We spoke to three seasoned travellers about their favourite New Year's Eve parties. Although time is running out, there is still time for you to create something different this year. It needn't cost a lot - with a little imagination you can transform an everyday occasion into something you will remember throughout the year.

London-based Sheilagh Roberts said it had become a tradition for her and husband to take turns in organising their New Year's Eve celebrations. "We are serious about having a good start to the year. It's a very important celebration and we will do anything that takes our fancy." Her favourite was one arranged by her husband in Hong Kong. "We had been very busy over Christmas, visiting our children and relatives in New Zealand. I was not surprised when he arranged our stopover in Hong Kong."

The couple checked into the Inter-Continental Hotel and he told her to be ready for cocktails at six. After drinks, they were driven off in the hotel limousine. She thought they were heading for the couple's favourite restaurant in the city, The Verandah on Repulse Bay. However, they ended up boarding a traditional Chinese junk for a night out in Hong Kong harbour. "My husband had hired the whole boat for us. He brought along a hamper from the hotel, filled with superb wines and a selection of tasty treats - breads, cheeses, salmon, lobster and caviar.

"It was the most magical evening. We dined on the upper deck of the junk at a table for two. With only the sounds of the city and the harbour and no one to disturb us, we cruised in and out of little coves and finally moored in the centre of the harbour for the midnight firework display. It was a simple evening in the most exotic setting. It must have cost a fortune, but I will never forget it as long as I live."

David Ellis from Seattle said his favourite New Year's Eve was celebrated in Edinburgh when he and his girlfriend were travelling through Europe. "We were in Paris when a friend invited us to meet up with him in Scotland. We did - and had the wildest three days of our lives."

He said the atmosphere in the city was amazing. "People from all over the world come to Edinburgh just for this party and the Scots sure know how to have a good time! We must have visited at least 100 bars when we were there. I remember that it was freezing, so we just kept moving from one place to another. In the middle of the city, they have this incredible funfair with amazing rides. Try going on a ferris wheel after half a bottle of whisky!"

David said it was not only the atmosphere of the event that made it special, it was the hospitality of the Scottish people. "On New Year's Day, a Scotsman we met in a bar invited us to his home for lunch. He was only a young guy, but his home was like a castle. Staff served us this amazing three-course meal at a long dining table. It was like stepping back in time. After dinner, he gave us each a bottle of whisky and a tartan scarf to take home. We couldn't believe how nice the people were."

Australian Lyle Clements said his favourite New Year's Eve party was probably the one he had least looked forward to. He said his family of five siblings seldom managed to get together, as they were scattered around the globe. “One or two of us will always be at home for Christmas, but never all together.” Finally, the family arrived at the family home near Adelaide. With a week together and crammed into a nearby guesthouse, he knew that family tensions were inevitable.

However, on December 30, his father had stunned them by announcing that he would be taking his five children – along with wives and husbands - to Sydney for a New Year's party the next day. The grandchildren would be staying at home, being cared for by family friends.

The group flew to Sydney and checked into the Four Seasons Hotel. “My mom and dad had arranged everything perfectly,” said Lyle. He said the evening's banquet went like a dream. “The 12 of us had a great time. Without the kids around, we were really able to enjoy each other's company.” Later, they viewed the midnight fireworks display from their parent's suite, which had a magnificent view of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.

Lyle said the five-star party had costs his parents a great deal of money, but the evening had been something that could not be measured financially. “Renewing our family bonds and seeing my parents so content made it a night I will always remember.” This year's festivities are less than a month away, so make sure you have something planned that will make the arrival of 2006 special. Have a Happy New Year!