If the past few New Year resolutions have been to be in a better place while making the next resolution, we suggest you read on. The biggest party of the year can be just as versatile as it is excessive and we bring you three destination options that promise the perfect setting as you begin the final countdown.
LIFE’S A BEACH
Welcome the New Year with fine sand between your toes, the saline breeze flowing through your locks, neon trails punctuating the night sky and a communal free spirit riding your senses. For years beaches have beckoned New Year’s Eve revellers in a way like no other destination. The party continues through Goa’s rocky Anjuna, the bling encrusted Ibiza shores, the cajoling surf of Bondi in Australia and the sandy strip that pretty much taught the world how to party — Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana!
The throbbing vibe of these destinations and the almost dizzying countdown to midnight will turn your plush hotel room or an offshore yacht into a megaparty as you watch the fireworks usher in 2014.
BIG CITY LIGHTS
They all say is get out of the city for a celebration; go to some place special, but then again, what do they know! When the biggest and most iconic cities drop the ball at midnight the entire world watches with a deep gasp and starry eyes.
New York City’s Times Square may be a widely accepted cliché and a tremendously expensive venue for the night. But when the giant disco ball drops at midnight here, it’s a sight to behold. Across the Atlantic, thousands brave the bitter cold and gather around Thames as the London Eye gets drenched in choreographed fireworks.
All around the globe from Tokyo, Sydney, Moscow, Dubai, Berlin, Paris, London and the Big Apple, the party starts as the sun goes down and crescendos when the clock hits midnight. Everybody comes out on the streets; public transport is usually discounted if not free and the frenzy lasts until early hours of the morning.
GREAT GIG IN THE SKY
The earthly fireworks shy away when the Northern Lights perform their celebratory celestial dance. For the unconventional reveller, who wouldn’t mind going the extra mile for a different and extraordinary experience, we say head north. Witnessing the Northern Lights on New Year’s Eve is fast becoming a tradition for many. Tour organisers sell a number of getaways around this time for you to get a taste of tundra life and a New Year’s Eve party like never before.
Whether it is the Icelandic nebula or the Ontario aurora, according to NASA, the current period of solar activity that leads to these magnificent displays in the sky, will reach a new peak in December 2013. The countries you’d like to be in to see this are Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Northern UK and Canada.
