Kochi is all set to party this weekend. It’s New Year’s Eve and there is so much to look forward to. Celebrating music with good food and friends would be something which we all want. Kochivibe has been in the search for the best places to celebrate New Year’s and our readers have been giving us overwhelming responses. So here are a list of more hotels and restaurants hosting the best New Year party!

If you want to pep up your New Years Eve the 5 star way, then Taj Malabar at Willington Island is the place to be. Their celebrations will be happening at the Taj Malabar lawn, and they have organized some great entertainment to make your evening awesome. There will be a gala dinner to top it all with International cuisine. DJ Harsha from Bangalore will spin good music. There will be a live performance by the band ‘Highway Heys’. A lucky draw will also be conducted and winners can take home exciting prizes. You will need to pay 7500 (inclusive tax) per person. The celebrations start at 8.00 p.m and will go on till midnight.

Taj Residency near Marine Drive offers you much more. They have parties happening at The Bubble cafe and Waterfront as well. The party at Bubble Cafe will offer you unlimited imported beverage topped with a buffet dinner (multi-cuisine). The International band ‘Adharva’ will be playing. You can also check out performances of Belly dancers. The prize is 10,999 (inc.tax) for a couple. The party at Waterfront will have performance of DJ Arin from Bangalore. There will also be a belly dance and cinematic dance. The price is 8999 (inc. Tax) for a couple.

Kochi’s latest hotspot the ‘Holiday Inn’ is not hosting any major New Year parties this year. But you can always drop in there for a dinner with family. They will also entertain you with a live band performance. This comes at a price of 1111 rupees (inc. Tax) per person.

Harbour View hotel at Atlantis is hosting a party at their club ‘Glow’. DJ Shamnas will be playing some good music along with a lady DJ all the way from Bollywood. Single ladies will have to pay 1500 rupees. Stags will have to pay 2500 rupees, and couple entry will be charged 4000 rupees. There will be a gala dinner and complimentary drinks too.

Hotel Highway Garden is also coming up with some great treats. Their New Year party ‘Calista’ will offer you some great entertainment. You will be given a welcome drink Vodka. International DJ Simon, all the way from Germany will be playing that evening. There will also be a dance party! Price- 3500 rupees (for a couple).

Yacht Club has always been the most sought after party spots in Kochi. This year too they have DJ playing along with other entertainments. DJ Ram along with DJ Ketan will perform at Yacht Club. Member will be charged, single entry- 1350 rupees and couple entry- 2000 rupees!

There is more coming up Kochi! Keep checking Kochivibe!

The biggest and the most glamorous fashion event of year 2011 lingers the queen of Arabian Sea with a whooping number of 24 super models from all over India.  With catwalks, the after hour socializing extravaganza illuminates the Cochin fashion industry once again at Vivanta ,Taj Malabar on June 18th tailored by Fashion Technology students of Nirmala College of
IT, Chalakkudy and choreographed by Sameer Khan.

Judges
Hari Anand (Internationally acclaimed fashion designer) and Anson Antony (Ace Fashion Photographer)

Models – Pooja Bhamra (Miss queen of India), Shubha Puthala (Miss South India 2010) , Dr. Rajiv Pillai ( Super model ), Jowita Estebero ( Miss South India 2008) , Neha Ramesh (Miss Bangalore 2009) and the list goes on….

This is the first of its kind to be organized in Kerala and Signature 11 is a day of fashion events for everyone to enjoy, showcasing a mix of contemporary and trendy urban style designs with some of the leading super models like Dr. Rajiv Pillai,Pooja Bhamara, Shubha Puthala to ignite the show. The new port of pleasure at Vivanta by Taj Malabar , The Willington Island’s vaulted scenes and the airy atmosphere imbued by strength, power and femininity of the super models walking the ramp will be a show with an almost country
quality and undoubtedly the best that Kerala would ever witness.
The 2011 edition of the best fashion event promising to leave a mark in fashion history of Cochin will be an enthralling experience.

