Survive The Full Moon Party!

The Full Moon Party –a party that takes epic to a whole new level! We’ve all heard of it, we’ve seen the pictures, listened to the stories and we want to be a part of it! An estimated 20,000 to 40,000 party goers descend on to Sunrise Beach of Haad Rin, Koh Phangan for the most famous party in the world, which makes for an incredible atmosphere in the area!

Make sure though, that you remember the night (you are bound to forget) for the right reasons though! Here’s the Ultimate guide to surviving the Ultimate party:

A Place To Stay

  • Don’t bother booking online, any rooms you find will be at the more expensive end of the scale and will probably have a minimum stay that doesn’t fit in with your plans. There are plenty of places to stay that will only be found by walking around and asking directly. (As long as you get there in good time!)
  • It’s a good idea to book a room in advance … if you just turn up looking for a room, you’ll need a miracle! Get there at least 5-7 days before the party if you’re on a budget and need somewhere cheap to stay.
  • If you can’t get there as early as recommended, look at staying on a different island and booking a ferry to and from the party. You won’t have to pay an increased rate for a room, you can get there the day before and your head will probably appreciate the peace and quiet the next morning!

Watch Your Belongings

  • Take a copy of your ID rather than the real thing – worrying the next day about how to replace your lost or stolen passport is not going to help with your hangover!
  • Take a set amount of money out with you and leave your cards/wallet/purse behind. Again, you will run the risk of losing this one way or another. If you run out of money while you’re there, it’s likely because you don’t need to be spending any more!
  • It’s common sense but worth saying anyway! Don’t take expensive belongings with you. Obviously, you will want to take pictures (probably to remind you in the morning of all the crazy things you did/new friends you made!) so buy a disposable camera. If you really want to take your good camera out, upload all your current pictures online beforehand, just in case. Cameras can be replaced, pictures can’t!
  • Travel insurance could turn out to be your best friend!

Stay Safe!

  • Wear something on your feet! That many people multiplied by that many bottles equals cut feet galore. They don’t have to be your favourite footwear, in fact, we’d advise against it, but glass in the feet is sure to be more of a nuisance than a pair of flip flops!
  • There’s plenty of entertainment at the Full Moon Party and whilst we won’t tell you not to get involved, we will ask you to use your judgement … if the fire rope jumping is something you just have to tick off your bucket list, it’s probably a good idea to do it before you’ve had too many buckets and can still stand! The burns can be painful and, again, will make that hangover a lot worse!
  • Speaking of too many buckets – take your time, you have all night. Try and drink water as you go … it’s a marathon, not a sprint!
  • You may be tempted to take a dip in the water at some point in the night … erm, we use the term water rather lightly! Take away the obvious safety issues involved when you put drunken people in the water, and just consider where all those thousands of people are going to the toilet. They aren’t all queuing for the portaloos! Washing your hands or face, or trying to clean any cuts you may get, in the sea will not give the desired effect!
  • Thailand has very strict laws as far as drugs are involved … if you are caught offering or asking for drugs, taking them or even talking about them, you could find yourself in a lot of trouble! Expensive trouble! It’s just not worth it.
  • Take care of each other. Try not to wander off on your own but have a plan for if you do lose your friends. It’s unlikely you’ll have your phone with you and it will be very difficult to find them again in the crowds. So agree to meet up somewhere at a certain time if you lose each other.
  • In the morning, you might find yourself waking up on the beach … the sun can get very hot, very quickly. You’ll be dehydrated so get some water as soon as you can. Get some sunscreen on and if you have something to cover up with, great!

You can see the dates for the rest of the year here.

If you stay smart and stay safe, this will be an experience you’ll talk about forever (even if some of the details are hazy)! Spend the night making new friends, dance until you can’t stand anymore, sing until you lose your voice, paint your body all the colours of the neon rainbow and have more fun than you ever thought was possible!