Attending Music Festivals with a Baby? We Did and So Can You! Here’s How

by Drifter Planet | Sep 12, 2019 | Festivals and Parties, Personal Stories

My love story with San started in a music festival. Since then, we have attended many festivals together. There was even a year when we did 9 music festivals – all in different countries. We did Boom festival in Portugal, SUN Festival in Hungary, Modem festival in Croatia, Lost Theory in Spain, Hilltop in Goa, Dance of Shiva in Manali – just to name a few. (Here’s what happened when we did back to back music festivals)

Disclaimer: Just because we attend music festivals, doesn’t mean that we participate in intoxicants. We do it for our love of music and nothing else. Yes, we perhaps the most sober people in a festival with just a beer or two in their system.

Fast forward a few years, we’re new parents! During my pregnancy, we decided not to stop what we loved doing together. It includes attending music festivals. Of course, it would only work when we take our little one to music festivals with us. It was going to happen sooner or later, so we decided to start early. Well, why not?

Our little girl is just 9 months old and she has already visited two music festivals with us. Her first festival was Modem festival in Croatia and the second one was Wonderland Festival in Germany. Our festival experience has now completely changed, but not for worse. It is definitely a lot of fun to attend a festival with a baby.

By the way, if you’re a new parent, then be sure to read our 35+ tips for traveling with a baby. It is a detailed post where I mention tips for flying with your baby, camping, managing food and sleep and so much more.

So you want to take your baby to a music festival too? Here are some of our top tips which will help you:

Pick the RIGHT Music Festival

Attending a music festival with baby

Don’t just go to any music festival with your baby, especially if it is the first time. Make an effort to pick the RIGHT one. Every music festival attracts a different kind of crowd, which depends a lot on the genre and location. Read this post to know what kind of music festivals we like.

A good music festival experience for you and your baby will be picking a festival that has much more than just the dancefloor. Many festivals feature a special area for children, a Yoga zone and an art corner.

Pick a genre that you enjoy and one that attracts people that are a little more relaxed. A heavy metal festival would be a bad idea but an indie rock festival would make a lot of sense with a baby. Similarly, jazz or reggae festivals will also work well if you’re taking your baby.

We always pick psychedelic music festivals which normally have a chill stage with soft music and another stage with dark PsyTrance. We’d never pick a festival like Tomorrowland, or Coachella – that’s not at all our scene.

Pick a festival that you have already been to and you’re confident about managing your baby at that particular location. In case you haven’t been there personally, try to find others who have taken their baby to that particular festival. Ask them for their location-specific tips.

Going with a Partner is Easier than Going Alone

A beautiful family that we met in a music festival with baby

I’m sorry to mention this to the single parents who are planning on going to the music festival without the baby’s other parent – it isn’t going to be so easy.

Get a friend (or your girl gang) to accompany you if you’re single. It takes a village to raise a baby, and you will surely need help when you take your baby to a music festival.

Baby Sleeping Arrangements in the Festival

The best part about music festivals is camping there for a few nights – which can also be the worst part for your baby if you don’t do it right. Sleeping (along with feeding) is something that you need to mindfully take care of so that your baby remains in a good mood and doesn’t make your life hell.

Based on the location and the weather forecast, think and plan your sleeping arrangements from before. Here are a few options:

Consider Renting a Van

Us three with van and our camping spot – traveling with a baby

San and I have our own camper van. We have traveled a lot on our van with our little one and she’s now comfortable sleeping in it.

I highly recommend you rent a van to make the festival experience more comfortable for yourself and your little one. (you can rent one for cheap). I saw a lot of people with rented vans at the music festivals that we went to. It is not expensive to rent vans and will be cheaper than buying all the extra camping gear for your baby.

Consider Getting a Camping Bed

Did you know you can get a Foldable camping bed for your baby? It folds up pretty small but opens up to a big and comfortable crib. It makes an amazing bed for your little one on the go! This bed is an excellent option for those who are thinking of sleeping in a tent with their baby. Just make sure your tent is large and high enough for this.

Karma also has a bed like this in her grandparents’ house in Frankfurt and she is very comfortable sleeping on it when we’re there. A few months back, we thought of borrowing it for the festival but did not end up because Karma is now very comfortable on the van.

Along with the camping bed, you will also need to get a mattress for it. If the festival location is cold, then you will surely need a thick and effective sleeping bag. No, blankets don’t work so well because babies kick them off.

Consider Getting A Room

“No way, I’m not renting a room in a festival and missing out on all the fun,” says my husband.

Do you think like that too? You have no choice but to change your mind if the weather isn’t suitable for camping with a small baby and you’re going there without a van. Get a room that’s very close to the festival location.

Of course, this is only recommended if it makes sense to rent a room considering the ease of getting to the festival from your room. If it involves too many changes – like walking, then a bus and then a shuttle – then it isn’t worth the hassle.

Arrive Early

While writing this article, I asked my husband for his #1 tip for attending a music festival with a baby and he said to arrive early. Why? Well, it is a good idea to get your baby comfortable and used to the new festival environment before things start going crazy.

Moreover, arriving early will help you find a good camping spot that’s close to everything but far away from music. It will also help you figure your way around before the area gets crowded with many people.

Make Sure You Carry Headphones

Babies have sensitive ears and they should wear noise-canceling headphones in the music festival, especially if they’re close to the dancefloor.

It isn’t easy making your baby wear headphones if they have decided to hate them. It happened with Karma and she wore the headphones only in two instances after a lot of drama. Every baby is different, so don’t give up. Let your child play with the headphones before you put them on.

Prepare to Take Turns to Hit the Dance Floor

Yes, I get it – it is more fun to hit the dancefloor with your partner or better half. However, things change a little bit when there’s a baby in the picture. Someone has to be around the baby, even when he or she is sleeping. In this case, your choice would be to not go to the dancefloor after the baby sleeps, or take turns and enjoy the party. We did the latter.

We did take Karma to the dancefloor but only for a short time. For serious partying, San and I took turns to hit the dancefloor one by one. What worked really well with us was an arrangement where one night he would stay at the camping area with the baby and I’d go out to party, but on the next night, it was his turn. Even though Karma slept by 7 – 8 pm every night, at least one parent was always next to her inside or outside the van.

Sleep Schedule – to Follow or Not?

Rocking my baby to sleep in a music festival in Croatia

Most babies have a fixed sleep schedule. Should you follow that schedule when you head for a music festival? I will share my experience and will let you decide.

Karma has a fixed sleep schedule and she usually sticks to it even when we travel. It is just the first day of travel that gets messed up, but on the second day, she returns to her normal schedule on her own.

Before her first festival, I asked a few parents and one said I should just forget the schedule when I’m at a music festival with her and go with the flow. Yes, I did try that but it did not work for us.

Karma always takes two naps a day but she did not on the first day of the festival, which caused her to be irritable. On the second day, I made sure she was comfortable (in her pram or on the mat) and in a silent spot during her nap time. I rocked her a little and she slept very easily. Because of this, my next few days were super easy.

So yes, we did follow her sleep schedule at the festival. We did not follow it minute to minute but loosely. In all honesty, it was HER who followed her sleep schedule, not us.

Get Ready to Wake Up Early

Never have I ever woken up religiously at 7 am in any music festival as I did with I went with my baby. Our little one woke us up in both in Modem Festival and Wonderland Festival.

Babies normally wake up early, especially if they are in new surroundings with different morning sounds. Accept it with a smile and prepare yourself mentally to begin early.

Sleep Early or Don’t Get to Sleep at all

Our little baby in a music festival with us

This is more like an extension of the previous point. Well, as I mentioned before – your baby will most likely wake you up early every morning. If you’re like me and you love to sleep, then you will have to sacrifice the party night on some nights and sleep early so that you don’t hate your life when you’re woken up at 7 am.

Pick your party night and sleep early on other nights. You need to rest too! After all, it is a vacation for you too.

Managing Food and Breastfeeding in a music festival

If your baby is younger than 6 months, hasn’t started solids and is only on breastmilk, then managing food is going to be super easy. This is one of the cases where taking a 3-month-old baby to music festival may end up being easier than taking a 7-month-old. Direct breastfeeding is the easiest form of feeding to manage when traveling. You don’t need to carry a bottle or worry about cleaning it!

Managing food when your baby is on formula, drinking milk from bottle or solids is a little more work. You will need to carry the food, bowls, spoons, bottles, sippies and what not. You will also have to ensure everything is always clean and sterilized.

Most of the festivals have a place where you can buy fresh fruit, bread, milk, and cheese. Usually, 6+-month-old babies love bananas and 7+ months onward they love bread too. Even if your baby has just 1 or 2 teeth, they can eat and enjoy soft bread. Carry ready to eat or easy to make cereals that are specifically for babies. Buy the ones that you can just mix with hot water. TIP: Carry something that you know your baby loves to eat.