Kochi, being the commercial capital of Kerala needs to have some finer 5 star hotels for the flood of businessmen and entrepreneurs that visits Kochi every day. We do have the luxury hotels like Taj, Casino, Dream, and Le Meridian. But with the fast pace in which our city grows, we merit more. Kochi is being presented with international brands like The Holiday Inn, and The Park Hotels very soon. What more can we ask for? The Holiday Inn in Kochi! Holiday Inn is famous for being one of those budget hotels which is affordable for the middle- class. It also provides a 5 star stay to its customers. That is more than exciting. The best part is you can witness these hotels coming up in our Bypass road, and they are being built in a rapid pace. K Kumar, a resident of Kochi plans to start a business soon. “I’am happy that I’ll have good hotels to house my clients. Also, being a Kochiite all my life, I’am glad to see my city grow at such a fast pace.” Kochi is geared up for more progress. This is just a beginning. All excited to see Kochi in the next 2 years, aren’t you?

Walking to my bus stop in the morning is an experience in all that is quintessentially Kochi. I hug the side of the (pavement-less) road and rather large loose stones skitter away under my feet. Since this is the monsoon season, heavy-duty road resurfacing is underway. Essentially, it happens the same way every year. Slap-shod temporary fixes make the road briefly bearable, before it breaks down again into the network of ruts and holes big (enough to be caves) we are used to. Luckily for me, it didn’t rain last night. So the road isn’t actually a lake.
Since it’s still pretty early in the morning, there’s not much traffic on the road except for the occasional line bus, whooshing past uncomfortably close to me in a chaos of clattering and belches of smoke. They rule the roads, and no one else dares challenge their supremacy, lest they be squashed to pulp under merciless wheels.
I turn left at the junction, and am greeted by the sight of a traditional chaaya kada, an old man with a newspaper under his arm and his mundu tied up around his waist, waiting for his hot steaming, frothy tea. The man’s an expert: he juggles two grimy glasses in an elaborate dance as the liquid rushes madly from one glass to another, its gleeful flow seemingly reveling in the joy of the morning.
The city’s barely awake yet, although there are a few enthusiastic young cricket players on the ground, shouting at each other to catch ‘it’, as the birds sing merrily in the trees overhead. Later on, they’ll probably head for school or work, but right now they’re simply lost in the joy of the game.
I carefully skirt a (pretty large!) mound of rubbish that seems to have built up for no other reason than there was no dustbin there. Maybe more people would heed the request on the ‘Use me’ if there actually were more ‘Use me’s around!
I finally reach the bus-stop, and slip a coin to the homeless man who habitually waits there in the morning, and who’s become something more than an acquaintance. He helpfully tells me when I’ve missed the bus, for one, and that’s what friends do! On the opposite site of the road, the elegant marble façade of an exclusive jewelry store is somewhat marred by an old lady in tattered clothes. She, too, is begging.
And really, there’s no better way to explain the paradoxical heart of Kochi, of rich and poor, of driving rain one minute and stifling damp heat the next, of dinner at the Taj or chaat on the street, of the rare Mercedes nosing through the throng of Marutis.
This is my city, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Another year is coming to an end. We all bid adieu to 2009 and beckon in 2010, the beginning to a new decade. We have a lot to look forward to in the next year, most importantly for me is the FIFA World Cup in South Africa ( pardon my try at humor, but I am serious in a sense ). But we all have something or another waiting for us in 2010, it is tradition that we say goodbye to this year in a manner befitting it. New Year to most people is synonymous with parties(wild ones), crowds, huge gatherings of people and so on. Each culture has its own way of celebrating it. Kochi is soon picking up the pace on being social and trend-savvy to celebrate New year in all manner possible. So to those still planning on what to do for the New Year’s Eve, here are some suggestions that I can merely provide.

