Things to do in Vegas when you're daft, writes IRVINE HUNTER.

SO here's how I came to be hurtling towards the Nevada desert at about 120mph without a parachute.

Because I'm scared of horses.

My partner Rachel and I were planning a holiday in Las Vegas and wanted to find things to do other than pouring food and drink into our bodies and dollars into the casinos' coffers, like Prince Harry.

For amazing Las Vegas deals, click here

The ginger party animal rolled up there last weekend astride a Harley Davidson for a few days of fun before beginning his advanced weapon training course.

While betting at the famous Bellagio Hotel gaming tables and partying at Tryst and XS nightclubs are fine for him and his eight-strong entourage – they all got free drinks apparently – we decided to make the most of the desert surroundings.

Rachel has ridden horses, Western style, a few times, loved it and wanted to give it another go. I’ve ridden a horse, slapstick style, once and never want to do it again.

Anyway, Rachel booked her horse riding and suggested I go off and do something exciting that day.

I got a list of activities off the internet.

Quad biking, Hummer safaris in the desert, firing a variety of rifles and machine guns on a shooting range, that sort of thing.

All of which are widely available if you’re ever in Vegas.

But I’d been on a quad bike, didn’t reckon the Hummer trip could match a crazy buggy ride I was subjected to once on giant sand dunes in Brazil and, frankly, guns scare me shapeless.

So I decided to jump out of a light aircraft at 15,000ft.

Now, about that “without a parachute” bit in the first paragraph.

A little bit of journalistic licence there, to be honest, although, technically, I didn’t have a parachute strapped to my back.

Instead, I had an experienced instructor strapped to my back. And he had a parachute.

He tells you what’s expected of you.

Simple stuff, really. You sit at the edge of the light aircraft’s door with your hands up at your chest, tuck your feet underneath the fuselage and roll out into midair when he shouts “Go!”

Then, a few seconds later, he taps you on the shoulder and you spread your arms, curl your legs, curve your back and try to keep your head back, to make breathing easier.

Another 40 seconds later and he opens the chute, with less of a jerk than you would expect.

Suddenly the noise of the rushing wind has gone, you’re floating calmly to earth while your instructor – mine was a relaxed, friendly and utterly professional bloke called Warren McCray – points out places of interest like the Vegas strip, Red Rock canyon and Mount Charleston in the distance.

You put your feet out in front of you for landing, like coming off a kids’ slide.

And that’s it.

The scariest, most exhilarating thing I’ve ever done.

A warning, though.

Vegas Extreme Skydiving go to great lengths to point out to you that there are risks involved.

You have to sign a long, legally-binding waiver form before they let you jump.

Plus it’s pretty much a certainty your holiday travel insurance won’t cover you.

Having said that, it probably doesn’t cover you for horse riding either.

And I’m not sure how much more dangerous it is than eating at The Heart Attack Grill, a burger joint which opened in downtown Las Vegas last month.

It’s on the covered and pedestrianised part of Fremont Street where the old-style casinos sprang up before much of the action moved to the big hotels on the Strip, farther south on Las Vegas Boulevard.

The Heart Attack Grill, with the waitresses dressed as nurses and an ambulance parked outside, gleefully sends up America’s reputation for unhealthy eating.

They’ll even give you a free meal if you weigh more than 350lb.

With those sexy nurses and plenty of bars around, plus a long zipwire ride, the Fremont Street Experience would be well worth a visit for the growing number of stag parties flooding into Vegas these days.

Prince Harry would love it.

But you can’t go to Vegas and not do the Strip, where they have hotels based on New York, Paris, ancient Rome and Egypt as well as a recreation of the Grand Canal in Venice.

And, of course, every one has its casino, with fruit machines beeping and clattering, and exuberant whoops and hollers com- ing from the craps tables whenever the dice land kindly.

While Prince Harry stayed at the Wynn Hotel, we checked in at the Palms Casino Resort, a $10 cab ride from the Strip.

Click here for incredible Las Vegas deals

(A word on cabs: if you need one on the Strip, head for the nearest hotel. They all have a taxi rank outside.)

Resort is the right word for the Palms.

With two swimming pools, 10 restaurants and a food mall, five nightclubs, three events theatres, a movie theatre and casino, there’s enough to keep you entertained without stepping out of the front door.

There’s also a spa and salon, plus a fitness centre if you want to work off some of the calories from those burgers.

Or from the top notch margaritas they serve at Gardunos, our favourite place to drink at Palms.

But, of course, you’ll want to get out and about, if only for the Vegas shows.

Everything from Elvis and Rat Pack tributes, through the magic of Penn and Teller, to the classy eroticism of Crazy Horse Paris and several manifestations of Cirque de Soleil.

Prince Harry went to see its latest production “O”.

Big name singers still do Vegas. Rod Stewart was at Caesar’s Palace when we were there.

Mind you, if Rod was playing in my back garden these days, I’d shut the curtains, but there’s obviously a market for the particular brand of homicide the jaunty Jockney visits upon the Great American Song- book.

Go figure.

Vegas is also within easy reach of the Grand Canyon, with a variety of ways to get there. Coach trips, which also stop at the Hoover Dam, are the cheapest, but make for a long day.

The most expensive trips are helicopter flights direct from Vegas.

We went with PapillonGrand Canyon Helicopters, who do minibus pick-ups from most big Vegas hotels and fly from Boulder City, about a half-hour drive away.

We flew to Grand Canyon West in a light aircraft and transferred to a helicopter for the flight into the can- yon, then had a short trip down the Colorado river in a boat that gets up to some pretty impressive speeds.

Lunch is included and you get plenty of time to explore before heading back to Vegas, where, if you’re daft enough, you might find yourself shirt-less in a gambling joint.

Enjoy yourselves, people.

But be careful out there.

FACT FILE

FOUR nights in Las Vegas costs from £549 per person, based on two sharing, staying room only at the Palms Casino Resort with Travel City Direct.

Price is based on departures from Gatwick on January 12, 2012 on US Airways to Las Vegas.

To book call 0844 557 6965 or visit travelcitydirect.com

■The sky dive, Grand Canyon trip and horse riding were booked through events website viator.com, which also lists a variety of other activities and shows.

For discounted show tickets while in Las Vegas, check out the many Tix 4 Tonight booths along the strip.