Western Fiesta

The home of Hollywood, Los Angeles is well known the world over, and gets on famously. Awe is an expected side-effect, often accompanied by constant jaw-dropping. And if you can keep your eyes off the celebrities and all 'the beautiful people', then take in the surroundings, and notice that LA has a lot more to it than just Hollywood. Apart from the obvious glamour, flavours, and creativity, Los Angeles startles you with its multi-layered and quirky subtleties. Further blessed with temperate weather and blue skies all year round, LA also gives you exquisite restaurants and cafes, three major theme parks, trendsetting fashion, a wild and thriving nightlife, startlingly original theatre, and of course, the beautiful palm-lined beaches.

Weather:
Spring: March to May 14-23 C
Summer: June to August 18-28 C
Autumn: September to November 15-26 C
Winter: December to February 9-20 C

Shopping:
There are sprawling malls, high-end boutiques, and countless offbeat and speciality shops in Los Angeles. With one of the largest ports in the world, there is an unmatched variety available in the city: from ethnic to generic, trendsetting to antique, you can find everything in the many shopping districts of LA. Visit Rodeo Drive in the Golden Triangle to break your bank. Breeze through Robertson and Beverly Boulevards as well as the Melrose and Montana Avenues for the latest chic fashion and accessories. Browse the boutiques and vintage shops in the bohemian Los Feliz and La Brea. Try Third Street's fantastic antique stores, boutiques, and specialty stores. Other areas not to be missed include Downtown, Sunset Plaza, Westwood Village, Little India, Chinatown, Olviera Street, and Little Tokyo. Must Do:
Hollywood attracts, convinces, and sells. Visit the many famous sites, boulevards and movie theatres, such as the Kodak Theatre, home of the Academy Awards. Other famous places to pay your respects to legends living and dead are: Hollywood Boulevard, Sunset Strip, CityWalk, Mann's Chinese Theater and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Universal City is must visit, with largest film studio in the world, along with one of the best theme parks, and host to concerts, bars, restaurants, and shopping malls. Also experience the white sand beaches of Santa Monica, and the world famous Santa Monica Pier, which also has an amusement park and an aquarium. Venice Beach and its Ocean Front Walk is a definite stop to see LA's culture, always alive with interesting people, street performers and a great collection of eclectic cafes, bars, galleries and shops. There are also countless clubs and bars up and down the streets of Hollywood, as well as martini bars in Westwood, and rooftop lounges in the Valley. Don't forget to go Downtown, and feast on the cuisines of Little Tokyo, Chinatown, Little India. Sunset Strip and Melrose Avenue also have an impressive collection of top-notch restaurants.

Travel Tools:
ISD Code: +1
Currency: US Dollar (USD) 1 USD is approximately 48 Indian Rupees (INR)
Time Zone: GMT -8 hours. IST-13:30 hours
Voltage: 110V

Las Vegas, is where the American Dream is firmly located. A testament to hedonism and glamour, Las Vegas is more than just the gambling paradise of everyman. It also draws crowds for its depths of luxury and beautiful scenery, and not to forget, the neon sunsets and sunrises of the Strip. The desert wind blows through town, swirling you around, making you pledge to live the life of gold, glitter, and pyrotechnics, if only for a few hours.

Weather:
Spring: March to May 8-28 C
Summer: June to August 19-41 C
Autumn: September to November 8-29 C
Winter: December to February -1-17 C

Shopping:
An escort to the finer things in life, Las Vegas lets you consume at an alarming rate. High-end stores and showrooms, boutiques and antique stores, shopping plazas and speciality stores, even factory outlets; they are all open late and clothed in a festive ambience. These are all lined up from Downtown to the Strip, and if you don't find what you are looking for here, you are probably still in your hotel room. Some of the best, most thriving shopping areas in Las Vegas are: Decatur Boulevard, Miracle Mile, Fashion Show Mall, Boulevard Mall, The Canal Shoppes, Caesar's Forum Shops, Las Vegas Outlet Center, and Wynn Esplanade.

Must Do:
Keeping you in a lover's embrace, Las Vegas is never going to let you go, at the least, it'll ensure you keep coming back for more. Rich museums, thrilling amusement parks, graceful circuses, vibrant gardens, sinful restaurants, spectacular shows, stunning scenery and a host of adventure sports, all give you a reason to plunge in. And did we forget to count the casinos? So, visit the Liberace Museum, the Atomic Testing Museum and the Las Vegas Art Museum. Attend the millions of concerts, shows and events. See green again at the verdant Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Gain a few pounds at the altars of food, or just head out of town to soak in the desert's stark beauty.

Travel Tools:
ISD Code: +1 Currency: US Dollar (USD) 1 USD is approximately 48 Indian Rupees (INR)
Time Zone: GMT -8 hours. IST-13:30 hours
Voltage: 110V

San Francisco is America's self-effacing hedonistic city with a favourable climate. Magical with foggy mornings, San Francisco refuses to bow down to homogeneity, and has a diverse set of rich cultures that melt into it as the sun shines on. Its hilly streets allow the sea breeze into your hair, and offer fantastic views of Alcatraz, the bay, and the world famous Golden Gate Bridge. Cable cars and trams grace the city with even more character, and make you give your heart away to its picturesque quaintness.

Weather:
Spring: March to May 10-18 C
Summer: June to August 12-20 C
Autumn: September to November 12-20 C
Winter: December to February 8-15 C

Shopping:
The shopping atmosphere in San Francisco's is individualistic. It offers you the run-of-the-mill, but it also offers small, quirky items and oddities that will get your shopping juices all into a frenzy of exploration. The best example of these speciality stores can be found at Haight, and Hayes Valley. Also check out Mission Street for a veritable plethora of products, from clothes to diamond rings to books to vinyl records. Other major shopping areas are Downtown, China Town, Fisherman's Wharf and North Beach.

Must Do:
Unafraid and self-effacing at the same time, the city of San Francisco parties, eats, and chills out like there is no tomorrow. Grab a bite at the Fisherman's Wharf, in Chinatown. Soak in the Bohemian flavour of North Beach's eclectic mix of bookstores, jazz clubs, and coffee houses. Also considered San Francisco's Little Italy, the family-style restaurants, gelato shops, jazz clubs, bakeries, and Italian delicatessens are everywhere. The Haight is also a must visit, the centre of the 60's counterculture, still home to fascinating bars, clubs and cafes. No visit to San Francisco is complete without a cable car ride up to Nob Hill for a view of the Bay. While there, check out the Grace Cathedral, a replica of Notre Dame, Paris. Pick your own way to observe the Golden Gate Bridge in all its splendour: be inventive.

Travel Tools:
ISD Code: +1
Currency: US Dollar (USD) 1 USD is approximately 48 Indian Rupees (INR)
Time Zone: GMT -8 hours. IST-13:30 hours
Voltage: 110V