In our case, Karma was 8 months old and we carried her favorite ready-to-eat porridge for dinner from Germany, which we kept in the refrigerator in our van. The brand is Hipp, which is easily available in most European supermarkets and DM.

She drinks breast milk so I did not have to worry about the formula. Also, I bought bananas, fresh bread, and cheese for her almost every day at the festival.

Sling / Carrier / Pram

Baby sleeping in her pram in Slovenia

Should you carry a sling or a carrier or a pram? Many people swear by slings but a pram works wonders for us. It all depends on what your baby is most comfortable in, and is used to.

I have met many parents who love carrying their babies in slings or backpacks or carriers because it keeps them close to the chest but my little one doesn’t like them. She doesn’t like staying in a carrier or sling for more than 30 minutes on a good day. On the other hand, she loves her pram and can also sleep in it.

Personally, I prefer the pram because it is so much easier to manage than a sling. Pushing is definitely easier than carrying. I can take my little one around in her pram as well as carry her stuff under the it so I have my hands free. The one I have has enough space for her stuff as well as MY stuff. Moreover, it also acts as a high chair for eating and a makeshift bed on the go.

I have a compact folding one from Cybex, that I can open with just one foot while holding my little one in my arms. Pretty cool, huh?

Not just in festivals but I have taken this partuclar ones on many flights. Because of its small size, I never have to check it in along with my luggage but literally take it to the flight entry door.

Baby Festival Essentials

Me with the Baby in a Music Festival

In my post about tips for traveling with a baby, I mention you should travel light and not carry too many diapers. After all, you get them in every supermarket. But things are very different when you’re at a music festival with your baby.

Carry more than enough diapers because that’s something you will not get in a music festival (unless there’s a supermarket nearby). Not just diapers but bring enough diaper gear – like wipes, disposable changing mats, dry tissues, and diaper cream.

Don’t forget weather protection such as sun cream that’s specifically for babies, sun hat, waterproof gear, thick jacket, gloves, socks, etc.

We have a lot of other festival gear for our baby too – like an Inflatable Bathtub, travel potty, bath thermometer and cute costumes. You probably don’t need most of these things. Neither do we, but it was fun to buy them and waste money. Yep, that’s what we do with our firstborns, don’t we?

Festival Bag Checklist – Keep a Day Bag Ready with ALL THIS

My best tip for enjoying a festival with your baby is always being ready to be on the move. Set up your handbag before the festival and just refill the basics every day and you’re ready to move without a delay. In our case, it was a small rucksack.

Pack all this in your day bag – at least 5 Diapers, 1 disposable changing mat, 1 pack of wet baby wipes, soft burping towels, solid ear protecting headphones, a change of clothing for your baby in case of mess-ups, a picnic mat, 1-2 toys, a small blanket, 1-2 snacks, baby food, spoon, water sippy, sun hat and sunglasses. Karma did not ever wear her hat or sunglasses, so I also carried a little umbrella for her.

My bag also included my basics like a swimsuit, sarong, jacket for me and my essentials. I always carry my camera too because I wanted to capture special moments of my baby’s first music festival. I did not end up using my camera on most days but it was good to use it twice.

In short, you should have enough to change the diaper at any point, to make your baby get comfortable to sleep whenever he or she wants and to feed the baby anywhere. Also, the idea is to carry just ONE bag that includes yours and your baby’s stuff.

Sounds like a lot of stuff? Well, don’t forget you have a pram. Put all this in the lower part of your pram and keep your hands free. Be creative and hang a few things on the pram, like the toys and umbrella.

Make Your Baby Meet Other Babies

Excited Babies meeting each other in a music festival

Music Festival with babies - Go with your partner or your friend

Music Festival with babies – Go Make new friends

Festival babies should meet each other and be friends, no? Well, when you see another tiny human with parents, go ahead and say hello.

Make your baby meet as many babies as possible and watch the fun. It is adorable to see how babies react to each other and are so curious. You never know, some of your baby’s lifelong friendships may begin here.

Moreover, you will also make new friends with similar parents who enjoy the same kind of things as you do – like music festivals. Do you know how difficult it is to find like-minded people and make friends with them when you’re older?

Spend Time in the Children’s Area

Toddlers and babies playing together in the Children’s Area in a music festival

Most of the music festivals have a children’s area. Find one and try to spend time there. The Children’s Area in a festival is an amazing space for your baby to play, meet other babies and to get creative.

Back in 2016, I fell in love with the Children’s Area at Boom Festival (in Portugal). It is called Young Dragons and I saw children playing with bubbles, colors, and blocks. They all had their own workshops and cinema there!

I remember thinking at that point that I will surely bring my child to music festivals with me. Little did I know that I’d be taking my own baby to music festivals with me.

My little Karma had a lot of fun in Modem festival’s Children’s Area. She met many other babies and got noisy with them. She also had her first little fight with another baby (aww). Sadly Wonderland Festival in Germany did not have a Children’s Area but we spent most of our time in the Chai Shop which was next to the Chill Out Floor.

ALWAYS Keep an Eye

Keeping an Eye on the Baby in a music festival

This point is very obvious but I do feel it is my duty to mention it to all my blog readers. Being a parent, you must be habitual of keeping an eye on your baby by now. Festivals are no different.

One parent or a close friend that you can trust should be with the baby at all times. Keep an eye and make sure your baby is well-fed, hydrated, is wearing sun protection if needed and is not cold or not hot.

If you’re sitting on the grass, be mindful of where the baby is crawling and what he or she is putting in the mouth. People consume all sorts of drugs at festivals and you don’t want your baby to find a baggy with intoxicants and start eating it.

Stay Sober [at least one of you]

A music festival is a place where some people may want to get intoxicated, but YOU will have to do things differently. I personally attended many music festivals in my life and I was usually sober.

By now you must have mentally accepted the fact that your life is fucked and you can no longer do what you want. Haha, kidding. I mean, you now have the responsibly of your child’s safety, so come to terms with the fact that your music festival experience will be a little less drunk as compared to the others.

I suggest at least one parent or friend stays sober – whoever is watching the baby. Of course, a beer or two should be all right. As long as you’re in your senses and are confident of being able to watch your baby.

Take it Easy and Enjoy. It is EASIER Than You Think

Our baby enjoying a juggeling show in Wonderland Music Festival

Our baby enjoying a juggling show in Wonderland Music Festival

Yes, you’re at a music festival with your baby but you need to relax and have fun too. Taking care of your baby at a festival is easier than you think. There are plenty of distractions like interesting decoration, hula hoopers, jugglers and most commonly people dressed in interesting costumes that will keep your baby busy.

Get a picnic mat, lie down and let your baby crawl around. Keep an eye on your baby from distance and smile. Be happy, because you’re one of the very few parents who are showing the awesomeness of a music festival to their baby. Make the most of it.

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What Kind of Music Festivals Do We Like?

by Drifter Planet | Apr 7, 2017 | Festivals and Parties

I’m sure you know by now that San and I met each other at a music festival in Thailand and eventually got married. We often travel to new countries to attend different festivals. Yes, we love attending music festivals and write about them often.

Disclaimer: Just because we attend music festivals, doesn’t mean that we participate in intoxicants. We do it for our love of music and nothing else. Yes, we perhaps the most sober people in a festival with just a beer or two in their system.

Because of the size of our audience, we often get emails from different kind of festival organizers asking to promote their festivals and we say no to most of them.

Just because we love music festivals, doesn’t mean we like every kind. We’re very selective about which festival to attend and below are the things we consider when deciding to attend one:

Things we look for in a Music Festival

01| Environment friendly

Do you know how much environmental damage can be caused by one single festival if the organizers don’t take the appropriate steps? However, there are some festivals that take an initiative to reduce our carbon footprint. Some of them go an extra step by holding discussions and spreading awareness about environment preservation. At this day and age, most of the festivals now have compost toilets and recycling bins. Many festivals that have water bodies around hand out organic soaps that are chemical free. This is a very important factor for us before we buy our festival tickets.

02 | Genre is everything

We usually attend only psychedelic music festivals where the genre can be – PsyTrance, Psyambient, Hi-Tech, Forest PsyTrance, and even psychedelic rock. We have also attended and enjoyed reggae festivals. We have also enjoyed world music festivals because of a variety of music. We don’t attend EDM festivals (like Tomorrowland) and will never attend pop festivals (like Coachella). No offense to those who enjoy this genre, but we don’t and we can’t sit through music that we don’t like.

