Whether you’re only visiting and looking for an attitude and cheese free space, or you’re a forever-partying local looking for the same, the chances are you’ll end up at Rumjungle Nightclub inside of the Mandalay Hotel if you’re in Las Vegas. Rumjungle is the ultimate homage paid to Las Vegas nightlife— every element, from the green-glowing bar, through elevated booths containing drummers, to dancers’ cages dangling from the high ceiling—are a celebration of music, booze and Strip-worthy entertainment.
Once you pass the “gate of fire” entrance (not to mention the bouncers, obliged to scrutinize your attire), you’ll be “cooled down” by the aesthetically tickling glass walls with streams of water floating down within the nightclub. From there on, what unfolds is a light-filled blur of high-brow outfits, shapely bodies and glimmering bottles—all made even blurrier by strong drinks and the hypnotizing power of ethnic beats. Welcome to the jungle people, Sin City’s jungle.
Opened almost a decade ago, this bustling temple of debauchery boasts being one of the largest and most popular nightclubs in the Strip vicinity. The long, fluorescent bar is backed by a rock-climber-worthy wall of shelves graced with zillions of liquor bottles, including the house famous rum-- the crucial ingredient of Rumjungle’s signature concoctions. The latter do not belong to life’s cheapest pleasures, but hey, that’s the price you have to pay for the quintessence of nightlife. This posh venue might hit you on the wallet in many ways, but cruising among the five bars in the club while half-naked go-go dancers stretch their lithe bodies above your head, will soon make you forget the $20 cover charge. Thumping rhythms of Latin, Caribbean and African Congo beats come from the world-scale DJ’s and drummers squeezed into small booths raised several feet above the ground, which creates a gut-shaking sound effect.
Though one is expected to let his hair down once inside, you should still obey the strictly enforced dress code, at least to spare yourself any embarrassing encounters at the door, in other words, bring you’re A-game. The quality of the crowd in the club matches the luxurious splendor of Mandalay Bay Casino— try as you might, you will not spot a t-shirt in the sea of black, buttoned-down shirts and sleek evening dresses. The crowd can be qualified as a blend of rich-and-famous and I’m-so-hot-and-that-should-do.
In case these vast hunting grounds increase your appetite, at Rumjungle there’s a big chance you’ll manage to hunt down a juicy piece of grub from the menu that features fire-pit meats and an inspired wine list. If you don’t eat at the club, you better be a good dancer, since a table costs more than a dinner. Of course, you can’t expect less from a Strip hotspot.
