Mumbai is the land of dreams. People come here to earn a living from the nooks and corners of the country earning it the moniker financial capital of India. The city has everything, from slums to tall skyscrapers and Marine Drive to Aarey Forest.

New Year comes with new hope. Although Mumbai is noted for its grandeur during Ganesh festival, it also offers plenty of options to choose from when it comes to celebrating New Year. Be it the poolside party or the nightclubs; you can choose from an array of options.

Why choose Mumbai New Year parties?

Mumbai New Year parties are considered among the best in the country as there are both eastern as well as western styles of ushering the New Year in. Sometimes there is a fusion of both. Moreover, it is also the land of Bollywood. If you are lucky enough, you may just get a chance of meeting or clicking a selfie with your favourite Bollywood superstar as they also sometimes visit the party venues for ringing in the New Year. If you are ringing in New Year at a nightclub, shaking a leg to the popular chartbusters of Bollywood, you should visit the land of Bollywood.

Ways to spend an offbeat New Year Party in Mumbai

If you are in Mumbai and not a mainstream party person, then you can choose from any of the following offbeat ways to enjoy one of the best Mumbai new year parties.

• Calm Island: If you are looking to explore the unexplored horizon this New Year’s Eve, then, this island is a must-visit. Surrounded by the calm and peaceful Arthur Lake, this island is also called Pakhar Matha, a Marathi word for the island of birds. It takes 45 minutes to reach the island from Mumbai. You can catch the gorgeous sunset over the lake and also visit the Bhandardhara Dam. Upon reaching the island, everybody starts putting up their tents. Dinner is prepared by the bonfire followed by some games and finally the tradition of camping- recounting horror tales. The following morning people wake up in the morning to catch a glimpse of the sunrise and have breakfast followed by a short photo session before finally heading back. Most importantly, the journey is quite affordable.
• Kandivali Mahavir Nagar: Located in a busy stretch in the northern fringes of Mumbai, one can wonder what it offers as an offbeat party destination. Well, here’s the answer. There’s a truck called Tasty Trails which is the latest food truck in the city. There are varieties of pasta like macaroni with cheese, fusili mama rosa, etc. but its main attraction is the new dish – pasta in a waffle cone. It is eaten just like cone icecream. This is quite popular and the cone suits the cheesy sauce. Although the usual timing is the busy peak hours, on New Year’s day it stays open right through the day serving breakfast, lunch as well as dinner
• Star Gazing: Many people love to explore the sky. And the prerequisite is to be in a pollution-free place. Lonavala offers just that. Many Mumbai-based travel groups provide readymade Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes that are good for sky-watchers. Upon arrival at the site, you can have tea and head off to the campsite by a little trekking start exploring the universe. The view of Saturn, Jupiter or any brightest star in the Orion Constellation will leave you spellbound on the last day of the year. People across all age groups can come and explore the horizon on New Year’s Day as well
• Theme park hotel party: Novotel Imagica Khopoli located beside Adlabs Imagica, a theme park welcomes all with warm hugs and cold drinks. People come here to enjoy by participating in different events like storytelling, swimming, painting, etc. There are four restaurants, the most prominent one being The Nitro Bar named after the most thrilling ride Nitro inside the park. It serves the best culinary treats. Although there’s a gym inside, people prefer outdoors on New Year’s Eve in the pool from where one can view the Sahyadri range
• Board Games: For those who don’t prefer partying, playing board games is a great option in Mumbai. And on New Year’s Day or Eve, take your gang to any of the streetside board game parties or at different cafes and start playing Pictionary, Sequence or Name Place Animal Thing. In Mumbai, there are over 150 board games and a large number of gamers. So, just sit down, ready some snacks and start playing

Among other places to beat the traditional party colours and go a little offbeat, you can explore river-rafting in Kolad, forts in Jawhar or enjoy the splendid beauty of nature in Igatpuri. Although these places are located some kilometres away from Mumbai, one may reach them by going on a long drive.