03 | Size DOES matter

We absolutely dislike massive festivals where there are more than 15000 attendees. Some of our favorite music festivals are SUN Festival (Hungary) or the Experience Festival (Thailand).. or even Earthquake Festival (Germany) because of a sweet “family” kind of a vibe. The only exception to this was Boom Festival in Portugal, which is a bi-annual event and I do suggest everyone to attend it at least once in his or her lifetime.

04 | Children friendly

Gone are the days when the festivals were only created for a specific age group. Nowadays many festival organizers are waking up to the fact that they need to ensure inclusion for literally all age groups. After all, why should families not join the fun? Many of our friends have children and we absolutely love spending time with them. We love festivals where there is a little playground for children and they create artwork.

05 | Location and campground

We prefer festivals that are organized far away from the madness of big cities and are at places where one can feel closer to nature. Moreover, festivals generally play loud music and we hate to be associated with events that causes noise pollution to the nearby villages and disturbs the locals. Also, being closer to nature is an important point for us because the duration of a typical festival is at least 4 days, which makes camping a very important aspect of the overall experience. Everyone likes to camp at a decent location, even we do. The best location that we have ever seen for a festival is Modem festival in Croatia.

06 | Vibes are contagious

How do we find the vibes before attending the festival? Believe it or not, the festival community is very small and the word DOES get around. Many people know who “digital nomads” are, but not everyone knows about “festival nomads”. San and I are also festival nomads but I’m a digital nomad too. We do get to know about festival vibes because there is always someone in the community that has attended a particular festival that we have not. We don’t like hectic vibes but we love happy and peaceful vibes. We don’t even mind negative vibes because we take our own vibe to the festival and try to transform everything into a positive experience. However, we’re referring to festivals that have a highly “commercial” vibe and where it is evident that the organizers are ONLY interested in cashing in instead of ensuring a good experience.

07 | Art, Yoga and Creativity

Festivals are not just about music and dance, but also about expanding the mind and encouraging creativity. Here’s the thing – not every festival has enough money to invest in artists and instructors, which is absolutely ok but it is good to see when they take initiatives. Even a simple thing like a hula-hoop workshop can make a positive impact. However, unlike other points, this point is definitely not a deal breaker. In fact, there were a few festivals where we created our own art/yoga zone.

Are you also a music festival junkie like us? Let us know about your favorite festivals in the comments.

Yes we travel around the world for music festivals but we are very selective. We will never attend the likes of Tomorrowland or Coachella, read this to know why.

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Tips for Celebrating Holi in India

Tips for celebrating Holi in India from an Indian

by Drifter Planet | Mar 3, 2017 | India, Festivals and Parties

So you want to celebrate Holi in India and want some basic information before you start? You’ve come to the right page!

Being an Indian, I have celebrated Holi all my life at many locations all over the country. As per me, it’s the most awesome festival in the world! Based on my experience, I want to share some tips with you so that you can enjoy my favorite festival as much as I usually do.

A little clarification – Holi is not a type of party, but it is a festival that’s celebrated in India and Nepal. No, it’s not a psychedelic music festival but a traditional Hindu festival, which is of course, can be psychedelic because it’s colorful. And yes, it is more colorful than you imagined it to be!

I felt a need to explain the basics because I did met a few people while traveling who mentioned they love “Holi parties”. I later found out that they thought that Holi is a kind of a trance party where colors are used while dancing because that’s how they celebrate it in Europe.

When is Holi celebrated?

There is no fixed date when Holi is celebrated (at least not as per the international calendar). It is celebrated at the arrival of spring, which is the full moon of the Falgun month as per the Hindu calendar, which can be in the month of February or March. To be exact, the actual day when people apply color on each other all over India is usually a morning after the full moon of Falgun.

Where in India should you travel for Holi?

San and I celebrating Holi in India

Well, don’t just change your itinerary based on Holi because it is celebrated pretty much all over India with slight variations. In some parts of UP state of India, Holi is celebrated for a longer duration. UP is also famous for Lath Maar Holi, which is mostly celebrated in Barsana town near Mathura where women playfully mock – beat men with sticks. The state of Uttrakhand celebrated Kumaon Holi, which is a musical celebration. In most of the Indian states, Holi is actually a two-day (or longer) celebration with Puja on the first day and color games on the second. If you want to know more about how it’s celebrated in each state, you can see this.

Anyway, I don’t want to confuse you, but I know you’re most likely interested in the second day of Holi (gotcha!). Truth be told, I have hardly ever participated in the puja part of Holi and have celebrated the second day, which is the color day”. So just go to any part of India where you have friends (or at least can make some) and celebrate! Or what if you’re traveling solo? Read my next point.

What to do for Holi if you’re traveling solo?

While it’s a different thing to go to a music festival alone, but celebrating Holi in India alone as a girl is a whole different matter. I love my country, but sadly a lot of my countrymen will leave no chance in groping women when they can get away with it. Holi is one such day when they think they can get away with it. They will find reasons to touch you, maybe at pretense of putting color on your face before they grope and run away. Sadly, crime rate against women is very high on this day, so please don’t venture out alone.

Suggested: 20 Amazing Indian Festivals that are worth experiencing.

Try to make friends before Holi at your hostel or around. The best would be if you can find local women / families and just ask them if you can celebrate with them. If you don’t know where to find them, you can join this women travel group from India. Don’t worry; you won’t be forcing your company on them because most likely, they’d love to show you how they celebrate Holi. Oh but please be careful about Bhang lassi.

What to wear for Holi?

My cousin and I celebrating Holi in our oldest clothes

Find your oldest clothes, because you won’t be able to wear them again. This goes for your undies too because they will also catch the color.

A lot of websites say you should wear white on Holi but I have mixed thoughts about this. If you’re a girl, you should definitely avoid wearing white because people will throw water on you and many will openly see through your clothes. While in Western countries you may just only receive attention, in India you will receive way more than that.

Wear clothes that are comfortable, can dry quickly and can’t be ripped off easily. I normally wear an old tee shirt with cotton pants or shorts. I always wear sunglasses to protect my eyes from the color and I highly recommend you do the same!

How to protect your skin and hair on Holi?

This point is for both boys and girls. You do need to protect your skin and hair because you can never be sure what kind of color people are applying on you. The easiest thing to do is to apply layers and layers of baby oil on your skin and hair. Make sure you even apply it on your neck and around your ears. Don’t just put it on your exposed skin, but even under your clothes. Not only will you protect your skin from rashes and dryness, but you will make it easier for yourself to remove the color. I also wear a headscarf or a hat to protect my hair because my cousin throws eggs on our heads to take Holi a level higher.

Where to go to celebrate Holi?

Usually the best (and the safest) places to go are local parks, colleges, or a local family’s house. Try to find a Holi party if you can. I usually know of a few, so email me if you can’t find one.

Where should you keep your valuables on Holi?

Carry a waterproof pouch and keep a little money. Try not to carry your phone, but if you still insist, at least invest in a waterproof bag or a pouch. For many years I just carried a little money in a plastic bag and kept it in a cheap pouch.

So do people just apply color on each other?

Many of them do, but mostly it’s like a color war. While some people will politely put a few dots on you, others will take this opportunity to get rid of their yearlong frustration and literally bash you up with colors. More than just colors, it’s also watercolors and waterballoons.

Don’t get shocked when you see people throwing eggs at each other, its pretty normal for a few of them. Back in Punjab, I also saw a few boys who were putting grease on each other’s faces!

About buying Holi Colors, Waterguns and Waterballoons

Holi in India – Holi colors on display in a street market

If you love colors, you’re going to love Holi markets because they’re full of colors. Buy chemical free colors that are made of herbs so that you don’t cause any damage.

You don’t have to buy all the shades but just one or two will suffice. Trust me you will look like a rainbow by end of the day, because everyone would have picked different colors to apply on each other.

Want to go a level higher than colors? Get a water gun! I’m sure if my mom would shake her head in disapproval if she ever reads this article. I don’t personally carry one but I am lucky that I celebrate it with my nephew and I borrow his from time to time to annoy my friends. Water balloons are even a level higher because they can seriously hurt! I don’t ever carry them but normally I get thrown at.

What is Bhang?

Bhang is eatable preparation of marijuana. It is usually in the form of milk-based drink such as lassi or thandai. Lassi is a yogurt drink and thandai is a milk and almond drink. It can also be in food, such as pakodas. It’s much more potent than just smoking a joint. You will not feel the effects while consuming it but it can really hit you hard after an hour.

On Holi, people openly consume Bhang in form of thandai, pakodas or lassi. So please be careful of what you drink or eat.

What should you keep in mind for general safety?

Don’t move around on the streets alone. There are enough frenzied groups that turn into mobs and circle around on Holi to look for a new target.

