My first Blackmoon party with Traveller Anne - Laure

Written by Anne - Laure Guillaumat.

Being a mostly non drinking and shy backpacker, you might wonder what I was doing at Blackmoon Culture. Well, let me tell you that I was enjoying myself. A lot.

In my mind, Phangan parties were these huge, full of music and drinks events where bodies shake in rythm (mostly) and people raise their bottles of Leo. I didn't really know what to expect and it took me some time to decide if I really wanted to go. Now that I think about it, I feel like laughing at myself. Blackmoon Culture was way more than just a party. It was a full experience. I'm not even sure I'll be able to fully enjoy normal clubbing anymore, without thinking about that time, on a Thailand beach... My friends are going to hate me.

The fun began way before we got to Ban Tai. In Phanganist Hostel, everyone was being creative with neon paint. I was not really sure of myself, looking at other people to find inspiration... I didn't want to end up with awkward doodles that would scream to everyone that I didn't belong with all the cool people! Then a nice lady offered to take care of my face. I didn't hesitate. Seeing the result made me want to experiment myself. And then I realised. It's the whole point. Having fun with the paint, being creative, experiment... So I did. 

At midnight we all left together. The magic was still there and no taxi had turned back into a pumpkin. It was time to party. When we arrived at the entrance, with all the tattoo stalls' designs shining under the UV lights, I realised right away that I was going to love it. You have to understand that I had absolutely no idea what was trance music, I'd never even been to a beach party before! I came to Blackmoon Culture fully blind, just because I saw a cool picture on the gallery. This is what I love about backpacking after all. You try new things and go out of your confort zone!

On one side, a man was dancing with fire, two meters away from the water. On the other, five hundred people were ondulating under a butterfly ceiling. Everything was lit by UV lights, neon decorations and tattoos were shining... There was a nice breeze and enough space for everyone to move without hitting their neighbours... We danced, sat down with dogs to watch the fire shows, danced some more, chatted, danced again... The whole party had an unreal aura, like an out of time experience. 

How are you suppose to go back to the real world, when you know there are places where life is enjoyed fully, creatively and unrestrainedly?

Yeah, I really enjoyed myself. A lot!