In the mid-1980s, a group of tourists found that the best place to enjoy the full moon was a crescent-shaped beach on a small island off the coast of Thailand - Haad Rin Beach on Koh Phangan.
They held the first all-night party to appreciate the full moon. Since then the island has become one of South East Asia's biggest party spots. The fun begins as the moon makes its first appearance over the sea.
Small tables are lined up in front of the bars on the beach, lit by
lamps and burning torches. Many of the sound systems that have been
setting up in the preceding days turn on their power and before long
the beach has exploded into a dancing frenzy, with visiting
international DJs taking their turn on the decks.
The music is mostly trance and techno but you can also hear drum & bass and house and there is always plenty of chilling out to be done. Jugglers spin fire in time to the music and fireworks and bangers explode into the darkness, leaving trails of red smoke. In the morning some make their way up the hill to a club overlooking the sea called The Backyard. The dance floor here is a wooden platform suspended in the trees where travellers dance under the stars or just sit and watch the moon make its journey across the sky. Others wade out into the surf to cool down.
The parties happen a day before or after the full moon itself, so get there early and be part of the build-up. It's also worth noting that Haad Rin gets packed in the run-up to the full moon, so unless you're planning to stay up all night you might need to look for somewhere to stay elsewhere on the island. There are plenty of choices.
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