New Year 2018: Bored of NYE Gigs? Here’s 5 Other Ways to Celebrate

Have you made plans for new year yet? If not, here are a few ideas apart from the usual house parties and clubs.

New Year 2018 is just round the corner. 

(Photo: iStock)

Fancy doing something hatke this new year? Bored of club-hopping every new year’s eve? We feel you. Doing the same thing year after year can get old. Why not chuck the monotonous annual ritual and get on the move to ring in the coming new year?

Wondering where to go? We have you covered!

Here are 5 places you can travel to for the best 2018 New Year celebrations. Hurry up! Mark your calendars and plan your trips. 2017 is rapidly slipping away.

1. Goa Carnival

Goa can be rightly called the party capital of India. (Photo: iStock)

If there’s one place in India which personifies fun and partying, it is Goa. The place is happening all year round but lightens up a bit more in December – leading up to the long holiday season.

Why not ring in this new year by basking in the vibrant spirit of the Goa? There will be multiple parties every night almost at every beach, night club and hotel. Dance, drink and gamble if that’s your style. Goa just lets you be.

But if you are an old soul and don’t believe in partying for partying sake, we’d suggest you postpone your plans and visit Goa for the Goa Carnival (10 February to 14 February 2018) instead.

The Goa Carnival is a perfect amalgamation of fun, festivities and feasting. There’s dancing, drinking and endless partying. Staying true to the Carnivalesque spirit, the streets are dazzled with parades, dances, live band and lots and lots of lights.

But the place is jam-packed with tourists from across the world at the time. To get the best offers, you would have to plan months in advance. Now is the time!

2. Rann Utsav

The dates for this year’s Rann Utsav festival are: 1 Nov 2017 - 20 Feb 2018.(Photo: iStock)

Picture welcoming the new year sitting in the white sand, surrounded by beautiful handicrafts, chirping birds, and gorging on delicious food. Sounds exciting? Well, if the scene catches your fancy, the Rann Utsav might just be the experience you have been waiting for.

Organised by Gujarat Tourism, Kutch Rann Utsav runs annually from November to February. The dates for this year’s edition are: 1 Nov 2017 - 20 Feb 2018.

Festivals and full moon nights when the place is brimming with beauty, witness special events (live shows, musical performances, local dances) being organised.

However, the highlight of your visit should be the white runn tour. It is an enthralling experience to say the least. Bhuj, Mandvi, Madh are few of the other places you could visit. The historic monuments, the quaint villages that you would witness during the Rann Utsav would leave you asking for more.

What better time for this once-in-a-lifetime experience than new year?

3. Himalayan Camp

Thought about spending New Year in the Himalayas? Representational image. (Photo: iStock)

Organised by Trip Hermit Expedition, the Himalayan Camp is a weekend long party (Fri, 29 Dec 10:00 pm - Mon, 1 Jan 2018 11:00 pm) in the lap of nature. There you will be indulging your wanderlust – surrounded by pine trees, breeze in your hair (snowflakes actually, if you get lucky) and a bunch of strangers, who might just turn into friends.

Don’t worry, we aren’t asking you to miss the customary new year rituals of dancing and drinking. There will be plenty of it and a bonfire too. But the adventure enthusiasts can also go river rafting in the Sutlej and embark on jungle treks.

How about giving a break to the whirr of city life and partying zara hatke this new year?

4. Hype Music Festival

Kasol is a favourite among party-lovers. Representational image. (Photo: iStock)

For the music aficionados, the Hype Music Festival in Kasol offers a great way to ring in the new year. The three days and two nights festival starts from 29 December and ends on 2 January.

The campsite near Parvati river will take care of your boozing and partying needs. There is hookah, barbeque and bonfire. You may also take a trek to Chadar or Tosh should you feel adventurous.

New Year’s Eve will set in motion the Music Fest with International DJs. Party till the wee hours in the morning and spend the rest of the day soaking in the local culture, exploring cafes and market places.

We are sure you’ll come back rejuvenated to take on the challenges that 2018 throws at you.

5. Jammu and Kashmir Winter Snow Carnival

The breathtaking beauty of Kashmir makes it an ideal location to spend New Year. (Photo: iStock)

Don’t let the recent upheavals in Kashmir lessen your love for it. It is called jannat for a reason. This year the J&K tourism department is planning to organise some grand events for Christmas and New Year, including a winter snow carnival. Pahalgam and Gulmarg are the two locations where most of the celebrations are supposed to take place.

So if you haven’t made plans yet, you know where you should head. But we aren’t telling you what to do there except perhaps for buying some local handicrafts made by skilled weavers in the valley. The rest you ought to discover for yourself.