Depending on who your favorite motivational speaker/writer is, a lot of people are in agreement that five of the best ways to end an out-going year well and start the new one on a positive note are;

• Reviewing how you’ve spent your time in the year, and identifying those things (or people) that drained your energy (Without being paranoid, this stress-buster shows what to excise and points to what/who to avoid next year)
• Sending greetings of appreciation and thanks to those people who have helped make this year phenomenal for you (your business needs the goodwill this will elicit)
• Cancelling the subscriptions and memberships you’ve didn’t use in the year (just cut them off for good and save yourself some good money)
• Making a list of the fifteen best things you did this year (No bigger ego-booster, it’s going to feel as good as champagne bubbles dancing on your tongue at the end-of-the-year toast)
• Making a list of things that are going to get better and making an action plan for that’ll make them reality in the coming year (aka New Year’s resolution aka making a reasonable forecast)

Here’s one your favorite motivational speaker/writer left out of the list…picking the best place to celebrate New Year’s Eve and where to start the new year on a high.

New Year’s Eve is one of the most significant holidays in the entire world; the champagne, the ball dropping, the resolutions, the last-minute indulgence and the revelry that accompanies it. It’s the last chance to have a good time without the tinge of a guilt before the year runs out. There are so many fantastic places in the world to spend it but here’s a shortlist of the best places to celebrate New Year’s Eve on the planet.

1. New York City, USA
The big apple and home to the biggest New Year’s Eve party the modern world has ever known, well over a million people will show up at Times Square for this famous yearly party. You’ll find yourself counting down the seconds to midnight while a huge 12-foot glittering ball is slowly dropped down from a flagpole atop the Times Square building with over a ton of confetti dropped onto party-goers. The fireworks is out of this world. The New Year’s Eve celebration is a televised event, so turn up in your best gear, you might see yourself on TV.

2.Sydney, Australia
There’s more to Sydney, Australia than the famous Opera House. Home to one of the 20th century’s most distinctive buildings, Sydney is one of the first cities in the world to see the New Year, it truly comes alive during the New Year’s Eve celebrations. Many events surround New Year’s Eve celebration in Sydney. Expect to see indigenous smoking ceremonies, aerial flyovers complete with messages in the sky, mini-light shows, a truly huge and spectacular fireworks show and a lighted boat parade at the Sydney Harbour. An ultimate dance party is held at Bondi Beach while kids get feted at Taronga Zoo.

3. Paris, France
Even in the midst of heavy revelry and pyros, the city of love never loses its allure of romance and panache. At the Eiffel Tower, visitors will see a truly spectacular light show and fireworks display. However, most all the streets of Paris will be filled with tons of Parisians celebrating and having a wonderful time with fireworks and lots of champagne. The romantic New Year’s Eve boat cruises along the Seine are also offered for those who wish for a little privacy for their celebration. Little wonder they say, ‘See Paris and die…’

4. London, England
Over 250,000 visitors cannot be wrong. Tons of people crowd onto the banks of the Thames and begin the countdown to the symbolic Big Ben striking the hour of midnight when an elaborate light show and fireworks display takes off. This is arguably the most exciting countdown party after the one at New York’s Times Square. The party usually continues throughout the night with activities planned for New Year’s Day including a three-hour parade complete with marching bands, colorful floats, costumed dancers and a fine procession of the Queen’s horses. Talk about going to London to see the Queen, you just might on this occasion.

5. Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
For once what happens in Vegas, doesn’t stay in Vegas. The city that doesn’t sleep usually receives well over 300,000 visitors during New Year’s Eve celebrations and you know Vegas is worth all the fuss. Beginning at 6 p.m., the famous four-mile-long Strip is shut to vehicular traffic and opened up to visitors who wish to celebrate by walking around, drinking, mingling and watching various fireworks being shot off from famous building rooftops. Most of the hotels, clubs and bars usually offer special shows and other activities. Definitely worth the stress.

6. Miami, Florida
Expect to find celebrations of all types all over this sunshine city. South Beach is a great idea for a good old-fashioned all-night dance-a-thon with tons of revelers. A family-friendly event takes place at Miami’s “Big Orange” which is a 35-foot neon which descends from the Inter-Continental Miami like the New York’s ball-drop. There’s usually a grand-finale boasting a huge fireworks show at Bayfront Park and with lots of family activities, musical entertainment and food available. You’re free to party till you drop (literally) in Miami at the New Year’s Eve soiree.

