| Owned by MGM Mirage, this Hawaiian-themed, | | | | For a closer look at sea life, visit the |
| 3,000 room hotel is as much an entertainment | | | | Aquarium - a 20,000 gallon seawater enclosure |
| complex as a place to stay. Over 40 years ago | | | | that houses puffer fish, tangs and other |
| it was known as Castaways. But it's as | | | | interesting creatures. There are over 60 |
| up-to-the-minute fresh as any place in Vegas | | | | species represented among the 1,000 animals |
| now. Inside the front entrance is a lush | | | | and all are easily visible within the 53-foot |
| tropical rainforest housed under a 100-foot | | | | long, six-foot wide by 8-foot high, 4-inch |
| high dome, with 60-foot palm trees providing | | | | thick acrylic walls. Until a few years ago |
| 'shade'. Not far away are the lagoons where | | | | the hotel was the home of the Siegfried & |
| visitors can swim or walk among palm trees. | | | | Roy white tiger-themed show. But Roy was |
| With two pools and a series of cliffs where | | | | attacked by one of the animals and the show |
| water streams down into grottos, it's a | | | | closed down. Fortunately, the tigers are |
| man-made paradise. Step along and step up to | | | | still around in the White Tiger Habitat. |
| the Paradise Cafe or the Dolphin Bar and sip | | | | Visible daily, these rare beauties are on |
| a cool drink on a hot Vegas day. | | | | display 24 hours per day, 7 days per week in |
| | | | a carefully controlled environment. With a |
| If you're feeling especially hot, or want to | | | | pool, fountains and simulated mountain |
| get that way, try the Bare pool area. A | | | | terrain for the tigers to enjoy, it's a treat |
| clothing-free environment, you can lounge | | | | for them as well as the viewer. |
| away and observe the local beauty while | | | | |
| sipping a drink from the bar. You'll enjoy | | | | Outside is the Mirage volcano - an artificial |
| the sunshine au naturel as the dolphins swim | | | | Vesuvius that erupts periodically throughout |
| only a few feet away. Connected to it is a | | | | the evening. At the top of each hour from 7 |
| Siegfried & Roy-sponsored animal | | | | p.m. to midnight, flames shoot high into the |
| attraction: the Secret Garden and Dolphin | | | | night sky, spraying smoke and fire a hundred |
| Habitat. The area is a carefully | | | | feet up. Backed by design expertise that |
| reconstructed tropical paradise. Here, a | | | | helped create the Bellagio Fountains, it's a |
| dozen species fly, crawl or swim | | | | not-to-miss attraction. Over 50 feet high, |
| continuously. The 2.5 million gallon pool is | | | | situated on three water-covered acres, it's |
| home to several Atlantic bottleneck dolphins | | | | been amazing viewers for almost 20 years. It |
| in a sandy-bottomed artificial coral reef | | | | even smells interesting. To mask the scent of |
| system. With four connected pools, they enjoy | | | | the gas used to power the volcano, the |
| plenty of variety and so will the visitor. | | | | structure emits Piña Colada vapor. |
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