Don’t throw colors on animals. It irritates their skin and they end up licking it which can cause them poisoning.

In many places in India, small children hide in the balconies and throw water balloons at people. This doesn’t just happen on the day of Holi, but also a for week before the festival. These balloons really hurt when they hit the flesh, so please keep your eyes open. I once had a water-balloon thrown at me while I was safely sitting inside my car. It was funny and annoying at the same time!

Want epic Holi photos? Buy an action camera like GoPro! (this is an affiliate link, if you click this link and buy something from Amazon, I may earn a little commission at no extra cost to you 🙂 )

Be a child and have fun. Seriously, it is the most fun filled festival that I know of and I hope you make the most of it.

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17 Psytrance Festivals You Should Attend in 2017

by Drifter Planet | Jan 21, 2017 | Festivals and Parties, Most Popular Blog Posts

PsyTrance Festivals 2017 – a list of all the music festivals that we want to attend this year.

Full power, 24 hours, no shower?

Well, sometimes we shower but we’re usually full power.

The year 2016 was our craziest year because we traveled around the world and attended many PsyTrance festivals. A lot of things happened when we traveled around the world for music festivals that made us realize which festivals we should skip and which ones we should definitely attend again. Some of the smallest festivals (like Dance of Shiva in Manali) surprised us with their awesomeness while some really big festivals disappointed us.

Based on our experience, we have shortlisted a few festivals that we definitely want to attend this year. The idea is to start the year with a bang and relax a little to get ready for a very wild and full power summer. After this we want to relax and rebuild our energy for our favorite New Year celebration.

So here’s a list of 17 Psytrance Festivals that we want to attend in 2017:

January

01 | Atman Festival

Location: Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka

Schedule: 28 January – 2 February 2017

Atman Festival – Psytrance Festivals 2017

If you think PsyTrance is too much, then Dark Trance will kill you. Or you may just fall in love with it. San and I love taking things up a notch and absolutely love high BPM forest and dark music. This is exactly the reason why we have decided to start our year on an active tandava mode in Sri Lanka because Atman is going to be one hell of a party!

A year back, we met Pooriya Nik who made us watch the video of this festival and we decided to do everything we can to be a part of it. The main stage had a massive demon like décor that matched the dark vibes of the music. We can’t wait to fly to Sri Lanka and head to the beautiful Arugam Bay to stomp to the music of some of our favorite artists like Arjuna, Zik, Kindzadza, Giuseppe, Orestis, and more!

While you’re in Sri Lanka, don’t forget to check out the view of the famous Sigiriya citadel from Pidurangala rock.

February

02 | Hilltop Festival

Location: Vagator, Goa, India

Schedule: 10 – 13 February 2017

Website

Hilltop Goa by Katrina Luka – Psytrance Festivals 2017

Did you know that Goa is the birthplace of psychedelic trance music? A few decades back, the hippies arrived here and fell in love with this glorious land. Many of them did not leave Goa and started calling it home. This is when the era of trance parties with super psychedelic UV décor started and spread all over the world. No matter how many festivals I attend all over the world, nothing compares to the magic of a good old PsyTrance party in Goa.

With its UV painted palm tree trunks and old school rainbow décor, Hilltop in Vagator is one of my favorite party venues in Goa. It is a big party venue and is well maintained with really clean toilets. Many local women set up chai stalls inside this venue and sell affordable snacks. This year, artists like Hilight Tribe, Govinda, Burn In Noise will be playing here. Moreover, Goa is one of my favorite places in the world and you can read my travel articles here before visiting.

While you’re in Goa, don’t forget to check out Bhagvan Mahavir forest reserve and Dudhsagar waterfall.

03 | Envision Festival

Location: Rancho La Merced, Uvita, Costa Rica

Schedule: 23 – 26 February 2017

Website

Envision Festival – Psytrance Festivals 2017

Imagine dancing in the middle of Costa Rica’s rainforest and then heading for a dip inside the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean. Sounds good? That’s Envision festival! Just like a lot of festivals in this list, Envision is also a “leave no trace” event where every step is taken to ensure that the venue is in in as good if not better condition as before the party. The organizers go to great lengths to ensure that it’s a family friendly event and also provide a silent campground that’s away from the music.

While you’re in Costa Rica, check out Arenal Volcano, La Fortuna waterfall and Paradise Hotsprings.

February & March

04 | Tribal Gathering

Location: Near Cuango, Panama

Schedule: 24 February – 13 March 2017

Website

Tribal Gathering 2017 – Psytrance Festivals 2017

Tribal Gathering is a yearly ritual around the full moon in February, where indigenous communities, and global psychedelic tribes come together to meet and celebrate life. This festival is different because it is an 18-day event on a beautiful Caribbean beach in Panama. Throughout this event, there are hundreds of workshops that are organized about community management, sustainability, environment, permaculture, health, philosophies, tantric sex and alternative financial systems. Moreover, during the first few days of the festival, the attendees can attend various ceremonies with shamans from multiple indigenous tribes.

While you’re in Panama, check out Volcan Baru National Park, Soberania National Park and Panama Canal.

March & April

05 | Shakti Peak

Location: Secret Location, Nepal

Schedule: 31 March – 3 April 2017

Website

Shakti Peak Festival, Nepal – psytrance Festivals 2017

Shakti Peak is a festival where some of our favorite artists will be playing music in the middle of Nepal’s mountains. We love small festivals because where the entire festival feels like a family. The line up for this festival is amazing which promises to bring an amazing psychedelic experience to all the attendees.

While you’re in Nepal, check out Annapurna Mountain Range, Poon Hill and Pashupatinath Temple.

April & May

06 | Hai in den Mai

Location: Stemwed-Wehdem, Germany

Schedule: 28 April – 01 May 2017

Website

Hai in den Mai Festival, Germany – Psytrance Festivals 2017

San has attended Hai in den Mai twice and he only has good things to say about this small festival. This festival is organized by Wald Frieden Events, which means “Forest Peace”. This festival officially marks the beginning of festival season in Europe. I have attended Wonderland festival by them on the same venue, which was a magical experience. The location is in the middle of the forest with slanted mini dance floors around the main floor. There is a little pond and a hill next to it, from where you can get a good view. If you’re lucky, you can spot a few cherry blossom trees around.

While you’re in Germany, check out Neuschwanstein Castle, Rakotzbrucke or Hamburg harbor.

May

07 | Re:birth Festival

Location: Nokogiri-yama, Japan

Schedule: 12 – 14 May 2017

Website

Re:birth Festival, Japan – Psytrance Festivals 2017

Japan is a very small country but we were surprised to see a very high percentage of psychedelic festivalgoers are Japanese. Some of our closest festival buddies are from Japan and trust me – they are super psychedelic and really know how to party! After meeting them and learning about their beautiful culture, we have decided to visit Japan one day. We want to travel and explore Japan and experience a Japanese music festival. For this purpose, Re:birth seems to be the perfect choice. After the 2011 Japanese earthquake, the party scene in Japan experienced its all time low and in 2013 Re:birth festival started with a purpose of reigniting the Japanese party scene. Oh and it is more than a PsyTrance festival because it features techno and live bands.

While you’re in Japan, check out Mount Fuji, Hashigui Rock or Akiyoshi Limestone Cave.

June

08 | Tree of Life Festival

Location: Asprovalta, Greece

Schedule: 23 -27 June, 2017

Website

Tree of Life Festival, Greece – Psytrance Festivals 2017

The original location of Tree of Life festival is Turkey, but for 2017 is Greece. Actually, we were looking forward to this festival last year as well but we did not find any schedule online. I wrote to the festival team and I got to know that the schedule was not published because the festival was not happening in 2016. I’m not sure of the reason, but could be because of disturbances in Turkey. Turkey is an amazing country and we would have loved to attend a festival there. If you remember, I traveled solo to Turkey last year and was stranded in Istanbul during the attempted military coup back in July 2016. So maybe it’s a good thing that the festival didn’t happen last year. Anyway, we’re very happy to know that Tree of Life festival is back and will be in Greece. We support this festival 100% and would love to be a part of it because we have always heard amazing things about it.

While you’re in Greece, check out Papingo Rock Pools, Parthenon or Acropolis.

June & July

09 | Dakini Festival

Location: Tuzla Beach, Constanta, Romania

Schedule: 29 June – 2 July 2017

Website

Dakini Festival, Romania – Psytrance Festivals 2017

We’re really excited to attend Dakini Festival. Wanna know why? Well, it is the first inaugural edition, which means it is going to be very special experience. It’s like watching a baby being born and feeling connected to it in an extraordinary way. Secondly, the line up is very interesting with psychedelic trance artists like Astrix and Avalon, this is going to be a hell of an old school PsyTrance party. Secondly, the location is mind-blowing! Have you heard of Tuzla beach? Chances are that you haven’t because it is apparently a “secret beach” that not many have heard of and yes that’s the festival location.

