainers, a spa/salon, and more. Oh, yeah, and there’s a little fun to be had at the tables, too. If you can pull yourself away from the casino action, take a walk through the White Tiger Habitat. With a fountain, swimming pool and private mountain, the tigers have their own private hideaway, and you have a front-row ticket to watch them frolic in it. There are thought to be fewer than 100 white tigers in the world. The landscaped environment the tigers are housed in is beautiful on its own, but the addition of the tigers makes it a must-see for kids and nature lovers.

The Mirage is sinking a lot of money into revamping and upgrading its restaurants, bringing in the style and expertise of Brian Massie, FIX’s executive chef over at the Bellagio. The dark and exotic Kokomo’s is getting a facelift, with improvements being made to the lush water features inside the restaurant. In keeping with the tropical theme, seafood is served up with flair as starry-eyed couples pretend they’re on their second honeymoon. New on the radar is Stack, which is taking over Moongate’s old spot. Stack is geared to offer American favorites, but the atmosphere is hipper, lighter, and louder than other Mirage offerings. Under-40s who aren’t ready to go to bed after the show will come here for late-night snacks and chatter. If you’re staying up late, you can catch the last eruption of the volcano each night at midnight. The Mirage has increased the pyrotechnics budget for the volcano, so expect rumblings to be louder, and the fireballs to be bigger. With all these additions as well as remodeled lounges and a hot new nightclub (Jet), The Mirage is poised to become the Vegas hot spot for… the next few minutes, anyway.

Of course, you may never make it as far as the restaurants if you stop to look around the shops or slip into the salon. If you discover you don’t have a thing to wear, The Mirage can send DKNY to your rescue. Men can shop d.Fine for shoes and accessories. No matter what you wear, check out Danny Gans’ comedy act- he’s one of the hottest tickets in town, with two consecutive years of sold-out shows. If the shops and shows keep you from dining out, don’t worry. The Mirage will send you up a bite to eat any time of day or night.