Time for Tuesday’s Travel Tips and Tricks!

Happy Tuesday! Today I’d love to share with you some tips and tricks if you are interested in going to a FULL MOON PARTY!

What is a Full Moon Party? It is a magical night of dancing, drinking and tons of fun on a beautiful beach in Thailand! It a tradition that occurs at every full moon on the island of Koh Phangan where thousands of people from all over the world come together to celebrate and dance on the beach underneath the full moon until the sun rises the next day.  I’m not much of a party animal, but I had a joyful time and highly recommend doing this once in your life. Why? Because it is crazy and exciting and an incredibly unique experience! The music, the energy, the vibe, the stories… it’s almost impossible to describe. You have to go and experience it for yourself! Definitely worth the trip! More information can be found here: http://fullmoonparty-thailand.com/index.html

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If you are dying to go, here are some tips and tricks to have the best experience possible:

  • DO book your hostel in advance! More than 10,000 people flock to the small island just for the Full Moon Party, so make sure to find your living arrangements early. I booked my hostel 6 weeks in advance and half the places were already full! Trust me: You will be thankful for your bed instead of having to sleep on the beach!

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  • DO try and book a hostel by the beach. Here’s why: if you already have your lodging in within the stretch of beach where the Full Moon Party occurs, you don’t have to pay the entrance fee! BONUS: since your hostel is on the beach, you can easily access a clean bathroom and even return back to your bed for a quick nap if you get tired! You can book your hostel on the other side of the island or even book a hotel on Koh Samui (the neighboring island) and take a ferry to Koh Phangan. However, you will be stuck at the party all night long and the taxis will be a bit difficult to come by at the wee hours of the morning should you want to go home early. YES TO THE YING TIP: try booking a bunk at At Phangan Hostel. This is where I stayed. The owner Sophita is SUPER nice and accomodating and is ready to help you make the most out of your Full Moon experience! The hostel is clean and right in the midst of the party, while being in the heart of the town where there is much food and shopping as well.

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  • DO eat something before you head out. Buckets of liquor will be served all night long, and you will want to prepare your stomach for the debauchery of the night ahead! Yes, there are actual plastic buckets you can purchase filled with 3 tea cups of hard liquor and a chaser of your choice. They will f*** you up, so be forewarned! Crazy things happen when people drink a ton of buckets!

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  • DO keep your camera/smartphone on a wrist or neck lanyard. THINGS DO GET STOLEN! If your hands are flying through the air as you are dancing the night away, your camera might go flying away too. I kept mine on a wrist lanyard, so I knew where it was the entire night and still was able to have fun and take amazing photos!
  • DO get painted up! Around 7pm, stands will be posted up where you can get completely adorned in beautiful glow-in-the-dark paint. Here’s why you should do it: a) there are black lights shining all over the beach, so you will be able to shine in the darkness under the moon light. b) It will make for really fun pictures and you will be able to keep track of where your friends are in the crowd!

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  • DO walk up and down the entire length of the beach. Not only are there bars blasting out different kinds of music, but there are also fire dancers, fire jump rope, and other exciting things to see and experience! Find the bar that’s playing your type of music and dance the night away!

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  • DO stay up and watch the sunrise. It is a stunning sight to see. Even if you have to take a nap in the middle of the night, set your alarm and watch the sun come up on the beach. You won’t regret it!

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  • DO NOT wear flip flops. They WILL go missing! You will be drinking and dancing all night long, and your flips are going to fly off your feet at one point or another. Granted, you most certainly can buy a new pair for cheap the next day, but why bother wearing them if you are going to lose them anyway? I suggest wearing sandals with a strap around the heel. Or if you want to fuck it, buy a cheap pair for 100 baht (about US $3) and wear those out. You will want something to protect your feet as bottles and beer cans will be strewn across the beach as the night progresses.
  • DO NOT drink anything that you didn’t purchase or a drink that has left your hand. Especially if you are a female. Unfortunately, there are still skeeze-balls out there who do spike drinks and attempt to take advantage of girls, so just be aware.
  • DO NOT bring anything of value with you. All you need is maybe 500 baht (about US $15) for drinks and food to keep you going through the night. That’s it. Enjoy yourself!

DO HAVE FUN! Meet people. Get to know the other people in your hostel or hotel. Going out in groups to this is the best. I ended up meeting a whole group of Canadian girls who were so sweet and kind. We ended up looking after each other and dancing until the sun came up. We even met these incredibly nice guys we ended up traveling to Koh Tao with, but that’s a whole other adventure for another post 🙂

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What’s your favorite party you’ve been to in your travels? Comment below. I’d love to hear about it!

Much Love,

Alicia