7. Edinburgh, Scotland
Thousands visit Edinburgh for the annual “Hogmanay Celebration”, which means a celebration of the last day of the year. Expect to see famous pop-stars and traditional ‘Ceilidh’ dancing throughout the streets. At midnight, 4.5 tons of fireworks explode over Edinburgh Castle while the streets ring out with revelers singing “Auld Lang Syne.” New Year’s Day brings activities like the ‘run down the Royal Mile’, a dive in the freezing cold waters of the River Forth, the “Loony Dook” Parade and a dog-sledding competition. It’s a traditionally celebration all through.

8. Vienna, Austria
If you’re one of those who want a more-genteel New Year’s Eve celebration, Vienna is the place for you. You’ll love the dignified balls, classical music concerts and some of the world’s best symphonies which mark the New Year’s Eve in the European city. If you’re into ‘Champagne Brunches’ then hang around till New Year’s Day, you’ll love it.

9. Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s Times Square is where you get to see the replica ball-drop hours before the original drops in honour of the New Year’s Eve celebrations. Hong Kong has one of the world’s most dramatic skylines and it lights up every year with a display of fireworks concluding with a dazzling finale, the famous pyrotechnic dragon that dances across the sky. Victoria Harbour is the center of the New Year’s Eve’s evening activity. The locals are warm and accommodating and visitors get to be among the lucky Eastern hemisphere population to kick the New Year’s celebrations off first.

10. Rio de Janeiro
One of the most remarkable ways to usher in the New Year is to be part of the ‘Réveillon’. The uniquely Brazilian celebration blends religious, traditional, and superstitious beliefs and it sees locals dressing in all-white apparels (which is believed to bring good luck). The Réveillon comes a close second to the Rio Carnival and takes place at the iconic Copacabana Beach where more than two million people cram onto the scene. One of the world’s biggest New Year’s Eve celebration includes large oceanfront stages for live musical and dance performances, and a colorful fireworks display at midnight completes the scene. It’s totally breath-taking at this celebration.
So there you go. If you want to make a triumphant entry into the New Year, you’d be planning to hit any of these exclusive celebrations to have the time of your life…it’s totally worth it.

Except for difference in race and stature, are humans the same all around the world? If you’re not alone at your location, a sweep of your immediate environment in a quick furtive look would prove that assertion true. So why do we bother making plans, spending a fortune in the name of seeing the world when we going to see the same of our kind? Isn’t traveling just a big waste of time and resources and an exercise in futility? The most appropriate answer to that is the pursuit of knowledge. People travel around the world in an attempt to complete their education about our world.

Humans might look the same but they effuse different emotions, isn’t that’s what gave birth to different cultures, languages, dressing, architecture and other human complexities? The need to learn, whether for academic or curiosity reasons, is why most people travel. No one ivory tower, no matter how advanced, can teach everything about humans, you just have to hit the road and explore the world.
The world the human race lives in is a book, it’s only by traveling around it we can avoid getting stuck on a page. Being stuck on a page, not seeing the world, is the real reason being boredom. To continue your education in life, you must put things in good stead, create time off, pick up your passport and be on the next available flight out of the country. So here’s a shortlist of exotic locations around the world where you can advance your cause of learning more about mankind.

1. Bay of Kotor, Montenegro
Bocche di Cattaro (in Italian) or simply known as Boka, this winding bay of the Adriatic Sea in southwestern Montenegro will engulf you with its emerald waters and picturesque mountains. Medieval architecture and numerous monuments of cultural heritage have made the ancient city of Kotor a UNESCO listed “World Natural and Historical Heritage Site”. The shoreline houses beautiful medieval towns like Perast, where you can stop for a meal and interact with the locals.

2. Petra, Jordan
Petra is a famous archaeological site in Jordan’s southwestern desert. Dating to around 300 B.C., it was the capital of the Nabatean Kingdom and was carved out of sandstone cliffs. Rising out of cliffs between the Red and Dead Sea, the lost city of Petra still has secrets to reveal. It has several tombs and carved structures spread across a sandy landscape. Many scenes from the famous Steven Spielberg-directed Hollywood hit, ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’ were filmed here.

3. Fregate Island, Seychelles
The private island of Fregate is an ultimate honeymooner’s delight. It is one of the world’s most exclusive resorts with seven pristine beaches to choose from. The island is the easternmost of the granitic Inner Islands of the Seychelles. Simply close your eyes and think idyllic. Someone needs to find out why the island’s Anse Victorin was voted “The World’s Best Beach” by The Times.

