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Seeking a place to celebrate New Year's Eve? Here's help

Smita Tripathi

It's that time of the year again. It is time to bid farewell to 2002 and usher in the new year. So unless you are one of those who like to spend New Year's Eve glued to the idiot box, put on your party caps and get ready to celebrate New Year's Eve in style.

But there are two options: either stay in town for a party or head for an exotic location. We take look at various packages on offer:

The Oberoi Group is offering various packages at its properties in Kolkata, Simla, Udaipur, Agra and Ranthambore.

The Oberoi Grand, Kolkata is organising a Caribbean Night at its poolside on New Year's Eve. At Rs 2,500 per head, you can hear Don Seagal and his troupe play live, enjoy a barbeque buffet and sip champagne.

Udaivilas, the recently-opened Oberoi hotel in Udaipur is celebrating its first season of festive celebrations in style. Embellishing the ambience is a special performance by traditional Rajasthani folk dancers and tabla and sitar players.

What's more, you can get a peep into your future by getting your palm read on New Year's Eve. Picnics, boat rides and spa and yoga classes have also been organised. You can also attend an art workshop by international artist Gregory Burns.

There is a special menu prepared for New Year's Eve comprising roasted pumpkin and water chestnut soup, champagne sorbet and other such exotic fare. If you live on Indian food, the feast includes tamatar aur dhaniya shorba, kebab platter and ajwaini macchi.

Want to spend New Year in the wilds - of course, in five star luxury? You could go to Vanyavilas, the Oberoi property at Ranthambore. There is a gala dinner on New Year's Eve for Rs 3,450 plus tax and a New Year's day brunch for Rs 1,700 plus taxes.

Not to be left behind, the Taj Group of hotels is offering packages at its various properties in Udaipur, Jodhpur, Goa, Varanasi, Madurai, New Delhi and Mumbai. You can enjoy an evening of live instrumental music and Rajasthani folk dances including the Langa, Bhawai, Chakri and an elaborate buffet dinner comprising Indian, Chinese, Thai and Continental cuisine at the Lake Palace Hotel, Udaipur for Rs 8,500 per couple.

Those looking for a taste of east and west can join in the Purav-Paschim celebrations at the Taj Hari Mahal, Jodhpur.

For Rs 3,500 per couple, you can enjoy a mix of traditional Rajasthani music and western artists. To get your feet tapping, there is also a DJ. On offer is Indian and Continental cuisine. The celebrations start with a gun salute followed by fireworks.

If Rajasthan doesn't hold much charm for you, Goa definitely will. The Taj Exotica there is organising a samba night - a sizzling hot evening inspired by Goa's Portuguese connection - on New Year's Eve.

Don't worry if you can't do the samba, professional dancers will be at hand to teach you a few basic steps. There is also a Russian dance troupe as well as a live band. So put on your dancing shoes and paint the town red.

Talking of paint, you can also get your face painted. The evening is sure to be special, but all this comes at a hefty Rs 15,000 per couple.

The Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi has a fairytale theme for the New Year. Different restaurants are associating themselves with different fairytales. Orient Express will have the Pied Piper theme.

It has invited Krista Kellner, American Jazz artist to enchant the guests. The New Year's Eve package costs Rs 13,999 per couple and includes accommodation, champagne breakfast and, of course, the New Year dinner.

For those of you who are looking at doing something really different this New Year, try Ananda-In the Himalayas - a lifestyle destination spa set in 100 acres of forest overlooking Rishikesh.

Ananda offers extensive spa facilities and has 20 treatment rooms for western, oriental and Indian massages. There are also ayurvedic treatments, yoga and meditation programmes. Ananda is offering a special Christmas and New Year's package which is valid till January 2, 2003.

The three-nights-four day package includes breakfast and dinner, daily wellness services like hydrotherapy, yoga, meditation, pranayama and a trek in the Himalayas. The package costs Rs 41,250 per couple for a valley view room.

For the more adventurous, the Royal Caribbean Cruises, which represents Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, will deploy 13 ships sailing through the Bahamas and most of the exotic Caribbean islands for New Year.

The most popular cruise being the 7-night itinerary on board one of the world's biggest ships - Voyager of the Seas - sailing to the western Caribbean from Miami, Florida on December 29, 2002. Rates start at $165 per person per night.

The other is the Celebrity Cruise ship - Millennium - that offers a 7-night sailing to the Eastern Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 29, 2002. Rates start at $227 per person per night.

It includes, ocean transportation, onboard accommodation, most meals, onboard recreation and entertainment.

Cunrad Cruises' ship Caronia is offering a New Year package for half the price. A 12-night cruise of the Canary Islands starting from Southampton, UK costs Rs 108,000 per person.

It is inclusive of accommodation, all meals, entertainment, port and handling charges.

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