Parties
As always a lot of people look forward to the end of the year to let loose. Parties are on of the foremost places where you can do that, well in a sane manner at the least.
Here are some parties to soothe your thirst, that is happening in Kochi on New Year’s Eve.

The Gateway hotel
One of the places where New Year parties have been happening over the past few years. Click for more info.

Casino hotel
The Casino Hotel has a retro theme to their New Year bash, if you in a retro mood check out the Casino in Wellington Island. Couple’s and Stag Entry’s cost Rs 5000/- , while kids get in cheaper.
Magic shows,DJ nights and food is what’s in store for you.

Renaissance
Rejoice is their New Year program, which they have had since 2005 where they celebrate the New Year. Its accompanied by DJ’s, Live band’s, Professional Dancer’s, a huge Gala Buffet with more than 100 dishes to try out!
This is another good place for families to try out.

Taj Malabar
One of the swankiest places in town. For fine dining check out their dinner and of course their water front lwans will be set afire by the festivities with a DJ and all the works!

Dream Hotel
Always a hot place in town for parties. Click for more info.

Glow Disco Bar
One of the clubs that offers regular parties. Bound to be a fun night over there. Click for more info.

Gokulam Park
Free Formation has a party setup for you over there.Click for more info.

Le Meridien
Celebrate the New Year with The Blue Torrent at Le Meridien. Music extravaganza by bollywood fame Shrradha Pandit, DJ’s,mega buffer dinner all await you for the New Year Celebration.

Avenue Regent
Have a succulent dinner at the Springs restaurant for the New Year or head to Loungevity, which has one of Kochi’s hottest dance floors and party your socks off late into the night.

Ramada Resort
Check out another hot party spot at the Ramada Resort, they are hosting the Song of the Seas New Year party with Kingfisher. Exotic dancers, three DJ’s, unlimited beverages,of course the food and more.

Micheals Land Resort
Another place that could be a good place to spend your New Year’s eve. Click for more info.

DD Retreat
Try out DD Retreat for fun with the family. Click for more info.

Mermaid Hotel
The Mermaid will host a Mermaid night to celebrate the New Year, with the familiar Filipino female band lending their music. Fireworks, cinematic & folk dance, karaoke and more are what they have in stock for you.

Dinner parties
If you aren’t exactly the socialite and prefer quiet dinners with your close friends to parties, a dinner at home is your best option. Whip up some of your best dishes, get your friends to pitch in with some of theirs too and welcome the New Year over some good food and Wine if you are in the mood for it. Go for whatever that fits your mood but remember the hangover that comes with it. So unless you have work to get to in the morning, have fun! Better stock up on drinks and groceries as soon as possible if you doing the hard way or have it done fast food style and order take-out.

Experience the Surreal
These are prone to had a risk tag to it as is done in the late hours, don’t worry its nothing illegal either. You can roam around the corners of Kochi where you wouldn’t be able to otherwise in peace during the day, watch the flights takeoff from the airport, the calm waves of the sea from the beaches, the alluring lights of the city from a high rise, its all up to your imagination. Park yourself at a strategic location and watch the Sunrise on the first day of the New Year with your close buds. But stay clear from any funny stuff and dangerous spots where criminals can catch you in a tight spot. Also don’t give the Police a reason to haul you in. Keep it neat and clean and you can experience something great, simple as it may seem.

Cochin Carnivale
Its harder to get to this event at Fort Kochi than any event in Kochi. The Thomppumpady bridge is jam-packed usually due to the majorly high influx of traffic into the Fort Kochi side and it is hard to get there with the police restricting vehicle movement. If you get there early enough or have two-wheelers as your mode of transportation, you really should try to get in the sight of the ‘Burning of the Santa’ on the beach side. Locals and foreigners alike throng to catch a sight of this spectacle.

Note:The New Year is always the time to be merry, alcohol do form a major factor but do refrain from drunken driving, hire a driver or decide the designated driver between your chums, don’t cause misery to your family and to others.

So on this note I wish you all A Happy New Year Kochi! See you in 2010!