A New Year’s Eve to Remember

Every year it’s the same. You vow that 31^st December will be a night to remember and pledge to make fantastically exciting plans. You look forward to a sparkling evening as everyone delights in each other’s company in the spirit of the season.

But, let’s face it, more often than not, the reality is a world away from the hype. The last night of the year can end up a crashing, anti-climactic disappointment, whether that’s because you have forgotten the astronomical price of cabs, babysitters and restaurants, or because you end up having to kiss and hug strangers as you wish them a happy new year. Or because you just feel forced to ‘have fun’.

All too often you end up drinking warm white wine or cheap champagne out of a plastic cup before pumping the sweaty hands of people you’ve known for three hours in a teary, tipsy rendition of Auld Land Syne as the midnight chimes of Big Ben ring out another year.

The real shame, of course, is that it shouldn’t be this way. After all, the occasion is a time to celebrate having lived through another year, and to welcome the 12 months to come. A night for seeing out the end of the festive season in style.

The trouble is, it can be hard to break the cycle of annual disappointment. As the saying goes: “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”

So vow to do something genuinely and completely different this year – and plan your celebration early to avoid the eternal let-down.

If you’re more of a party pooper than a party popper, you feel out of place at a nightclub or you just can‘t face the thought of another disappointing suburban gathering, it’s time to give your New Year’s Eve a thorough makeover.

Superbreak, established for more than a quarter of a century, has a range of great ideas for New Year breaks, from hotel stays in the UK’s most gorgeous cities to south coast beach breaks.

There are no credit card or booking fees or taxes to pay on top of quoted prices, and many breaks include entertainment, a gala New Year’s Eve dinner and a late check-out and brunch the morning after.

Or perhaps a theatre trip, mini-cruise or European capital visit would be more to your liking? Whatever you choose, as 2012 becomes 2013, fall in love with New Year’s all over again.

You already know you’re going to love Australia. From our sun-soaked beaches to our booming cities, Australia has something to offer everyone, whether you’re looking for a quiet getaway or a week of pure adventure.

Our natural resources are unsurpassed – and I’m not just talking about the countryside. Australian guys and gals are some of the most gorgeous specimens you’re likely to see on your travels. Here’s a guide to figuring them out – and maybe even getting lucky!

What you’ll do

Get someone to take you to a football game. Wear a team scarf and chant things like, “CARN THE PIES!” just for the hell of it. Eat a meat pie and drink a Foster’s at half time. Go to the beach. Marvel at the blue oceans, the golden sand, and the beautiful people in tiny swimming outfits walking past. Go to the pub.

Drink a pint or two, eat a parma (a chicken Parmigiana – schnitzel with cheese and tomato sauce on top) or a schnitzel with some chips (Aussie for French Fries).

Who you’ll meet

The guy you’re likely to meet in Australia loves his mum, cares too much about footy, enjoys a beer or three on a Friday night, and is loyal to his mates. The girl you’re likely to meet loves to shop, meet her friends for a cocktail, root for her favourite footy team, and spend time at the beach.

Where to meet people

You’ll meet tons of friendly Aussies no matter where you’re staying. But if you’re looking to meet people for a bit of romance, you might have to consider other options too. If you’re in Brisbane, you could visit this page. Wherever you’re staying, visit eHarmony to meet people who share your interests.

How to approach someone that catches your eye

Flash your best grin and go over and go over and say hello. Ask them if they’d like a beer or a flat white. Tell them you’re visiting from another country and, if you’re game, ask them to show you around town.

Etiquette and local customs

Aussies are a modest bunch. They never want to give the impression that they’re “up themselves” – that is, that they think they’re better than you or anyone else. And they don’t react too kindly to people who do so, so make sure you don’t spend too much time talking about your achievements.

We tend not to care about very formal greetings, so don’t feel the need to put on any airs or graces. There’s no need to address people by their last name – Aussies tend to be relaxed and informal.

Australians can be self-deprecating – again, they never want you to think they’re blowing their own trumpet (Aussie slang for talking too much about yourself) – but don’t make the mistake of agreeing with them. It’s just their sense of humour at play.

New Orleans is one of those destinations in the US that is a step away from the usual international tourist hubs of NYC, Florida and Las Vegas. It falls into the class of places that many would like to go to, but probably will never go on enough holidays to America to quite make it. Therefore you’ll often hear an impressed whistle or envious sigh as you regale those about your recent experience. It is justifiably world famous, and sits perfectly within a more extended travel of the States if you’re lucky enough to go on one.

The Street

There is much to do here, but a particular magnet to visitors is Bourbon Street. Classy and seedy all at once, as well as cultural and over touristic in the same moment, it is a great starting off point for the wider French Quarter where it is located. Being just off Canal street means you can arrive here by the historic tram line which runs down the impressively wide road and is incredibly cheap for travellers looking to save money. The corner of Bourbon Street is a popular location for impromptu jazz performances kicking off, which regularly involve double digit numbers of performers and is an appropriate entrance to this lively street.

