We booked the 3 ½ hour Grand Canyon All American Helicopter Tour that included limousine transfers to and from our Hotel, 45 minute helicopter flight each way from Sundance Helicopters base with a 30 minute champagne picnic below the rim. Yes, you read right, we landed inside the Grand Canyon for an early champagne picnic breakfast!
This helicopter tour is worth every cent spent (even the additional processing fee which is payable at the time of tour check-in USD $49). Sundance Helicopters is a professional tour company with polished pilots like Chuck who has many years of Aviation experience behind them. Chuck clearly explained the logistics of the tour, ensured all passengers were buckled in (safety is paramount), and that we were all comfortable. Not only a skilled pilot, Chuck was also informative with an infectious personality.
Over the course of our 45 minute helicopter flight from Las Vegas we got to experience the sheer majestic and beauty of the Grand Canyon. We enjoyed both on board recorded commentary through our audio headphones and personal life encounters and history from Chuck.
We landed deep in the canyon for a champagne picnic. The views were breathtaking and the cute little picnic basket was packed with a small yoghurt, a small cup of granola, a muesli bar, cookie and croissant with butter and jam. Oh and not forgetting our drop of champagne in a plastic champagne flute. We enjoyed views of Lake Mead, the Hoover Dam and a low-level pass over the famous Las Vegas strip on route back to base.
Add this tour to your Vegas itinerary. It’s definitely worth the money and you need to see and experience for yourself. Don’t hesitate, just book it. We recommend you book ahead to avoid disappointment too. You will be kicking yourself if you hesitate and decide at the last minute to book whilst in Las Vegas and miss out.
Calling all avid foodies… do yourself a favour and book this foodie tour. Experiencing culture and amazing cuisine, The Downtown Las Vegas Food Tour is a 2 ½ hour walking tour taking in the sights of old Vegas and Fremont Street District.
Our local guides Miss Vicki and Cassandra educated and entertained us whilst ensuring our taste buds were satisfied with food tasting from several eateries around the Freemont Street District.
We started our food tour at The Beef Jerky Store on 3rd St in downtown Las Vegas. As the name implies this store is off the scale with all the speciality snacks you can think off and its huge variety of jerky. We sampled the original Old Trapper Jerky and a Japanese Kit Kat. The jerky was a little on the soft and chewy side and the Kit Kat was a little weird; Green Tea just doesn’t sound or taste right.
From here you walk through the gaming and entertainment district of Fremont Street pedestrian mall and on to Downtown Container Park. As the name implies, Downtown Container Park is built from shipping containers! Here you can enjoy boutique shopping, unique dining and live entertainment all with in an open-air shopping centre vibe.
We enjoyed sampling food from three eateries at different stages on our food tour. Our first stop was for breakfast at The Perch; an intimate restaurant with patio dining overlooking the Container park. The Perch’s foodie concept is a sharing menu in a bright and open space. The food here was phenomenal and the service was excellent.
Here we tried the Steak & Egg Taco and Monkey Bread. The bite size soft taco was filled with tender strips of steak, scrambled egg, a silky smooth avocado mousse and topped with queso fresco; a creamy, soft mild Mexican cheese usually made from raw cow’s milk. Until now we had never heard of Monkey Bread, but keen to try and see what all the fuss was about. This sinful breakfast treat is a sweet sticky, irresistibly oozy soft balls of dough turning into a delectable bread. With so much deliciousness we didn’t leave anything on the plate.
Our last two stops after lunch was back at Downtown Container Park at JinJu Chocolates and Chill Spot. Calling all chocoholics… you need to check out JinJu Chocolates handcrafted chocolates. This cute little shipping container is jam packed with all-natural chocolate products and a counter bursting with exotic chocolate assortments with traditional and modern twist flavours. You will be in drool heaven as you satisfy your chocolate cravings.
What better way to finish our foodie tour than at Chill Spot. A frozen dessert shop selling unique and exciting flavour combination fruit pops, these cool refreshing treats using a nitrogen freezing agent are perfect for any season. Anything goes here; we enjoyed Blackberry Lemonade and Carrot Cake (with butter cream frosting) popsicles.
Back on the tour we weaved our way through the Fremont Street District and called through funky cafes to check out the vibe and got into the creative mood checking out a gallery. It was then onto three new destinations before ending up back at The Container Park.
Loved the wooden décor and vibe at this southwest Louisiana restaurant. Zydeco Po Boys owner crafted re-used doors into unique tables and the colourful interior walls are recycled timber and repurposed wood. A Po Boy is a traditional sandwich and this wasn’t just a sandwich! It was a Catfish Po Boy with all the trimmings of lettuce, tomato, swiss provolone, jalapeno and a lovely piece of fried catfish. Oh and the bread roll was super fresh and had a lovely crust; love authentic Leidenheimer bread.
Since visiting this establishment Grass Roots Juice Bar closed its doors which is a shame as it catered for the ever growing population of people looking for healthy lifestyle choices of raw, vegan, dairy, soy and gluten free organic juices, smoothies and soups. Although mixed reviews from the group we sampled a superfood-base juice. The Holy Grail Of Greens was packed full of goodness with kale, spinach, dandelion greens, lemon, microgreens, tangerine, green grapes, ginger, green cabbage and wheatgrass; now that’s a mouthful to say! We also tried a Tortilla Soup with blue corn tortilla chips, bell peppers, black beans, cabbage, carrots, celery, tomato, cilantro, cumin and Himalayan; a different take on a traditional soup.
Our final stop before heading back to The Container Park was Cous Cous Mediterranean Café. Made with love the chicken was succulent and well-seasoned and the cous cous had an amazing flavour to it (cooked in chicken broth) and the soft pita bread was the perfect side. Remember to bring your appetite and wear comfortable walking shoes.