Moreover, the cost of traveling and eating in Romania is much lower than many other countries so it is suited for most of the festival nomads. While you’re there, you should definitely travel around the country because it has a lot of forests and mountains. It is one of the least visited countries in Europe. If you’re in Europe during this festival season, I urge you to travel to Romania and be a part of Dakini Festival’s inaugural edition.

While you’re in Romania, check out the Iron Gates, Bucegi Mountains or Fagaras Fortress.

10 | Master of Puppets

Location: Near Brno, Czech Rep

Schedule: 26 June – 02 July 2017

Website

Master of Puppets festival, Czech Republic – Psytrance Festivals 2017 – Picture by Gypsee Adventures

With a focus on Hi-Tech, Dark and Forest PsyTrance, Master of Puppets in Czech definitely is a festival to watch out for. Obviously things can get a little hard with more than 190 BPMs of music, so they have an amazing chill stage as well with soothing music. This is a fairly new festival and the 2017 edition is going to be the third one with a ticket sale limit of 1500. They also offer 20 free tickets each for people Greece, Portugal and Japan – out of which the only ones remaining are the Japanese ones. Yes, we’re sure you would have heard that Czech party scene is phenomenal and so have we. We want to experience it in the best way possible and Master of Puppets festival is calling out to us.

While you’re in Czech Republic, check out Prague or East Bohemia.

July

11 | Freqs of Nature

Location: Niedergörsdorf (Near Berlin), Germany

Schedule: 5 – 11 July 2017

Website

Freqs of Nature, Germany – Psytrance Festivals 2017

I did not end up attending Freqs of Nature festival last year because I was in Turkey but San did. He fell in love with this festival’s trippy high tech décor and said he spent hours looking at giant machine like alien artwork installations that displayed extraordinary mechanical engineering work. This festival has different stages ranging from progressive to very crazy hi tech. Believe it or not, but things get trippier than this because the festival location is an old military airport that was functional till 1945. This is also a fairly new festival compared to the likes of Boom, Ozora and Wonderland – it started in 2012 and has already built a good name for itself because of excellent management.

While you’re in Germany, check out Neuschwanstein Castle, Rakotzbrucke or Hamburg harbor.

12 | काली मेला Kali Mela – UPDATE – Kali Mela has been cancelled for 2017 but scroll down for a NEW option

Location: Near Barcelona, Spain

Schedule: 13 – 19 July 2017

Website

Kali Mela Festival, Spain – Psytrance Festivals 2017

Kali is the name of a fierce Hindu goddess who is associated with strength, empowerment and dark side of spirituality. True to its name, the lineup is dark and powerful. To be honest, I had no idea about this festival last year because the festival organizers do everything they can to keep it low key but it is very high on my list now.

If you see the line up, it has some of the best dark PsyTrance artists that are set out to perform to ensure a truly wild psychedelic party. It has the biggest line up for Parvati records, which is our favorite record label. In fact, they have the biggest forest and groovy lineup that we have seen for 2017! Don’t believe it? Check the event page! Moreover, the organizers are taking every step possible to ensure an amazing camping experience for everyone and have put together a professional team to take care of it. We will be visiting this festival for sure this summer. We urge you to join us here because this year it’s going to be fantastic!

12 | S.U.N. Festival

Location: Csobánkapuszta, Hungary

Schedule: 20 – 24 July 2017

Website

Our Shady Camping Spot at SUN Festival 2016 in Hungary

A few months back Solar United Natives, a.k.a., S.U.N. Festival was not on this list because the organizers were not sure of it was going to happen in 2017 or not. You see, S.U.N. is a non profit festival and they weren’t able to meet their costs last year. Having attended this last year, it was one of our favorites of 2016 and we did encourage our readers to make a donation in an earlier edition of this post.

Our earlier post said this –

Special mention – our favorite festival Solar United Natives, a.k.a., S.U.N. Festival may not be happening this year but we want to encourage all festivalgoers to donate some money to keep it alive by donating. Even a small contribution can make a difference.

We’re happy that the organizers of S.U.N. festival have met their donation target and the event is on. What sets S.U.N. apart from rest of the festivals is that it is an actual community based organization where important decisions are taken by sending a survey to it’s lifetime members. No, lifetime members are not the organizers but attendees like us that have bought and opted for a lifetime membership.

The concept of this festival is to form the Solar United Natives “new consciousness” community, to shape the green development of Csobánkapuszta, and to invite friends for a family gathering in a fabulous location, where we can get closer to Nature, ourselves, thus to each other.

While you’re in Hungary, check out the sunset by Danube River, Fisherman’s Bastion or Nemzeti Botanikus Kert.

13 | MoDem Festival

Location: Near Primislje, Croatia

Schedule: 24 – 30 July 2017

Website

MoDem Festival Main Stage – Psytrance Festivals 2017

MoDem, a.k.a Memento Demento Festival was the best festival that we attended in 2016. This has got to be the most beautiful festival location that I have ever seen and is around river Mreznica. This river has very clear water and we could see the bottom of it. A dip in this river was very refreshing because the water is very cold. The alternative dance floor was right next to this river. A little walk away from the alternative floor were a few small springs and waterfalls. A little further we even found a cave. Everything around the river is very green and fresh.

MoDem Festival’s Killer Location – Psytrance Festivals 2017

MoDem’s main floor is on top of a hill with higher hills around. The geography is such that it causes a swooshing effect with the music. The décor was very “hi-tech” and definitely the best that we have ever seen in our life. The lineup was excellent and kept us on the dance floor for hours. Overall, it was a very well organized festival with everything a person could need, such as currency exchange, charging stations, clean bio toilets amongst other things. We don’t want to miss this festival and we recommend even you shouldn’t.

While you’re in Croatia, check out the Plitvice Lakes, or book a Game of Thrones tour for yourself.

August

14 | Oregon Eclipse

Location: Antelope, Oregon, USA

Schedule: 17 – 23 August 2017

Website

Oregon Eclipse Photo by Adam Taylor – PsyTrance Festivals 2017

Oregon Eclipse festival is the one that a lot of festival nomads are talking about this year and it is for a good reason. Strictly speaking, this is not a psytrance music festival but is a psychedelic music festival. This is a 6-day total solar eclipse gathering, which is definitely going to be a crazy party. Obviously solar glasses will be provided to all the attendees at the event for their safety. We don’t like big festivals but this is one of the very few ones that we’re eyeing this year that will have between 20k – 40k attendees.

While you’re in Oregon, check out Columbia River Gorge, Haystack Rock or Multnomah Falls.

September & October

15 | Connection Festival

Location: Sevilla, Spain

Schedule: 26 September – 2 October, 2017

Website

CONNECTION FESTIVAL 2016 Photographer – Rodolpho Morais – Psytrance Festivals 2017

After a summer full of dark and hi-tech music, we want to relax in Connection festival’s easy old school psychedelic music show. Some of the most famous psychedelic artists like Transwave, Astral Projection and Shidapu, will be performing here. Yes, this is also one of the smaller festivals with only 1500 tickets.

The location is Sierra Norte Park that has strange rock formations and a small river called Hueznar. This festival officially marks the end of summer festival season in Europe and should not be missed.

While you’re in Spain, check out the Real Alcazar, Montserrat Monastery or Timanfaya National Park.

October

16 | Samsara Himalaya Edition

Location: Bir, Himachal Pradesh, India

Schedule: 22 – 31 October, 2017

Website

Samsara Himalaya Edition – Psytrance Festivals 2017

Samsara is a psyambient music festival which is organizing a Himalayan edition in India in October in collaboration with AryaMarga Yoga. Festival attendees can expect sound and vision healing through music and art. Many experienced Yoga, Qigong and Tai chi teachers will conduct several workshops here. If you have visited the Himalayas in India, you would have definitely felt the magic and the spirituality in the air. For a festival like Samsara that focuses on healing music, a location like this makes perfect sense.

It is super simple to reach Himachal Pradesh from Delhi. While you’re in Himachal Pradesh, do check out my post about 11 hippie villages in the Himalayas. You can also visit the moon lake – Chandrataal.

December & January

17 | The Experience Festival

Location: Koh Tao, Thailand

Schedule: 30 December 2017 – 2 January 2018

Website

The Experience Festival, Koh Tao – Photo by VJ Baba – Psytrance Festivals 2017

The Experience Festival is the best way to celebrate the New Year because it’s an epic 4 day celebration. What I love about this festival is that the music changes depending on the time of the day (or night). You can expect progressive and full on during the day and darker psychedelic beats at night. The best time is when the sun rises because the view is spectacular.

