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Nov 11, 2019 • 7 min read
There is a common belief that how you spend New Year’s Eve often reflects how you will spend the entire year. Therefore, if you find yourself avoiding the more eccentric relatives at a typical family gathering, your next 12 months might not be very exciting. Instead, consider ringing in the New Year with an unforgettable adventure!
In the spirit of adventure, a selection of iBestTravel staff share their most memorable New Year’s Eve experiences from around the globe. These tales of unique celebrations range from climbing sacred mountains to unexpected evenings spent on train station floors. While a New Year’s Eve away from home may not always unfold as planned, each story promises a night that will remain etched in memory.
Watching the sunrise from Adam’s Peak, Sri Lanka
My boyfriend and I, being enthusiastic adventurers, actually went to bed early on December 31, 2018. However, we had a 2am wake-up call planned as we embarked on a challenging three-hour hike up Adam’s Peak (Sri Pada) in Sri Lanka. Our goal was to witness the first sunrise of the year from the mountain summit.
We began our climb in the pitch black, bundled in many layers of clothing, following a stream of pilgrims making their way up the illuminated stone steps to the top. We reached the summit around 5:30am, just in time to see the dawn of 2019 gradually rise over the misty hills. It was a euphoric experience that I will always cherish, and sharing it with fellow pilgrims from around the globe made it even more memorable.
– Rosie Anness, Senior International Licensing Executive, @rosieanness
Running out of steam in Brussels
At 21, I and four friends spontaneously decided to catch the Eurostar to Brussels to celebrate New Year’s Eve. We did not reserve a hotel, convinced we could find enough all-night party venues to keep us going until our 6am return train.
While many cities are renowned for their ‘never sleeping’ vibe, Brussels seemed to prefer rest, and we quickly ran out of bars and beer money by 2am. We wandered to the town square to pay our respects to the Manneken Pis, the iconic statue of a boy urinating into a fountain, exchanging cheerful New Year greetings with some locals who were equally worn out. By 3am, we were officially out of gas and spent the rest of our time dozing on the train station floor.
– Orla Thomas, Features Editor of iBestTravel magazine, @OrlaThomas
Finding love in the bush in New South Wales, Australia
Aiming to escape the city noise for the Y2K New Year, I participated in a ten-day meditation retreat located on a mountainside surrounded by the beautiful bush and wildlife of New South Wales, Australia. Many others had the same idea, coming together from around the globe. On New Year’s Eve, the retreat paused for a much-anticipated celebration that was a vibrant mix of people, languages, food, and music.
In the early hours, while navigating the dark forest towards my tent without a flashlight, I bumped into an Italian man who was equally lost, and we proceeded to stumble our way back together. Upon reaching our tents, we spotted an open area illuminated by the crescent moon a short distance away, so we decided to keep walking. Under the twinkling stars of the Milky Way with the ocean sounds surrounding us, we chatted until the kookaburras signalled the sunrise, which unveiled kangaroos quietly grazing beside us. It felt surreal and auspicious; this New Year, my husband and I will celebrate not just the arrival of another year, but also two decades of togetherness.
– Barbara Di Castro, Image Research & Licensing Manager.
A firework show with added bang in Varnado, Louisiana
Years ago, while visiting my first wife’s family in Varnado, Louisiana, I discovered this small town with about 550 residents and just one traffic light. Many residents were relatives of my wife, including her Uncle Scrap, the town mayor, and Uncle Tommy, known for throwing the best New Year’s Eve party featuring extravagant fireworks.
That year, Uncle Tommy approached me with a desire to create something extraordinary for his family from New York City. He decided that regular fireworks weren’t sufficient; hence he crafted gunpowder and used pipes to ignite the fireworks in a unique way. The outcome was an explosion so deafening that it literally shook the ground, launching numerous rockets simultaneously. The experience was both terrifying and awe-inspiring! It remains my most unforgettable New Year’s Eve.
– Jim Brody, Managing Director of Destinations, @JBSenseOfPlace
Dancing until (a revelatory) dawn in Ko Pha-Ngan, Thailand
Many years ago, I celebrated the New Year at a Full Moon Party on the beach in Koh Pha-Ngan, Thailand. Regardless of what one thinks about this notorious event, it surely was an unforgettable night filled with dancing on the beach under the stars, adorned in fluorescent paint.
As the sun began to rise, we were still in full swing, which initially seemed like a perfect way to welcome the New Year. However, amidst the fun, I became acutely aware of how disheveled everyone appeared, ultimately realizing that I too must look quite worn out. That realization struck me: dancing in daylight is far less enjoyable than in the nightlife atmosphere. Thus, we decided it was time to head home. My last memory of the night involved a fleeting look toward the rising sun, partially blocked by a row of men urinating in the shallow waters. Quickly, we made plans to move on to our next beach adventure.
– Katharine Nelson, Head of Marketing, @hikat
Meeting the burger-eating champ of Phu Quoc, Vietnam
On a delightful journey to the Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc while taking a break from teaching in Hanoi, I met a charming gentleman who stood out due to his wit and manners, as well as his title as the ‘burger-eating’ champion of the island.
After connecting online and getting to know each other, he invited me on a date if he ever returned to Vietnam. I agreed, thinking it was unlikely I would see him again. Yet, six months later, he flew from Ireland to Hanoi for New Year’s Eve. As we toasted the new year with my family atop a fancy restaurant, we shared our first kiss. Now, we are happily married, residing in Dublin, and as far as I know, he remains the reigning burger-eating champion of Phu Quoc.
– Karen Henderson, Senior Editor, @karenleeh1
A case of delayed gratification in El Calafate, Argentina
On December 31, 1999, I stood with most of the town on the lakeshore of El Calafate, Argentina, eagerly awaiting fireworks from a nearby islet. We initiated the countdown: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…
…nothing. The sky remained dark. Confusion filled the crowd as we wondered whether we should cheer and if anyone realized it was indeed midnight. Watches were checked, and the atmosphere turned restless.
Finally, an official explained that the mayor had just married right at midnight and delayed the fireworks until he could partake. Angry boos erupted from the beer-fueled crowd, prompting someone to toss a bottle in frustration. Realizing the potential for a riot, the pyrotechnics team sprang into action, lighting the fireworks in haste. As the sky erupted into color, the dry grass of the island caught fire, accelerating the release. The lake lit up in oranges and reds while above, a dazzling display of fireworks erupted. Truly, it was the best New Year’s Eve ever.
– Piers Pickard, Managing Director of Publishing.
