5 awesome cities for that TEFL New Year
Cure those Christmas homesick blues with a blowout of epic proportions in that adopted TEFL home. As the festive days subside and the 31st of December comes near, you can stop dreaming of all the homemade mince pies and pressies you’ve missed and start thinking about the wild parties, awesome fireworks shows, cool bars and bucket-list experiences that await on the doorstep. Yep, a TEFL New Year is a New Year to remember – especially in these five hotspots…
Hong Kong – obviously!
Consistently up there on lists of the world’s top New Year destinations, Hong Kong promises one heady whirlwind of pyrotechnics, laser shows, and hedonism when the clock creeps towards 12. Many expats in the city – and there’s a HUGE community of folk here, from language teachers to big-wig bankers – opt to board a junk boat and watch the breathtaking fireworks from the waters of Victoria Harbour on December 31st. Just think: A bubbling glass of champagne in hand; a forest of skyscrapers as the backdrop; partying until sunup on the South China Sea. It’s also a great choice for that TEFL New Year if you’re living and working in the People’s Republic – cheap flights connect cities like Shanghai and Beijing to HKG countless times per day.
Bangkok – again, obviously!
It doesn’t even have to be a TEFL New Year for us to extoll the virtues of Bangkok’s buzzing night scene. Anyone who’s ever trodden between the neon-lit bars and noodle-frying stalls of Khaosan Road can testify to its energy. Anyone who’s attended a rooftop party on one of the soaring skyscrapers of happening Sukhumvit will be able to tell of panoramic views and meticulously made cocktails that don’t seem to drain until the early hours. The turning of the calendar is no different. Expats and language teachers flood the bars of Thailand’s capital in force, enjoying light shows amid the stupas of the Chao Phraya River and exclusive DJ parties on the tips of lanky high-rises. You’re bound to love it!
Buenos Aires
Talk about rambunctious cities for that TEFL New Year. Buenos Aires and its nigh on 3 million porteños fill the wide boulevards and plazas of this great South American metropolis to bursting when it’s time to wave goodbye to the last calendar. Cocktails of mint and rum and lime clink on the high-perched rooftop bars of the city. There are good vibes in old Latin quarters, between age-stained Baroque facades and wild street-side cantinas. Midnight is best around the bustling Puerto Madero area, where one of the biggest fireworks displays takes place. San Telmo is also always good, for local dives and sleepless nights of partying.
Seoul
Seoul has soul. I won’t apologize – better writers than me have made the pun. And it’s true. This seething, sprawling megacity on the Korean Peninsula is an electric place to have a night out, no matter the time of year. And when the New Year swings around, things can really go into overdrive. The festivities begin early, perhaps with a bout of bubble tea and dumplings in the food courts of Myeongdong. From there, it shouldn’t be hard to seek out one of the capital’s mega clubs, where house tunes thump and lasers arc overhead – tried-and-tested Gangnam is always worth a shot. At midnight, the Bosingak Bell-Ringing Ceremony draws the crowds. It’s an age-old tradition that’s supposed to herald the New Year with a clang.
Dubai
A TEFL New Year for teachers in the Middle East might mean opting out of the booze-fuelled parties their used to back at home (although not always). But then they also get the added bonus of some seriously amazing cityscapes, none more so than UFO-like Dubai. You could head to the foot of the world’s tallest building – the Burj Khalifa – to witness multi-colored light shows erupt in the forest of skyscrapers overhead. Down on the Palm Jumeirah and in Jumeirah Beach, the big resorts flaunt some of the most audacious pyrotechnics on the planet. And if you’re after something a little more refined – there’s more haute bistros and world-class fine-dining here than you can shake a camel caravan at!
A TEFL New Year is just one of the awesome experiences on the menu for those following their dreams as a teacher abroad this festive season. If you’d love to be part of it, you can check out all our awesome programs in destinations like Thailand, China, Argentina and others…