Top 10 places to kiss 2011 goodbye
Get your party on in Rio or New York. For romance, head to Paris. But if it's quiet contemplation you seek, check in to a desert lodge and spa in Chile, Robin Esrock suggests
FOR QUIET REFLECTION Built into the red-rock moonscape of the planet’s driest desert, Alto Atacama Desert Lodge and Spa in Chile provides a tranquil escape. Ring in the New Year by unwinding in the warm desert breeze, stargazing from the comfort of a Jacuzzi fed by underwater springs.Handout | Haroldo Horta
FOR ADVENTURERS My ideal New Year’s Eve is a four-day, four-wheel-drive desert tour departing from Marrakesh, heading into the snow-capped High Atlas Mountains. The journey crosses old trading posts like Todra Gorges and Dadès, voyagers refresh themselves in oases, and then trek by camel into the Erg Chebbi dunes.Frederick Florin / AFP Photo
FOR WINE LOVERS At the Napa Valley Wine Train Annual Ball, the region’s best wine is paired with gourmet food, dancing and gorgeous landscape. SoCal’s South Coast Winery Resort offers a two-night New Year’s Eve package, including private villa, ballroom event and six tasting vouchers a day for the vineyard.Tim Mosenfelder / Getty Images
FOR ROCKERS Times Square will rock out harder than usual, thanks to Lady Gaga’s much-hyped concert appearance. The Times Square All Access Pass, starting at $250, gets you into most clubs, concerts and events. Elsewhere in New York, Phish performs at Madison Square Garden and Gogol Bordello at Terminal 5.Mario Tama / Getty Images
FOR PARTIERS When it comes to letting loose, New Year’s Eve is second only to Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Every year, about two million revellers head to Copacabana’s beaches for the celebrations. Fun-seekers will find top performers on four free stages and 20 minutes of fireworks at midnight.Handout | Alamy
FOR FOODIES Forget gambling, go to Vegas for the food. Alizé, an award-winning French restaurant with spectacular views from the 56th floor of the Palms Casino Resort, is offering a five-course meal with fare from Chef André Rochat including lobster, fois gras, filet mignon and black truffle.Handout
FOR CULTURE VULTURES Venice comes alive on New Year’s Eve. At 4 p.m., La Fenice theatre on Campo San Fantin hosts one of the most famous concerts in Italy. The Concerto di Capodanno includes classical performances and selections from La Traviata. Late-night dinners are served around the city.Michele Crosera / AFP / Getty Images
FOR FAMILIES Just $18 buys you an access button to Boston’s First Night’s 200 alcohol-free events, including the Family Festival at the Hynes Convention Centre, ice-sculpture displays, musical performances and fireworks at 7 p.m. (for those who can’t stay awake for the 12-minute display at midnight).Lisa Poole / AP
FOR ROMANTICS On the evening known in Paris as Saint-Sylvestre, hop on a Bateaux Parisiens dinner cruise departing from the Eiffel Tower. Float along the Seine with views of the lights on the Champs-Élysées and midnight fireworks at the Eiffel Tower. Other operators offer similar cruises.Remy de la Mauviniere / AP Photo
FOR ZANINESS Omisoka, Japanese for New Year’s Eve, is about creating a clean slate for the coming year. More than two million people – many in wild costumes – gather around Tokyo’s Meiji Jingu Shrine to hear the bell ring 108 times (once for each earthly temptation to overcome to achieve nirvana).Kim Kyung-Hoon / REUTERS