4. The Great Blue Hole, Belize
This submarine sinkhole off the coast of Belize is in every scuba diver’s bucket list. Located next to Lighthouse Reef, about 70 kilometres off the coast of Belize, the Great Blue Hole is part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System that was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Even if you are not into enjoying a myriad of species underwater, it’s totally worth flying over the Blue Hole for a breathtaking view.

5. Namje, Nepal
There are no roads to Namje. The only way to get to the Nepalese village is along a series of footpaths with views of Mount Makalu, the world’s fifth-tallest peak. Namje, a small Magar village in Dhankuta, eastern Nepal, has been named one of the 12 best unheard of places by CNN. One of the world’s best-kept secrets, Namje’s native Magar people live very close to nature and still practice animism, a worship of their ancestors, in its sacred burial ground.

6. Taha’a, French Polynesia
Bora Bora and Tahiti as exotic locations have nothing on this intimate and exquisite island of Taha’a. Taha’a is an island located among the western group, the Leeward Islands, of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The landscape is dotted with several vanilla plantations and traditional pearl farm huts. Taha’a is also known as Vanilla Island because it grows nearly 80% of all vanilla produced in French Polynesia.

7. Pisco Elqui, Chile
Those who love to star gaze, look no further than the clearest skies in Pisco Elqui. Pisco Elqui is a Chilean village in the commune of Paihuano, Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region. It’s located in the Elqui Valley, 107 km east from La Serena, at about 1,300 metres above sea level. Surrounded by magnificent Andean mountains, this Chilean village enjoys perfect weather year round.

8. Cappadocia, Turkey
Cappadocia, a semi-arid region in central Turkey, is known for its distinctive “fairy chimneys,” tall, cone-shaped rock formations clustered in Monks Valley, Göreme and elsewhere. Known as Turkey’s most visually striking region, Cappadocia offers caves, clefts, pinnacles and ‘fairy chimneys’ (pointed rock formations). Volcanic eruptions formed this surreal moonscape.

9. Timgad, Algeria
This Roman colonial town founded by Emperor Trajan in AD100 is a UNESCO world heritage site. Centuries later, it still represents the embodiment of Roman urban planning. The full name of the town was a mouthful, Colonia Marciana Ulpia Traiana Thamugadi, so Timgad works just fine. Located in modern-day Algeria, about 35 km east of the town of Batna, the ruins are noteworthy for representing one of the best extant examples of the grid plan as used in Roman city planning.

10. The Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a nation in the South Pacific, with political links to New Zealand. Many are of the opinion that Cook Islands are the best kept secret in the Pacific Ocean. The 15 islands are scattered over a vast expanse of seductive and sensuous ocean, boasting of idyllic climate and rare beauty. The Cook Islands is renowned for its many snorkeling and scuba-diving sites.

11. Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Angkor Wat or Capital Temple is a temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world, with the site measuring 162.6 hectares. Built by the Khymer civilization, Angkor Wat is the most famed Cambodian temple, which even appears on its national flag. The architectural genius unfolds many enduring tales of Cambodian history.

12. Fiji
Fiji is an island country in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about 1,100 nautical miles (2,000 km; 1,300 mi) northeast of New Zealand’s North Island. No list of exotic destinations can be complete without mention of Fiji, an archipelago of over 300 islands in the South Pacific Ocean, they call it the ‘home of happiness’. Besides pristine white sandy beaches and fish-packed coral reefs, there is ample opportunity to climb a mountain, soak in a hot spring or explore a village.

13. Bagan, Myanmar
Bagan is an ancient city in central Myanmar (formerly Burma), southwest of Mandalay. Standing on the eastern banks of the Ayeyarwady River, it’s known for the Bagan Archaeological Area, where more than 2,000 Buddhist monuments tower over green plains. Holy sites around Old Bagan include ornate Ananda Temple, built in 1091 and topped with a golden stupa. For an unparalleled view, tourists take a hot air balloon rides at sunrise to see it.

14. Sossusvlei, Namibia
Sossusvlei is a salt and clay pan surrounded by high red dunes, located in the southern part of the Namib Desert, in the Namib-Naukluft National Park of Namibia. Lifted from a dream, Sossusvlei is full of picturesque sand dunes surrounded by clay pans. The most surreal attraction is the Deadvlei, where the dead acacia trees contrast the white shiny salty floor of the pan.