So much positive energy at the Experience Festival by Digital Thangka – Psytrance Festivals 2017

After traveling from festival to festival for a few months in Europe I realized how convenient and special the Experience festival is. The location is Koh Tao, which is a beautiful island with many beaches. In many festivals we had no choice but cook our own food to save money. In order to do so, we had to get on to an expensive shuttle to go to a supermarket to buy groceries.

On the other hand, things are really cheap in Koh Tao so naturally spending things like food, grocery, scooter and the basic necessities was stress-free. Moreover, this is a small festival with not more than three thousand people and a close knit family vibe. The décor is super psychedelic and is sure to turn any dark trip into a positive one.

The toilets and showers are very clean and airy. Thankfully, they are not the portable dixie toilets that I hate but they are the fixed ones and regularly get cleaned. Maybe someone casted a magical spell on this island because the vibes are really amazing here. This is where I met San a few years back and we fell in love. We have attended this festival thrice and can’t wait to go back.

While you’re in Thailand, check out Sukhothai Historical Park, Ayutthaya Temples or the Floating Markets.

So which PsyTrance festivals are you attending this year? Let us know in the comments – who knows, maybe we’ll end up meeting!

You may also like

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24 Things That Happened When We Traveled Around for Music Festivals

by Drifter Planet | Dec 23, 2016 | Festivals and Parties, Humor, Personal Stories

If you have been following our adventures on Instagram and Facebook, then you know for sure that our summer was full of music festivals.

We started in Manali, India where we danced with our Japanese family at Dance of Shiva festival. Next on our list was Germany’s Freqs of Nature where it was time to dance on dark psychedelic tunes. After Germany, it was time enjoy old school psychedelic tunes and meet our S.U.N. Festival family in Hungary. Right after this, Modem’s amazing hi tech décor and music blew us away next to the Springs of Mreznica in Croatia.

Somewhere around the full moon, it was time to be ONE with nature (and people) at Boom Festival in Portugal. After Boom, we volunteered at Lost Theory Festival’s kitchen in Spain. Our last festival of the season was Earthquake festival in Germany.

Seven music festivals, six countries in just one summer – obviously a lot of things were bound to happen. If I start writing in detail, I can easily write enough material to make a book but I don’t want to bore you to death. So here are N things that happened during our summer full of music festivals:

01 | We got to travel for REALLY cheap (sometimes FREE)

Summer full of music festivals

Euro trips are expensive, no? Not so much of you hitchhike. The best thing about traveling from one festival to another was we didn’t even have to make an effort to hitchhike. From one festival to another, it was easy to find people who were happy to take us in their campervan to the next festival. Our best ride to remember was from Portugal to Spain in our friend’s ancient campervan.

02 | We lost a lot of things… and found many others

Yes, people lose a lot of things at music festivals – so did we. But each time we lost something; we found a replacement for free. No we’re not talking about finding other people’s lost things, but we got these things from people who were leaving the festival and didn’t want to carry them.

You may also like – How I met my soul mate in a psytrance music festival

03 | Strange things happened with our hair

I went with 22 dreadlocks and came back with just 10. San went with 4 and came back with 5. Conclusion: dreadlocks require hard work and maintenance.

View this post on Instagram

I'm all set for my trek. I start today and it will end in 5 days. They had asked me to run for 2 kms everyday to prepare for the trek which of course I didn't do.. haha. Let's see how I manage. 😉 #psytrancedrifterplanet

A post shared by Sonal | Drifter Planet (@drifterplanet) on Jul 1, 2016 at 11:19pm PDT

04 | We realized it is possible to dance for 30 hours straight

Energy on the dance floor at Boom Festival 2016

We danced for 30 hours straight at Boom Festival 2016

Blame it on the lineup or the vibes on the dance floor but at Boom festival, San and I ended up spending two nights and one day on the dance floor without sleeping. How did we do it? We have no idea.

05 | We now know how much fun it is to volunteer at a music festival

San and I working inside Lost Theory Festival’s kitchen

For the first time in our lives, San and I volunteered at a music festival. It was the Lost Theory festival in Spain where we worked in the kitchen for four hours every day. In return, our festival entry and food was absolutely free!

06 | We fell in love with Acai

View this post on Instagram

Yummy Acai bowls in Fremantle today!!! @ohana.acai.bar #acai #food #fit #healthy #yum

A post shared by Tweat Melbourne (@tweatmelbourne) on Jun 1, 2017 at 2:27am PDT

Acai or açaí berry is a Brazilian fruit that should be labeled as the perfect party food. We tried it for the first time at Boom Festival in Portugal and ate it almost everyday after. It is very low in sugar but very high in vitamin C and antioxidants. It provided us with a much needed energy boost after dancing for hours.

You may also enjoy – 9 Reasons Why We Love Music Festivals

07 | We realized that every festival has an outdoor make out spot (you just need to find it)

Modem Festival, Croatia 2016

While it may not appear so during the day but things drastically change when it gets dark. Not every area is well lit and if you try hard enough, you can find many spots that you can have to just to yourselves for a long time.

08 | We met our favorite PsyTrance artist – Arjuna

Arjuna at Modem Festival, Photo by Es Web

After dancing to Arjuna’s music at every festival, we finally got a chance to meet him and hug him. Believe it or not but at every festival we decided are sleep (and tripping) schedule based on when he was playing.

09 | We met the famous Mr. Pink (and also his soul brother)

Mr Pink at Boom Festival, Portugal - 22 Things that happened during our summer full of music festivals

Me with Mr. Pink at Boom festival 2016- 22 Things that happened during our summer full of music festivals

Me hugging Mr Pink at Boom Festival - 22 Things that happened during our summer full of music festivals

If you’re a regular at PsyTrance festivals, then you know of Mr. Pink for sure. Since the last two years, he’s in almost every PsyTrance music festival video where he is colored fully pink. Well, we have been following his adventures everywhere and at the Boom festival, we actually got to hug him. Check it out!

10 | We can now use almost every kind of toilet

Compost toilet at Modem festival – the cleanest festival toilet this season

Believe it or not, dirty toilets are my biggest fear. A few months back, I would have preferred to jump off a cliff than to use a toilet that’s dirty. However, seven back to back music festivals and 100s of dirty toilets – I had no choice but to face my fear head on. Yes, now I can use every kind of toilet.

11 | We now know that almost everything can be recycled… even poop

A beautiful garden at Boomland which was built using human waste

A beautiful garden at Boomland (Boom Festival 2016, Portugal) which was built using human waste

Do you know how much environmental damage a music festival can cause if not done correctly? Almost all of the festivals that we attended this summer had invested in tonnes of environmental programs to leave no trace on the land. Almost all the waste was recycled, even poop. Most of these festivals also had compost toilets where they recycled human waste to provide for food for building elaborate gardens.

12 | We became camping experts

Our camp at Modem festival 2016, Croatia

Camping is a very important part of a music festival experience. Pitching a tent is a different matter but making it super comfortable requires a little more work. After spending most of our summer in our tent, we became camping experts and can now make our tent almost as comfortable as our bedroom.

You may also like – The Ultimate Packing List for Music Festivals

13 | We met a lot of talented children

Modem baby by GemeosVB Fotografia

Music festivals have areas that are specifically designed for children. We think that parents who bring their children to festivals end up fueling their creativity. Being in a creative zone for 4-5 days continuously is very good to open up their minds’ creative window. We couldn’t help but notice how talented most of these children were.

14 | We now know that hand fans make the perfect festival accessory

My hand fan with a water spray in Portugal

Even if the temperature is low, things are bound to get sweaty after dancing for a few hours. A hand fan is the perfect dance accessory because you can fan your face while dancing.

Read: 17 Psychedelic Festivals You Should Attend in 2017

15 | We learnt that tutus aren’t only for girls

Why did I ever think that tutus looked good only on girls? They look amazing on women and men alike!

16 | We had to take a “forced vacation” from blogging

A Psytrance Festival in Old Manali (Dance of Shiva)

Dance of Shiva Festival in Old Manali, 2016

You must be thinking – wait, isn’t travel blogging a permanent vacation? Wrong. It’s a lot of work and it requires good Internet connectivity. Of course I was fooling myself when I thought I was going to be able to continue blogging from my phone but in reality, I was too wasted to ever charge my phone.

17 | We lost a lot of weight

What else did you imagine would happen after dancing for many hours and eating a lot of Acai?

