Air Partner Magazine A/W 25 US - Flipbook - Page 68
NEW YEAR
NEW LATITUDE
N E W Y E A R , N E W L AT I T U D E
New Year 昀椀reworks over
Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Kyoto.
Immersive destinations
for a meaningful
New Year celebration.
EXC LU S IV E D E ST I NAT I O N S
TO R IN G I N 2 0 2 6
As the calendar edges ever closer to December
31st, discerning travelers are turning their attention
to where, and how, they will welcome in the new
year. And, while the likes of New York, Hong Kong,
and Dubai never fail to dazzle, there is a rising
desire for more meaningful and immersive New
Year’s Eve experiences. From starlit deserts and
majestic mountains to sacred valleys and untamed
wildernesses, here we’ll showcase six extraordinary
locales that o昀昀er experiences as rare and remarkable
as the destinations themselves.
KYOTO, JAPAN
Kyoto, the former imperial capital, is the cultural heartbeat
of Japan. Steeped in history, it is home to tranquil temples,
traditional tea houses, a famed geisha district, and over 17
UNESCO World Heritage Sites. With its timeless elegance, Kyoto
captures the spirit of the Japanese New Year like nowhere else.
Festivities begin with a dinner of toshikoshi soba – a symbolic
dish eaten to bring luck and longevity. Locals and visitors alike
then make their way to lantern-lit temples for Joya-no-Kane, a
sacred bell-ringing ceremony where the temple bell is rung 108
times to invite good fortune and mark the passage into the new
year. On January 1st, it’s customary to visit one of the city’s
grand shrines to perform hatsumōde, the 昀椀rst prayer of the year,
a ritual that visitors are warmly welcomed to participate in. As
for accommodation, Kyoto o昀昀ers a wealth of high-end options,
including The Mitsui, Four Seasons, and Six Senses.
