New Year’s Eve is tomorrow, and I’m sure everyone already has exciting plans. However, if you’re interested in pursuing an insane New Year’s Eve experience in the future, this list might help you plan your trip.
New Year’s Eve in Thailand
Thais celebrate the new year twice: the first is on January 1st and the second–known as Songkran–takes place in mid-April. Songkran is a wonderful multi-day water fight and festival, and I highly recommend traveling to Thailand or Thai Town in Los Angeles to experience it.
However, if you’re looking for a wild New Year’s experience on December 31st, Thailand is a fantastic destination. While I prefer the diversity of Bangkok, you can find the craziest New Year’s Eve party in Thailand on Haad Rin beach, on the island of Ko Phangan in the Gulf of Thailand.
Haad Rin (haad means “beach” in Thai) is famous for its full-moon parties, where tourists from all over the world dance, drink, and otherwise over-indulge all night long. New Year’s Eve is like an amplified full-moon party, and its organizers claim it’s the biggest New Year’s Eve beach party in the world.
PROS: You’ll meet people from all over the world, looking to have a good time. Alcohol, food, and lodging are relatively inexpensive. The island is gorgeous.
CONS: Haad Rin is definitely for the under thirty set, and if you’re not a big drinker you might find the party-goers to be obnoxious. Also, if you’re looking for a slice of local Thai culture, Haad Rin is about as far removed from that as Miami Beach.
New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas
Ah, Las Vegas. America’s most beloved den of iniquities. What crazy New Year’s Eve list would be complete without it?
The city closes off the entire Strip and pedestrians take over the street for a gigantic party with nearly half a million people. According to the official Las Vegas website “[at] midnight, the casinos launch a choreographed fireworks display that makes the Times Square ball drop look like child’s play.”
Wow.
In addition to the fireworks display on the Strip, there are dozens of parties, concerts, and shows happening all night, with some of the most interesting DJs and performers in the U.S. Each casino has its own countdown, so there’s no need to leave your hotel to toast the new year.
PROS: What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. At least that’s what they tell us. Any sort of debauchery you could dream up is possible in Vegas. For some people this is a good thing.
CONS: Las Vegas is expensive on New Year’s Eve. While some of the parties and shows have a cover charge of $30, most are $50 and up, with the High Roller party starting at $2,500 (but it does include champagne and cupcakes).
New Year’s Eve in Dubai
One of the most lavish cities in the world, Dubai doesn’t skimp when it comes to New Year’s Eve. Last year Dubai broke the world record for the biggest fireworks show in the world.
This year’s celebration will include crazy pyrotechnics combined with a laser light show and even more fireworks. They’re also wrapping LED screens around the Burj Khalifa, Dubai’s most well-known building, to make the show even more incredible.
You can celebrate New Year’s Eve on the streets downtown, from a rooftop bar or restaurant, in one of the many hotels, on the beach, or on a cruise.
PROS: Dubai is an incredible city. It has some of the most creative contemporary architecture, some of the best restaurants in the world, and a wide range of activities that appeal to pretty much everyone.
CONS: While buying alcohol isn’t a problem, there are some ambiguous laws regarding its consumption. Dubai residents must apply for a special license to drink alcohol, but these licenses aren’t available for tourists. However, some tourists have been arrested for drinking without a license when their drunken behavior becomes unsafe. It’s a Catch 22. The best lesson here is to take it easy on the drinking and not make bad decisions that would draw attention to you.
New Year’s Eve in Rio de Janeiro
If you’re looking to join two million people on a beach in the middle of summer, the New Year’s Eve celebration at Copacabana is the place to be.
Rio has some fascinating and unique traditions and superstitions surrounding the new year. It’s considered lucky to wear all white, so many participants will be dressed accordingly. Locals also toss flowers and gifts into the sea, to honor the sea goddess Yemanja.
By the end of the night, almost everyone is soaked in champagne. This is also considered to be auspicious for the new year, and tourists are encouraged to bring their own to shake up and spray into the crowd.
PROS: If you live in the northern hemisphere, January is a great time to escape. Since it’s summer in Brazil, you’ll get to experience 90 degree days and 70 degree nights. Bring your bikini.
CONS: While Rio de Janeiro’s crime problem seems to be decreasing, pickpocketing and robbery are still common in tourist areas. Keep your valuables locked in your hotel, and leave your expensive camera and jewelry at home.
New Year’s Eve in Key West
Key West takes the idea of the ball drop and runs with it. Several bars on Key West have their own variations: one bar drops a giant conch shell and another drops a “pirate wench.” But the most famous drop is probably the giant red high heel with a drag queen named Sushi perched inside.
The shoe drop is hosted by Bourbon Street Pub, a wild gay bar that is almost as well-known as its namesake in New Orleans on New Year’s Eve.
It can get pretty crowded, but you can charter a boat or pay to join a party on a docked yacht to watch the festivities.
Key West is also an excellent stopover before hopping on a cruise, and its international airport serves partygoers across the world. You can read about the strange history of Key West and take a tour around the island. The island was originally called “bone island” because of the large quantity of human bones found by Spanish settlers. Some people believe Key West was used as a graveyard, and others say the island was the location of a fierce battle that killed nearly everyone involved.
Despite it’s macabre history, the island is a wonderful place to visit, at New Year’s Eve or any time of the year.
PROS: Key West is typically around 70-75 degrees at midnight in January. For those of us who crave warm weather, this makes partying in the streets much more enjoyable than standing in the cold in Time’s Square.
CONS: Balcony tickets for the shoe drop sell out early, so make sure to buy them as soon as you can. Otherwise you’ll be crammed against thousands of people on the street below.
Use Trip30 to plan your New Year’s Eve trip next year! We’re launching soon, so sign up to be one of the first to know when we launch.