18 | We embraced “Free Body Culture”

Free body culture at Lost Theory festival 2016

Free body culture.. or as Germans call it Freikörperkultur is awesome. There is nothing sexual about it but it’s just an expression of being free and natural. Naked body is not a source of shame but in almost all the civilizations, it is a social taboo. Festival naturism is real. And it’s not just limited to Woodstock.

19 | Our skin became better because of natural soap

At most of the festivals, we were given free bars of natural soap so that we could use them to bathe in rivers (Modem), waterfalls (Lost Theory) or lakes (Boom). These soaps that are usually made with olive oil, coconut and honey, are 100% biodegradable because they don’t contain chemical detergents that most of other soaps do. Obviously these are good for the environment they are very good for hair and skin too!

20 | We fell in love with life a little more..

Bring Out Your Inner Child at Boom Festival 2016 Portugal

Falling in love with life a little more at Boom Festival 2016 Portugal

At music festivals, people celebrate life and happiness. It is difficult not being happy when the collective energy of everyone’s happiness influences you. It works a little like laughter Yoga that is based on the principle of collective energy. These festivals gave us a massive dose of happiness, hope and love. They changed us for life.

21 | We sold little things to make money

San and I selling earrings and bindi at Lost Theiry festival, Spain

Here’s a picture of our little “pirate shop” where we’re selling small dreamcatcher earrings from Nepal and bindis from India. In all honestly, we opened our shop for just one day and made less than 10 euros so gave up.

22 | Our Wardrobe became “fashionably” torn

Torn clothes but fashionably so

A little rip in my tights? No worries, I can make them evenly ripped. While I’m at it, why don’t I do the same with my tunic?

23 | We got a little more creative

We spent hours drawing, making new things with our hands and San now makes jewelry!

Getting creative at Earthquake festival in Germany (2016)

24 | We made at least 150 new friends

Some of our festival friends

At the first festival we had just 20 friends. By the time it was our 7^th festival, we realized we had made at least 150 new friends from all over the world. Why not, coconut?

Summer of 2016 was the best summer of our lives. We met many amazing people, discovered many new things about ourselves and fell in love with life a little more than before. For us, traveling for music festivals was definitely cheaper than just backpacking around because move from one place to another for free and sleep for free. These festivals changed us for life and things will never be the same again.

Do you also love music festivals as much as we do? If so, share this post with your friends!

Hey, if you want to see more pictures from our music festival madness, search #PsytranceDrifterPlanet on Instagram. 🙂

22 Things That Happened During Our Summer Full of Music Festivals

20 Ideas to Celebrate the New Year’s Eve

by Drifter Planet | Dec 12, 2016 | Festivals and Parties

New Year’s Eve is around the corner and is that time of the year where the party goes on for a very long time. How about you skip the same old celebration in your hometown and do something different? To help you plan, we have a lot of ideas for you under different themes. Weather you are looking for a non-stop music festival or want to be one with nature, this post has something for everyone. Cover art picture by Digital Thangka.

Travel ideas for Celebrating the New Year’s Eve –

Theme 1: Party the Night Away

01 | Celebrate the World’s First New Year at East Cape or Auckland, New Zealand

– Robin of Backpacker Guide NZ

Celebrate the World’s First New Year at East Cape or Auckland, New Zealand

The country that is the first to see the sun every day is also the best place to spend New Year’s Eve. Pick your option: From East Cape that has the first sunrise in the world, and a huge festival on New Year’s Eve to the massive Auckland fireworks without forgetting a wild and remote east coast beach where you will be mesmerized by a stellar sunrise.

02 | Enjoy a Luxurious Upscale Beach Party at Punta del Este, Uruguay

– Barbara Wagner of http://www.jet-settera.com

Enjoy a Luxurious Upscale Beach Party at Punta del Este, Uruguay

Punta del Este, a small but upscale beach town in Uruguay, is a popular New Year’s Eve destination for many wealthy South Americans. This town’s clean, white, eclectic architecture resembles Miami. The town is also called as the Monaco of South-America, as many of the big yachts dock here during the summer. It is one of the most expensive holiday destinations in South-America during the holidays. The nightlife is amazing, clubs around the port are open until 6-7am in the morning and the party rocks every night. Many tourists come here to enjoy gambling. The Conrad Hotel has one of the largest casinos in Uruguay and it is the favorite hot spot for many Brazilians. Huge fireworks make New Year’s Eve very memorable in Punta del Este.

03 | Party Non Stop with Backpackers in Huacachina, Peru

– Danielle Ditzian of Like Riding a Bicycle

Party Non Stop with Backpackers in Huacachina, Peru

Huacachina in Peru is a tiny town entirely on an oasis, it’s not only gorgeous, but if you stay at Casa de Arena, they have an amazing club to party the night away. In fact, I went to bed at 6 am on New Year’s Eve the year I was there… and was the first person in my 20-person dorm room to crash! Plus, if the partying gets to be a bit much, you can always go chill in the sand dunes looking at the beautiful oasis.

04 | Attend the infamous Full Moon Party at Koh Phangan, Thailand

– Rishabh & Niralee of GypsyCouple

Full Moon Party at Koh Phangan – Photo by Priyanka Kwatra Bajad

Koh Phangan is arguably the party capital of South East Asia boasting of a monthly iteration of the Full Moon Party inviting revelers from all over. Scale it up to have double the audience, better music (if it’s possible) add in the New Year to the mix and you have a winner. The island is only approachable by ferry and has its Haad Rin beach as the epicenter of the partying wave (though other beaches have smaller parties running during the time). You can tick off insane music, fire twirlers, drinking games, a whole lot of multi ethnic revelers to make it an epic way to send off the old year and welcome the new one!

Theme 2 – Enjoy Regional Traditions and Cultural Events

05 | Burn Papier Mâché Characters at Salinas, Ecuador

– Dane of HolidayFromWhere

Burn Papier Mâché Characters at Salinas, Ecuador

There is a tradition in Ecuador to build big Papier Mâché characters and then burn them to get rid of evil spirits for the New Year. They put dozens of 5-meter high infernos on the entire beach area. People celebrate by throwing massive fireworks into them. Note: Be careful because this nice traditional ceremony can sometimes cause massive fires. When I was there, it was the most chaotic, uncontrollable, yet memorable New Years Eve I have ever been a part of.

06 | Watch Apsara Dance in Siem Reap, Cambodia

– Nisha of Lemonicks

Burn Papier Mâché Characters at Salinas, Ecuador

There are many destinations around the world where I would want to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Till now wherever I have celebrated it, it has given me much joy and fond memories. One of my favorites is Siem Reap in Cambodia. I have great memories of the place. I had gone there to volunteer for three months and celebrated Christmas and New Year in the process. The place is close to me not because it is a touristy place but for all those kids who gave me happiness and shared their joy. Otherwise also, there is no dearth of tourists in Siem Reap, so one cannot feel lonely. Go to Pub Street and celebrate in style relishing good food, drinks and watching Apsara dance.

07 | Shake Your Booty at Feria de Cali in Cali, Colombia

– Ruben Arribas of Gamin Traveler

Shake Your Booty at Feria de Cali in Cali, Colombia

One of the best places I’ve ever been to celebrating New Year´s Eve is in Cali, Colombia. Cali is the third largest city in Colombia and famous for being the Salsa capital all over the world. Last week of every year, they celebrate Feria de Cali, which is famous for the Salsa marathon. During this, everyone dances the streets, both the young and old, locals and visitors alike. During the day you can see huge colorful parades with flowers, people, animals and of course the most important, good and lively music. At night, there are many bands playing salsa and thousands of people dancing. Don´t know how to dance salsa? No problem at all, just visit Cali and people will teach you how to do it.

Theme 3 – Attend a Music Festivals

08 | Attend a Psychedelic Music Festival – the Experience Festival, Koh Tao, Thailand

– Sonal and Sandro of Drifter Planet

The Experience PsyTrance Festival, Koh Tao – Photo by Digital Thangka

The Experience Festival is Asia’s most popular PsyTrance Music festival and it occurs on December 30 to January 2 in Koh Tao. This festival features a chill out stage and a full on PsyTrance main stage where you can dance for days to welcome the New Year. Moreover, Tao Island’s warm tropical weather makes sets the perfect mood for hours of dancing and camping. This island is also known for its beautiful beaches, viewpoints, and colorful marine life, which can be enjoyed before or after the festival.

09 | Watch a Firework Show or Attend a NYE Music Festival in Sydney, Australia

– Dave Anderson of Jones Around The World

Watch a Firework Show or Attend a NYE Music Festival in Sydney, Australia

While most of the world is in the middle of winter, it’s actually summertime down in Australia, which makes it perfect weather for all sorts of outdoor activities. The NYE Firework Show over the Sydney Harbour Bridge is truly spectacular, and should be on everyone’s bucket list. There are also so many different nightlife events and party cruises that are epic, or you can make the journey out to one of the music festivals in Australia that have 3-day events during New Years Eve! Trust me, get yourselves to Sydney at the end of December, and you won’t regret it! See you down under mate!

