Top 5 destinations to celebrate New Year’s Eve

Top 5 destinations to celebrate New Year's Eve

If this year you are looking for unusual destinations to celebrate a different New Year’s Eve,  in different Christmas destinations, get on the sledge and travel to one of these 5 fantastic cities we have chosen for you.

5 Destinations to celebrate New Year’s Eve that you should at least consider

1.- Kyoto, Japan

As the first one of our destinations to celebrate New Year’s Eve, Japan offers tradition, but a very different one from you might expect. Kyoto is the centre of Buddhism in Japan. So as you must imagine, the way to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve there is a little different. Without having any religious connotations, the Japanese celebrate these days of the year decorating everything with bells and a scent of classic romanticism. On Christmas Eve, couples go out to dinner at posh restaurants, drink at the best bars and end up at the “most romantic hotels”.
After a night of love, they enjoy a spiritual moment in the Chion-in temple, where like all 25 of December they celebrate the O-minugui Shiki (the cleaning ceremony). It is an act accompanied by music that is performed in honor of the birth of Pure Land Buddhism. And to end the day well, join them when they head west, towards the outskirts of the city to walk around Arashiyama. This area is known for being a recreational area of the Japanese nobility. Getting lost in the thick of the soaring bamboos is like entering another world.

 

2.- Nassau, The Bahamas

The second of our destinations to celebrate New Year’s Eve is Nassau. The perfect place to start a year and to escape from post-holiday depression. You can even travel to the Bahamas at Christmas and enjoy the sun, exotic costumes and Caribbean drum rhythms that encourage dancing.

The Bahamas celebrates Junkanoo on December 26 and then again on New Year’s Day. This is the oldest parade in the Caribbean. This festival has nothing to envy to other parades such as the Mardi Gras of New Orleans or the Carnival of Rio, with its ornate and bright costumes.

But between so much party and fun, the month of December is also a good time to relax on the sand of Cable Beach, as there are many fewer tourists. You can also take the opportunity to immerse yourself in the blue waters and enjoy a first-class diving session.

 

3.- Livingstone, Zambia

The city of Livingstone is of Christian tradition and always celebrates the Christmas holidays. From Christmas Eve to the new year. This is why we include it in our list of destinations to celebrate New Year’s Eve. The locals welcome tourists with open arms and are always ready to sing a Christmas carol, participate in a Christmas show or distribute gifts to the community.

But the best gift you can get when you go to Livingstone is to go on a trip to the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, located on the outskirts of the city and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This jungle is home to great biodiversity and also the amazing Victoria Falls, known as the “Haze that roars”, and which are the natural border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

 

4.- Tromso (Norway)

Do you dream of a white Christmas? Check the fourth of our destinations to celebrate New Year’s Eve. You can go even further then snow and spend the holidays in the Arctic Circle.
If you are looking for a different seasonal trip, you will find it in the city-island of Tromso. Keep in mind that the area spends the whole winter in the dark. But it comes back to life in the month of December. Every corner smells of clementines, branches of spruce and ginger. The merry sound of Christmas carols fills the magnificent hall of the Arctic Cathedral.

Local people gather in the Christmas markets, where it is hard to resist the temptations that surround you. Try the traditional gingerbread cookies ingefærnøtter, in the form of small balls, and a glass of black camarine liqueur. It is a kind of black cranberry that grows in the northern European countries.

One of the advantages of being in the most complete darkness is that you can contemplate the elusive northern lights. They usually appear between six in the afternoon and midnight, so go out to see them and, while they appear, take advantage of the snow to get on a sled pulled by dogs, cross-country skiing or participate in a snowball fight.

 

5.- Budapest, Hungary

Do you want a last minute Christmas destination that is not too expensive either? Then the capital of Hungary awaits you with thousands of proposals for these holidays.

The first mandatory stop is the Christmas market at Vörösmarty Square, often considered the cheapest Christmas market in Europe. Instead of selling the typical tourist souvenirs, you can find the best handmade handicrafts in Hungary. This makes it ideal for buying those last minute Christmas gifts. And if the cold of December sticks in your bones, warm yourself in the biggest thermal baths in Budapest: the Széchenyi Baths.

Trust Exoticca to find you the best destinations to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Contact us!

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