I can never understand the reasoning behind people who give me a quizzical or even slightly disdainful look when I profess my love for Las Vegas.

Sorry, I want to say, we can't all spend our time taking in poetry readings at Hay-on-Wye or trekking through the northern Sahara and learning the ways of the Taureg.

After all, I reason, what's now to love about the original- and best Sin City?

It's like Blackpool, only better.

Instead of the Lancastrian drizzle, there is the Nevada heat - though I admit I rarely venture outside during my time there - and instead of donkeys there are white tigers and the finest burlesque dancers on earth.

Above all, it's the sheer in-your-face excess and over-the-top kitsch that appeals to me and ensures I always return.

Admittedly, on my first trip to Vegas, alongside my finest Hawaiian shirt and biggest pair of sunglasses, I arrived with a sense of caution and even pessimism.

However, I soon learned that a reserved attitude, rather than make sure I left with a healthy bank balance as well as fond memories, only limited the fun I had in the city.

The next time, therefore, I made a pledge to myself that I would get into the swing of things and immerse myself fully in all that the gambling capital of the world has to offer its millions of annual visitors.

Armed only with my debit card and a bundle of dollars which meant that I was in no danger of becoming one of those people you read about who loses all their earthly possessions, I let myself be seduced by the neon and headed into the casinos.

As with all games of chance, I won some and lost some but the important thing was I had the time of my life - it was expendable money I figured.

And, contrary to preconceptions, Las Vegas is not simply one large casino.

It also happens to be one of the world capitals for top-quality entertainment, meaning that I took in more shows in a short break in Nevada than I usually manage in a year in London's West End.

Sure, it wasn't Brecht or Shakespeare, but in terms of smile-per-buck, it couldn't be beaten, particularly given that no stuffy English theatre I have ever been in also provides its audience with an all-you-can eat buffet.

However, it is the late night parties thrown by the casinos which bring out the best in the city, in my opinion.

Whether you've had a lucky day or suffered from a series of defeats on the blackjack table, I defy you not to crack a smile as broad as the Grand Canyon when things get going in the famous Voodoo Lounge club.

Dancing away 51 storeys high looking down on the madness of the Strip, you could be nowhere else on earth and neither would you want to be.

Sure, cultural holidays have their place, but so does the pure, unadulterated fun which Vegas offers - and I'm sure if many of the great names of the past were alive now (Oscar Wilde, Shakespeare, Lord Byron to name just a few) were alive today, they would heartily agree.