HAVE you started planning for a grand year-end celebration? Having a big meal with your friends, watching a movie with your loved ones or simply staying at home and watching TV programs?

There can be a variety of fun ways to celebrate the occasion.

Nowadays, more people choose to fly overseas to join in New Year’s celebrations in a local way despite the high prices of air tickets and tour packages. Some even participate in custom-tailored, high-end tours, travel agencies said.

We pick up some special methods and destinations for celebrations, some of which are less known. Are you ready to join in the celebrations?

Kiribati

Kiribati, an island nation in the central tropical Pacific Ocean, may sound unfamiliar to most tourists. But it earns attention for its Caroline Atoll, which was one of the first points of land that saw the first sunrise on the arrival of the new millennium due to a modified international dateline.

The atoll was renamed “Millennium Island” to celebrate the occasion. The island remains unspoiled due to few human impacts and is one of the very few remaining “near-pristine tropical islands.” It also boasts a number of species of seabirds and endangered green turtles that can be observed.

Kiribati boasts beautiful beach scenery along a string of atolls. The paradise promises spectacular views of white sand, azure waters, breathtaking lagoons and palm-fringed beaches. Its Phoenix Island Marine Protected Area is among the world’s biggest protected marine areas.

Shopping

For shopaholics, the year-end is the best time for a harvest. They rush to hot cities around the world traditionally known for deep discounts in the New Year sales season to grab everything they can.

Orchard Road in Singapore is deemed as a shopping paradise, where people can find everything from luxury brand bags and chic clothing to souvenirs and delicacies. For the New Year holiday, the famous street is decorated with dazzling lights and performances, and fireworks displays are held. Department stores and outlets offer deep discounts to lure consumers.

Myeong-dong in Seoul, South Korea, is another fun place for shopping addicts to explore. It features mid- to high-priced retail stores and international brand outlets as well as a number of local cosmetics brands. It is favored by youngsters who pursue fashion and chic design.

Shopping is the main theme in Paris from the Christmas season with deep discounts offered. Paris boasts a raft of department stores, flea markets and boutiques, where people can find everything in fashion, art and food. Its famous department stores such as Galeries Lafayette and La Vallée Village are some of the best-known shopping destinations.

In addition, people will also find some good bargains along Oxford Street in London, Fifth Avenue in New York, the luxury Ginza shopping district in Tokyo and the bustling shopping district of Causeway Bay in Hong Kong at the year end.

Leisure

If you are looking for something unique and romantic to celebrate the year end with your loved ones, a Northern Lights or astronomy tour could fit the bill.

Tromso, in the northernmost part of Norway, is considered one of the best spots to view the dreamlike and magical Northern Lights in winter — a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

When night falls and it is dark enough in winter, people have a chance to see the majestic and awesome lights. If you are lucky enough, you can see how the color changes against the canvas of the dark sky and be dazzled by the breathtaking beauty of nature.

There are many myths and beliefs about the Northern Lights. One of the most famous believed by the Japanese is that a baby conceived under the lights will be beautiful and lucky. Thus a number of Japanese tourists chase the lights out of this belief.

Except appreciating the glamor of the lights, also known as aurora borealis, people can enjoy the fun of reindeer sledding, experience sleeping in a Sami people’s tent or take some Arctic adventure tours in Tromso.

In other places like Iceland and Inari in Finland, people can also watch the lights in wintertime.

Lake Tekapo in New Zealand attracts tourists for its crown of “one of the best stargazing sites on Earth.” People can view the richness of star clusters at the Mt John Observatory if the weather cooperates. Night tours are conducted at the observatory for tourists to appreciate the wonders of the sky. People can have a cup of coffee at the Astro Café at the observatory, which boasts stunning views.

It is suggested that people stay at Lake Tekapo for several days in case the weather is not suitable for seeing stars. Other activities there include trekking, cycling and fishing.

If people are planning a drive of New Zealand’s South Island with loved ones, they can also visit Te Anau, known for its glowworm caves, which is also a romantic experience.

Parties

The year end, of course, is an occasion for grand celebrations and parties. If people are bored with the famous New Year countdown at New York’s Times Square, there are alternatives.

The First Night Alexandria is the biggest New Year’s Eve celebration in Virginia, featuring more than 100 performances from music to magic throughout the Old Town and an entire evening of entertainment. Local shops, restaurants and buildings are turned into performance venues for bluegrass musicians, dancing, honky-tonk bands, clowns, magicians and classical musicians.

The celebration will reach its climax on December 31 with a big midnight fireworks show over the Potomac River.

More traditionally, Australia’s Sydney Harbor is a famous spot to celebrate New Year’s Eve. When the pyrotechnic display lights up the sky, people hug and kiss each other and express best wishes for the new year.

The climax of the event is when the countdown to midnight starts.

The history of the famous event can be dated to 1983, when a pyrotechnician used the Sydney Harbor Bridge as a launchpad for fireworks.

Stay in the city

If you choose to stay in the city, you can follow the tradition of New Year celebrations here and join the crowds to express best wishes.

In temples such as Longhua Temple, Jing’an Temple and Jade Buddha Temple, a traditional bell-tolling ceremony is held at midnight to ring in the new year. It is a tradition to ring the bell 108 times to start the new year — which is said to absolve sin and bring good luck. People can also watch landscape lights on the Bund and a traditional 4D light show there.

Some department stores in commercial areas like Xujiahui and Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall will extend opening hours and offer deep discounts to lure customers into a shopping spree. New Year’s performances will also be staged in places like Xintiandi and Xujiahui.