Around the World on New Year’s Eve

New Year’s Eve is a great time to hop on a plane and experience the party atmosphere in a new city with Globehunters. Starting with Sydney’s famous fireworks in the east and working our way westward to New York’s Times Square, we’ve picked some of the most exciting cities in the world to countdown to midnight and party into 2014.

Sydney

Sydney is one of the first major cities that the date line crosses and is a fantastic place to ring in the New Year. Locals and tourists alike flock to the area around Sydney Harbour to watch the famous Sydney fireworks, just a stone’s throw from The Rocks which will be packed with revellers until the early hours. Alternatively, there’s always the famous Bondi Beach – just on Sydney’s outskirts – which has its own fireworks and parties to enjoy. And as its summer in Australia, you can sunbathe away your hangover the next day.

There are two different displays to enjoy in Sydney itself; the traditional midnight spectacular and an earlier family display. This year there will be a live stream of the fireworks available online – of course that’s no substitute for booking cheap flights to Sydney to experience it yourself!

Bangkok

Our next stop is Thai capital Bangkok where the thrilling nightlife reaches fever pitch on New Year’s Eve.  The area immediately outside the Central World shopping centre is guaranteed to be party central in the hours leading up to midnight including a big screen which will show celebrations from other cities around the world. Fireworks alongside the Chao Phraya River are also a staple of New Year’s Eve in Bangkok. River cruises are a popular way to enjoy an uninterrupted view of the fireworks without the crowds of the city streets.

Khao San Road is a long-established attraction for backpackers and is one long party on New Year’s. More traditional drinking receptacles are eschewed in favour of drinking multi coloured plastic buckets of booze amongst the throng that takes over the street. Be sure to keep an eye on the time though as there is no official countdown to midnight.

Other famous areas for nightlife in Bangkok including Patpong and Nana Plaza will also have their usual fantastic array of nightlife to enjoy.

Dubai

Dubai is not a place that does things by half measures and as you’d expect the emirate pulls out all the stops when it comes to New Year’s Eve. There will be a suitably extravagant fireworks display involving Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building. From 8pm onwards Downtown Dubai will host its own New Year’s Eve party which attracted over 1 million visitors last year. It’s free of charge and gives visitors an uninterrupted view of the Burj Khalifa fireworks.

Last year Dubai laid claim to putting on the ‘world’s greatest fireworks display’ and no doubt this year’s will be more spectacular again. Check out Globehunters' Dubai flights and you could be there yourself!

New York

New York hosts a New Year’s Eve party like no other with exclusive entertainment all over the city. Times Square is undoubtedly one of the most iconic places on earth to experience the big countdown. Millions flock to Manhattan to see the famous ‘balldrop’- the Waterford Crystal ball which descends down a spike on top of One Times Square. Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve – now presented by Ryan Seacrest - is filmed live from Times Square in the run up to midnight.

Times Square fills up quickly so it’s best to arrive well before it gets dark to secure a good vantage point. Fortunately there is plenty to keep the crowds entertained during the day including: live music, celebrities and comedians. For those that would rather be indoors, some of music’s hottest names will be playing elsewhere across the city including a genre-defying collaboration between Coldplay and Jay Z at the Barclay’s Centre.

If you’re planning to spend the night in Times Square it’s not too late to arrange your trip. Cheap flights to New York are still available and The Balldrop Family Pass will get you access to venues in and around the square as well as free alcoholic drinks for over 21s, free soft drinks for those under 21 and free food.