Sunday, December 28, 2014

The 5 Best 'Alternative" New Years Eve Destinations

best unique places to go for nye

Yesterday, I wrote about the 5 Best Places to Celebrate New Years Eve. Of course, these were all the 'traditional' destinations- Sydney, London, New York, Koh Phangan, and Rio. Because I'm not all about tradition, today we are going to look at the best 'alternative' destinations to celebrate New Years Eve! In no particular order, here are some destinations that while non-traditional, still present a NYE never to forget.

cool NYE destinations
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Reykjavik, Iceland
Imagine a sky that looks like this, lit up entirely naturally from the Northern Lights. Now throw in a street party with 200,000 people and 500 tons of fireworks, and you have a taste of New Years Eve in Reykjavik, Iceland. Around 8:30 PM, ten bonfires (brenna) are started. Traditionally, these were started to represent the cleaning of house in preparation for the new year and burning old things. Now, bonfires are lit in the spirit of tradition and to keep you warm from the cold! Most impressive about Reykjavik NYE is that there is no official fireworks display from the city, so the 500 tons of fireworks lit off are done by the people.

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Samoa
Why celebrate New Years Eve once when you can celebrate it twice? For this experience, head to Samoa. Start your NYE in American Samoa, then travel just 50 miles west to Samoa and celebrate all over again. In 2011, Samoa wiped an entire day from their calendar to adjust for trade with Australia and New Zealand- in doing this, they have allowed travelers to enjoy not one, but two NYE celebrations. Doing this, you can be not only one of the first people to ring in the new year, but also one of the last as well- and with views like that between celebrations, who wouldn't want to celebrate in Samoa?

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Honolulu, Hawaii
Rather than being one of the first people in the world to ring in the New Year in Sydney, why not make every last minute count? To do this, head to Honolulu, Hawaii; which is the world's last major destination to ring in the new year. Watch the sun set on the gorgeous beach, then join in on a traditional Hawaiian luau before ringing in the New Year with gorgeous fireworks shows.

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Hong Kong
For a NYE to never forget, head to Hong Kong. Throughout the evening, enjoy the views of the night lights along the Hong Kong harbor, culminating in a fireworks show at midnight. If you have an itch to see a ball drop, head to the Times Square shopping mall, where they will mimic the ball drop of New York City. If you have a craving to be along the water, take a cruise boat around the city and check out the amazing views of the skyline. Fireworks here will be launched from the harbor, skyscrapers, and land; along with a countdown clock to midnight.

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Copenhagen, Denmark
Celebrate the New Years in style in Copenhagen, Denmark. While not a traditional destination, expect a dinner out on the town, followed by spilling into the streets prior to midnight for an amazing fireworks show. A word to the wise: bring your own fireworks as well, as the streets will be filled with people lighting off fireworks. A NYE in Copenhagen can also be an extension of Christmas; as Tivoli Gardens Christmas Market is open through January 4.

Where is the best place you have ever celebrated New Years Eve, and what made it so special?

14 comments:

  1. I have a couple friends that are in Hawaii for New Years, I'm so jealous! I think it would be a great NYE destination!

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    1. Carly, I'm right there with you. Gorgeous weather and beaches and a chance to ring in the new year!

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  2. I want to visit iceland, it's on my bucket list. These are great places, I wouldnt mind visiting hawaii either

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    1. Miranda, iceland is definitely on my list as well. I'm so hoping to be able to make it one day!

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  3. NYC is always the most thought of place for NYE but I like your list of alternative places to go. Iceland and Hawaii would be at the top of my list!

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    1. Cassie, that is exactly what I thought. Everyone knows of NYC, so I wanted to highlight some other places!

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  4. I would love to celebrate NYE in Las Vegas. I think it would be so fun to celebrate somewhere warm and sunny. I would love to be in a big casino at 12.

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    1. Ann, I think NYE in Las Vegas would be crazy! Then again, Vegas can be crazy any time haha.

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  5. I've always wanted to go to Iceland. It looks absolutely gorgeous and I love a lot of their environmental policies.
    That two NYE in one night is such a neat thing!
    Ours is going to be a sleepy one, without travel or an outing in the budget....but we prefer to celebrate at home with our little ones right now anyways. Lots of future years to ring it in like this though!

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    1. Alysia, my husband and I are doing the exact same thing this year- just relaxing at home. Like you said, plenty of other years in the future!

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  6. BYE i'm headed to the American Samoa today! HAHA! Not really but I can dream, right? We'll be relaxing at home but would LOVE to plan something fun for next year.

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  7. I think Iceland would be a wonderful place to celebrate NYE. It is beautiful there!

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  8. Iceland would be terrific, but I love the idea of Samoa. Now's who's paying for my trip? LOL Happy New Year, and thanks for the great post!

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  9. Permitting move of the certain anticipations is likely to brain slides open an individual around answer and luxuriate in whichever your beloved will be able to through the long island sightseeing holiday seasons. It will be a lot more beneficial to communicate plenty of heat, really like, kindness, and also approval in the direction of anyone : "There is not any strain to be able to demonstrate anything at all to be able to us all through the holiday seasons.

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