Theme 4 – Watch the Magic of Northern Lights

10 | Enjoy the Peace and Try to spot Northern Lights at Norway

– Lavina of A Capricious Compass

Enjoy the Peace and Try to spot Northern Lights at Norway

New Year has always been about extending the festive spirit and welcoming new begnnnings with a nip in the air! Coming from a tropical country, winter always meant temperatures around 10 degrees. However, a recent trip to Norway changed my perception of winter. Temperatures below zero blanketed the earth with a sheet of snow. It was mesmerizing! Silence for miles, the Auroras dancing in the sky at night, some warm toddy and people who matter the most, for company. Time to reflect and look forward to beautiful things! After spending many years partying at New Year’s eve, I can now say no one does winter like countries in the Arctic Circle and Norway especially so!

11 | Enjoy Lapland’s Winter Landscape and try to spot the Northern Lights, Finland

– Céline Simon of Je Papote

Enjoy a Surreal Winter Landscape and try to spot the Northern Lights, Finland

Who has never dreamed of spending New Year’s Eve in a beautiful winter landscape? At that time, the magic of Lapland makes sense. I suggest rent a confortable cottage with friends in the forest to be near the beautiful nature. After that, it will be time to enjoy the great white landscapes offered by Lapland.

You can enjoy a lot of activities such as dog sledding, snowmobile or cross-country skiing. And when the day ends, you will absolutely end with a sauna to warm you. And if you’re lucky enough, you can see at night, the magic of the northern lights! To make the most of it, you can sleep inside a glass igloo in Finland.

Theme 5 – Get Spiritual

12 | Experience a Spiritual Rejuvenation with monks at Tawang, India

– Siddhartha Joshi of Sid the Wanderer

Experience a Spiritual Rejuvenation with monks at Tawang, India

Nestled high up in the Himalayas in the northeastern state of Arunanchal Pradesh in India, Tawang is not your usual destination to ring in the New Year. Home to world’s second largest Buddhist Monastery, the town, however, offers a beautiful blend of spirituality and adventure. If you are in town for the new year’s eve, I would recommend visiting the Monastery and spending time with the monks on the first day of the year. Follow it up with hikes around in the high mountains, and a visit to the numerous frozen lakes in the region. The days will be short and peaceful, and the nights would be long, yet Tawang will fill you with unbridled energy, which will last at least an year

Theme 6 – Hit a Famous Party Street

13| Enjoy midnight runs and Fireworks at New York City, USA

– Natasha of The World Pursuit

Enjoy midnight runs and Fireworks at New York City, USA (Image Source)

NYC has to be one the best places in the world to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Everyone knows that Times Square is the famous place to ring in the new year, however, there are even better places in the city to celebrate. Partying and dancing take place all over the city, but some of the best spots to waste the night away are in Central Park, Bowlmor Lanes, and the Brooklyn Bridge. In Central Park, there are even fireworks accompanied with midnight runs. As someone who lived in New York, I wouldn’t recommend anyone go to Times Square for the bash. It’s cold and you have to stand jam packed with other people for the entire day. Don’t ask me where you go to relieve yourself.

14 | Be a Part of a congregation on Siem Reap’s Pub Street, Cambodia

– Mar Pages of Once in a Lifetime Journey

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Siem Reap is an always busy and often crowded destination. Gateway to the ruins of Angkor Wat, the town is filled with tourists during the dry season. But here is the tip: go for New Year’s and you are likely to have it all to yourself: the good weather, the ruins and the culture. For New Year’s Eve, everybody congregates on Pub Street, where all the bars are, and do the countdown together. The street does get incredibly packed and you will be stuck wherever you are unable to move forward or backwards. Some people on the higher floors might throw much needed water to cool everyone down and the spirit of party permeates. It is a different and fun way to spend the last night of the year and then carry on to the temples with less crowds than usual.

15 | Check out the Party scene on Bangkok’s Khao San Street, Thailand

– Lina & David of Divergent Travelers

Bangkok’s Khao San Street, Thailand

My husband and I don’t price us on being partiers but there are certain experiences you should have at least once in your life. This is why, when we found ourselves in Thailand for New Years Eve, we decided to party the last hours of the year away on Kho San Road. The experience was interesting with a rave type atmosphere. The streets were so crowded that moving from one place to another required a shuffle but man, was it a good time. There were stages set up with live performers, fire throwers and music blaring from every bar on every corner. The experience of coming together with people from all around the World to celebrate a common holiday was an experience we will not soon forget.

16 | Party on the streets in Bali, Indonesia

– Jyotsana of Wander with Jo

Party on the streets in Bali, Indonesia

Bali garners millions of visitors every year for it’s excellent beaches, temples, party scene, surfing, food, culture and more. However, New Year’s Eve attracts at least half of those millions, or so it seems. It is crazy busy on the streets and there are people – everywhere. I am not a big fan of humongous gatherings like these but if you want to party hard and just let your hair down – this is IT! My NYE at Bali was pretty epic. It just so happened that as soon as the clock stuck 12, everyone (yes, everyone) gathered on the streets (From their respective pubs on Legian street) to dance, hug and clink beer bottles with each other. It also started drizzling a bit and the whole vibe was surreal.

Theme 7 – Romantic

17 | Get Romantic and Enjoy Live Music in Vienna, Austria

– Karolina & Patryk of KarolinaPatryk.com

Get Romantic and Enjoy Live Music in Vienna, Austria

The absolute best place to celebrate New Year’s Eve is Vienna. It is the most romantic city of Europe, with a beautiful old town and many awesome monuments. At the last day of the year, it turns into a huge party zone! People from all over the world are coming to the capital of Austria to celebrate. The most important event takes place in the morning though. New Year’s concert in Vienna performed by the best musicians on this planet is famous all over the world. It’s broadcast live to 50 million people from more than 70 countries. Can you imagine anything better than being there and watching the concert in the flesh?

Theme 8: Attend a Live Concert

18 | Attend a Live Concert at Madison Square Garden

– Danielle Desir of The Thought Card

Attend a Live Concert at Madison Square Garden

One of my most memorable New Year’s Eve celebrations was spent at a JackU concert in New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Over 18,000 people brought in the new year at Madison Square Garden that night. The stadium was sold old and the energy was electric. Not only were the DJ sets phenomenal, but there was also a humongous New Year’s Eve countdown. As the clock struck 12:01 a.m., the entire crowd went in a frenzy. Balloons and streamers fell from the sky and there were lots of joyful tears and kisses. For the next week, I had a permanent grin on my face and I haven’t been to a New Year’s Eve celebration of that magnitude since.

Theme 9 – Head to the Sand Dunes

19 | Enjoy a “Maharaja Style” celebration or Watch Thar desert’s Starry Night at Rajasthan, India

– Natalia Shipkova of My Trip Hack

Enjoy a “Maharaja Style” celebration or Watch Thar esert’s Starry Night at Rajasthan, India

I wanted to celebrate a New Year away from the usual high-pitched parties of big cities, thus I decided to choose Rajasthan – the land of Kings in India. On 31st Eve I was watching the fireworks lighting the sky at the Hill Fort in Jodhpur from one of the rooftops. It was spectacular to see the big picture of the city during the celebration. First days of January I’ve spent in a group of eight people in the Thar Desert roaming around endless dunes, lying on the sand under one million of stars and talking on different cultures. That was one of the most extended and memorable New Year experiences till date.

20 | Experience an Exotic “réveillon” at Erg Chebbi Dunes – Sahara Desert, Morocco

– João Leitão from Nomad Revelations

Experience an Exotic “réveillon” at Erg Chebbi Dunes – Sahara Desert, Morocco

If you’re keen to experience an entirely different way of spending your New Year’s Eve, I think the Sahara Desert is the ultimate travel destination. Completely off-the-beaten track, Erg Chebbi Dunes in southeast Morocco is a great place to experience the most exotic “réveillon” party possible and to jump into a new year full of optimism. I have done it four times at Hotel Café du Sud, and I can’t wait to go back. Sahara is deeply involved with a particular type of mystic, and it represents our most profound perception of how a magical and mysterious place should be. Erg Chebbi holds the highest sand dunes in the country, and along with a unique musical heritage keeps visitors amazed and thrilled to visit. All around the region, several families pursue a millenary nomadic way of life and persist on remaining non-sedentary.

So what are you waiting for? Book your flights NOW and celebrate!

What was your best New Year’s Eve celebration? Let me know in the comments.

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