10 ideal destinations to celebrate New Year's Eve

1. Sydney (Australia)

Sydney is the first city in the world to welcome the new year at midnight. Every year, the huge and spectacular fireworks display at the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge is a feast for the eyes.

The small islands by the harbor or the family parks on both sides of the shore offer the best views to admire the fireworks display.

The arrival of the New Year also means the start of summer in Australia, so visitors not only have the opportunity to join in the festive activities but can also enjoy a complete holiday on the city's beaches such as Manly, Bondi and Bronte.

2. Taipei (Taiwan)

New Year's Eve in Taipei, the central city of Taiwan's largest metropolitan area, is truly a visual spectacle.

A large fireworks launch pad is set up on Taipei 101, the city's tallest building, to mark the New Year's Eve. Other locations that also host fireworks include the National Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall and Xinyi Business District, but be warned that they can get very crowded.

Taipei also holds grand musical performances to join in the New Year celebrations.

A good choice if you want to immerse yourself in Taipei's nightlife is to attend parties at Barcode, a very popular bar & club, located at 110 Tung Tho Road, Xinyi Planning Area, Taipei City, Taiwan.

3. Bangkok (Thailand)

Bangkok has always been one of the top cities for nightlife in Asia. What could be more exciting than experiencing Bangkok on New Year's Eve, when it is more bustling than usual? The favorite places for Bangkok residents and international visitors at the end of the year are usually Central World Plaza and Times Square.

There are also shopping and entertainment areas along the Chao Phraya River. Upscale bars and restaurants such as Red Sky and Sirocco are always packed during this time.

4. Dubai (United Arab Emirates)

The Burj Khalifa Tower in the middle of Dubai is one of the skyscrapers that attracts a huge number of visitors, and the number of people flocking here on New Year's Eve increases every year.

After being completed in early 2019, Burj Khalifa immediately held the record for the tallest building in the world with a total height of up to 829.8 m, becoming an ideal place for a great fireworks display to celebrate the New Year. Many people come to Burj Khalifa for the opportunity to admire the special performance that only takes place on the night of the transition between the new year and the old year. Families with small children and some people who do not like the noise choose to watch the fireworks at the Burj Plaza building not far away.

Shopping malls like Dubai Mall, which are already bustling, become even more bustling and crowded during this time, but make sure you have a deep pocket before deciding to go shopping here.

5. Moscow (Russia)

Moscow's historic Red Square is always chilly, but it's also one of the best places to enjoy New Year's fireworks.

If you want to celebrate in a grand and sophisticated Russian style, the 5-star Ritz-Carlton is the ideal choice. This hotel is located in the heart of Moscow and has a rooftop bar, ready to serve all guests who want to enjoy the vibrant and joyful atmosphere of the New Year.

In addition, tourists coming to Moscow also often visit the Lenin Mausoleum, where the body of Communist leader VI Lenin is preserved and kept, and visit some Cold War relics of the former Soviet Union.

6. Cape Town (South Africa)

Cape Town is already located in one of the most beautiful locations in the world in general and in South Africa in particular, so the New Year's Eve fireworks display here makes this city even more sparkling and brilliant.

For visitors to Cape Town, MAReSOL is probably always the top choice. This restaurant specializes in Portuguese cuisine, is ready to serve diners delicious dishes and provides seats with a panoramic view of almost all the New Year's celebrations held here.

Like Sydney, New Year's Eve in South Africa takes place in summer, so enjoy your trip in the glorious summer sunshine and don't forget to visit the vineyards that dot Cape Town.

7. London (UK)

What better place to watch the New Year's fireworks than on the banks of the River Thames in historic London? Tickets for the official viewing areas sell out quickly, but there are a number of free viewing spots that attract large crowds, including Primrose Hill, Parliament Hill on Hampstead Heath, Greenwich Park and Alexandra Palace.

To join in the excitement of London, visitors can also take part in some other interesting activities such as cruising on the river on a speedboat, having a few drinks to celebrate the new year at The Old Bell, London's oldest pub or visiting Kensington Palace, where Queen Victoria was born.

8. Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

Rio de Janeiro means “January river” in Portuguese and is one of the top year-end cities in the world. It is famous for its natural scenery, carnival festivals and vibrant and captivating samba music.

The area with the statue of Jesus Christ on the top of the mountain overlooking the sea is also a place where international tourists often come to watch the spectacular fireworks displays.

Réveillon, Rio's New Year's celebration, is one of the biggest in the world. At midnight, millions of locals and tourists line the beaches to throw flowers into the waves. Afterwards, parties, dancing and loud music fill the streets, bars and restaurants.

9. New York (USA)

Millions of people around the world dream of spending New Year's Eve in New York's Times Square. This is undoubtedly one of the best places to celebrate the New Year, with the famous ball drop that you've seen on television. This tradition has been around since 1907 (except for 1932-1943 during World War II), and for over 100 years, people have flocked to New York to witness the Waterford Ball drop from the New York Times building.

If you don’t fancy jostling with the 1 million or so other people in Times Square, there are plenty of other places to spend New Year’s Eve. Grand Army Plaza near Prospect Park in Brooklyn has games and fireworks, but you’ll need to get there early to get the best spot. And why not try your luck at Resorts World Casino, the city’s only casino?

10. Las Vegas (USA)

Famous for being the city of the most expensive and luxurious casinos in the world, Las Vegas is also an extremely interesting place to celebrate the New Year. The Strip or Las Vegas Strip is a 6.8 km long street, where the most crowded casinos, entertainment areas, restaurants, and events in the city are concentrated. On New Year's Eve, this place will be closed to all vehicles and only open to pedestrians. 19 of the 25 hotels on this street are the largest hotels in the world.

If you plan to visit, you should book your hotel room early because room rates in Las Vegas are always at record levels at the end of the year, but this is still a "worth every penny" destination to visit during this time. Visitors are also always advised to bring warm clothes because at night, the temperature here drops very low, especially in winter.

Phuong Anh