Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
December high 28C After celebrating New Year in Rio de Janeiro, you'll never be able to face your local pub lock-in again. Over a million people gather on Copacabana beach to party every year, and every one dresses in white. It's the second-largest celebration after the carnival. It's hard to get accommodation, but i-escape has availability at Hotel Portinari, ideally placed between Copacabana and Ipanema beaches.
• Seven nights from 29 December in a deluxe double cost from £649pp based on two sharing, including breakfast (i-escape.com/hotelportinari.php). Flights from London currently cost from £937pp with kayak.co.uk
Goa, India
December high 31C
December and January is party time in Goa, New Year's Eve or not. Base yourself in central Calangute to take advantage of a cheap deal and then by day escape the busy town for some quieter beaches, before seeking out a mellow beach-party vibe at hippyish Arambol and Panjim, or hitting the raucous club scene of Baga, Anjuna and Vagator.
• Olympic Holidays (0844 576 2386, olympicholidays.com) has 14 nights in Calangute's Palmarinha Resort, with two pools and a gym for £615pp, departing 30 December from Gatwick
Red Sea, Egypt
December high 23C
If you'd rather spend New Year's Day with your head underwater than down the bowl of the toilet, this diving trip to El Gouna, up the coast from Hurghada on the Red Sea could be for you. And rest assured: El Gouna wasn't affected by the recent shark attacks off the Sinai coast.
• Specialist operator Regaldive (01353 659 999, regaldive.co.uk) has seven nights at the three-star Arena Inn in El Gouna for £636pp including breakfast, flights, transfers and a New Year gala dinner, based on two sharing, departing on 31 December. A five-day learn to dive course costs from £193pp. For experienced divers, six-day diving packages cost from £172pp
Koh Samui, Thailand
December high 31C
Make Christmas and New Year a real adventure this year with a 14-day tour of Thailand's jungles and islands, including beach time on Koh Samui, jungle trekking in Khao Sok national park with Thailand Uncovered (0845 130 48 49, thailand-uncovered.com).
• A two-week trip with guide, some meals and all accommodation, but not flights, costs from £1050pp. Return flights to Bangkok for those dates cost about £811pp with Etihad through kayak.co.uk
Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
December high 24C
Spend two weeks picnicking in the sand dunes and walking in the rugged central highlands of Gran Canaria, on a last-minute New Year break at Hotel Maspalomas Princess with Thomson.
• 14 nights half-board, flying from Bournemouth on 27 December (0871 231 5595, thomson.co.uk) costs from £980pp
