After spending my childhood watching television shows while counting down to midnight on New Year’s Eve, I have wondered a lot about travelling abroad to begin my New Year with some adventure. Doing the New Year’s midnight countdown with strangers around you speaking an entirely different language, but with the same energy, is truly a thrilling experience.
The best places to visit outside India during the New Year are Bali, Dubai, Tokyo, New York and Bangkok. They offer grand New Year’s Eve celebrations with different vibes, amazing fireworks, a blend of unique cultures, are safe to travel and well connected with major Indian cities.
Even in all these cities, New Year’s Eve is celebrated in multiple ways. With many tourists coming here with different personalities, you will not be alone when you find a celebration style that matches your vibe and energy, whether it be the serene and calm beachside walk or the street-style partying at midnight.
The Best Places to Visit During New Year’s Outside India
Bali, Indonesia
Bali has been a year-round favourite for travellers wanting a foreign trip outside India because of its closeness, connectivity and potential for budget travel. It is also one of the most perfect destinations to celebrate the New Year abroad. The beach parties, rocking live music, and vibrant and lively crowds give Bali an unmatchable vibe.
Bali features colour and calm, including temple ceremonies, ocean views and rich rice fields. The temperature also remains under 30 degrees Celsius, which is comfortable.
Clubs in Bali like Finns, Potato Head and W Bali feature live DJs you can enjoy all night. You can get a relaxing massage. The calm and relaxing space discards exhaustion from your body. Reserving a restaurant for dinner, indulging in different cuisines is also a great experience.
On New Year’s Eve, you can watch fireworks at Seminyak Beach, Kuta Beach, Jimbaran Bay or at Nusa Dua in Bali.
Securing Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) at a great rate beforehand or using our zero forex card ensures you can seamlessly cover everything from entry fees and cocktails to a relaxing massage, letting you focus on the celebration, not currency conversion.
Dubai, UAE
Dubai in late December and the beginning of January is a luxurious location where the night skies and city lights are as radiant as ever, with Burj Khalifa and other famous buildings offering light shows. Tradition and premium modern experiences merge in Dubai, making it one of the best places to visit around New Year’s Day for anyone in the world. Its connectivity with Indian cities is quite good too.
The temperature remains a bit on the cooler side, from around 20 degrees to 25 degrees Celsius. You can choose from a range of experiences, including dinner surrounded by the sea, or in the middle of a desert, skiing inside Dubai Mall, watching performances at the Dubai Opera and calm beach evenings, amongst others.
Like Bali, Dubai also features iconic beaches but with its own charm and nightlife. The experience can be both romantic or family-oriented, as per your interests. Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, as well as roaming the Global Village and Dubai Mall, can be part of your itinerary. And of course, Dubai’s New Year’s Eve fireworks have often broken records.
Tokyo, Japan
On New Year’s Eve, trains run all night since people visit the temples/shrines for the first time after the new year. This tradition, called hatsumode, is also often performed by tourists, offering a unique reflection on the past year and a calm start. Tokyo’s fireworks and countdown events, too, are famous around the world. Tokyo Disneyland, Yokosuka and Yokohama in Tokyo offer the best New Year fireworks in the city. You can visit the Shibuya Crossing or Tokyo Tower for iconic countdowns.
The decorations in Tokyo during the New Year’s week are dazzling. Their traditions are exceptional, and the atmosphere is lovely and energetic. The department stores offer huge sales on 2nd January, which is great for getting souvenirs and gifts for your loved ones.
You can easily get a direct flight from Delhi or a connecting one from other Indian cities. The weather in Tokyo remains on the colder side, with the average temperatures ranging from 2 to 10 degrees Celsius.
New York City, USA
From Times Square to Central Park, every place in the city that never sleeps is crowded with enthusiastic tourists during New Year’s. Shops and streets glimmer with illuminating decorations, cold air adding to the city vibe, and music events are being held in every corner.
You can head to any concert happening in New York City on New Years’ or dine in one of the numerous rooftop bars. The legendary Times Square Ball Drop is of course the most popular way of celebrating New Years’ Eve and counting down till midnight. Times Square also offers one of the best firework shows, other locations being Central Park, New York Harbor and Prospect Park.
The weather would be cold, with temperatures going as low as a few degrees Celsius. Major Indian cities are connected with New York via direct flights; you can also find connecting flights through other cities easily.
Bangkok, Thailand
Night people love Bangkok with its great, unique, and diverse nightlife events. On New Year’s Eve, the vibe is enhanced multifold. You can celebrate the day with a bang, either by dining on a rooftop overlooking the Chao Phraya River, enjoying the vibrant and continuous fireworks at Nagaraphirom Park, or taking either a private river cruise or joining a party cruise. The happening streets of Bangkok mix traditional cultural festive elements with modernity. Our smooth and safe online currency exchange services will help you experience the same without worrying about forex.
The warm, sunny weather during the day and cool breezy nights during the New Year’s adds to the festive, cheerful atmosphere. The street parties of Bangkok are a famous affair, although partying, however, is not all that the city offers. You can visit traditional temples to pray for luck, savour the diverse and flavourful Thai cuisine or visit War Arun, the bustling shopping mall, Siam Paragon, the Grand Palace or the Khao San Road.
Visiting Bangkok is a popular choice for Indian travellers because of its relative closeness, multiple types of experiences, beautiful scenery and budget travel options.
About the Author
Bhawna Nijhawan is the Content Manager at BookMyForex and the go-to person for creating engaging, informative content that resonates with the platform’s diverse audience. With over 8 years of experience in content writing and more than 4 years in the forex industry, she knows exactly how to simplify complex forex topics into something everyone can relate to.