15. Socotra, Yemen
Also spelled Soqotra, it’s an island and a small archipelago of four islands in the Arabian Sea. The territory is part of Yemen, and had long been a subdivision of the Aden Governorate. Isolated Socotra has a most unique landscape. It’s home to 800 rare species of flora and fauna, about a third of which is not found anywhere else in the world.

To different people, the best feelings in the world is relative. Different people like different things and have different feelings, but according to popular opinion, the best feelings in the world (in no particular order) are;

• Hot showers.
• The first bite of a meal when you’re really hungry.
• Tight hugs.
• Crawling into bed after a long day.
• Waking up in the morning and actually feeling like you had enough sleep.
• Feeling very satisfied you picked the right holiday destination for your December trip.

When it comes to making the right holiday destination in December (away from the very usual spots), a lot of people feel like they’re facing a most unpleasant task akin to untying the proverbial Gordian knot. Won’t it be great if someone took this rather troublesome task out of your busy hands? Then pay attention now.
The allure of London might sound good and the magic of New York spellbinding but sorry to burst your bubble, they don’t aren’t on the exclusive list of where you want to be away from the usual holiday crowd that conspire to smother the life out of the December holidays. So you want to know the best places to spend New Year’s Eve? Where to ski at Christmas? Where can you escape the holiday crowds? Here’s a shortlist of the world’s coveted holiday destinations to travel to in the month of December.

1. St Bart’s, Caribbean
Simply everyone who wants his peace of mind is in St Bart’s in December. Why? Because the island is the original discreet sunny paradise of choice with the world’s most perfect beaches, restaurants, hotels and villas. The super-rich, the super-famous, the beautiful and the blessed find their way to St Bart’s in December. Fail to book your December holiday here and you’ve only got yourself to blame.

2. Guatemala
How do you begin to describe Guatemala? It’s a colourful country with astonishingly beautiful coasts on both Pacific and Caribbean oceans with splendid volcanic landscapes and pretty colonial towns. And December is a great month to see it all, from the beaches to the temples, the days usually their sunniest and driest best, and not too hot (average temperatures around 23ºC in the day, 13ºC at night). Christmas in Guatemala is a whole different party which you should be part of.

3. Goa, India
Goa is the place to be in December with its beautiful coastlines stretching along the Arabian Sea. The weather is just perfect and the parties at fever pitch. Christmas is cause for great celebration throughout India – no more so than in Goa, garlanded and lit up with fireworks, Christmas trees and Santa hats incongruous in the heat and dust. This all rolls into New Year’s Eve celebrations. It gets busy, so you might want to book ahead.

4. Cambodia and Laos
First off, South-East Asia is wonderful in December. The climate is just right, it’s not wet and unbearably hot like other periods. In December, Laos’ beautiful colonial towns are great to visit and have a happy bustle to them. Siem Reap is equally at its liveliest. They’re are happy places to eat and drink and the whole place is buzzing. You should see the allure of the South-East, Cambodia and Laos are waiting with arms wide open.

5. Prague
Still want to play with snow in December? Then you should be heading to Prague because there’s nowhere prettier in winter. The streets are perfectly preserved ancient like a Disney fairy-tale, you’ll love the Christmas decorations too. Prague might be cold as the Artic in December but you’ll find its richly-patterned restaurants very cozy and accommodating. It’s the place to be if you like your December cold.

6. Berlin
Berlin holds the distinguished honour of being the European city to visit anytime of the year. There is no bad time to visit Berlin. What a place to party in December! There’s a kookiness about Berlin’s clubs, bars and underground waiting to be explored. It’s one of the best places to spend New Year’s Eve in the world when they throw a city-wide street party with gigs and celebrations all along the Party Mile.

7. Dubai
Can Dubai ever go wrong anytime of the year? December happens to be one out of the four best months in the year because the weather cools to a more bearable 19-25ºC and the sun shines practically all the time. There are attractions like the film festival, pre-Christmas designer sales and record-breaking Christmas trees groaning under the weight of lights and Swarovski crystals to see. Dubai’s one of the fanciest places to visit in the world all year round and would remain so for some time to come.

So there you have it. A shortlist of the most exclusive spots to see in December where you could never get it wrong. Feeling great already? All packed to go? Here’s wishing you bon voyage.