Places to Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Asia

Asia knows how to party. Especially around New Year’s. If you’re looking to celebrate the turning of the New Year without travelling too far from home, take a look at the following New Year’s Eve events happening in Asia.

Book your flights, drop those bags in the hotel and put your dancing shoes on to enjoy the party of a lifetime come 31st December.

Where to Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Asia

New Years Eve in Thailand: Full Moon Party

Koh Phangan is party central in Thailand, hosting a Full Moon party each month along Haad Rin beach. Between 10,000 and 30,000 people flock to each month’s party, which begins at dusk. The beach is illuminated by thousands of flickering lamps and spotted with party goers glowing with fluorescent body paint. Photo Courtesy of Samuipedia

December 31st sees the beach put on a special edition New Year’s Eve Full Moon party at Haad Rin, featuring live MCs and DJs playing lively sets of drum and bass, techno, dance and reggae music. More than just a bit of dance and song, there’s some pretty good entertainment for the night, including fire-eaters and jugglers. The fire performers are pretty amazing. The crowd can even jump in for some activities like skipping a burning rope, doing a limbo under a flaming bar and so on  — pretty risky businesses though! To cap things off, a big firework display to welcome the new year.

Part of the fun of the Full Moon Party is drinking out of buckets which are sold at stands with funny signs and adoring yourself with fun glow-in-the-dark accessories.

New Years Eve in Singapore: Siloso Beach Party

If you’re staying in Singapore this New Year’s Eve, head down to the Siloso Beach Party to escape the concrete jungle for a night and boogie down on the beach instead.

Get those feet dancing to the dance music that pulses out from dusk till dawn. There will be food and drinks to start off the night or to rescue you if you feel yourself losing speed. And of course, nearing midnight you’ll be part of a super fun countdown among thousands of half naked beautiful strangers — who could say no?!

Photos Courtesy of Siloso Beach Party

There will be 5 distinct party zones at Siloso Beach Party,  plus a sandy dance floor and foam pool for you to frolic in, all taking place around Siloso Beach Resort. The R18 event features the likes of international superstar Mike Candys on the main stage and a whole stream of DJs from this region including Asia’s youngest Video Disc Jockey DJ Jenni-F​ as well as Singapore’s own influential hip-hop enthusiast DJ Ollie’Des.

Visit www.silosobeachparty.com for tickets.

New Year’s Eve in Kuala Lumpur: Fireworks

New Year’s Eve celebrations in Kuala Lumpur are as vibrant and colourful as its diverse culture. Catch the whole excitement of the fireworks jetting off from Petronas Twin Towers in KL.

The streets around the towers get packed as the countdown nears, so stick around and enjoy the festivities from the comfort of your accommodation. Many of the hotels and resorts near Petronas and KLCC  put on their own festivities to entertain guests over New Year’s Eve.

Other places to see New Years Eve fireworks in KL, visit Damansara Mutiara, Sunway Pyramid, Bukit Bintang and Independence Square (Dataran Merdeka).

New Years Eve in Tokyo: Traditional festivities

It’s believed that Japan was one of the first countries in the world to utilise fireworks to celebrate holidays. So you’re experiencing something pretty special when you witness the fireworks in Japan on New Year’s Eve. Pick a spot around Tokyo Bay to watch the spectacular fireworks shoot for miles around the area. There will also be firework displays going off over Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Tower.

Tokyo Tower illuminated

Besides fireworks, during Shogatsu (the Japanese word for New Year) many locals get together with their families to visit temples and shrines. The New Years Eve countdown at Zojoji Temple, next to the illuminated Tokyo Tower, is particularly popular on the eve. Traditional lanterns light up the area, creating a lovely atmosphere as the crowd gathers. At midnight, transparent balloons are released into the air with the wishes of the crowd.

Shinjuku and Shibuya are the best areas to find bars and nightclubs to party the night away.

New Years Eve in Jakarta: Fireworks

Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, definitely knows how to dazzle with its New Year’s Eve fireworks too. Millions of fireworks go off light up the sky at midnight in a captivating display. Monas Park and Carnaval Beach are two great spots to catch the fireworks.

Ancol Dreamland Resort’s Carnaval Beach celebration is a big crowd-pleaser for New Year’s Eve festivities in Jakarta. You’ll want to book a hotel in Ancol Dreamland resort if you plan to enjoy the festivities here. It would be too impractical otherwise. Alternatively, you could book rooftop hotels in Jakarta to enjoy a good view of the New Years fireworks without the crowds.

La Piazza – Sentra Kelapa Gading is also putting on a show over December 31, with fireworks and laser shows scheduled to impress guests. This is a family-friendly event that offers live music and vibrant decorations. The Selamat Datang monument is another great place to gather. The streets come alive with street vendors and entertainers playing live music as the fireworks are set off.

Image Credits: Shutterstock, Getty Images