New Year is round the corner, and the entire world is ready to party its way into 2014. What are your plans? Will you be attending the same New Year’s party in your locality that sees your neighbourhood aunties thumping the dance floor? Or will you be glued to your television screen watching pre-recorded footage of film stars grooving in shiny costumes? Don’t. India is a big country, and there are dozens of parties happening out there. Here are seven of the best places to spend your New Year’s Eve at.
Goa
It is the ultimate party place. Sun, sand, sea. Beaches, bikinis, booze. At New Year’s Eve, it throbs with tapping feet and swaying bodies. There are casinos, pubs, lounges, beach parties to go to. And celebrations in churches are not bad either if you like it a little quiet.
Bummer: If you don’t make your Goa holiday bookings in advance, it can get real difficult to bag a good place at decent prices, since Goa is the most crowded at this time of the year.
Manali
It is the favourite hill station for trekker, sightseers, and partygoers alike. It’s got beautiful peaks that are covered with snow in the winter, hot springs in Manikaran, more warm geysers in Kheer Ganga, cafes with live music. It is the best place to relax, take a warm dip, party, and chill.
Pondicherry
The tip of South India, what sets apart Pondicherry is its French architecture, cafes and bakeries, its neat coastline which earns it the nickname ‘French Riviera of the East.’ A perfect place to say hello to the new year in style.
Delhi
Being the capital of the country has its benefits. There are two sides to Delhi. The cosmo Delhi with its malls, lounges, and discos is one, and Shah Jahan’s Delhi with its famous places to visit like monuments, tombs, and dargahs is another. So whether you are a party-hopper or you are a romantic history junkie, Delhi is your date for the New Year.
Kerala
What better way to kiss the New Year sun sitting in a houseboat, getting a Kerala massage done. Give your New Year a healthy spiritual start by breathing in the fresh mountain air at Munnar or sipping coconut water in the backwaters of Thekaddy. For those in love with beaches and booze, there’s no dearth of cool beaches in Kerala, the best ones being in Kovalam,
Mumbai-Pune
It’s informal, it’s fun, it never sleeps. The city sees ample of New Year parties and events. Just book your passes and dance your way into the New Year. If not, then join the crowd at Juhu beach or Marine Drive. If you want a taste of nature, get on the smooth Mumbai-Pune highway. Laze around in Lonavla, Khandala. If you are a family, spend a day at the Adlabs Imagica.
Kolkata
The city of joy is much joyous at the time of New Year. Park Street is all lights and Christmas trees. Yellow taxis and Bengali sweets – Kolkata is old wine in new bottle. Most hotels, pubs and discos host New Year parties; there are New Year melas with different themes. Last to last year, we attended a Rajasthan-themed mela in the city, which offered traditional Rajasthani cuisine, pottery demonstrations, puppet shows, camel rides, and a chance to groove to folk music with turbans and drum beats all around.
Don’t procrastinate, no time to think. Get up n get going! Happy New Year in advance!
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