Travel Ideas

Governments have always had it in for the techno scene. Since raves emerged in the UK in the late 80’s/early 90’s, the police did all they could to close them down. The cops in Goa and the Himalayas weren’t slow to demand prohibitive baksheesh either and the result is that the parties have largely been squeezed out there too.

In Belgium a government report announced that the trance parties represented a dangerous sect whose adherents all wore dreadlocks and greeted each other with the code namaste ( a standard greeting in India) and parties and ravers have been hounded around the rest of the world too.

Trance parties represent some of the most charged dancefloors you’ll find anywhere and the good ones will find most people tripping on good acid, reaching new heights of experience together. One and all will face their demons through the night and then when dawn hits, find their spirit and manifest it on the dancefloor.

So where can you find techno/trance parties these days?

Well, there’s always the Boom Festival in Portugal every August – tickets are getting more and more expensive every year and the organisers are literally making millions off the partiers but what are you going to do?

Then the trance scene in Brazil is happening without too much interference though it’s doubtful whether the Brazilians have really got the idea about it being a psychedelic event. The beach of Trancoso in Bahia has been a favourite venue and there are parties held up and down the country on a sporadic basis.

Japan has long been sending travelers to Goa to freak out on dance floors and the ones that made it back started organising trance parties in the summer, even around Mount Fuji. You’ll be the only foreigner in a sea of Japanese dressed to the nines in fluoro but that’s what makes it so fun.

Israel also has parties which sometimes make it to the morning. They usually start up around April and to find out where they’ll be just keep asking amongst likely-looking ex-travelers down at the beach in Tel Aviv.

Check out more destinations to dance your way to enlightenment at the Trancer’s guide

And more on the Goa Trance Scene

Want to meet other road junkies?
Come to the Road Junky Sahara Retreat Feb 6-11 2012 to hang out with 30 other travelers to meditate, make yoga, tell stories and dance under the full moon in the desert.

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