The Nightlife

By day the street is relatively empty and its messy appearance is all the more apparent in the absence of the bar night lights. New Orleans earns its seedy reputation from the presence of strip clubs down the road and there are often employees of said establishments hanging out of the front doors in various states of undress. In this respect, at night it lives up to its adult reputation, but it is not the sole focus of the street and you can easily avoid this aspect if you’re just here for a good time. Live music, jazz clubs, cabaret, comedy, breweries, pubs and dancing clubs; the list is almost endless for what can be found down here.

This lively scene is made all the more enjoyable by the Open Container Law in the French Quarter, which means that you may carry alcoholic drinks around in plastic cups (not cans or bottles) in the street, creating the famous street scene that has become well known here, and reaches its pinnacle in Mardi Gras.

Bars, Food and Drink

Thanks to its shared American, European and African history there is an eclectic array of popular food and drink served in many of the historic venues down the street. For the foodie, make sure you leave in plenty of time to ensure you can stroll along and check out the menus outside the different restaurants. Bourbon Street has a range of Creole cuisine including Gumbo, which has Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French and African influences. There’s also the typical Southern and Cajun cuisine available such as Fried Shrimp, Catfish and Crawfish and even alligator.

For people who like to combine everything, many of the bars serve food as well as having out door areas to hang out making it popular to head to the bars straight away to get the evening started! Bourbon Streets party scene is underpinned by its reputation for serving up some extremely tasty local beverages. The famous Hurricane is a strong cocktail consisting of syrup, fruit juice and rum, and can be found at bars such as Pat O’Brien’s, which is popular due to it’s live music and dueling pianos. If strong drinks are your thing, then head over to Tropical Isle Original which serves the Hand Grenade, a drink known for its potency and recipe shrouded in secrecy. If you are interested in history, you will find the Old Absinthe House a must see, although it’s famous Absinthe House Frappe no longer includes the illegal Absinthe, instead mixing in Herbsaint.

A night down Bourbon Street truly does come alive at night time, creating a unique character that you won’t see anywhere else in the world. The street may appear slightly messy during the day, but when the bright lights come on, the music gets going and the crowds are out there is much to enjoy down a road who’s many buildings date back to the 18th century.

Author Bio: Guest Post written by Matt who is a regular travel blogger and enjoys venturing around the world. As well as America, he likes to explore the Mediterranean.

Buenos Aires is a popular port city on the Rio de la Plata, an estuary on the border between Argentina and Uruguay. It’s an autonomous city that is not part of the outer Buenos Aires province, and yet it acts as a kind of gateway to Argentina.

Visitors enjoy Buenos Aires in the spring (September to November), although its sub-tropical climate has generally pleasant conditions year round. Also in the spring-summer months, the city hosts festivals and sporting events that are popular among tourists, for which a variety of airlines allow you to organise your next cheap holidays.

People from Buenos Aires are known as “porteños”, or people of the port, with European roots that date back to the 16^th Century. A variety of Spanish, German, Greek and Italian influences can be seen in the local architecture. Hence, there are no dominating monuments, but a variety of touches and details that hail from across the world, and can be seen in beautifully preserved 19^th Century houses, majestic churches and opera houses.

Similarly, the city neighbourhoods are unique, with emphasis on local flavour following Argentinian independence in the early 19^th Century. An exception is the Buenos Aires Cabildo, a public building that was once the seat of the colonial council and which now houses a museum. The Palacio de Las Aguas Corrientes, Palace of Running Water, was the city’s water works, built with myriad terracotta tiles and which today houses a museum with antique equipment. The neo-Gothic Palacia Barolo rises up 22 floors and was built as a tribute to Dante’s Divine Comedy, each floor supposedly representing a verse in the Italian poet-philosopher’s masterpiece.

Buenos Aires has a world renowned party atmosphere, not least because of its national dance, the tango. Perhaps best exhibited in the city’s dance halls, plazas, glittering ballrooms and outdoor parks, the tango is both elegant and passionate, combining discreet separation between participants that achieves lasting intimacy. Interestingly, in Buenos Aires, tango-dancing schools were traditionally men-only places called academias, and the dance was only popularised in Paris in the 1920s.

The city hosts the bi-annual Buenos Aires Fashion Week, which displays both national and international designers’ collections, and garners plenty of exposure. It’s held at the La Rural Fairgrounds in February, for fall and winter collections, and in August for spring and summer clothes. In addition to high fashion, Buenos Aires has a reputation as a party city, with bars and clubs of all sizes opening their doors late in the evening and remaining open all night.

Energy, enthusiasm and a willingness to recreate itself; Buenos Aires continues to earn the accolade of the ‘Paris of South America’. Buenos Aires flights are affordable particularly between October and January, when the weather is warm and the mate, or traditional infused drink, is readily served.